McDonald and Giles
Ian McDonaldNot really sure what to make of this. It didn't annoy me, that's at least something. It was just 'there' and when it was done it wasn't there anymore.
Not really sure what to make of this. It didn't annoy me, that's at least something. It was just 'there' and when it was done it wasn't there anymore.
Well played and well executed, but it's all a bit too much 'middle-of-the-road alt rock' for me. I miss the sharper edges and would like to hear some more emotion in the delivery. I'm sure this was all the rage back when it came out, but it doesn't really stand out from the many many other early 2000's rock bands.
Riding high on my post-Nirvana obsession, I ofcourse had to get Garbage's debut album. Anything somehow related to Nirvana was a must to dive into (even if it was only the producer of Nevermind, who apparently could play drums). The debut album was actually quite good! Then a few years later version 2.0 came along. Again, quite good, but not as fresh and new as the debut album. More of the same: catchy tunes, great vocals and all-in-all a 'decent' record. Then years went by and somehow I never revisited it after those initial few spins when it came out. It didn't 'stick'. Hearing it again now brings back fond memories, but this will most likely be the last time I will ever listen to this record in it's entirety.
I really wish I was more open-minded when it comes to musical genres that live in the more outer regions of the musical spectrum. I would really love to actually 'get' music like Cluster's. But I don't. I can't wrap my head around why this would be even remotely interesting for anyone to listen to. Luckily there are many people that do 'get' this. Makes life a lot less plain and boring. But still, to me this sounds like endless noodling on electronic switch-boards. I envy those that hear actual music in this.
Phish workflow breakdown: Step 1: Strap on guitars and go wild: Wiiieeee wieeeeeeehhh, widily widily wieeeeehhhhh! Step 2: Repeat until timestamp of 2 hr 11 min has been reached. Step 3: Job well done. Step 4: Move on.
Well played and well executed, but it's all a bit too much 'middle-of-the-road alt rock' for me. I miss the sharper edges and would like to hear some more emotion in the delivery. I'm sure this was all the rage back when it came out, but it doesn't really stand out from the many many other early 2000's rock bands.
Lovely upbeat and enjoyable record!
Not bad. Not great either. Perhaps I'm missing something which would rank this among the more brilliant efforts from Artctic Monkeys, but I basically hear one single song of 40 minutes and 57 seconds.
This was surprisingly fresh and melodic. Something I'd never heard before and an artist I'm not familiar with at all. Will listen to this more often - thanks for the suggestion!
Riding high on my post-Nirvana obsession, I ofcourse had to get Garbage's debut album. Anything somehow related to Nirvana was a must to dive into (even if it was only the producer of Nevermind, who apparently could play drums). The debut album was actually quite good! Then a few years later version 2.0 came along. Again, quite good, but not as fresh and new as the debut album. More of the same: catchy tunes, great vocals and all-in-all a 'decent' record. Then years went by and somehow I never revisited it after those initial few spins when it came out. It didn't 'stick'. Hearing it again now brings back fond memories, but this will most likely be the last time I will ever listen to this record in it's entirety.
Status "If you are good at one thing, and enjoy doing it, why the hell not keep doing it" Quo. Again, I'm reminded of how well suited this bands' name is. Instantly recognizable riffs and sound, be it very poished and sanding off any potential sharp edge. They nearly surprised me with track 4 - 'Unspoken Words'. An almost late-Beatlesque bluesy mid-tempo song which I find a lot more interesting than the rest of the tracks on this album. Throw in an obligatory Doors cover, and we're done here.
Like a Perpetuum mobile, this keeps on going and going and going - never loosing any energy or momentum. Pretty impressive!
Wow, the first single off this album has over 4 billion streams on Spotify since it came out in 2020! That is truely impressive. And with my exposure to The Weekend being limited to only a few radio-hits (among which Blinding Lights) I had some good hopes that the rest of this album would also be packed in that lovely 80's poppy-synth sound. Too bad though. I'm probably too old to 'understand' this, but this album is driving me nuts. In a bad way. Very well produced and catchy, but oily slik, falsetto wining and awfully bland lyrics. With the chance of insulting a whole generation: I'll skip the Weekend and will go right into Monday.
I really wish I was more open-minded when it comes to musical genres that live in the more outer regions of the musical spectrum. I would really love to actually 'get' music like Cluster's. But I don't. I can't wrap my head around why this would be even remotely interesting for anyone to listen to. Luckily there are many people that do 'get' this. Makes life a lot less plain and boring. But still, to me this sounds like endless noodling on electronic switch-boards. I envy those that hear actual music in this.
Didn't know they were from Sweden. Typically not the country you'd expect to produce a country-folkish duo with (at least to me) pretty convincing Southern US accents. (I'm not from either of these countries so I'm probably way off on both my observations). Overall I'm not the biggest country and folk fan, but this I can actually appreciate. Lovely harmonies.
Mayers music will go with almost any mood. It basically blends in with whatever it is you are doing. Pleasant to the ear and yet pushing no boundary whatsoever. The guy has a good voice: yes. The guy can play guitar: yes. Does he play it on the safe side? Oh yes.
Great as a mellow backdrop when I'm working, or when I'm having trouble sleeping. But other than that it's not all that exciting.
My brother had this album on CD back when we were young. I couldn't stand it back then, and still can't. I don't care whether or not they are consiously being tongue-in-cheek with their sound and lyrics; it still sounds like a band that is massively constipated.
Phish workflow breakdown: Step 1: Strap on guitars and go wild: Wiiieeee wieeeeeeehhh, widily widily wieeeeehhhhh! Step 2: Repeat until timestamp of 2 hr 11 min has been reached. Step 3: Job well done. Step 4: Move on.
Disco, Jazz and Soul.... sorry, not my cup of tea.
I think the original list is already over-saturated with Zappa. Many - if not all - of those albums were for me unlistenable gibberish. (I know, I know, for some people it's like I'm insulting the pope by saying this). The album suggested here is actually quite listenable. And even somewhat interesting. So thank you for showing me that there is some Zappa that I can digest with little effort.
Probably a big deal when you're into country, but not something I can get excited about.
This was a very pleasant listening experience. Oh so dreamy, and a lovely voice.
Awesome! Start to finish a great album. It might appear to be 'just a pop record' but there's a lot more going on here (at least I think so ☺️)
It's interesting how diverse musical tastes are. And that's a good thing! If everyone would just like everything equally, it would be a very very boring world. So if you're into Jellyfish: awesome! For me it was a huge struggle to make it through to the last track. I think it sounds like a half-decent attempt at trying to be like Queen. And I don't like Queen. So a half-decent Queen doesn't do it at all for me. Sorry.
Never heard of this band before. Decent record, but nothing for me to get too excited about.
Not really sure what to make of this. It didn't annoy me, that's at least something. It was just 'there' and when it was done it wasn't there anymore.
I do admire wat Kevin Parker is capable of producing. Some really catchy ear-worm on this album. But apart from those, the other songs tend to be too much on the mellow side for my taste. The previous two Tame Impala records had more edge and urgency to them. Here it all seems to blend into one big sunny festival soundscape.
TooL is just freaking awesome. I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea, and I understand that many people might find it pretentious nobish music, but I can rock to this ANY day. One of the best live acts I've ever seen, and Ænima will always be my go-to TooL album.
That was pretty nice. Great vocalist, and overall good songs.
A few stand-out tracks, and I like the quiet vibe presented here. But 45 minutes of the same quiet vibe without really that much different things going on is a bit much.
A few interesting tunes, but the majority just gets on my nerves.
Lovely minimalistic approach and some very sweet melodies. The vocals harmonies are just perfect. Nice one!
That surely was a blast of energy!
Some nice tracks, and I like the reverby-sound. But all-in-all nothing to really get excited about.
This made me think of that Tarantino/Rodriguez movie From Dusk Till Dawn. But after having heard this album I'm way more inclined to go watch that movie again, than listining to this album ever again.
Should be an easy 5 stars from me, as this is one of the main genres I get my kicks from. But somehow, despite so many rave reviews, this band never appealed to me that much. I usually like a-typical vocals, but here it somehow doesn't resonate. (or maybe it resonates too much?)
Never been a big punk fan. And this album didn't change that.
I do appreciate the slick pop-album from time to time. And that is exactly what this is. Will it change my world? Bring me insights into new musical realms? Trigger me emotionally? No. It doesn't do any of these things. Should it, to be enjoyable? No, it shouldn't. It is just a well done album with plenty earworms on it. Job well done.
Eels' music has never been something that really grabbed me. I understand that it's good, but I just don't feel it. I can listen to this and actually enjoy it, but it doesn't stick with me.
I'm always on board for some 60's psychedelica. Something about the sound of these bands that instantly grabs me. If I could play bass - this would be my sound. This is a band I'd never ever heard of, but they do what they do well. Not much I haven't heard already from other bands from that era, but still a very pleasant listen. Thanks for introducing me to Elmer G!
The music from the 80's for me itsn't by definition a lost era. There's still a lot of really cool stuff that originated in the 80's. It might border on guilty pleasure or pure nostaliga, but still it can have its charm. Sparks is a difficult one though. This album has its moments, but also some cringeworthy bits and pieces. In the end it balances out to the positive: 3/5
It is definitely a very unique, instant recognizable sound. I should listen to this more often to actually get into it more. For now, I'm starting with 3/5 stars.
The funky rithms and grooves I can dig. But why on earth do a cover of the Beatles' We Can Work It Out? Beatles catalogue is not intended to be funked with.
This shouldn't have worked. Ben Gibbard, with his talent for catchy tunes and great vocal lines, doing his thing against a backtrack of bleeps and bloops and Super Mario style electronics. But it works. It really works! I remember the first time I head this album, shortly after it came out. I was immediately sucked into this nerdy-but-cool world. And I'm still there. Excellent record!
Nice and upbeat album.
I can hear the link with Brandon Flowers. Unfortunately not the Brandon Flowers from the Killers' debut album. No, this gives me the same cringeworthy feeling as "Are we human or Are we Dancer?". A song which almost drives me to puncture my eardrums. Alex Cameron isn't _that_ bad, but still this doesn't do anything for me.
This is too neat and clean mor my taste. Steven Wilson is being music's equivalent of that annoying OCD neighbour who manages to have his garden pristine on every day of the year. Not a single piece of weed or dirt - no room for some wild out of bounds things that might appear if you give them room. Musically it's all very well done, but with all the wrinkles professionally ironed out, it's fails to actually grab me. I like to actually be in my garden, not look at it from inside the house.
Not really a disco-kinda-guy, but still I must say that this is some timeless music. Very well done.
Those first couple of Blink-182 albums were never my thing. Or as my 20ish year old self would say at that time: "Two demensional skate punk." With that I wrote them off completely and never got to hearing any of the later albums. And that turns out to be a pity! This particular album is actually pretty enjoyable. More emo-ish and musically there's a whole lot more to get from this one. From the wiki page: "the album has been described as darker and more mature than the band's earlier work." I think that sums it up for me, and also why it is much more appealing to me than their earlier efforts.
I think this album has all the elements that make DMB's music so instantly recognizable. It showcases his ability to write catchy songs, incorporating different musical styles while making it sound effortless. Nice one!
I am aware that if I say this I will come off as a spoiled brad, unworthy of calling myself a music-lover, but I'm gonna say it anyway: This was just aweful. I recon that in the 20's this must have been groundbreaking, leaving everyone who heard Armstrong play in awe. But when I hear this, my musically narrow minded brain can't get past the image of Laurel & Hardy goofing around. This one just isn't for me, sorry.
Pleasant to the ear, but instantly forgettable. I know of more interesting artists in this genre.
Sorry Ty, but that was far from your best effort. I've heard you do way better things than this album
I think I should start with LSD, to fully comprehend what is going on here. This is from a reality that I am not part of.
The Sports had untill today never before crossed my path, but I immediately like their sound. Elvis Costello meets Joe Jackson. Maybe not as memorable, yet still an enjoyable listen.
This actually was a very entertaining listening experience! Musically probably not very groundbreaking, and I know of bands that do this even better, but this sound immediately hit my musical sweet-spot. "Gonna walk around and drink some more!" Heck yeah!
Yes, they are from my home-country, and yes, they do have some catchy and funky tunes. But they were never really my thing back in the day. It is a pretty enjoyable album though, I must say.
Blink-182 and me will never be best friends. But I have to say that after actually listening to this properly, they climbed a notch on the friendship ladder. Instead of being long lost high-school classmates who ignored each other during the entirety of the high-school years, we are now actually on speaking terms. I now see us having a beer together from time to time. Nothing fancy, and only when they do bring plenty of snacks to go with the beers.
Gotta love that thick Irish accent! I know I do. Although this isn't their strongest album (I like the two that came after even more) this debut album already showed the signs of what was to come next.
This was a really interesting listen! Never heard of this artist before, and judging from the wikipedia page, the reason why this remains SOPHIE's only album is pretty tragic: Sophie had been taken to the hospital after accidentally falling three storeys (approximately 42 feet or 13 metres) from the rooftop of a building while attempting to take a picture of the full moon. Very creative and maybe even too much ideas crammed into a single album. Some songs had a Aphex Twin vibe, which is not a bad thing at all!
Dude really masters putting together some very catchy tunes and a stage persona to go with it.
Great band! Dark and strange, eerie and unnerving. Catchy hooks and never cliche. And that bass, that bass!
Is this a serious attempt? At what, would be my second question. I think Monthy Python at their most sarcastic would have been able to still do a more satisfying folk album than this one.
Woah! That was quite the ride! Great energy and I just love how well the live sound is captured in this recording.
Not my genre and frankly not much going on here, sorry.
Although folk is not really my cup of (herbal) tea, I do like the sound this band manages to create. It however doesn't really appeal to me, but that's just personal taste.
This was pretty laid-back, and provided a nice backdrop during my work.
I understand that so many people adore Bruce Springsteen. I like quite some of his music as well. Some I even think is véry good. But listening to a 2 hour+ concert is just too much. The only way that such a long concert actually adds something to the whole Springsteen-experience, is by being there in the crowd as it's happening.
This was just the perfect companion to my lazy Saterday morning start-up. Minimalistic yet soothing and with subtle electronics woven into it. Not something that otherwise would have crossed my path, so thanks!
This didn't do it for me.
This had quite some elements that a like. Could have been a bit more outspoken as the second half of the album not as exciting as the first. But all-in-all an enjoyable listen.
Not bad at all!
Musical taste will always be a subjective thing. Someone's opinion or taste should be treated as nothing more than that. And for this particular record all I have to say is: it is pathetic. This just sounds fake to me. It has no soul. It is a gimmick. It lacks basically eveything that I look for in music. To those who can really enjoy this: more power to you. I'll pass.
What a banger! And a crime this wasn't in the original list. One of my favorite albums of all time with only excellent and catchy songs. The layered guitar sound just gives me goosebumps everytime. A shame that after Matt Sharp left the band, Rivers took the Weezer sound to a more and more cliché sounding rock-band with each consecutive album they released. Everything that came after the first two albums lacks the actual drive, energy and urgency that made this debut and Pinkerton such perfect albums.
For me, this is right there in the arty-farty corner with Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. Acts I both don't care for very much. That Handsome Devil actually do a good job of sounding like a 'wannabe' Zappa/Beefheart. Annoying.