1. Thank You For Sending Me an Angel- energetic way to start the album. Shorter song.
2. With Our Love- another energetic song. Kinda sounds same-y. Does get better and have more variation after the chorus but that's more than halfway through the song.
3. The Good Thing- I already like the beginning of this song much better than the other 2. I really like the lyrics of this song too. The chorus in the choir is kind of off-putting to me though.
4. Warning Sign- Hmm, not my favorite. It's a little droning to me.
5. The Girls Want to be With the Girls- already my fav intro so far. The lyrics to this (and the other songs on the album) are interesting.
6. Found a Job- also more upbeat. The lyrics to this are great. Great message about not getting stuck in a rut. This is probably my favorite song so far. Also the longest song by far at this point in the album. Very creative concept!
7. Artists Only- different than the other tracks so far, starts in a minor key and is a bit more subdued. Lyrics are a little more simple.
8. I'm Not in Love- Another intro that I am liking. Not super loving the lyrics but this song makes me wanna tap my foot.
9. Stay Hungry- A little disco. Kind of trancey with the looped instruments.
10. Take Me to the River- the only song on this album that I had heard previously. Different than the rest of the songs on the album. To me this feels like the most "mainstream" song. It's actually a cover song according to Lyric Genius. This definitely has a good buildup and is just fun to vibe to.
11. The Big Country- has a nice kind of country/rock intro. Lyrics seem kind of satirical. But I also agree with them. Sound-wise not my favorite song on the album. It's a little too long.
Overall, not a bad album and I can definitely understand its influence. However, I can only handle David Byrne's voice in small doses and the front half of this album all sounds the same (the back half is definitely better and more interesting). Not my favorite album ever but I appreciate it for what it is.
1. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)- So THIS is where "It's better to burn out than to fade away" originated from. I suppose the song is about going down in infamy rather than being forgotten, which is very rock and roll. I like it. Nice harmonica solo in the middle.
2. Thrasher- This song is beautiful! Simple music, pretty lyrics. It's quite long but nice to listen to.
3. Ride My Llama- Love this song title. Not really sure what it means, though. I think I like the previous 2 songs a little bit better.
4. Pocahontas- Wow, not a light song at all. It kind of goes in an odd direction at the end with bringing up Marlon Brando. I like this song, though.
5. Sail Away- This one is so pretty. Very simple lyrics about sailing away with your love or someone else that's important to you. This might be my favorite song so far. Pretty harmonica and guitar part in the bridge.
6. Powderfinger- A bit more heavy than the rest of the songs on the album so far. Nice guitar solo, depressing lyrics, a good song overall!
7. Welfare Mothers- another heavier song. Not sure I like the lyrics in this one- "welfare mothers make better lovers"? May be the only song I actively dislike so far due to the lyrics.
8. Sedan Delivery- Another heavier song. Lyrics are very stream of consciousness. Not a bad song but not my favorite on the album.
9. And yet another heavier song. Interesting trajectory on this album. Same lyrics as the first song, just a heavier production. I like the more acoustic version better.
Did some research on this album and realized that the heavier tracks are his collab with Crazy Horse, which makes sense, and the acoustic tracks are just him on his own. I definitely like the first half of this album better. I can absolutely see why this is so critically acclaimed. I feel that I don't have a ton of context to this album in the scope of his greater career. I love the acoustic tracks on this album.
1. Start- intro track, very short. Loving the Playstation start up sound- very nostalgic.
2. Thinkin Bout You- the Frank Ocean song I am already the most familiar with. This is a nice slow jam that really shows off his voice. I love the lyrics in the chorus- "Do you not think so far ahead cause I've been thinking bout forever". These do such a good job at summing up unrequited love or just a personality that is constantly thinking about how things could be and how frustrating it can be to be with someone or pine for someone that doesn't think like that.
3. Fertilizer- another interlude. It sounds like a jingle for a commercial. Not much else to say!
4. Sierra Leone- Interesting lyrics about an accidental pregnancy? Some really pretty string instrumentation in the background and of course his voice sounds great. I do think I'll need more time with this song but I don't hate it.
5. Sweet Life- Obviously about wealth and privilege- "Why see the world when you got the beach?" kind of sums it up! I like the chorus of this song a lot. Interesting that "sweet life" kind of subtly sounds like "sweet lie". Obviously satirical and critical of this kind of lifestyle and how it's not all it's chalked up to be. I like Pharrell's production on this a lot.
6. Not Just Money- yet another interlude with a voiceover this time. Good commentary on how money actually can buy happiness and stability.
7. Super Rich Kids- love this one. Starts out kind of like "Bennie and the Jets". I love the blinker sound in the background- ties into the previous interlude. Wealth seems a little darker but still fun in this song. Basically these kids can do whatever they want but they're lacking love and care in their lives.
8. Pilot Jones- About getting high for sure. Appreciate it but it's not my fav track on the album right now. I definitely like the simplicity and airiness of it.
9. Crack Rock- Definitely a song about drugs, but not in a positive light. Also a little bit about police brutality. Not my favorite on the album sonically but the lyrics are very important.
10. Pyramids- This is a LONG song. I like the electronic sounds in this song. I love this song. Even though it's long, it's captivating the whole way through. I can vibe to this all day. Nice guitar from John Mayer at the end, too.
11. Lost- love everything about this song. One of the poppier, catchier songs on the album for sure. I get this stuck in my head a lot. So smooth.
12. White- All instrumental but I like it. It's soft and jazzy.
13. Monks- I think this song is about a groupie. It's going to take a little bit more time to grow on me.
14. Bad Religion- Ooh this one is a bit more dramatic- his voice sounds great here. I love the lyric "If it brings me to my knees it's a bad religion". That sentence is worth a thousand words! I also love that you could interpret this song to be about literal religion or about unrequited devotion to a person.
15. Pink Matter- Definitely a slow jam. I love the guitar in the background- very subtle but adds so much to the song. I love Andre 3000's rap, too. It ends very abruptly.
16. Forrest Gump- Clever metaphor here- "Forrest Gump, you run my mind boy". Musically not my favorite on the album- it's pretty simple.
17. End- Slower jam. Definitely just an outro. I feel like it kind of ends the album on an add, abrupt note.
A lot to process but for the most part I enjoy this album a lot!
1. Gasoline Alley- A simple song about going home. Has some kind of country influences to my ears.
2. It's All Over Now- I like this one a little better. It reminds me of something that would be played at a honky tonk bar. It's a long song though!
3. Only a Hobo- I think this is a Bob Dylan cover. Very depressing song.
4. My Way of Giving- Another country-rock type song. Not very memorable imo.
5. Country Comfort- Kind of reminds me of an Elton John song (not sure if this came first). I guess it's just a song about life in the country. Not bad- nice to listen to. Lyrically better than some others so far, I think. I think the end drags on just a little bit though
6. Cut Across Shorty- A good old story-type country song. Like some others on this album, I think it suffers from being too long.
7. Lady Day- Nice little shorter song. Pretty background guitar.
8. Jo's Lament- A sad song. A slow song. One of the better ones on the album I think.
9. You're My Girl- Upbeat closer to the album. Lyrics haven't aged very well.
I don't think this is a bad album, but I would never listen to it in my leisure time. If someone else is listening to it in the background, sure. It's not very memorable to me- it's Rod's first album ever so it makes sense.
This whole album can be summed up as really meaningful lyrics (mainly about mental health) set over some super basic synthy tracks. Most of the songs are way too long and this isn't a very melodic album. I'll give it 3 stars because the lyrics are insanely good- ahead of their time, quite honestly- but the music is just too plodding for me.
It reminds me of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This is some classic early 90s hip-hop/rap. I like the instrumentals in most of these songs. I can definitely appreciate this type of music but would probably never listen to this album again.
1. The State I Am In- Pretty background guitars. I like the build up to the end. The lyrics are complex- it might take me awhile to fully understand them.
2. Expectations- This is super indie-cute. It was on the Juno soundtrack and I can totally see it. Kind of perfectly sums up how it is to be an awkward teenage girl.
3. She's Losing It- I like the horns. This is kind of an upbeat song considering the subject matter seems a little dark. Is it about a woman realizing she's a lesbian? Not sure. It's catchy, though.
4. You're Just a Baby- Wondering if this is from the POV of a parent speaking to a child. I get some Beatles vibes from this.
5. Electronic Renaissance- Already LOVE the intro of this song- very synthy and quite different than the rest of the tracks. This is a cool, kinda trippy song that has the potential to make it into my rotation.
6. I Could Be Dreaming- back to the guitar driven, dream pop sound. Not my fav on the album though, kinda forgettable.
7. We Rule the World- Pretty song with piano, flute, and violin. Not really sure what it's about- possibly how small and insignificant we are and how what we do doesn't really matter so we might as well do what we want?
8. My Wandering Days Are Over- I like this song. I think it's kind of about just settling down.
9. This sounds very 90s, almost like Hootie and the Blowfish in the intro! Sounds like it's from the perspective of a moody teenager.
10. Mary Jo- Nice, pretty song to end the album.
I know very little of The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, but from what I know I hear a lot of their influence in this music. Aside from one song (Electronic Renaissance), most of the songs on this album sound pretty similar. It's that sing-talky acoustic indie sound that I think made a comeback in the late 2000s. It's not bad, but to listen to a whole album of it is a lot. This group has had a long career so it would be interesting to see how their music has evolved over time. 3 stars- not bad at all but aside from a couple songs, I probably wouldn't return to it.
Classic disco album- 7 songs, not too long. I probably wouldn't listen to this in my spare time but turn it on at a party and I'm on the dance floor.
Pretty cool instrumental album- I had no idea how much of their stuff has been sampled over the years!
I appreciate it for what it is, but it feels very basic by today's standards.
Super classic country. I like it. Emmylou has a beautiful voice. This is her first album and you can definitely tell- some of the songs sound same-y. However, she has a huge discography and I bet her music has evolved so much over the years!
It's weird but I don't think that I like 80s synthpop/new wave- weird because I LOVE modern day synthpop. This album sounds like one long track vs. 9 independent tracks. It's very plodding to get through. The songs are also WAY too long.
First song sounds like something that would be on guitar hero. Then we go into ska. Album has a bit of an identity crisis. Not bad but not really my cup of tea.
Really great album! I usually don't love interludes but it seems they were very intentionally placed here. I can't believe I've never listened to Solange before- she has a lovely voice!
Not bad- definitely getting Beatles vibes. 3 stars.
Not really my thing...at all.
Crazy that this was his debut! Will probably take more listens for it to fully sink in but this has gotta be one of the more impressive debut albums within the past few decades!
Not bad but pretty basic by Daft Punk standards. Clearly their debut. I like their newer stuff better but I understand why this is on the list.
I'm not a huge fan of solely instrumental music if it isn't classical and this is not much of an exception.
A classic. It's not a surprise to me that Dylan is considered one of the best songwriters of all time.
Love the Temptations. A little more social justice oriented than I was expecting- a nice suprirse!
Not my favorite ABBA album but...it's still ABBA so 4 stars it is!
Not bad, just kind of forgettable.
Very solid singer-songwriter album with some true classics!
I love Johnny Cash but not a fan of live albums in general. So much of the magic is lost when you just have an audio recording with no video showing the nuances of the performance. Still very solid though!
This has gotta be the most iconic Bon Jovi album ever, right? Loved them when I was in high school and love them now!
Middle of the road album for me.
Really cool concept- lyrics were originally written by Woody Guthrie but set to music by other composers, notably Billy Bragg (who I had never heard of before listening to this). I really like listening to folk music in the background so this was a nice album to hear while working.
A top notch album, one of Michael's best. Full of hits!
As much as I love synthpop today, this early 80s synthpop is just not it for me. I think a lot of it has to do with the style of voice/singing that was popular at the time. It also all just feels very repetitive and like the songs don't have a lot of momentum. Not trying to knock it for someone else- it's just not for me.
It's really interesting to me that this was released in 2017 because it sounds so 80s- and not in the way that "Blinding Lights" and some songs off "Future Nostalgia" sound 80s, but this sounds authentically 80s/new wave (no shade to the above song/album- they are just more 80s influenced). Having said that...this album also has songs that are sometimes sonically repetitive/monotonous which also feels very true to the 80s for me. It's not bad but not something I feel like I'd gravitate towards again.
I love jazz- so pretty and relaxing to listen to. Sarah has a lovely voice and this is a really solid album. I'd never heard of her before, but I would love to add her into my rotation with Ella and Billie.
Good music but I can really only handle Bruce's voice in small doses.
I know this music is super important in a historical sense, but it's just not really for me. I definitely understand why it's on the list. I'll give it 3 stars for its impact but I wouldn't really choose to listen to it on my own.