Amazing. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve owned this for like 7 years, and I have somehow never listened to it front to back. This is what I imagine heaven sounds like. On the B side, I stood up on three separate occasions b/c I thought that the song was so good, that it must be their grand finale. Every time there was an even better song waiting in the wings
I am once again upset with myself for not owning this album. In fact, I don’t have any of the John Cale VU’s on vinyl, and I don’t know why. Oh yeah, this album inspired pretty much every band I’ve ever liked, ever. 5 stars
Music can serve as a rush or atmosphere, this is all atmosphere and it’s amazing. Excellent. The deep background conversation noise really adds something. Excellent, jumping off point
Way more 4/4 than I was anticipating, I like it. The BPM’s in general are lower than what is thought they’d be, but that’s no complaint. This album is very good, I can hear it’s influence. Slows down nicely in the back 1/3rd, gets nice and atmospheric. 3 Kilos is such an amazing song, a departure from the album, but it works brilliantly. My favorite song on the album. I’d buy this
I got 3.5 songs in. I just couldn’t. I like his earlier stuff, but this didn’t do anything for me
Would buy on vinyl. More upbeat than I expected. Need to listen to again. Off to a good start
It has Sweet Emotions. That makes up for the fact that it is a middling at best rock album otherwise. Round and Round is a solid deep cut
Bass player is great. Seems to be a huge influence on Bloc Party. Big influence on indie mid-00’s bands. Good angular guitar lines and bass takes front stage, solid post-punk
More Soul and R&B influenced than I thought. Good, mellow trip-hop. Absolutely need to listen to this again, just not on a Monday. Direct link b/w this and burial
I have to buy this
There is really nothing that needs to be said here. One of the greatest of all time
I need to listen to this again, there’s a lot going on here, but in a good way. I feel like I hear twenty different acts that influenced this, and also at least twenty other acts that were influenced by this. I’m impressed. It’s getting a 3 today, but I expect that score to increase the more I listen to it
Music can serve as a rush or atmosphere, this is all atmosphere and it’s amazing. Excellent. The deep background conversation noise really adds something. Excellent, jumping off point
I bought the album while listening to it
Yup, this is good. I can hear the hawkwind in some of these songs. Good to dig a little deeper than just the first 2 songs
Not bad while listening at work. Good production job by Ronson, and her voice sounds amazing. Just doesn't grab me the same way that some of the other contemporary soul/R&B revival sound that was going around did
One of the greatest albums ever made. I need to upgrade my vinyl version.
Way more 4/4 than I was anticipating, I like it. The BPM’s in general are lower than what is thought they’d be, but that’s no complaint. This album is very good, I can hear it’s influence. Slows down nicely in the back 1/3rd, gets nice and atmospheric. 3 Kilos is such an amazing song, a departure from the album, but it works brilliantly. My favorite song on the album. I’d buy this
This is better than I expected it to be. Definitely has that 90’s college/indie band sound. Dude is a master at melody. Not going to purchase, not yet. But I will listen again. I’m also getting a more consistently upbeat version on James. I get all the twee descriptions
That there are parts of it that are much better than I remember. But there are some serious stinkers on here as well. But all in all I’m glad I listened to it again
I can see the appeal, but not doing much for me. Leans a little too heavy into early 90’s r’n’b for my tastes thus far. Gets better as it goes along, especially when it hits the 4/4. Definitely some cool things going on here, I’d be open to re-evaluating it at some point
Very good. Live the have a Zeppelin like vibe. Keith Moon is a phenomenal drummer. It keeps sounding like it’s about to completely fall apart, but it doesn’t. I will go to Banana’s and find a copy of this
Another classic. It was nice to do a deep dive into some of the lesser known tracks on here. I realized I tend to only listen to 3 or 4 tracks when I put this on. I will have to let it ride out now
I am once again upset with myself for not owning this album. In fact, I don’t have any of the John Cale VU’s on vinyl, and I don’t know why. Oh yeah, this album inspired pretty much every band I’ve ever liked, ever. 5 stars
The first song isn’t bad. I could see it getting played just before or after a track off of R.E.M.‘s “Murmur” on college radio in the 80’s. This is a good discovery. Lost me towards the end
Amazing. More in line w/ what I’d expect out of an Aretha Franklin album than Lady Soul, but that is not a bad thing at all, for either album. This is an incredible album. It’s got that more boozy, old blues club sound
Her voice is so good. It’s raspy, but beautiful. I can’t believe that this is the first time I’ve heard her. She deserves every bit of praise and respect that she gets, and then some
I got 3.5 songs in. I just couldn’t. I like his earlier stuff, but this didn’t do anything for me
I like this. I was only familiar w/ one or two songs going into it, but I see why it is rightfully considered a classic
Great album. Some straight up classics, and I was very impressed w/ the album cuts, especially the way Ordinary Pain breaks down into a funky clav showcase a quarter of the way through. But Sir Duke, I Wish, Isn’t She Lovely, As... The list goes on. The only reason it’s getting 4 stars is b/c I just know Talking Book and Innervisions are on here, and since I can’t give those more than 5, I have to give this slightly less. 4.8, easily, maybe even 4.9
Unfortunately this album has been stuck in Plain hell since 2014. The album itself is fantastic, Cocker easily had my favorite take on Brit-pop. I listened to Scott Walker before I listened to this album. By the time I got to I Spy, I couldn’t help but feel the influence. I then googled Pulp and Scott Walker and discovered that he actually produced their last album. That is awesome, and so was this album
I’m a fan. Time After Time. That’s all I have to say. But that’s not even close to being the only song of note on this album. I even enjoy the deep cuts. Great album, solid 3.5, I’m rounding up though
It definitely picked up for me on the back half, but this just isn’t for me. This is one of those albums where I respect it more than I like it. Cool atmospherics in here, and some genuinely enjoyable songs, but it hovers too much in the same low key tempo. And that falsetto singing voice is the definition of an acquired taste
I’ve never heard this album or any of its songs before today. Being a Marvin Gaye album, and one that I knew was well regarded, I had high expectations. It met them. I can tell that this is an album I will need to hear at least a few times to fully appreciate it, but it’s very good. Alternates between more classic RnB and disco/funk w/ ease. I like this. So this is getting 4 stars, but it’s really 4.5, maybe even upwards of 4.8. It only gets 4 stars in relation to the other Marvin Gaye albums that I know are going to be on this list
Amazing. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve owned this for like 7 years, and I have somehow never listened to it front to back. This is what I imagine heaven sounds like. On the B side, I stood up on three separate occasions b/c I thought that the song was so good, that it must be their grand finale. Every time there was an even better song waiting in the wings
I’m enjoying this album more than I thought I would, which is a good thing. I’m really only familiar w/ The Bee Gees disco material (which I love), so it is cool to see this side of them. Strong melodies, good choruses, varied instrumentation. A solid 3
Interesting album. It starts off w/ what seems like an ode to Free Bird and then explores the alternate 90’s alternative timeline. Spin picked this as album of the year over Nevermind, and I see where they were coming from. This is a world where My Bloody Valentine was Pearl Jam. It’s an interesting thought. Overall, I like this album, I will listen to it again. I think it’s worth exploring. I’m rounding up and giving it a 4
Total classic, part of one of the greatest run of albums of all time
There’s a lot of classics on this one. I can see why and how it’s been so influential throughout the years. Good album, it gets a 4
I definitely did not see this coming. This album is amazing. I have always been aware of this record, but I’d never actually listened to it. Perhaps it was good that I didn’t, I’m not sure you get me would have appreciated it. As it stands, this is a great album. It absolutely scratches that 70’s itch that I’ve developed. This is an absolute 5
Neal Peart stands alone. I don’t want to look ahead, so I’m giving this a 5. It deserves it, but this 5 will be lower than 2112 or Permanent Waves. But again, that’s just in relation to those albums, it’s a 5 against any other band
It’s college rock w/ some cajones behind it. A little distortion behind the jangle. It’s good, I think I need to listen to it again. After I listen to Psychocandy, I think that is going to be more along the lines of what I picture a Jesus and Mary Chain album to be. This is weird, but parts of this seem like a more friendly version of Samhain. The deeper I get into this the more I like it
This one really wasn’t for me. There are some very good tracks on it. I think it suffers from cd bloat, at over an hour long, there is some serious editing that could have probably made it a tight, better album. Good songs on it, but overall a slog to get through
I hadn’t heard this one before. I purchased Pink Moon in the early 00’s, when that car commercial was big. I liked that album, it was definitely good, but I like this better. The melancholia is still present, but overall it’s a more uplifting experience. I like the use of the backing instruments and/or orchestration. Bonus points for having a song used in The Royal Tenenbaums. I might go hunting for a used copy of this, I like it
This is a good one. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I like Pulp best of all Brit-pop bands. Now I’ll admit that as an American, I don’t know if that particular opinion means a damn thing, but from what I’ve heard, these guys are my favorite. The title track on this is just so far beyond good. The atmosphere it creates is sleazy as hell, yet strangely compelling in its payoff. This album will get 5 stars. Different Class is now officially 5.5
I made it though Please Believe Me. I had an old dj mix that started w/ a remix of that track, so there’s a little nostalgia there. And I’ll admit that if I’m feeling particularly depressed, This Year’s Love can be borderline tolerable. Alas, I did not make it more than 1.5 minutes of the 2nd song. I decided to listen to Neu! By Neu! Instead. I ended up buying NEU!’s first 3 albums. I’d review those instead, but I assume at least one of them will be on this thing at some point
I very much enjoyed this. At first I was a little taken aback by his, well I guess I’ll call it instructions. But only at the very beginning. I actually really liked it. I was cooking artichokes while I listened and I was able to shut off my kind and just concentrate on the act of cooking. I really liked that. Everything felt very natural and organic. Will listen again. For tomorrow Jason, it’s a 4. It could go a little over or under depending on the mood, but 4 it is
Moz is an asshole, just getting that out of the way upfront. But he’s not w/o talent, and incredible wordplay. Plus Johnny Marr is amazing. Going into this w/ fresh ears. I always found the Smiths interesting in that they seemed to exist like New Order, where their singles were huge, but didn’t appear on the albums. And yet the albums were amazing and sold very well. That’s a fascinating, I guess, strategy? It only works b/c even the non-“radio hits” are just incredible. I saw Morrisey live at Riot Fest in 2016. He managed to convince a major festival in Chicago to stop selling sausages and other meat products about an hour before his set, or I guess he wouldn’t go on. He played 45 minutes of weird YouTube clips before he took the stage. His voice still sounds great, but fuck that guy. Smiths are always 5, regardless of his bullshit. I might not be so kind to his solo albums ( though I’ve heard good things about the first few). Whatever, this is a music review site, so I’ll review the album, not just politics. But FUCK his politics. Sorry ass bastard, he sounds like someone that’s never been laid
This was an album I’d never even heard about. Listening to the album and reading about its creation, it bears more than a passing resemblance to Syd Barrett’s solo work. Though this leans more on folk/Americana/country as opposed to Barrett’s blues roots. I will listen again
So this is a weird one. It’s not terrible, I wouldn’t rush to turn it off if this album somehow popped up in my everyday listening. But having said that, I don’t feel the need to listen to it again. As such it’s getting a 2, though it would be more of a 1.5 if I had the ability to grade it that
While obviously very familiar w/ some of the songs here, I’ve never actually listened to this whole album. I plan explore it in greater depth as time goes on. There are definitely some surprises here for me based upon my previous knwoldfe of Simon & Garfunkel. This is an easy 4, probably hewing closer to 4.3 or so
I can say that this is actually better than most of the pop coming out of the US and the UK at the time. The cat seemed to like it. Or maybe he hated it, he started howling pretty good. This is competent music, created by a polished professional, and it shows. That said, this just isn’t for me
I like this. I’d buy it if I could find a used version at one of my local record shops, which is very likely. Very chill, has a Harry Belafonte vibe which is both to be expected and very much welcomed. I’d say a solid 3 here
I could listen to this all day long. I think I will buy it. Hopefully mofi did a version. So very, very good
This is good, I’d put it up there w/ Bryter Layter, though I kind of wish I could go back and give that a 4, b/c this is more deserving of the 3. As such, it’s getting a 2. Still very good though, I just like that his next two seemed more varied in their approach
I’m not generally a folk fan, but I enjoyed this album. There was a propulsive quality to it that carries each song into the next, and I very much enjoy that. Nice find
This is a classic. I hear all the proto-punk, what surprised me was when they settled down into some more Stones like qualities from the era. I look forward to digging deeper into this album
I definitely like this one. This is the kind of album I came here for. I’ve heard of it, but never listened to it for whatever reason. But what a beautifully bizarre album. This is another band that I’m aware of, yet have never listened to. Well, I’m about to get more familiar with them. Or at least a little bit, I don’t know, I don’t have the longest attention span. But this one’s great
I liked this. Darker Darker is a very solid song. As is Sir Frances Drake. I will revisit this album and possibly some of their earlier work
This album is amazing, but I very much love this band. As such, this album must be graded on a curve. Since 5 is the best I can give, I’m forced to give this a 4. Really a 4.5, maybe even .7. The problem is, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are so absolutely amazing, that the 5’s are reserved for them. This album has Life’s What You Make It. So damn good
Just amazing
Excellent