Doolittle is an album who tries to find itself with a lot of songs (15) in a little time (39mins). It does not help since I felt as no ideas were experienced completely. The first half of the album reminds The Cure's songs while the other half, the more original and exciting one, creates an Radiohead-like atmosphere.
Since the style varies so much during the listening, I felt lost and couldn't fully appreciate any songs due to its premature ending.
What seems like a ground-breaking album, for it being in the list, will last in my mind as a compilation of attempts to find a new style.
NEU! 75 surprises by its singularity. Kraftwerk's style is an obvious inspiration but nothing truly sounds like the 6 songs on this album. Is it the latest Vangelis' score ? Lost Pink Floyd's recordings ? Is it a punk album ? Electro ? Rock ? Well, as a whole, the album does not fit in any box.
On the other hand, NEU! 75 is as experimental as it can be from a German group in the mid-70s. It goes everywhere, not really planned and especially not really ambitious. The songs stretch for miles repeating themselves for no reason and listening to them is hard.
As a background-ambience-album, NEU! 75 will please but as a 42-minute experience, it disappoints.
Urban Hymns is an emotional album tinted with a relatable sadness. It isn’t an incredible vocal performance nor a writing one nor musical one, but The Verve do everything good in a special way. The alchemy between all songs is wonderful and embraces for more than an hour the listener.
Is Urban Hymns innovator ? Not really. Is it flawless ? The last song’s ending and the lack of risks taken makes me write no. However, is it good ? Absolutely. It is pleasing to hear and I am definitely going to be listened to again it again.
Blonde On Blonde is the perfect example of my problem with Bob Dylan. He is a writer, a lyricist, a poet but musically his songs don’t hold up much. He tells a story but adds several chorus and sometimes an harmonica solo ending up with a long, very long, song. He is not a vocalist and therefore often sings poorly but the most tedious aspect of the album is its redundancy and the feeling that the last song is just a extension of the previous ones. It feels flat.
With time, perhaps, and attention to every second of the album, it may be indeed a masterpiece. But for now, Blonde On Blonde is a simple blues and country album with Dylan’s lyrics and poetry on it.
Talking Book is ambiguous. It is another Wonder's funk masterpiece, with heavy bass lines, grooving sounds, dancing melodies and enchanting love lyrics. On the other hand, it is another Wonder's album with heavy bass lines, grooving sounds, dancing melodies and enchanting love lyrics. Talking Book is good but not surprisingly good. The most famous songs are probably the best of the albums and the few others only feel like transitions as they won't be remembered.
Talking Book stays as a good album but not Stevie's best.
Here Come The Warm Jets is an interesting album whose genius may not be fully explored in one day. It heavily -and naturally- recalls Talking Heads or Bowie’s albums and feels like their experimental cousin. Eno’s HCTWJ is brave and every song has its own idea way too big to be completely listened to in a day.
This Year's Model sounds like the big brother of what will come for the next 10 years on the pop-rock musical scene. It differs from the '70s musics although doesn't exactly ressembles the '80s ones. Extravagant, some pieces surprises positively and over all the album stays relatively entertaining from start to end.
However, once the entertainment is gone, the album doesn't last long in memory. Perhaps too short, without the adequate time to develop the ideas, This Year's Model hardly brings the listener back to it once done.
Very begins with a passable song then dives deep in the pop style that will be overly used a decade later by all the boys-bands. Every songs sound the same as the previous with the same musical backs and poor-written lyrics. It has no memorable aspect and even in background, while doing something else, Very is boring. Its presence in this list is incomprehensible and absolutely not deserved.
Back To Black is the great album everyone know. It is musically brilliant with deep lyrics sang by the beautiful voice of Amy. There is no other album such as Back To Black and its came at the perfect time to be globally successful. It's a simple idea played during 40 minutes and it's well achieved.
