It was pretty good. There weren’t that many songs that stuck out to me. It seemed to be pretty chill overall and kind of spacey.
I really liked it. I thought some songs went on a little long especially towards the end like Sound of Silver but they were all good. Some favorites as of now are All My Friends, New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down, and North American Scum. Strong 8/10
It’s not really my favorite type of music and I didn’t like all of the vocals. I definitely thought the second half of the album was better than the first half. Maps is certainly the best song on the album. Other favorites include Y Control, No No No, and Modern Romance. Least favorites include Tick, and Cold Night. I’m glad I listened to it but I don’t see myself coming back to it all that much. Strong 6/10
It was basically what I expected a Bruce Springsteen Album to be. There is definitely a vibe to Springsteen songs that is different from any other artist’s music and I thought overall this album was pretty good. I love Clarence Clemons’s solos as always! That being said some of the songs do get kind of repetitive and somewhat boring. Favorite songs: Badlands, Racing in the Street, The Promised Land, Prove it all Night. Least favorite songs: Candy’s Room, Streets of Fire. Strong 7/10
The beats are often very dissonant such as ok D. Original and You Can’t Stop The Prophet. Personally, it’s not my favorite although I think it works better on YCSTP. Da Bichez is almost a good song but the lyrics are really sexist which really ruins it for me. Jeru does mention “I’m not a sexist” on My Mind Spray which honestly makes it worse. I find the hook on Come Clean annoying. That being said, most of the album is enjoyable. I don’t know enough about hip hop to get into specifics but I did like a lot of the beats and I’m sure this album was influential but I can’t help thinking that it hasn’t held as well as some other hip hop albums from that era. Favorite songs: Mental Stamina, Ain’t The Devil Happy, Jungle Music, Statik
Least Favorite Songs: D. Original, Perverted Monks In Tha House, Da Bichez, Come Clean
Light 5/10
I think to truly appreciate this album you have to go into it with the right expectations. It’s blues rock so every song is repetitive. It’s nothing groundbreaking and Graveyard Train seems excessive being based off of one riff and over 8.5 minutes long but parts like the harmonica solo in the middle were certainly enjoyable. I liked the songs with more energy like Good Golly Miss Molly and Proud Mary is a classic. Keep on Chooglin’ is another long one although I preferred it to Graveyard Train. Again, the harmonica solo was a highlight. Strong 7/10
David Sanborn really adds a lot to the album from the very first song. His licks in the background make the song so much better. Although I didn’t dislike any songs, so though Win was kind of boring. Fascination is a great funk song and I love the effects on the sax. The cover of Across the Universe is good although I don’t like it as much as the Beatles version.
Favorite songs: Young Americans, Fascination, Somebody up There Likes Me, Fame
Least favorite song: Win
Decent 8/10
I don’t really like the vocals and although I see how this album could have been influential, I didn’t enjoy much of it. The almost yelled vocals that weren’t in tune were clearly on purpose and it’s hard to say that they are had but they did nothing for me personally. The instrumentals are pretty good but not good enough to make me want to listen to most of the instrumental songs again.
Favorite songs: Styrofoam, Song 1, Joe 1
Least favorite song: Merchandise
Light 5/10
I can definitely see why this album is on those list even if I didn’t love every song on it. There’s a lot of interesting stuff that I will definitely come back to. Total Trash descends into madness and I love it. There’s a lot of muddy noisy stuff but there are also some nice riffs like the riff on Candle and I enjoy most of it. I did find some of the album forgettable and some of the vocals to be a bit annoying at times (like on Z) Eliminator, Jr.). Overall an enjoyable listen.
Favorite songs: Teen Age Riot, Total Trash, Candle, Rain King, Kissability, B) Hyperstation
Least favorite songs: The Sprawl, Z) Eliminator, Jr.
Decent 8/10
This album really surprised me. It's different from anything I usually listen to and very different from anything else I've heard from this list but it goes hard. A lot of it has a 50s or 60s vibe but you can tell that it's from the 80s which is very cool to hear in the 2020s. I also like how it goes from being very upbeat and happy to rather dark and morbid by the end of the album. Enjoy Yourself is rather upbeat for the dark theme and it's fantastic. Then Man at C&A has warnings of a nuclear attack but is still energetic. I love the saxophone on Hey, Little Rich Girl because of course I do. Do Nothing features a strange piano part that gives an otherwise upbeat song a minor sound and a TROMBONE SOLO! Pearl's Cafe continues the trend of depressing lyrics with a cheery musical background, this time complete with a cheesy glockenspiel. It almost feels like carnival music (a carnival with people singing "it's all a load of bollocks"). But I would say that Stereotype is when the album really loses its cheerful disguise. I Can't Stand It continues this and International Jet Set ends with a plane crash leading into a much darker version of Enjoy Yourself to close off the album.
Favorite songs: Enjoy Yourself; Hey, Little Rich Girl; Pearl's Cafe; Sock It to 'Em, J.B.; I Can't Stand It
Least favorite songs: None
Strong 8/10
This album made me want to listen to The Kinks more. The only thing I didn't like about this album is that some of the songs weren't particularly memorable but there aren't any songs that I would say are bad. This album also features a lot of interesting composition and chord progressions that are fairly unique and recognizable (like Johnny Thunder for example). The whole album describes a happy, ignorat upper-middle class lifestyle in a way that is at times satirical. Phenominal Cat is a song about a fat cat and honestly Andre Lloyd Webber wishes he could have written something as good as this. The only part of this album that I dislike is the verse of All of My Friends Were There because it feels a little too cheesy. Wicked Anabella reminds me of Maxwell's Silver Hammer in that it's a 60s song about an evil person and it SLAPS. Pictures of Each Other seems even more relevant today with lyrics such as "People take pictures of each other, just to prove that they really existed." I think The Kinks roasted Instagram 42 years before it existed.
Favorite songs: Picture Book, Last of the Steam-Power Trains, Sitting By the Riverside, Animal Farm, Village Green, Phenomenal Cat, Wicked Annabella, People Take Pictures of Each Other
Least Favorite Song: All of My Friends Were There
Light 9/10
Honestly I was too busy today to give a full breakdown of the album and my thoughts on it but fortunately I didn’t really have many strong thoughts. I didn’t hate any of it and I didn’t particularly love any of it either.
Favorite songs: Over and Over
Days That Used to Be
Decent 6/10
For some reason this album reminds me of Halloween. It’s also really good. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I feel like I should have for some reason because it’s definitely a weird vibe. It’s very 80s for being from 1974 which is cool. It’s full of bangers that I will have to revisit. Many of the songs on the album are similar which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because there isn’t a song on here that I don’t like but not every track stood out to me.
Favorite songs: Amateur Hour, Here in Heaven, Hasta Mañana Monsieur, Equator, Barbecutie, Lost and Found
Strong 8/10
Leonard Cohen isn’t necessarily a good singer although like the really deep half-talking on most of this album. It sounds like an entire album created by Hades from Hadestown which is kind of cool. I don’t think I could put most of these songs on playlists but the album is definitely still good. Also Cohen is a fantastic songwriter and the arrangement is always tasteful. Leaving the Table stands out to me as a good song that might be better with more normal vocals but there are also songs like You Want It Darker and It Seemed The Better Way that are certainly elevated by Cohen’s haunting vocals.
Favorite songs: Treaty, On the Level, Leaving the Table, It Seemed the Better Way
Light 8/10
I definitely preferred this to Darkness On the Edge of Town and see why it’s considered the best album by Bruce Springsteen. So many of these songs are classics and it seemed like Bruce Springsteen at his best. Although Bruce Springsteen is still not my absolute favorite it was still a great album.
Favorite songs: Night, Backstreets, Born to Run, Jungleland
Last favorite song: Thunder Road
Light 8/10
It’s a good Led Zeppelin album. It has some prog rock elements on songs like In the Light which is cool. For the most part it’s what I would expect from one of the best Led Zeppelin albums. There are a bunch of good guitar riffs and Robert Plant’s vocals are iconic. This is not a perfect album however. Although I appreciated some of the strange choices such as The Beach Boys-esque Down by the Seaside, other songs such as Boogie with Stu feel out of place to me. It’s not that they’re bad but they just seem like filler to bring the album to its double-album length. Still, this is one of the best albums on the list so far.
Favorite Songs: The Rover, In My Time of Dying, Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, In The Light, Down by the Seaside, The Wanton Song, Sick Again
Least Favorite Songs: Boogie with Stu, Black Country Woman
Light 9/10
It's interesting that this is the first album that I had listened to in full before considering this is likely one of the least popular albums on this list. That being said, I think it definitely deserves to be on here. It's a classic afro-cuban album and has some great tracks. I'm impressed by all of the trumpet players because it sounds like 90% of the notes they play are above the staff. Sometimes it's a little abrasive mostly because the recording equipment is obviously not up to 21st century standards but generally I think the arrangements are interesting and high energy. The percussion is also incredible throughout and is certainly integral to the style. Plus there are some amazing solos like all of Cannonball Adderly's solos. There are also some beautiful melodies on songs like Kenya that are reminiscent of jazz standards.
Favorite songs: Congo Mulence, Kenya, Holiday, Cannonology, Frenzy, Blues a La Machito, Conversation, Tin Tin Deo
The album starts off kind of bad with my least favorite song, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35." The lyrics seem not up to Dylan's typical standards and I don't love what sounds like a drunk brass band as the instrumentation. "Pledging My Time" also isn't my favorite and the harmonica licks are a little hit or miss for me. "Visions of Johanna" is much better in my opinion and the album stays pretty consistent throughout the remaining hour or so. "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" is one of my favorite songs from any of the albums I've listened to so far. Honestly. I think some of the songs would be better without harmonica solos (for example "Temporary like Achilles"). That being said, there were some very good songs on this album, and I really should listen to more Bob Dylan. This album showcases a lot of his fantastic songwriting.
Favorite Songs: One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later), I Want You, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, Just Like a Woman, Fourth Time Around, Obviously Five Believers, Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Least Favorite Song: Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Decent 8/10
Gimme Shelter has to be one of the best opening tracks of all time. You Can’t Always Get What You Want is a great closer. I just don’t think that most of the songs are as good as the hits. Monkey Man and Live With Me are also great tracks but I don’t like them quite as much as the opener or closer. It’s a great album but it has a few songs that don’t do much for me.
Favorite songs: Gimme Shelter, Live With Me, Let It Bleed, Monkey Man, You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Light 8/10
It was a strange inclusion on this list in my opinion. Maybe if I listen to more James Brown music then revisit it I will appreciate it more but it didn’t do a whole lot for me.
Light 6/10
At first this album didn’t do much for me but there were some songs that I did like quite a bit. Still, I found much of this album fairly boring. It’s not bad by any means but it just seemed like a fairly normal rock album.
Favorite songs: Metal Guru, Buick Mackane, Telegram Sam, Rabbit Fighter
Least Favorite Songs: The Slider, Ballrooms of Mars
Strong 6/10
It was pretty good. I’ll have to give it another listen when I can focus on it more and am not too focused on judging a speech and debate tournament.
Favorite songs: Beetlebum, Song 2, M.O.R, On Your Own, Death of a Party, Look Inside America, Strange News from Another Star
Strong 7/10
I think I liked this album better the first time I listened to it although there are some songs that I liked more on the second listen. Obviously, I still really like it as you can tell by the rating. It reminded me of Elton John and ABBA so I guess it sounds like an album from the 70s. There are some great songs and some songs that are just decent. "When Do I" is really weird and the chorus sounds almost like a joke. For some reason, it reminds me of Kermit. Even though it's probably the worst song on the album, I kind of love it. The vocals are weird on a lot of songs even including the beginning of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. Anyway, if this is not even one of the better Bee Gees albums, I guess I should listen to more of the Bee Gees.
Favorite songs: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?, Israel, Somebody Stop The Music, Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself, Walking Back to Waterloo
Strong 7/10
There were some songs on this album that brought back a lot of memories. MGMT sounded familiar but wow those songs were really popular. They're also the best songs on the album, however. Some of the songs are a bit boring but songs like Electric Feel mostly make up for it and maybe it's partially because I recognize them but Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, and Kids are great. That being said, the lyrics are pretty weak throughout the whole album and the production sounds a bit washed out even on my favorite songs. Plus the end of the album is really weak and I skipped several songs on the album on the second listen. The good songs are good but there aren't enough of them to justify a 4th star.
Favorite Songs: Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, Kids
Least Favorite Song: The Handshake
Decent 6/10
It's honestly a crime how long it's been since I listened to You Oughta Know. That song is incredible and the beginning of the album matches it. With songs that are an emotional TRIP, rocking instrumentation, and powerful lyrics, this is certainly one of my favorite albums I've heard so far. Overall, I think the harmonica solos are a negative (especially on Head over Feet) but at least they're unique. This album also sounds a lot like Dear Evan Hansen (or I guess more correctly DEH was probably inspired by Alanis Morissette). That's to say that it's really dramatic and I love it. Morissette also sounds like Idina Menzel at times which is also pretty cool and I see why this was turned into a musical.
Favorite Songs: All I Really Want, You Oughta Know, Hand in My Pocket, Forgiven, Ironic, Not the Doctor
Least Favorite Song: Head over Feet
Decent 9/10
This was even better than I expected it to be. A lot of these songs are really good and Makeba's vocals are incredible. I really should listen to more South African music because this is good. This style sounded kind of familiar and I think that's because it was an influence for Paul Simon. Also I think Mbube was the basis for The Lion Sleeps Tonight.The songwriting is honestly on par with a lot of Simon's songs although (like some of Paul Simon's albums) this album is a bit inconsistent. I absolutely HATE Charle's Coleman's laughing on One More Dance no matter how much I try to appreciate it. It doesn't make sense for a song about a woman's husband dying and it's so annoying. If the album had stayed as good as it started, it would have been 5 stars. Still, one bad song and a few less memorable ones certainly don't spoil the entire album for me.
Favorite Songs: The Retreat Song (Jikele Maweni), Suliram, The Click Song, Olilli, Mbube, Where Does It Lead?
Least Favorite Song: One More Dance
Strong 8/10
Ugh I really didn't like this album. I mostly found the experimentation grating and annoying. Maybe part of it is that I'm stressed about homework so I don't need this noisey music because it's making me even more stressed out but I just didn't vibe with it. There are some songs that save it but whenever the circus music comes in I'm like "here we go again." I also hate the sound effects on the second I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar. That being said, it's not like the entire album is bad. There are a few good songs and even though I don't appreicate all of the noise it's just a preference and I don't think this album is objectively bad or anything. Some of the wind and string parts are pretty cool. Generally, I find it either annoying or boring. One note: this album must have been the extended version or something and most of the songs that I hated were the bonus tracks. So the normal album is not quite as bad but still not my cup of tea.
Favorite Songs: The Garden of Earthly Delights, I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You (the 1st one), Stranded In Time
Least Favorite Songs: Osamu's Birthday, I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You (the 2nd one), The American Metaphysical Circus - Alternate Version
Light 4/10
It’s Coltrane at his best, in what world was I not going to give this album 5 stars? There have been so many positive reviews written about this album that I’m not sure how much else so have to say but it really is that good. Everybody plays so well together and the solos are perfect. My criteria for a 10 is basically that I don’t think the album could be any better and this album certainly fits that description.
Favorite songs: Yes
Least favorite songs: No
10/10
This album is very much a 7 to me. Most songs are fairly good with some standout songs. A lot of the songs seem pretty normal and kind of boring in comparison to what the Beatles would go on to create. A lot of doo-wop changes make the songs sound a bit similar to each other. It’s definitely not anywhere near the best Beatles album but there are enough good songs to make it an enjoyable enough listen nevertheless.
Favorite songs: All My Loving, Roll Over Beethoven, Money (That’s What I Want)
Light 7/10
I enjoyed this album much more than I thought I would. I'm not going to listen to it all the time but it is definitely appropriate for certain moods. Honestly, it really slapped. I haven't listened to enough metal for me to have many specific positive things to say about it but I enjoyed the riffs and the drummer is badass. Also some of the choruses had some nice melodies and even the screaming was cool and not over the top. Also I'm not sure how I feel about the rapping. Maybe it's cringeworthy but I thought it was kind of cool. Some of the songs (like Scissors) were a little much but I can at least see their appeal.
Favorite Songs: Wait and Bleed, Surfacing, Spit It Out, Me Inside, Liberate, Prosthetics
Least Favorite Song: Scissors (I think it's mostly because I haven't listened to enough metal to appreciate it), Eeyore
Decent 8/10
This album is just beautiful. The arrangements are amazing. The strings on songs like For Heaven's Sake are so lush and beautiful and the horn and flute parts are also very nice. Holiday's vocals aren't the best apparently because of her heroin addiction but they are unqiue and fit the songs well. There's a lot of emotion and, although it's not a perfect album, it is a very good one.
But.
SPOTIFY sucks because they decide to add random bonus tracks to the end of the album. There is another deluxe edition and this isn't it so there's just no way to listen to the album without a bunch of annoying outtakes of the same 2 songs tagged on at the end. That's not relevant to my thoughts on the album really, it's just a rant that I needed to include at some point.
Favorite Songs: I'm A Fool To Want You, For Heaven's Sake, You Don't Know What Love Is, I Get Along Without You Very Well, It's Easy To Remember, But Beautiful
Least Favorite Songs: The End of a Love Affair - The Audio Story
Strong 8/10
This album was interesting. It reminded me a bit of Gary Burton (with Chick Corea) but that was most likely just because of the vibraphone. I liked the album more as it went on and thought the opening track was the weakest. It's quite laid back and it certainly doesn't demand attention in the way some other albums do. That being said there is a lot of variety between slow ballads like Dream Letter and much more upbeat folk-rock songs like Gypsy Woman. I didn't get the chance to listen to the album all the way through twice but I would like to come back to it.
Favorite Songs: Buzzin' Fly, Love from Room 109 at the Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway), Dream Letter, Gypsy Woman, Sing a Song for You
Least Favorite Song: Strange Feelin'
Strong 8/10
I think my opinion on this album is going to be very unpopular. First the positives. The keys solo on Oye Como Va is amazing. Incident at Neshabur is also really good but still not as good as most songs from some other fusion groups. Generally, I found the album kind of boring. Also, it didn't seem locked in all the time. People were off the beat on a lot of songs and I'm not sure if it was intentional but I didn't really like it. I'm also not a huge fan of Carlos Santana's tone or solos. It's not really that innovative or interesting. I really don't get the hype. Some of it sounds like it's trying to be jazz but it's not competent as a jazz album which bothers me. It's still okay but it's not great in my opinion.
Favorite Songs: Oye Como Va, Incedent at Neshabur, Se A Cabo, Hope You're Feeling Better
Least Favorite Songs: Singing Winds, Crying Beasts; Samba Pa Ti
Strong 6/10
I didn't really have that strong of thoughts on the album. It was pretty good but not one of my favorites. Sultans of Swing is great and definetely my favorite song on the album but there were some other good ones too
Favorite Songs: Water of Love, Southbound Again, Sultans of Swing, Lions
Least Favorite Song: Six Blade Knife
Strong 7/10
It was pretty generic 50s music in my opinion. Not very much stood out to me. It definitely wasn’t bad but it was seemed kind of bland so I don’t have much to say about it.
Favorite song: That’ll Be The Day
Decent 6/10
He’s a really good guitar player but not quite as good of a singer. It was still pretty good even if the songwriting didn’t blow my mind. Even the instrumental songs were pretty engaging though and there weren’t any songs I disliked although some of the vocal performances I didn’t love all that much. Overall the album feels very comforting and even on sad songs it feels hopeful to me.
Favorite songs: Smokey River, Oh How Your Love Is Strong, Needle of Death, Rambling’s Gonna Be The Death of Me, Running From Home, Angie
Decent 8/10
I liked the album more as it went on and most of my favorite songs are towards the end of the album. It's definitely a Talking Heads album and as weird as I expected it to be. It's not one of my favorite albums but it deserved to be on this list for sure.
Favorite songs: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town, Psycho Killer, Pulled Up
Decent 7/10
It’s some classic pop-rock and it’s damn good. They are also all good musicians especially the lead guitarist as showcased on Ain’t That a Shame. The solos are good and the band is really tight. It’s not deep or anything but it’s full of exciting upbeat bangers and that’s sometimes just what you need.
Favorite songs: Come On, Come On; Big Eyes, Need Your Love, Ain’t That a Shame, I Want You to Want Me, Surrender
Decent 8/10
This is a serious contender for my favorite album of all time. I'm not sure how such a long album can be as consistent as it is. There are just so many of my favorite songs on this album, it's almost unbelievable. Love's In Need Of Love Today is a great start to the album and feels very 70s in the best way possible. Have A Talk With God features some great harmonica in the background and its a taste of what's to come. Village Ghetto Land is one of the many songs on this album that I think is underrated. It showcases Stevies's excellent political songwriting. The synth string orchestra also adds a lot and makes the song really unique. Contusion is so funky and fusion-y and demonstrates Stevie's instrumental songwriting ability. What can I say about Sir Duke aside from the fact that it is one of the greatest songs of all time? The horns, the groove, the chord progressions, it's perfect. Same with I Wish. Knocks Me Off My Feet also falls into that category for me. The hi-hat especially is just amazing. Pastime Paradise was a surprise the first time hearing it but I see why it was sampled for Gangsta's Paradise, it's great! Summer Soft is extremely underrated. The key changes are so flawless and I need to know the music theory behind it. Also I'm always like "can he sing that high?" and the answer is always yes. It's incredible. Ordinary pain is similarly underrated and a nice closer to disk 1.
Isn't She Lovely is also one of the greatest songs of all time and occasionally my favorite song on the album. I feel like there aren't enough songs about parents' love for their children. Also even though I'm not the biggest harmonica fan because I think it's often mediocre and unnecesary, Stevie Wonder is the exception that proves the rule. His harmonica solo is damn good. Joy Inside my tears is a solid, catchy ballad. Black Man is not Stevie's best song about Racism and it definetely wouldn't be made today but it's a good song nevertheless and it's educational and has a good message even if the way its communicated is outdated at times. Ngiculela-Es Una Historia is a really good song but it can't even really compete with what's to come. If It's Magic is another hidden gem. It's so understated and beautiful and good detour from the high energy that most of the album bring. Then there's As. Another contender for my favorite song off of this album. The next three songs (Another Star, Saturn, and Ebony Eyes) are a batch of extremely underrated songs. There are just too many good songs on this album for them all to get recognition but those three deserve more, especially Saturn. Another Star is an upbeat, dancable track with a killer flute solo. Saturn is a ballad that has no right to be as good as it is. The synth is also heavenly. Ebony Eyes is almost 50s but with talkbox (I think) and of course I love the saxophone. All Day Sucker has a really interesting melody and nice guitar solos. The album ends with Easy Goin' Evening where the harmonica takes the spotlight. The song sort of feels like an outro, bringing you back to the real world after the incredible experience you just had plus the two harmonicas go together really well and the tune is interesting as always.
I rated each of the songs below to justify my rating. There isn't much about this album that I don't like. It's just so good and certainly one of my favorite albums. Today was a good day!
Song Ratings:
Love's In Need Of Love Today: 10
Have A Talk With God: 9
Village Ghetto Land: 9.5
Contusion: 10
Sir Duke: 10+
I Wish: 10+
Knocks Me Off My Feet: 10+
Pastime Paradise: 9.5
Summer Soft: 10
Ordinary Pain: 10
Isn't She Lovely: 10+
Joy Inside My Tears: 9.5
Black Man: 9
Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing: 9
If It's Magic: 10
As: 10+
Another Star: 10
Saturn: 10
Ebony Eyes: 10
All Day Sucker: 9.5
Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call): 8.5
10/10
The album overall is very laid back and melancholy. I like most of the songs but some of them bother me for basically no reason. I don't like the melody on Lime Tree Arbour or the spoken part on Green Eyes. I also found it a bit boring at parts. I can see why people love it but it it's not my favorite. That being said there are still songs like Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? are really good and overall it's a good album. I liked it more on the second listen but I'm not in the mood for it right now so it is probably better than I'm giving it credit for.
Favorite Songs: Into My Arms, Brompton Oratory, There is a Kingdom, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?, Idiot Prayer
Least Favorite Songs: Lime Tree Arbour, Green Eyes
Strong 7/10
Honestly, this album has no right to be this good but that doesn't change the fact that it is. It's really simple and all of the songs kind of sound the same but I'll be damned if it isn't an effective formula. Also All By Myself absolutely sucks and ruins the ending.
Favorite Songs: Burnout, Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, When I Come Around, In The End
Least Favorite Song: All By Myself
Decent 8/10
This album is great and I had been wanting to listen to it for a while so I'm glad I finally did. I liked it better on the second listen and it's at least a top 50 album for me. It's just full of good songs and no filler. I don't have too many thoughts on it other than that. It's 35 minutes of good music that I will definitely be coming back to. As far as negatives, there aren't many. I don't like the guitar solo on Last Nite but it doesn't ruin the song for me. Also. the US version is definitely worse. I guess I understand why they replaced it but New York City Cops is better than When It Started.
Favorite Songs: Is This It; The Modern Age; Barely Legal; Someday; Alone, Together; Last Nite; Hard To Explain; Trying Your Luck; Take It Or Leave It
Decent 9/10
This album is straight good vibes. The Bari sax on Connected is great. Also, funk flute? That's a definite yes for me. The album was great to run to and for some reason it reminds me of summer. It does kind of feel like workout music but in the best way possible. It's just a really fun album and while I suppose there's nothing incredible about it and most of the songs are quite repetitive, I still really like it.
Favorite songs: Connected, Ground Level, Step It Up, , Pressure, Creation, The End
Strong 8/10
I think this album got better towards the end Generally, I liked the album but I didn't find it consistently musically interesting enough to love it. The lyrics were good especially on songs like Acknowledge Your Own History, but I didn't like the musical aspect of it a lot. I really like the synth lead on Belly Dancin' Dina but the lyrics on that track aren't as good. Some lines like "I like to have fun by the ton" from (Done by the Forces of Nature) sound like Dr. Seuss which is not exactly the best. My favorite part of the album was probably the social commentary. Songs like Black Woman sound pretty modern which is not the case with some songs from the 80s and 90s about women (looking at you Jeru The Damaja...). Overall, I think the album gets better and more consistent towards the end.
Favorite songs: Feelin' Alright, What "U" Waitin' "4"?, Good Newz Comin', Beeds On a String, J. Beez Comin' Through, Black Woman, In Dayz "2" Come, Doin Our Own Dang
Decent 7/10
The title track is amazing! It really should be too long at over 11 minutes but it is somehow consistently interesting. I think it's the best song on the album although everything else is still pretty good. I love the saxophone on every song. Wilton Felder's tone is really nice and it fits the funk/smooth jazz style well. For the most part, it doesn't blow me away enough to warrant 5 stars but it's certainly a very good album.
Favorite songs: Street Life, My Lady, Rodeo Drive, The Hustler
Decent 8/10
A lot of the songs on this album sound familiar even though I’m sure that I’ve never heard them before. They’re just really good songs and I get good vibes from them. I love the instrumentation especially the clarinet on Still Thrives This Love. The accordion is also interesting and I like it. Honestly almost everything about this album is great. Not quite great enough to be a 10 because it’s not that mind blowing but it’s still a really solid album. Season of Hollow Soul reminds me of ABBA for some reason but overall this album does sound like it’s from the 90s but aged will.
Favorite songs: Save Me, The Mind of Love, Miss Chatelaine, Wash Me Clean, Still Thrives This Love, Season of Hollow Soul, Outside Myself, Constant Craving
Decent 9/10
Sixteen is a bad song in basically every way. The lyrics are weird, the production is not enjoyable and the song is boring. Some Weird Sin sounds like a mediocre David Bowie song. I think the production is intentionally messy but I don't really like it all that much. The Passenger is okay but I still find it boring. I think Tonight is one of the best songs on the album and the guitar solo is really good. Success is good but not all that interesting. Turn Blue is kind of good but the vocals are kind of annoying. Neighborhood Threat and Fall In Love With Me are good but not all that interesting or memorable. My rating is definitely a little harsh but I just think this album is pretty boring and at just 41 minutes it was hard to get through.
Favorite Songs: Lust For Life, Tonight
Least Favorite Song: Sixteen
Strong 4/10
This is a really good album. It's actually really good for getting work done to because it's not too in-your-face but it's not just background music. And damn, the piano solo on Uncertain Smile is great. My only criticism is that it isn't always the most interesting but I would never say that it's bad
Favorite Songs: I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow (All Of My Life), This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, The Twilight Hour, Giant
Decent 8/10
This album for some reason feels like it’s somewhere between The Troggs and The Rolling Stones. Sometimes it get a little more Troggs and although there are some high points on the album, I didn’t really love it. A lot of the songs sound the same (1969, I Wanna Be Your Dog, Little Doll) and the album feels longer than it is. 1969 is pretty good even though it’s really simple. Little Doll is just too much of the same melody. We Will Fall is different and sort of a nice break but it feels like an interlude and is 10 minutes long which is WAY too long. Real Cool Time is another of my least favorite songs because it just sounds messy and it’s kind of annoying imo. I do like the vocals on the album for the most part though and some parts are pretty good so I don’t hate it but I most likely won’t revisit it.
Favorite song: 1969
Least Favorite Songs: We Will Fall, Real Cool Time
Strong 4/10
This album is great but I don't think it's the best fusion album of all time. That being said, Birdland is a pretty iconic first track (even if I do prefer the Maynard Ferguson version). A Remark You Made is likewise a standout track.I really love Pastorius' tone and it's just an excellent ballad. My other favorite track is the final song Havona, which is a really unique song and a great way to end the album. Overall, I think the production limits the album. Compositionally it's amazing, but some of the songs don't hit quite as hard as they ought to. That being said, there is certainly a reason it's a classic fusion album.
Birdland: 9.5/10
A Remark You Made: 9.5/10
Teen Town: 7.5/10
Harlequin: 7.5/10
Palladium: 8.5/10
The Juggler: 8/10
Havona: 9/10
Decent 8/10
