I'm gonna get the only negative thing out of the way first: it's too long. With some definite and notable exceptions, 45-50 minutes is the most an album should run. YMMV. Outside of that, this is pretty damn good, fun, and VERY weird - rhythmic hip-hop with a lot of old school type elements, non-annoying drum programming, and an underlying tongue-in-cheek weirdness that for the most part offsets the length of the album. I usually hate skits or other/similar spoken word transitions but I don't even mind the "interludes" as it adds to the theme. Always loved "Mista Dobalina" so it was nice to hear Del the Funky Homosapien again. I'll definitely put this on again - nice find. 7/10 4 stars.

I wasn't excited about this at all but as this went on I liked it more than I'd expected to. Power punk / power pop punk etc etc ... whatever you call it - just kind of ... expires for me after a few songs; i.e. I can usually get with the energy for a song or 2 then I'm done, it's all a bit samey; I'm always wanting more layers, more dynamics, subtleties, etc. But I have to give it up for this one, these are all pretty good songs at their core and I feel like if these were done in even a slightly different style I might even love it. The smash hit ("The Middle") might be my least-favourite which is probably a good sign. They end up as one of the more catchy power pop bands I've heard, probably due to the shockingly non-abrasive vox that I liked (rare for me) and excellent melodies. Still not my fave genre but they do it well enough that it's kind of a surprise strong 3 for me. 7/10 3 stars

Man this was a wild off-the-radar pick! No critiques there, it's even just hard finding info in English about this band - the mystery makes it more intriguing. First impressions - and from someone who doesn't like punk much at all - this kinda kicks ass? And from someone who generally doesn't love many live albums - yeah this kinda kicks ass. The performance is/was tight. The French language aspect for me enhances it; most music I don't care too much about the lyrics (unless they're uniquely creative, catchy, weird, or... terrible...) but so here it's all about the energy right? The more it goes the more it has a metal bent than punk for me; almost an early-Maiden energy without the twin-harmony guitar attack. Biggest problem for me though is...."the more it goes on" - it's really really long, and feels even longer than it actually is just with the similarities from song to song. It's not really about the songwriting/composition though, more the energy so even if it's not one of my favourite things I'm glad to have heard this! 6/10 3 stars.

I feel like I'm almost always turned off by overly-wordy/lyrically dense music but goddamn if this record doesn't bring back some massive childhood flashbacks. Something about Al's rather twee voice (very Pet Shop Boys...?) makes it weirdly less-annoying for me (also it just fits the material perfectly) so as to be able to focus on the lush music behind it. Always loved that they saved the killer title track for the end. Not much to say about that one other than it's perfection and one of the true classic pop/rock songs of all-time; grew up as a little kid hearing that (long!) song on the radio constantly. I do love this album - it plays out like a movie and really needs to be heard all at once. Killer production/mix, too (Alan Parsons!). Caveat: I'm not sure how well this does/will translate to younger/unfamiliar listeners though; I'm definitely listening a lot through a nostalgic lens and objectively even if I do love it it is pretty old-timey in song construction. Anyways for me it's a perfect addition; couldn't believe it wasn't in the original 1001. 9/10 5 stars.

Not a country fan so take it all with a grain of salt: it's deep 70s simple country with emphasis on the pedal steel guitar which always turns me off - i.e. it's just not my thing. BUT...I kinda feel like I might have actually liked this a bit more with a different singer - there's not that huge a difference between this and a lot of what was popular in the pop/rock/country blur back then. The voice is too ... idk, Texas? Just a preference, sorry Guy. 4/10 2 stars.

I'm gonna get the only negative thing out of the way first: it's too long. With some definite and notable exceptions, 45-50 minutes is the most an album should run. YMMV. Outside of that, this is pretty damn good, fun, and VERY weird - rhythmic hip-hop with a lot of old school type elements, non-annoying drum programming, and an underlying tongue-in-cheek weirdness that for the most part offsets the length of the album. I usually hate skits or other/similar spoken word transitions but I don't even mind the "interludes" as it adds to the theme. Always loved "Mista Dobalina" so it was nice to hear Del the Funky Homosapien again. I'll definitely put this on again - nice find. 7/10 4 stars.

Well after about 30 seconds I'm thinking get fucked indeed - I am about to hate everything about this. God - this Aussie bloke screaming at me is laughably irritating and honestly the album cover is a spot-on indication of what I'm listening to. ...ya know, but ok yeah I hate it (did i say that?). But. They're actually pretty tight and almost ALMOST feels like if they had a different vocalist - or none at all - there would be parts I could listen to. e.g. "The Price of Smokes" isn't bad. Just stop screaming. Seriously tho this is a good lesson in giving an entire album at least a shot [some exceptions do apply, see terms and conditions] - I really don't like abrasive punk - actually hate most of the genre - but when I sort of let this one wash over me and "got" the attitude ... some of these are actually bangers. I just fking loathe the vocals, jfc woof. 4/10 2 stars.

I fully get why people would and do like/love this. Full stop - fully sincere. Alas, I think perhaps the biggest reason - that plaintive and precious falsetto - is what prevents me from ever attaching myself to any Bon Iver. The music is simple and lovely and I do like the atmospheric touches (e.g. "Flume") - we're close here... But. His vocals are tough for me, really tough. If - as Apple Music's bio states wrt this album - this voice truly inspired "generations" (I do not think that word means what they think it means) of imitators - then I have a bone to pick with Mr. Iver. (yes stfu I know it's a nom de plume, I will have my fun dammit). I'll give full credit and respect to the musical creations within and suck it up just a bit (I don't like anyone's voice, I'm an inhuman monster) because it really is lovely, but it's hard for me to sit through more than 20-25 minutes at a time. Give me the instrumental version please. 6/10 3 stars.

Hadn't heard/seen her name in ages and upon listening I do remember a few of these tunes. It's not something I'd listen to often - a bit too smooth/slick (production/mix) and country for my tastes, although I like her voice a lot more than most others in the genre. I mean, it is "nice" and I don't mean that in a patronizing way - it's just nice. I suppose it's easy Sunday morning music and nothing wrong with that. 5/10 3 stars.

Feels like I'm listening to a 40 minute long Volkswagen commercial. Leasing available at $299/month with just $3000 down. Not sure I can explain it even to myself - there's melody here and some unpredictability - but it's overly cloying and I hate it. The vocals? The lack of dynamics / overly compressed 21st century sound? Me having a bad day? All of the above but that's probably the heavy order of things. Doesn't even sounds like a cohesive unit - more like an annoying bedroom project. Who knows. I tried - I really did and I really really don't like it. And I wrote that before I got to the hideous autotuning in "California English" Only elevating it to a 2 in a moment of being generous but now I'm glad I know to avoid Vampire Weekend entirely. 3/10 2 stars.

Yeah I like it - Teenage Fanclub always come up with excellent melodies, the album doesn't suffer from annoying modern mixing bullshit, I'm not a big fan of the vocals but I find them less-annoying/slacker than on their big Bandwagonesque album - this one's better overall. Also it really felt like it ended at the right length - any more I would have started to feel a little tired of it. Was initially feeling between a 3 and 4 but gave it another spin and I liked it even more - will definitely go out of my way for this one again so 4 it is. 7/10 4 stars.

I freaking love this album. It's so weird and non-sensical and creepy that even Colin Meloy's plain-ish vocals don't bother me; they actually might even contribute to the unsettling feeling within. Extra/guest vocalists give it the proper rock opera treatment. Who cares if the story doesn't make much sense, it's almost better that way [e.g. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a total disturbing mess and that's what makes it work] - weird tie-ins musically and lyrically with previous songs/suites on the album definitely make it a full-album listen rather than a few cuts here and there. Some of the melodies in these songs (e.g. The Hazards of Love 2, that descending guitar line) will always give me chills. Elements of folk and prog and metal and smoothed together nicely - this has been a favourite of mine since release; absolutely top-notch addition. 9/10 5 stars

Props for something completely different - not sure there could be something more outside of my wheelhouse but I ... kind of liked it (or I could say I enjoyed this last hour over a few cups of coffee)...? Breezy synthy J-pop with great melody - and entirely more-enjoyable when sung in Japanese; the vocals become more of an instrument for me to not really think about (the English parts are by far my least-favourite, e.g. "Nichiyou No Asa" but fortunately they're not nearly as frequent). Not something I'll probably come back to voluntarily and honestly as with too many modern recordings it's just way too long [e.g. cut this off at about 44 minutes] but honestly it was great music to work to on a Monday morning - glad I heard this one. 6/10 3 stars.

I wasn't excited about this at all but as this went on I liked it more than I'd expected to. Power punk / power pop punk etc etc ... whatever you call it - just kind of ... expires for me after a few songs; i.e. I can usually get with the energy for a song or 2 then I'm done, it's all a bit samey; I'm always wanting more layers, more dynamics, subtleties, etc. But I have to give it up for this one, these are all pretty good songs at their core and I feel like if these were done in even a slightly different style I might even love it. The smash hit ("The Middle") might be my least-favourite which is probably a good sign. They end up as one of the more catchy power pop bands I've heard, probably due to the shockingly non-abrasive vox that I liked (rare for me) and excellent melodies. Still not my fave genre but they do it well enough that it's kind of a surprise strong 3 for me. 7/10 3 stars

Man this was a wild off-the-radar pick! No critiques there, it's even just hard finding info in English about this band - the mystery makes it more intriguing. First impressions - and from someone who doesn't like punk much at all - this kinda kicks ass? And from someone who generally doesn't love many live albums - yeah this kinda kicks ass. The performance is/was tight. The French language aspect for me enhances it; most music I don't care too much about the lyrics (unless they're uniquely creative, catchy, weird, or... terrible...) but so here it's all about the energy right? The more it goes the more it has a metal bent than punk for me; almost an early-Maiden energy without the twin-harmony guitar attack. Biggest problem for me though is...."the more it goes on" - it's really really long, and feels even longer than it actually is just with the similarities from song to song. It's not really about the songwriting/composition though, more the energy so even if it's not one of my favourite things I'm glad to have heard this! 6/10 3 stars.

Sorry to whomever submitted this - I truly and actively do not like this band. Every few years I've tried and with their main entry to the list it sealed it for me - something very detached about them for me; certainly the vocals are a main ingredient - dreary and not even a "let's mock his affected accent" Morrissey way but more in a "...really, dude?" way. In some ways it's not *that* far off from, say, Interpol but that band have a post-punk / truly mysterious and interesting modality to them that The National doesn't bring for even a measure. If I cared more I would be almost fascinated as to what is it about this band that annoys tf out of me - there's something in my brain screaming about it being a bit overly-precious, but if the objective music theory part of me takes over I recognize that these compositions aren't throwaways, i.e. there is creativity here. Perhaps it's just that there's absolutely nothing exciting - nothing mysterious - nothing silly - nothing remotely dangerous in here. And if that album cover truly is of them playing at a wedding I'd rather have heard the chicken dance. "...hey kids. congrats on your nuptials. ....sigh..... try not to cut yourself on the way back to the hotel. anyways. here's our latest 70bpm dirge...." After 3 songs I'd have said I think I "enjoy" it more than High Violet but damning with faintblahblah and all that and now I'm not even 7 songs deep and I'm picking lint off my shirt with a greater interest than anything else I've done this morning. I don't/cannot/will not ever connect with this. 3/10 1 star.

I don't love the lo-fi aspect of it at all - not to mention the approaching-mumble-vocals (thankfully they're mostly mixed low and mediocre enough to not actively detract) but there's the occasional shine from the occasionally-interesting music. I've seen some comparisons to shoegaze and some early grunge and there's definite crossover. Was initially going back and forth almost song by song - while I really paused to listen more closely a few times to appreciate the odd direction on the melodies ... too much of the dissonance just sounds like ass for ass's sake. Never go full ass. It's all ultimately very early 90s though, for whatever that's worth - I'm hearing a Mystery Machine meets Slint but overall it too-often dips into the Dinosaur Jr pool for my tastes in which case I'll just be in the chaise lounge drying off thanks. 5/10 2 stars.

It's ...decent? I have seen a lot of Arctic Monkeys comparisons (and I hear it when the drums have the annoying disco beat) but I can't stand that band - so I'll go with these guys are a more-basic and yet more appealing version? When they veer away from that comparison it's way better - e.g. in "Cavorting" I'm hearing some cool echoes of The Alarm which is an awesome throwback. Overall I don't know how to feel - I'd say I didn't feel much...? But as it went along I thought most of these songs are pretty catchy even if I'm not completely vibing with them - almost like - and this is completely unfair - but if 5 of these songs had been local or national hits near me when it was released I could buy that and then listening again could bring a nostalgia to it. Feels like that kind of album e.g. why was this any bigger than Oasis and why should I like their big album more than this? Familiarity maybe. Again unfair but hey. wayyyyy TL;DR: I didn't dislike anything at all here, just sort of hit me as very nice examples of semi-modern british guitar rock? i.e. wouldn't punch it off the radio, not sure how many I'll remember (although nope that's a lie: I'll pick out "Not Nineteen Forever" as one I particularly enjoyed). Probably a 4 if I'd known any of them, maybe someday I'd bump it up... worst summary ever ramblemuch just commit already 7/10 3 stars

I put on track 1 after work, really enjoyed the majestic and almost-triumphant instrumental voyage it took me on - it was a bit unseasonably warm so I transferred the album to my phone for track 2 and started getting tired ... went to take a nap and woke up 40 minutes later as the album was still playing ... only on track 3! which is entitled "Sleep" appropriately-enough. Decided I was ready for dinner, and reheated an amazing homemade Thai pork meal while reading a book on 1970s baseball and as I finished the meal and the chapter on 1977 the epic album finally came to an end. Coleridge? Homer?? Proust??? AMATEURS. 7/10 4 stars but you're gonna have to work for it. Or sleep through it. Or both.

Mostly-excellent album - grandiose with obvious comparisons to classic 70s Springsteen, but this hits harder (no sax - sorry, Big Man) even if/when Craig Finn's vocal delivery can get slightly irritating if you let it. Always loved the guitar sounds these guys get - props to the mixer/producer John Agnello. I am a much bigger fan of their later album Heaven Is Whenever, where Craig Finn actually tries to sing a bit more - but we're not getting there without this one; glad to have gotten this - but the album feels longer than it actually is, which might mean I have a time-expiry each time I listen to them. It actually seems to fall apart for me starting with "Chill Out Tent" which I've always hated, so I can cut it after track 9. Sum: I hadn't listened to them in ages and I often forget about them, although about 35 minutes at a time is a good enough dose. 8/10 4 stars.

Late-80s "popular" music was pretty funny in retrospect (it was probably just as funny at the time, I couldn't hear it through my mullet) in that there's a very very fine line between this, Billy Idol, Def Leppard, Poison, Prince.... they all had that *sound* - pop songs with crappy fake drums and slightly varied window dressing. OK you guys can take the rippin guitar solos, we'll have the fiery gang vocals, you grab a synth, oh and everyone turn up the reverb. We were all supposed to pick one lane, stick to it, and shun or mock the others. Turns out everyone was in the same lane after all and in the very shallow end. Eh. I'd possibly look at this more-fondly if I'd remembered them or the songs but I'm definitely going to forget this in 20 minutes and I'd like to sooner than that. 3/10 2 stars.

Ooooo... Cookie Monster vocals, dropped D tuning, AND software-drum-replacement high-attack double kick drums??? The full skull-drilling trifecta here. HellNo. 1/10 1 star

Man this was an unexpected surprise and a 180 from yesterday's which I'll leave unnamed ... Mellow, jazzy, simple and spacious, yet filled with unexpected melodic groovy turns. Guitar and music overall reminds me of this fantastic Icelandic jazz guitarist I happened to see years ago in Reykjavik with his band: Omar Gudjonsson. Sometimes you get what you need when you need it. Very nice - I'll be listening to this one a lot. 8/10 4 stars

Kinda groaned seeing this one (although I do like the cover) - not at all a fan based on what I've previously heard from them. But in reading that this was a massive departure I thought ok ... open mind... And as the music starts with the first track I'm immediately liking it more, until the loungey-vocals come in and it just turns me right off. Every song. A nice effort, and I can see why people could dig this - but I'll never get by the horrible voice, vocal effects, and dumb lyrics. I don't like Bowie at all and this is ... a far worse imitation - I'd rather have the 8 Bowie albums again. 4/10 2 stars.

I remember listening to this with others while working in the gen X veal pens back in the go-go dotcom doc martin days. Man - 1993 was a revolution of new music - all kinds of subgenres bursting back then. As for this one, Cannonball was all over the radio and MTV. It's far better than any Pixies album (which is where they splintered off from) - mostly since Black Francis isn't singing - and there's definitely a nostalgic aspect of it for me. And although the sound sucks in that *almost* early 90s lo-fi way I loathe, yeah it was a fun re-listen. You might have had to be there, though. 5/10 3 stars.

I feel like I'm almost always turned off by overly-wordy/lyrically dense music but goddamn if this record doesn't bring back some massive childhood flashbacks. Something about Al's rather twee voice (very Pet Shop Boys...?) makes it weirdly less-annoying for me (also it just fits the material perfectly) so as to be able to focus on the lush music behind it. Always loved that they saved the killer title track for the end. Not much to say about that one other than it's perfection and one of the true classic pop/rock songs of all-time; grew up as a little kid hearing that (long!) song on the radio constantly. I do love this album - it plays out like a movie and really needs to be heard all at once. Killer production/mix, too (Alan Parsons!). Caveat: I'm not sure how well this does/will translate to younger/unfamiliar listeners though; I'm definitely listening a lot through a nostalgic lens and objectively even if I do love it it is pretty old-timey in song construction. Anyways for me it's a perfect addition; couldn't believe it wasn't in the original 1001. 9/10 5 stars.

So. It's The Greg Kihn Band at Halloween. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just that after having read about this before listening, it was nothing like what I'd expected. Written years before from inside a mental hospital...lyrics snuck out bit by bit until his eventual release... where's the insanity dammit! So honestly I was kinda disappointed (hey I know "I Walked With A Zombie"!) - I wanted this to be utterly and completely unhinged musically but it's really a decent-enough late 70s basic rock band. It's not bad - just not....nuts, or even that out of the ordinary. (Definitely better than his previous band 13th Floor Elevators.) 5/10 3 stars.

After reading a little about this/him, he's taking on a quasi-fictional character as a failed musician? Great - how does this add to or explain the music which is really all that matters (unless you're watching a performance, or Spinal Tap)... and all I hear musically sounds like cheesy 80s music from the latest Andrew McCarthy movie which I had no interest in seeing. Feels like if you have to explain it that hard, it doesn't stand on its own ... and holy hell it does not. In fact the longer this goes on it goes from "come on" to "this is aggressively terrible" This whole schtick about "oh see he's just *pretending* to be this loser and everything comes from that perspective" is just a thin cover for terrible songs - utter and complete bullshit. And finally but perhaps most egregiously: these lyrics are in the running for most-idiotic i've heard in my life, at least since David Coverdale wrote "Slide It In" - and at least he wasn't pretending. Sage words from an elder: there's a fine line between clever and stupid. 1/10 1 star.