Is this a typical Taylor Swift record? If so, what the hell have I been waiting for. Subtle, beautiful, nuanced and heart-felt. This is an album where the songs are the stars, not the singer. For me that's refreshing. The songs are great I would just ask for a little more variety in tempo and musical arrangements (read wish it rocked harder in places). 4 🌟
What an album. This is where Siouxsie's punk roots, meld with their gothic stylings and pop sensibilities in a perfect mixture. As always Budgies drumming is captivating and powerful and John McGeogh's stabbing guitars are perfect. And Siouxsie's singing is absolutely sublime. This might be their strongest set of songs, just really hard to find a dud on the album. Arabian Nights, Spellbound, Into the Light ... side one is near perfect. I have always thought Keleidescope was their best album but Juju is right there and on many days it is my favourite. A great album from one of the great post punk bands. 4.5 stars
From the opening burbling bass of Safe From Harm, I was hooked. What a song. What an album. Genre defining. I love Mezzanine which is a more consistent album but the high points of Blue Lines are enough to carry the album to a 5 🌟rating
Not my cup of tea. The beats can be interesting but just not anything I would listen to
Music is ok....but the lyrics SO INCEDIBLY LAME! I defy anyone to listen to and hear the lyrics to "love me like a reptile " and not roll their eyes. How can anyone intelligent person absorb a Joy Division lyrics and not laugh out loud at the drivel that Lemmy spews. I understand how musical taste is always subjective, but.... 2 🌟
Great album one The Stones best. 5 stars as far as I'm concerned but I'm a fan. Favorite songs... Sympathy for the Devil No Expectations Jigsaw Puzzle (love this song) Street Fighting Man Prodigal Son 5-star album
Fine album. Not my cup of tea musically but no denying the quality...and that voice...buttery smooth.
Its a good album but overly long as it seems to repeat itself the longer it goes. The high lights are very high... Tonight tonight is a great song. Ultimately I had difficulty digesting it all in one sitting
Too relentlessly "rockin'" for my tastes. I'm not an Aerosmith fan, but I do have respect for their earlier material. But of their early album I think this is my least favorite. 3 🌟
Wow! Brilliant Brilliant stuff. I am not a rap fan. I own one rap album; "It takes a nation of millions..." which Ilisten to every couple of years and try to enjoy, beyond "Don't Believe the Hype". But this is Brilliant. The rhyms and the effortless delivery left me stunned. I will listen to this album in the coming weeks to try to cull as much as I can from it and then move on the The Slim Shady LP which I understand is just as brillliant. Discoveries like this is why I love listening to music and why I am part of this program. My first 5 🌟 album for one that I had never heard previously
Great songs...dated 80s production. Did I mention Great songs!
I like this album . Been a while since I listened to it. Real nice to re-discover it. 4 🌟
I love Lou but this one is not my favorite. It has its moments but the arrangements and production are so farcfrombthe velvets as to be almost unrecognizable. Ii does have its moments but just a 3 for me .
Two songs to this never heard before album or artist; I LOVE his jazzy voice and arrangements. Great, percussive guitar playing. Really enjoying this first listen.
Not my cup of tea. The beats can be interesting but just not anything I would listen to
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this album at least the first half. I like most when the band goes soft loud there's not enough of that to keep me interested for more than a few songs. The heavy-handed politics are also a bit grating over the long haul. I would give it 2.5bstars if half stars were allowed but for this exercise...2 stars
Good beats but not my thing 2 stars
A very fine album muscular with memorable melodies. I like it a lot.
Definitely some indie-pop gems on this album. I will definitely return to it to see if there are some that slipped by on first listen. For now 3.25 but could go higher on subsequent listens
Enjoying the album. Admittedly nothing on it comes close to the first three songs but the whole album is quite listenable 3 stars
Great songs. I'm not usually one for orchestrated arrangements in pop music but I can overlook it because of how great the songs are. 4 stars
Come on man.... One of the greatest debuts of all time. How can this be anything but 5 🌟
For whatever reason I never connected with Billie Holiday's voice and the arrangements on this set leaves me bored. 2 🌟
Well this was a nostalgic ride. I had never listened to the album on a good system until now. This was one of the first albums I loved as a 12 year old. Just like then I had to listen to Hide in your shell twice. What a song. Allmusic.com had it right...4 🌟
A fine album...very listenable. The hits are great but the album cuts are strong as well. 4 🌟
Not a bad album. In fact I was surprised how much I liked it. I will listen again. Pretty close to a 4 but ots a little too long so I'll give it a 3 🌟
Wow this is just a GREAT dance album, worthy of many more listens. A very good discovery. 4 stars 🌟
I like Eels, favourite ablum is Daisies of the Galaxies, but I also like Souljacker, Electro-Shock Blues and Hombre Lobo. Not sure why I never listened to this one before but it<s another fine Eels album.
This is a very enjoyable listen. New to me but sounds fresh and interesting. Melodic and rhythmic. I will definitely return to this album 4 🌟
Wow this is a really good album. I'm familiar with the title track, Cross Eyed Mary and Locomotive Breath but I thought the whole album was really good. 4 🌟
4th favorite Dylan album which still is a no-brainer 5 star choice. Even if the 2nd side is quite a bit weaker than side 1...that side 1; WOW
Well that was fun. That show must have been hott! Good album I will listen again soon. 3 🌟
This is a FUN listen. Nothing as immediately ear catching as Losing my Edge or Daft Punk ... at my House. But this is going into heavy rotation. 4 stars
First song...meh. the three that follow are quite strong. Always good to hear Peter Hook's familiar sound. I'm trying to get over the fact that they are NOT Joy Division. Their style not one I listen to a lot. Still as I near the end I find myself really enjoying this album. Tempted to give it a 4, but a string 3 🌟 is what I'm giving.
Music is ok....but the lyrics SO INCEDIBLY LAME! I defy anyone to listen to and hear the lyrics to "love me like a reptile " and not roll their eyes. How can anyone intelligent person absorb a Joy Division lyrics and not laugh out loud at the drivel that Lemmy spews. I understand how musical taste is always subjective, but.... 2 🌟
An OKs favorite of mine. Brilliant album..Winston Rodney's singing is incredible especially on Days of Slavery Not sure what else there is to say . 5 🌟
Boring , generic blue-eyed soul. 1 🌟
Of course I'm very familiar with the song American Pie. I was never a big fan. I must say that listening to it on a goodcsystem give me a slightly greater appreciation. I was prepared to dislike this album but it wasn't the case. Enjoyed it more than expected. Reminded at times of Al Stewart. 3 🌟
I've heard of the band but never heard any of their music. I believe Sundance re-issued a number of their albums. I loved this album. Beautiful expressive vocals; simple, timeless arrangements. Reminds of the first time I heard Love Forever Changes...no it's not quite as good as that, but damn close. Favorites: Painter of Women The Keeper of Time Nine Pound Hammer Magic Hollow The Wolf of Velvet Fortune 4 🌟
Not familiar with Robert except by name. Even Soft Machine, his band I am familiar with by name and reputation only. Album has 6 long songs, or are they movements or suites. I'll take them one bu one. 1st song; did not like it closer to free jazz than rock, not my cup of tea. 2nd song a little more modal in nature, enjoyed this one more. 3rd song, reminds me a little bit of Miles Davis in a Silent Way. Like this one still more. Closer to a rock sound but still more jazz than anything (not that there's anything wrong with that) 4th song; just kinda weird ...annoying organ sounds, jazzy guitar weird percussive, metronomic breathing sounds and fragile singing add up to a strange listening experience 5th song; more weirdness...a continuation of the previous song. I do like the percussion and the sax in this one. Actually much better than the previous song and perhaps my 2nd favorite so far 6th song; and the last one more of the same anti rock & roll. Just not music for my tastes 1 🌟
A damn fine album that I've enjoyed since it was released. Love the picture disc vinyl too. Lots of great songs here, Maps being the hilight. And Wendy O's voice...gorgeous. a strong 3 🌟 album knocking on the door of 4.
Not sure I understand the hype on this one. Pretty generic sounding bar band. I guess this came out around '65, sure doesn't sound innovative or forward looking. Sorry not drinking the Kool aid on this one. 1 🌟
Fine album that I've liked since it was released
Not really much to say about this album. One if the most important albums in my life. Incredible sounds, incredible poetry, incredible production, incredible mood. In my top 10 favorite albums ever. 5 🌟
From the opening burbling bass of Safe From Harm, I was hooked. What a song. What an album. Genre defining. I love Mezzanine which is a more consistent album but the high points of Blue Lines are enough to carry the album to a 5 🌟rating
Surprisingly enjoyable great beats the electronic sounding vocals is my main complaint 3 🌟
An old favorite of mine. I love the golden age of Cat Steven's and this is his very best. 5 stars
Well seven songs in and the non hits are really quite BAD (sorry for the pun). The Man in the Mirror is also a good rung or two below the hits from Thriller and Off the Wall. Besides the title track and "The Way You Make me Feel" there's just not much else of interest... 2.5 🌟
Surprised that I enjoyed this album. Metal is not normally my favorite but Anthrax seems to add a punk sensibility to there metal ethos. The guitar histrionics are kept to short bursts and the songs have a punk attitude. 3 🌟
Not really much of a blues guy. But on occasion I can enjoy and appreciate the genre. But not this time. Nothing bad here just nothing that gets me excited. 2.5 🌟
Yeah I like this . 3 stars 🌟
An omdcfavorite of mine. This is a very good album. I would have chosen List Souls, personally. Though not as consistent as The Last Broadcast, TLB lacks the greatness that Lost Souls has in spots. Still a fine album.... 4 🌟
Innovative...sure, but no real musical enjoyment for me 2 stars
Jockeys with Revolver as my favorite Beatles album. What more is there to say.... 5 stars
Fantastic album . Strong from beginning to end. 5 🌟
I know just a few of their songs. Enjoying this quite a bit. Has an XTC feel, with a big Beatles influence. Songwriting is strong. Feels like 3.5 even a 3.75 🌟
Ok I'm not a fan, but the first two songs are great! The next song is great too, but at 5:10 way too long. These boys should know any song longer than 3:30 is just too long. But I'm going to have to concede 4 stars to these hard-drinking, hard-rocking nut boys. What saves it for me is the guitar histrionics rarely descend to wankery and the riffs are impressively HARD and accessible. Closer to sex pistols than to Van Halen... I had no idea. 4 🌟
Never heard this before. From the opening bass line of LA femme d'argent I knew this was a sound tailor made for me. Gorgeous melodies, dancey rhythms and that bass, just lovely. It slows a bit in the middle section that keeps it from a 5 for me, but a strong 4 🌟
I have tried and tried with this album. This time on headphones while in a walk. A little more appreciation this time but still the magic escapes me. Maybe the melodies like the vocals are buried too deep for me to find. When you Sleep is the highlight. I'm getting there and this time I WANT to listen again. 3.5 🌟
Really enjoyed listening to this excellent album. I am familiar with Adamson's work only through his band Magazine, which did not prepare me at all for the music on this album. Full of funky rhythms, jazzy flourishes and a huge sound. Check out the Big Bamboozle for Ellington style big band jazz. 4 🌟
What a great album this is....way too long since I listened to it. Just one beautiful song after another. Elliott's voice is so gentle and inviting. Love this album 4 stars
Solid, trippy psychedelic sounds from the 60s. I will listen again. I liked it 3.5 stars
Lots of stylistic variation. A mostly quiet, subdued album. Many of the songs fall flat for me. Perhaps Bono's most overwrought album lyrically. All in all nothing I loved, 1 song I disliked strongly. 3 🌟
Very entertaining , fun, funny album. The music is not as compelling for me as Fun Lovin' Criminals, but still really good and enjoyable, just as a general commentary....Rap / hiphop albums tend to be TOO LONG!!! Please, please, please being back the 40 minute album. 3.75 🌟
top 10 album for me. My favorite Clash album even more so than London Calling. One classic song after another. I have both the British version as well as the American version I slightly prefer the US version for its inclusion of Complete Control and Clash City Rockers, though the sequencing is better on the British version because of the sequencing. But these are quibles, either versioin is a 5 star album in my books
Not my cup of tea. I might give it another to see if I'm missing something. As it is its 2 🌟 well see if in time that goes up
Just not the kind of music that draws me in. I promised myself I would listen to it the whole way through but did not alter my opinion from where it was before I listened. Though I will say that i like the title track. 2.5 🌟
I like this album. Burn it Down is uch a GREAT song. Kevin's voice used to perfection. The follow-up Tell Me When my Light Turns Green is just as strong. For me this album is soooo much better than Too Rye Aye. 3.5 stars
Sufjan Srevens has many gifts. His voice is beautiful even otherworldly. He has a gift for writing simple, beautiful melodies and his talent for complex and beautiful arrangements is undeniable. He certainly has a talent for stupid song titles. There is a lot to like about this album; it's certainly ambitious and is filled with some excellent songs of varying styles; John Wayne Gacy, Jr., Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day, The Man of Metropolis Steals our Hearts, They Are Night Zombies..., The Talkest Man, The Broadest Shoulders . Does it's reach exceed its grasp? Perhaps. Could it be 10 or 15 minutes shorter? Absolutely! Is it a satisfying, rewarding listening experience? Yes it is. 3.75 🌟 that I think will go higher with more listens, something which I look forward to. I think I'll buy the vinyl
This was a good album. Very chill and relaxed. It would make for nice dinner music, as a matter of fact of added It to my dinner party mix. A solid 3.5 🌟
In high school Pink Floyd was my favourite band. And this is my favourite album from them. I have moved on from my high school tastes but this album is still great. 5 stars
I'm not a country music guy but I liked this quite a bit. I can see how it was a breakthrough for traditional country music to a mainstream, non-traditional audience. And the musicianship is amazing. 4 🌟
A really interesting album one I like. I am a HUGE fan of the Jam, at least through Sound Affects. This was not at all what I expected. I would never have recognized even Paul's voice had I not known it was him. Nothing like The Jam, not even like The Style Council. Sounds more like a Van Morrison album. But I did like it and I'll listen more while lamenting the loss of one of my favourite bands. I'm going to give it 4 🌟
Not sure I understand why this is THE Tangerine Dream album. I can't find anything resembling melody, I prefer Cyclone and Stratosphere 2.5 🌟
By far my favorite early rock and Roll artist. The first singer/songwriter and a huge influence on the British invasion bands and beyond. Buddy Holly was the most forward thinking and innovative of all his contemporaries. 5 huge 🌟
For me and my appreciation of Elvis its all about the material...are the SONGS to my liking, because the performance and delivery all always spot on. On this album he lets his blues side OUT! Some big blues numbers here that are great performances and the material is pretty good. Fever is another high point one of the best versions of that song I've ever heard. 3.75 stars
Cool album. A real kitchen sink full of ideas and styles. 4 🌟
I don't listen to much "pop" music, full albums almost never. This is the best pop music album I have heard in a long time. So varied in musical genres and always interesting. It plays like a concept album but with changes of mood and style that keep it interesting. Changes of style are nothing if the music isn't interesting and this album held my interest throughout. I was shocked at how the album flew by so quickly. I am tempted to give it a 5, but 4.5 is all I can muster. A discovery! 4.5 stars
A very fine album see my other review for details
The first two songs are pop music classics and pretty darn good songs. The rest of the album seems mostly like filler to me. Promise to try is a heart felt ballad that is a cut above the rest as is Oh Father, Keep it Together is a nice slice of George Clinton style funk., but it's not enough to raise the album above being a pretty average pop/dance album. 3.5 🌟
The blues ate not my thing. This album does have more going for it than your typical blues guitar album. It's got the feel of a jazz album the piano seems as important as the guitar. But every instrument takes a back seat to Muddy Waters vocal performance. I may well have fou d my favorite blues album. 4.5 🌟
Aptly titled . A fun listen with catchy hooks, humor and danceability. 3.5
Wow these boys can sing. And some really great tracks too. Who's that Lady. Love there version of the Dooby Brothers Listen to the Music and Seaks and Crofts Aummer Breeze, never had so much soul. A fine fun album 3.75 🌟
This is a highly regarded Dylan that I never really warmed to. Maybe it's the languid pace of the songs, or maybe the swampy bluesy feel that was never my thing. Maybe its the foggy atmospheric Daniel Langlois production or the old mam world-weary voice that keeps me at arms length. In any case a Dylan album that is near the bottom of the list for this Dylan fan. 2.5 🌟
Enjoyed it. Not as good as their debut but a good listen more varied in style 3.5 🌟
Good album a little over-rated in my opinion. 3.75 🌟
The memories that this album evokes are palpable. I believe this is the first album I ever owned, the first one that I played on my own Lloyd's stereo system that I got for my 11th birthday, some 49 years ago. That original album is long gone but the memories are still here and very real. This is the album that started my life long love of music. It might be 40 years since I listened to it front to back but listening to it today the memories came flooding back. Favorite songs; Heart of Gold, Needle and the Damage Done, A Man Needs a Maid, Alabama....especially Alabama, and Words. This one's a no brainer...5 stars
I really like this album. It rocks hard in places, is very spacey and psychedlic too a la Spacemen 3...but better than Spacemen 3. Also has a Mercury Rev vibe in spots. But as usual its the solid songs that make this a very satisfying listen. 4 stars
A fun fun album that I had never listened to completely before. Groove is in the heart is great but there are a number of tracks worthy of praise as well. I'm going 4 stars
Totally. It my thing. But it has a few songs that seem like they've become standards. 3.5 stars
Another beautiful Morrissey album. One I have sadly neglected, I always seem to listen to Viva Hate or a Smiths when I need a shot of Morrissey's wry humour, deprication and stinging commentary. But Your Arsenal is worthy of attention too. 4 stars
I find this album and music borderline offensive. Not my thing AT ALL.
This is a really nice album for Ryan Adams. Not sure why he isn't a bigger star. Very in the mold of singer/songwriter style of the 70s. He has lost some of his alt-country sound on this one and gone for a more straight ahead rock/pop sound. It does lack some of the soul of Heartbreaker, but still a strong set of songs...4 stars
I<m not a big RHCP fan, this is the first album I listen to from front to back. But it has quite a few high quality moments. My favorite moments are the poppier ones I find their Funk freak outs a little distracting though the skill of the playing is undeniable. Lots of good stuff. Not quite a four but surprisingly close. 3.75 stars
Not my genre....obviously; however I was suprised at how much I enjoyed this album. The hits are uniformly very good, though I do wish the arrangements were just a little more edgy but that would be besides the point I suppose. Anyway a solid 3.5 for what it is and the sing-along factor.
A shockingly good album 5 or 6 absolute classic Monkees songs 4 stars
Really good listen. I find it more accessible than Millions, but with no song as immediately bracing as Don't Forget the Hype. I don't know how to judge good hip hop vs.not so good. UT I know what I like and I like this album 4 stars
Probably my favorite THeads album. The opening song; Thank you for Sending me an Angel is in my personal top 5 TH songs and Take me to the River may be my favorite cover song ever. Besides those two high points the album is consistent from beginning to end. Thanks TH for sending us this album 4.5 🌟
Not for me. Guitar wankery in EVERY song.. 2 🌟
I love this album. So sensual...so sexy. Never really heard anything else quite like it. A near 5, but 4.5 🌟 seems more accurate.
Very interesting album. Hip hop is the genre that has continued to surprise with consistently fine albums. 3.5 🌟
Great guitar work on the album opener. Followed by a great acoustic rocker that reminds me of Aztec Camera. We're off to a great start. Next couple or three lean a little to far to the pop side of the spectrum for my tastes, but the songs are good. And the rest of the album continues in this vein. Good songwriting but the style of music and production keeps me at arms length. 3.5 🌟 in recognition of the songcraft.
A Stine called classic and highly influential album. Introduced jazz lovers in North America to bossa nova. What more is there to say. 5 🌟
I'm not a fan of west coast but damn I liked this album. It's loud and abrasive and offensive at times but the band has a kick ass rhythm section and there are enough tempo changes and possibly even some melodies to keep me interested. Though lacking in Wire's ear for hooks and pop song melodies, GI has enough surprising turns to make me think this is the Punk Flag of west coast hardcore. I'm tempted to give it 4 stars, but 3.5 🌟 is where it belongs
The first song is great, jazzy, sophisticated sounding. Great first impression; expecting good things. Nest song a little funkier, more soulful...very nice. A couple more songs inn super smooth, organic...Trip Hop the way Trip Hop should be. Me likey. It does get a little long...a little samey for active listening , becomes more of a background listening experience but a really really good background listening experience. Put this on at a dinner party and I think you have the perfect backdrop. 4 stars
I liked it very much. T
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this album Marvin Gaye is sooo freaking talented. He could sing the phone book make it compelling. More Marvin please. 4 🌟
This was a very nice album. Very much of a Ryan Adams vibe for a lot of the songs. Great singer too with a bit more of a raspy voice than Adams. I wish some of the percussion was more natural, less electronic sounding. 3.75 stars
Pretty good album. Some metal flourishes I could do without, but there's no denying Eddie Vedder's talents as a singer. Impressive vocals. I thought I didn't "know" Pearl Jam but I was shocked how many songs I was familiar with and impressed by; Black was the most impressive song for me and I also ery much liked Release. This almost felt like greatest hits album. 4 🌟
This is a fine album from a favorite of mine. Favorite songs ...A Place For Us, with some striking rhythm guitar work and a stellar pj vocal performance. The haunting It's the Best Thing. The muscular guitar chords of The Whore's Hustle and the Hustler's Whore. The beautiful duet with Thom Yorke on This Mess We're In and my favorite song the absolutely gorgeous You Said Something with a melody that will haunt you for days. Kamikaze sounds like it could have been straight from the Rid of Me sessions, and the closer We Float is as beautiful a ballad as Polly has ever penned. A solid 4 🌟 album for me.
Surprisingly enjoyable listen with good songs and infectious rhythms. Her singing is frankly nondescript for me and given this genre perhaps below par but the songs are what's important to me. 3.5 🌟
Well this was fun. Very entertaining. All kinds of styles and a kitchen sink of sounds but always delivered with a wink and a smile. Much the same as when I first heard, Histoire de Melody Nelson thus us one that will get multiple listens. 4 🌟
Strange but always interesting album. 4 🌟
Non descript inoffensive and ultimately unremarkable hard Rock. 2.5 🌟
Yeah not bad as far as electronic music goes. 3 🌟
This is a really good album frankly I don't know why I slept on it for so long. It's right in my 80s alternative wheelhouse. Starts out with a huge bang with the opener Dominion / Mother Russia. After the slow-burn of Flood I, Lucrative My Reflection picks up the pace with a driving bass that just won't quite. And this Corrosion presents itself as the centrepiece of a fine album. 4 🌟
A kitchen sink of styles and sounds many of them compelling. I don't know how to describe the album but I know that I like a lot of it. 3.5 🌟
This is adult contemporary pop music at its best. Beautiful songs and a beautiful voice 4.5 🌟
What a gorgeous album. Some of the best electronic music I've ever heard. The dance tracks are intoxicating and the slower tracks sumptuous and gorgeous. My only complaint...it's 15 minutes too long. 4.5 🌟
I like the album I don't love it and I have little urge to seek it out when I want a dose of hip hop. 3 🌟
This is a very good album, the song selection is near perfact for Rod's gravely voice. I vacilate between this album and his debut as to which is my favorite. 4.5 stars
Wow nice album and a good discovery I think I'm going to spend some discovering this bands catalogue. The album has a lot of familiar influences. A little punky, a little grungy, some shoegazzy elements and a little Britton too. A solid 4 🌟
It's a good album a bit all over the place, uneven. Unique interesting and it has psycho killer one of the graeat songs of the past 40 years. 4.5 🌟
I'm not a metal guy but I didn't hate this album Has some punk elements. Very heavy in the tradition of Black Sabbath which is a good thing. I actually liked most of the songs. 3.5 🌟
I like it. I find it curious that I have the greatest hits compilation and none of these songs made it to that compilation. I also have the self titled album so I'm pretty familiar with Blur and I like them. And this album helps me like them more. Every song is good, they have a way with a melody and they sound so British which I love. 4 🌟
Sometimes my favorite MD album, always reveals new and interesting elements with each new listen. Until yesterday Bitch's Brew was new to me but not new to me because In a Silent Way is an old favorite cloth. Bitches Brew might be more ambitious and more varied but I still prefer In a Silent Way for its more consistent mood and its the beautiful atmosphere it creates in each song. No brainer; 5 stars
What a fantastic album this is. My favorite from this Madchwster scene. So melodic and soulful. One great song after another and my vinyl copy doesn't even have Fools Gold. 5 🌟
Pretty generic hard rock.not sure what the fuss is about on this 2 🌟
A relentlessly HEAVY album. Emotional. Unrelenting. Uncompromising. Maybe too much for a single sitting but it's raw emotion. In that way it reminds me of Joy Division' Closer. Unfortunately I don't find the music nearly as compelling, so the most I can give it is 3.5 stars
An amazing album. Just a notch below The Big Three, but a very small notch. 4.5 🌟
A strong Kias album that builds on their reputation as hard rock kings. Adds the wrinkle of a beautiful and highly successful balad in Beth. 3.5 🌟
Apparently I had to hear this album once before I die, so I did. That was plenty...1 🌟
Wow this was a really fun listen I can't wait to delve deeper. Super smooth vocals and luscious beats. 4 🌟
Not a bad albu, starts out with some fine songs. Love their take on Stepping Stone. It gets a little silly at the end finishing with two songs about cars that are both pretty lame. All-in-all a fun listen. 3.5 stars
Was once my favorite Stranglers album but it hasn't aged well. Still love Sometimes, Hanging Around and Get a Grip on Yourself, but the rest sounds dated and old. A 3.5 stars
If this album had nothing but the title track it would be legendary. Speaking of which Funkadrlic would seem to be the most unlikely of sources for one of rocks great guitar epics, but there you have it. And the rest of the album while nothing like the title track is still worthy of many many listens. Easily 5 🌟
A very fine debut album. Songs are good, though not quite of the caliber of morning glory. I am annoyed of their "influences" coming dangerously close to blatant rip off. Keeps it from a full blown 4 so I'm giving 3.75 🌟
What an album. Perhaps the most influential album of the rock era. After this nothing would be quite the same. All thus would be hyperbole if the songs weren't so fucking good. Some of the hardest most uncompromising rock music ever committed to tape. It's a masterpiece. 5 🌟
you know what prog and rap have in common their àbums are TOO LONG. still this one has a special place in my heart. Genesis and me in high school were going steady for s while. This album is among ny favorites of this period. 4 ⭐️
A classic that I came to late, 10 years ago, perhaps. It's a very good album and the guitar interplay between Verlaine and Richard Lloyd is often gorgeous and always engaging. I was tempted to give it an automatic 5 stars for it's reputation and they fact that I mostly think it's brilliant, but...... Tom Verlaine's voice keeps it from reaching the highest score. Now I can usually look past a unflattering vocal performance if the songs transcend the subjectively week vocals and I mostly do, but ultimately I can't quite get to 5. 4 .5 🌟
Post rock? Is that what this is? It's got some interesting music on it. Some of which grabs my attention, some of which keeps me un interested but none of it offends me. I actually like listening to this album especially late at night. 3.5 stars
Sade-style jazz-pop smoothness. More electro than Sade, a nice hybrid between Massive Attack trip hop and the smooth Jazz described above. The vocals are gorgeous, but the whole package strikes me as a little soul-less. Could this be the ideal dinner music album? Quite possibly. 3 stars
Again not a genre I am very familiar with,but I generally enjoyed this album. It has a nice funky side that drew me in. The rhythm section is strong and pushes the music forward. Songs of note.... The Warmth is a cool song with a warm, subtle beat perhaps my favorite on the album Make Yourself also good Drive is also good and the first that I recognize. This was a hit. Battlestar Scralatchtika..a nice funky instrumental tune. An enjoyable listen with at least 4 songs that were noteworthy 3.5 🌟
Only listened to this song once or twice before this time. It really is a fantastic set of songs. Varied in style and production Nilsson's absolute shines throughout. 4.5 stars
Lots of interesting stuff here. Lots of different styles in play. As usual way too long so I can't say that it held my interest through to the end but enough interesting moments to make it a worthwhile listen 3.5 🌟
Well this is a weird album. Dance music...politically themed...bizarre covers of Springsteen and Dionne Warwick classics. One big time hit. Too long and indulgent to rate more than 3 🌟
Yes a great album. Fun. Skillfully played. Non pretentious. Relentlessly groovy. There's just not a single misstep. Totally cool album. 5 stars
A classic album...but not my favourite. Concrete Jungle and Stir it Up are stone cold classics and the other songs are not far behind. You can't go wrong rolling up a fat one and putting this great album on the turntable. 4.5 stars
Weird perhaps even stupid name but damn, I Like this album. It rocks...it has soul and it's mostly electronic. I enjoyed most every song. I really enjoyed the album and I will delve deeper into their catalogue. 4 stars
A classic from the singer/songwriter era. Some would say it is THE singer/songwriter album. The first time I've listened to the album from front to back but of course I am already intimately familiar with at least 6 or even 8 songs on this 12 song album...that's pretty amazing in itself. The triumvirate of the first three songs...I feel The Earth Move, So Far Away and It's Too Late is incredible. Then the middle (side 2?) has You've Got A Friend, Where You Lead and Will You Love Me Tomorrow. And then we end with the gorgeous title track (which I was not familiar with) and then the epic; (....) A Natural Woman. It really is quite remarkable the number of songs this song has contributed to popular music...standards in the true sense of the word. Bravo Carole! 5 stars
Good Times is a great song, a classic! But is it enough to raise this album to Must listen status? The 2nd song...A Warm Summer Night is a boring, formulaic sounding balad that just lies there for me. 3rd song My Feet Keep Dancing; Meh! Too long, not a great hook. I won't bore with a song by song analysis. I will say that Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song) is a very good song breaking forom the disco formula very successfully. All in all a good album from the era with one absolutely classic tune. 3.75 stars
I might be the one of the last people to be unfamiliar with Kanye West's music. This album surprised me. I was not epecting the depth and poignance of the lyrics. He is really talented in his use of language and rhymes. The music definitely is in service to Kanye's words and that's OK. The music did not grab me on first listen. The production is spare and unconventional to me but I think with more listens would come greater appreciation. 4 stars
In my opinion ythe best White Stripes album. Great song after great song. Dead Leaves...is an epic song and what follows is Jack White's best songs in his career. The songwriting is so spot on , the arrangements clean and punchy. 5 stars
What an album. This is where Siouxsie's punk roots, meld with their gothic stylings and pop sensibilities in a perfect mixture. As always Budgies drumming is captivating and powerful and John McGeogh's stabbing guitars are perfect. And Siouxsie's singing is absolutely sublime. This might be their strongest set of songs, just really hard to find a dud on the album. Arabian Nights, Spellbound, Into the Light ... side one is near perfect. I have always thought Keleidescope was their best album but Juju is right there and on many days it is my favourite. A great album from one of the great post punk bands. 4.5 stars
One of Bob Marley's best. Exodus is an incredible powerful song. I'm lucky I have a pristine Mobile Fidelity vinyl copy of this record and it sounds incredible. Deep powerful bass and excellent balance overall. Thanks for the reminder on how great this album is. Side one starts out great and just keeps getting better until it gets to Exodus. Side 2 might be even better - it has the better known songs; Jamming, Waiting In vain, Three Little Birds, One Love. 5 stars
This is a fine album. Beautiful vocals, gorgeous, harmonies, first rate songs and and tight playing. Not sure who's decision to have the stereo mix as vocals hard right, instruments hard left but I do hate it. Is there a mono mix available for this album? If so I would love to hear it. That's the one thing that keeps this from a straight up 5 star album...4,75 stars
Some good songs here. But it doesn't rise to the level of some classic albums of the era. 3.5 🌟
Classic album that I haven't listened to in a long time. Long overdue re-familiarizing myself with this album no fewer than 5 or 6 absolutely brilliant songs that sound as fresh as ever. Though still not my favourite Springsteen album, that distinction goes to Darkness On The Edge of Town with it's harder edge, still a no-brainer 5 star pick
Pretty good synth/dance/80s/pop album. Especially of note the hit with Dusty Springfield...What Have I Done to Deserve This. Not sure what more I can add. If this is your style of music you won<t go wrong. 3 stars
Dire Straits are good. Lots of interesting stylistic shifts. Even some latin flavour on a song or two. Mark Knopfler is one of the smoothest most tasteful guitarists to ever massage a fret board. And he's an excellent songwriter. Very nice album that deserves more attention than I paid it. 4 stars
liked this album . I already have four or five Tom Petty albums but never heard his first until today. 4 🌟
Well I really enjoyed this Arabic language tour through world music. Wonderful percussion sounds and interesting and varied instrumentation. really loved its mix of western style rhythm and ethnic sounds. 4 🌟
A stunning debut album by at the time teenager Fiona Apple. The album is a bit all over the place but every once in a while like on Sleep to Dream, Criminal, Carrion and especially Shadowboxer she hits the sweet spot and the results are pure magic. A talented pianist and vocalist, this debut points to the musical riches to come. 4 🌟
Nearly perfect blend of Smiths style rock and roll and there knack for beautiful melodies and poignant t ballads. Has some of The Smiths best songs. I loved this album when it was released and still do today. 5 🌟
wow. ...what a tour de force. I had no Idea. The hip hop albums on this list have been, in general, the real slap in the face discovery for me. And this one may be the best so far and there have been great one's. In particular the Eminem album knocked me on its ass for its incredible wordplay and compelling music. To Pimp a Butterfly while not as shocking as The MM album, but my God the intricacies of the wordplay...of the poetry, is stunning in places and at the very least compelling and interesting and intelligent. This one's a KEEPER and is deserving of multiple listens 5 stars
If anyone can explain The Beastie Boys to me I would be most appreciative. They are a rab group right? How come their lyrics are barely intelligible? How come 9 songs in an instrumental is my favorite song so far. Fight for your Right to Party? Really? Make that my two favorite songs are instrumentals...Eugene's Lament is excellent. But all in all just not buying what The Beadyie Boys are selling, even if I could figure out what that is. 2.5 🌟
An amazing album, one of Neil Young's best. Its sad and poignant and powerful, The title track is the highlight of course but there are other great songs too. 5 stars
Has a rock /pop group ever put a better collection of songs on one record? Highway 61, maybe. Rubber Soul, perhaps. One great song after another. A remarkable achievement really 5 🌟
This album shocked me, I wasn't prepared for this level of melodicism from a Bad Brains album. The Bad Brains I know are loud and abrasive, without subtlety. I am glad to find this side of this legendary band. 4 stars
I am a HUGE EC fan, but I never would have thought that this album would make the list. Don't get me wrong this is a great album, underrated and perhaps forgotten in is catalogue. I lost touch with Elvis after this album, for whatever reason I had no need for anymore EC...for me this album was the perfect farewell. I actually like almost every song and it might be his greatest vocal performance up to this point. 4.5 stars
Pretty good album that I do not find as compelling as the majority of critics do. Can't put my finger on what keeps me at arms length, I'll just say that I didn't connect with this the way I hoped I would 3.25 stars
A fine album with one great song and some other very good songs. Patti's poetry is evident throughout; raw, poignant, provocative. And it Rawks. 4 🌟
I can't really complain about this album it's a fine album. Am I a fan? No. But that doesn't change the fact that the guy makes some fun adult contemporary pop albums. For me he's a poor man's Randy Newman. Anyway a pleasant uneventful listen...3.5 stars
I enjoyed this album especially when acoustic guitar was the principal instrument. She has a lovely powerful voice 3 🌟
I like this album, not my favorite hip hop I've been introduced through this process, but very good. The rhythm is a bit same throughout with very little tempo change. I like a lot of the sample choices especially of course Walk on the Wild Side. 3 75 🌟
Well this is a lot of fun. No grand artistic statement here just a bunch of talented musicians showing off their substantial chops on some old favourites. Nothing wrong with that. 3.5 stars
A dark, challenging, sometimes even disturbing album that haunts you long after it ends. It maybe the most haunting listening experience since Kid A, or perhaps even Joy Division's Closer. Ultimately it proves rewarding and bears repeated listens to come to appreciate it's substantial charms. Substantial is an excellent to describe the experience of listening to this album. 4 stars.
A very good Americana album. I was surprised how many acoustic guitars on the album. I enjoyed most of the songs, the first and last being hilights 4 🌟
One of my favorite Beatles albums, if only Yellow Submarine had remained on the cutting room floor might be a 6 🌟
A dark, moody album with gorgeous textures and beautiful melodies. I have listened to it twice through so far and I intend to do so again before finalizing my impressions, the first listen, a background distracted listen didn't yield much except fot a few moments of creepy (my daughters word) unease. Second listen in which my attention was undivided, allowed me to appreciate the subtle melodies and lush soundscapes. So far a beautiful album that bears further scrutiny. Well listen three did not go as planned. This album is one of mood andut with little substance. No memorable SONGS! While the music is sometimes beautiful it is nowhere near enough to sustain a full album. 3 🌟
What a voice. Bjork is a revelation and the music and songs are great too. 3.75 🌟
Very much enjoyed going album beautiful mood, gorgeous voice, warm lush instrumentation very inviting perfect for dark late night listening 4 🌟
My favorite purely electronic album has a beautiful sense of melody that modern bands like Aphex Twin lack as do contemporaries like Tangerine Dream. Smoke a joint, turn the lights low and be transported to wherever you let the music take you. 4.5 🌟
Not really my kind of music but this record does have its moments; 3.5 stars
4 stars a very fun listen lots of stylistic changes. Deserves more attention
Well it's a GREAT album and has some of favorite Stones song, which means some of my favorite songs period. Sweet Virginia, Tumbling Dice, Happy, Rocks Off, Ventilator Blues. Having said that it doesn't hold my attention the whole way through which keeps it just shy of a full 5 star rating 4.5
I like this album a lot. 4 🌟
This album is sooo strong. The Go-Betweens mase such gorgeous music. Tasteful, tuneful, bright. Music you just want to sing along with. The best album from a band that released nothing but great albums. An easy 5 🌟 rating
When Doves Cry and Purple Rain are great songs the rest of the album is good but nowhere near as strong, of note is some of the incredible singing in songs like The Beautiful Ones. Also some incredible guitar playing, beautiful tone, always tasteful yet impressively heavy. Took two listens through to gain appreciation. 4 🌟
A quietly beautiful album. Sparse arrangements that showcase her fragile vocal delivery and subtle, distinctive phrasing. Reminds of Cat Power, but lacks the emotional depth and power in her voice. Finally, the pacing of the album is too slow without any variation thus lacking in drama and ultimate tension 3.5 🌟
It has some great songs, particularly Groovin', Sueno, You Better Run and A Place in the Sun. But it's pretty syrupy...that's the first and the lasting impression, some good songs but an overall lightweight feel 3 🌟
Really? 2 hours of monotonous beats, strange slightly musical noises? A breakthrough? A masterpiece? I don't get it. Do I have to listen to all of this? How about we pass a law that albums like this be no longer than 45 minutes. Not totally bereft of value. But I have no desire to ever listen to it ever again. 2 stars
Ok well Edie Van Halen is a very talented guitarist and David Lee Roth a charismatic front man, but unfortunately stylistically with their guitar wizardry and rock star wailing I am left cold. All style no substance. Not surprisingly the best sing for me by far is Ain"t Talkin' 'Bout Love, where both of these indulgences are reigned in. 2.5 🌟
Never heard of this guy before. First impression; some nice Matthew Sweet style power pop. First 5 songs are catchy and hooky and well executed. The finish of the album more of the same. Worthy of further exploration for sure. 3.5 🌟
This was a big surprise. I basically liked every song. Always believed that they were a White Stripes wanna be band, without having listened to their music. They deserve more of my attention. 4 🌟
I actually liked this MUCH better than I thought I would. My pre-judgements coming in...too long, stupid premise, hokey songs. The premis still strikes me as stupid but the songs are so strong - what a drummer Keith Moon was - that I did not feel the album was bloated at all. very little filler and some truly transcendent musical moments. 4.5 stars
The middle album of what I like to think of EC's Big 3. Great song after great song. The run from Senior Services through Goon Squad is absolute song writing gold. It bogs down slightly after that with the next three songs which aren't quite as strong, but we finish with a bang with Chemistry Class, Two Little Hitlers and the Nick Lowe penned; Peace Love and Understanding (though that last one is not included on my British pressing). A great album easily worthy of a 5 star rating.
Pretty good hip hop album, too long as usual but some interesting musical choices and there were some very interesting rhyms. However a little to samey to earn anything higher than a 3.5 🌟
I'm sure this is a seminal country album. And there's no denying his beautiful voice and story telling talents....but it's just not a genre that I enjoy listening to. 2.5 stars
I expected to like this more given the reputation which preceeded it. It was more country one style than expected. Illegal Smile is Admittedly a pretty cooland humorous tune as is the next one Spanish Pipedream. Pretty Good might be my favorite song. All in all I enjoyed it 3.5 stRs
3 🌟. Really tough for a heavy metal album to score above a 3 for me. This has elements that I like. The drumming is excellent but the songs are all basically the same formula and the vocals are technically good but the style is off putting for me. So it's a good heavy metal album but not an album I'll ever want to give a 2nd listen to
A wonderful album. Very much in the style of Miles Davis Prestige years; Cooking, Working, etc.... I really enjoyed this album and plan to listen to it tomorrow again. 4 🌟
A very cool album. Reminds me of Canadian band Tea Party. I like these guys much more than their grunge brethren like Soundgarden and bands of that ilk. Their sound is more nuanced and the vocals smoother and more inviting. I'll be enjoying this album quite a lot in the coming weeks 4 🌟
Such a strange and mysterious album. Ethereal sounds that seem be from some alien beings. Strange and otherworldly and yet accessible and familiar. Now how do they do that. Now how exactly do they pull that off. Well Beth Orton's magnificent voice definitely helps in that regard. A wonderful album who's best moments / songs never fail to draw me in; 4 🌟
Like the title suggests this a dark plodding album that is still quite fulfilling ecause of Cohen's incredible lyrical sense and dramatic delivery. The music matches the lyrical themes perfectly. I found something to enjoy in most every song. Thouvh in the end s little monotonous t ate higher than 3.5🌟
Halfway through and this album is NOT working for me at all. Just not something I can latch on to at all. Nope not really 😕 2 🌟
A very good almost great album but not my favorite LZ. Ranks behind 1, 2 and 3 ... on a par with IV and HotH. I admire the varied influences but for me the songs are not that strong. Even the much beloved Kashmir, while a very good song barely cracks my top 10 LZ songs. 4 🌟
Nope this album just ain't for me. 2 🌟
Matt Johnsin hit a home run with This is the Day, a perfect slice of 80s alternative pop. It has all the elements; Great dance floor beat, catchy sing along chorus, beautiful melodic synthesizer riff and a huge drum sound. Just a great song that to me still sounds fresh today. Can the rest of the album possibly measure? Well the short answer is no! But.... There are some fine tunes on here; Uncertain Smile, the title Track as well as the closer Giant. Most of the tunes go on too long and I find myself looking to skip ahead to the next one 3/4 of the way through. But I can say that each song has something to offer. Johnson's themes of life and death, heaven and hell and biblical references can get a little heavy handed but the arrangements tend to lighten the mood and help make the whole thing more accessible. 4 🌟
Ok so it's a pretty good selection of covers like I can't stNd the rain and let's stay together, however they do show the limitations of her vocal range, but that doesn't bother me at all un fact I find it endearing...you always recognize a Tina Turner performance. And when Tina rocks, like in better be good to me, she takes a backseat to no one; man or woman.4 🌟
Another fine hip hop / rap album. Ice Cube's sense of humor definitely shines through at times but always the underpinings of anger are present laid bare for all to see. The beats are not the most inventive but I was always drawn in and wanted to listen, so....accessible. 4 🌟
What an album...one great tune after another and refreshingly different from anything else at the time. My vinyl copy is an early British pressing and doesn't even include their most famous song Oh Bondage Up Yours, but amazingly Germ Free Adolescents does not suffer for its absence. 4.5 🌟
Not my favourite CCR album bit a good CCR album is a great album for .out other bands. Born on the Bayou, Bootleg, Proud Mary, Chooglin; all classic CCR. Not quote 5 but 4.5 easily
Not a rap fan but I enjoyed this a lot 4 stars. A little heavy...relentless even but worth the effort 4 stars
Well I had a hard time finding the "original version of yhis album. TIDAL does not have it except as a bizarre compilation album that bears little resemblance to the original release. Searching individual tracks I put together a Playlist in the same order as the original release, but thar did not seem fair. So YouTube to the rescue. On to my review. I was only familiar with this band from my vinyl copy of Organization from oh so long ago. That album never connected with me other than Enola Gay. With this album I think OMD reached another level. More variesd and dramatic than Organization. Highlights are The New Stone Age, which rocks like no other OMD song I've ever heard, Sealand is achingly beautiful in it's sparseness and huge dramatic drum sound and Souvenir is synth pop at its finest. I think this album is stronger than Organization. I'm going to revisit Org as perhaps I gave it short shrift back in the day. 3.5🌟
Ever heard this album before. I'm very familiar with their first three albums which are classic in their own rights. The Notorious yrd Brothers has a different sound, a jazzier sound that works very well. I enjoyed each and every song. Can't quite give it a five bit I'm tempted. 4.25 🌟
A beautiful intimate performance. Sympathetic accompaniment, tasteful playing and a great batch of songs. Sarah's voice is impeccable, rhe arrangements are perfect and her delivery; relaxed inimate and rhythmicly they swing. Don't often understand the rhyme or reason behind some of the non-rock choices but for this one I'm grateful that I was able to discover this amazing album 5 🌟
I am not a Queen fan! I generally pretentious and overwrought. I had Queen II earlier and it did nothing to dispell my pre conceptions. Now this is their best known album and I do confess to a certain fi ding a certain charm to Behemian Rhapsody, probably more to do with its ubiquitous presence in modern popular culture. I guess it wore me down. I'm also anxious to hear I'm in Love With My Car after Mine Myers performance in the movie. It's a nice song. I also didn't realize that You're My Best Friend is also on this album...I like its straight ahead pop song aesthetic, but these guys can't help themselves even on a "pop" song ad the drums and bass are overwrought instead of being simple and in service of a beautiful melody. The next song '39 has a charming folk feel but again is done in by an over produced and somewhat weak chorus. Still I like the song. For the rest of the album it goes from songs that are over produced an over wrought to parody songs (Seaside Rendezvous). Overall it's a better album than Queen II but still filled with Queen's portentious theatricality (The Prophet's Son, Love of my Life.... Yech!) 2.5 stars
This album has the reputation as one of the best live albums ever released and with good reason. The setlist is stellar, the performance is clean and tight. The chemistry within the band members and with the audience and band is easy going and comfortable and the whole package has a Magic that is rarely captured on tape. Loses 1/2 star because I'm not generally a fan of luve rock recordings. 4.5 🌟
Personally I prefer Rocket to Russia. But there's a certain timelessness to this debut. Most of the songs are GREAT! Blitzkrieg Bop, I Wanna be Your Boyfriend, Chain Saw, Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue, I Don't Wanna G to The Basement, there's just no let up. The Ramones were the cause of a musical revolution...and the revolution starts here 5 stars
The Blues just ain't my thing. 3 stars
A very bizarre album. Not at all what I expected. The arrangements are generally spare and unusual with a lot ambience and echo and strange noises that seem to come out of nowhere. The backing vocals on the opener Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya are angelic and distant really gorgeous. There are lots of different styles here most of which I can't identify. My first run through the album I was ready to give it a low rating...but my second spin is giving a much more positive perspective. I can't quite say that I live every song but man each song has something at least interesting to offer and deserves closer inspection. 4 🌟
I really like the groove this album cultivates. Smooth, jazzy, bass lines that are lyrical as fuck. Definitely one of the better rap / hip hop albums I've heard so far. Aside from the groove the raps seem interesting and intelligent, at least at first blush. Bears further investigation to get the full feel of this very good album 4.25 🌟
One of the best Stones albums and perhaps my favourite and that's saying a lot. Not a bad song on here but, other than sister Morphine, it does lack a killer track like Let it Bleed and Exile, And Beggars Banquet have. But for consistency Sticky Fingers is tough to beat. The loise bluesy feel throughout the album makes it accessible and gun. 5 🌟
I love the Specials self titled debut. It's a great album. This album is not. The songs sound as much like novelty songs as serious music. Maybe it would I.prove with further listens however nothing in this initial listen is sufficiently interesting to warrant a deeper dive.....accept Stereotype/Stereotype Pt. 2. Can't give it more than 2.5 stars
This is not an easy album to love. The melodies are not standard pop fare, they are complex and the hooks are while their are present but require repeated listens to make their way into your brain. This is not Sgt. Pepper, with its easily hummable melodies and easy hooks. It's a great album but it requires time before it's greatness is revealed. It did at least for me. 5 🌟
One of my favorite Bowie albums. The title track is among his best songs and the rest of the songs are quite strong as well. 5 🌟
Interesting songs unique sound. Absolutely a substantial album that were it more in my wheelhouse could be 4stars, but as it just isn't my genre I can't imagine e fou g higher than 3.5 stars.
Some nice versions of pop Christmas classics all with that distinctive Phil Specttor touch. Your Christmas celebration will be richer if this album is added to your holiday playlist
Some lovely English folk music. If a little generic sounding. Nothing really stands out to me (unlike Shoot Out The Lights). Maybe more listens would bring a higher rating but for now 3.5 🌟
Is this a typical Taylor Swift record? If so, what the hell have I been waiting for. Subtle, beautiful, nuanced and heart-felt. This is an album where the songs are the stars, not the singer. For me that's refreshing. The songs are great I would just ask for a little more variety in tempo and musical arrangements (read wish it rocked harder in places). 4 🌟
Nearly perfect. Nick's hardest rocking album but still poignant and lyrical and beautiful. 5 🌟
Not a bad album. You can definitely hear the Martin Hannett production / influence . Is this the direction that Joy Division would have taken had Ian Curtis not died? It's a sound that I naturally gravitate to but the songs lack a certain distinctive quality that keeps them from being me.orale indicates ideally. 3 5 🌟
I'm a Smiths / Morrissey fan but this album. So ehow escaped my orbit. There are some absolutely gorgeous so gs on this album. As usual his band is spot on...they sound amazing the rockers like Billy Budd; ROCK! The more subtle songs like the beautiful I am Hated For Loving and Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning are arranged with beautiful tasteful touches. The album is lovely from beginning g to end. Highly recommended. 4 🌟
A good album of jazz inspired blues-pop the singing is distinctive and unusual in a pop music framework but what keeps me at arms length is that the arrangements don't grab me and I find the melodies difficult and unappealing. 3.5 🌟
An interesting album, doesn't really sound doesn't like anything else I can think of. Does their style appeal to me? No not really but I can hear the quality in the songwriting and the playing, just not a style that appeals to me.
Already my third Kinks album in this exercise. I love this album. Ray gives us such wonderful little vignettes with colourful characters and places. Many memorable songs. Love it. 5 stars
This album played a role in my pre adolescent burgeoning live for music. My older sister had their greatest hits album and I played it over and over again. Came to There's a Riot Going On much later and again every song is excellent. Not exactly overflowing with hits still the feel of the album makes it a classic. 4.5 🌟
Well this was a fun album. Folk music as it was meant to be presented, simple, unencumbered, great stories told simply and succinctly. I enjoyed this album very much. 4 🌟
Sinatra at his absolute peak. This along with Sings for Only the Lonely are ssns pareil. 5 🌟
John Cale's quiet, beautiful album. It is perhaps his most accessible album but for me lacks the magic of the other three albums of his that I am familiar with; Fear, Vintage Violence and Slow Dazzle. Admittedly I came to this album later than those others and maybe it hasn't had the time to make its way deeper into my soul but on the other hand it hasn't made me curious enough to allow it to. 3.5 🌟
Astral awesome is the gold standard of Van Morrison albums but make no mistake that Moondance is a fabulous album. It has touches of Astral Weeks jazzy feel but is much more pop music accessible. Ultimately it lacks the wow factor of AW. Still an easy 5 🌟 rating from me.
This wS a pretty underwhelming listen. Decent straight ahead rock and roll with a punk edge. Not sure why it should be on this list. I feel that the list should be reserved for albums that are either outstanding or influential and I don't think this either. 2.5 🌟
It's a quality blue-eyed soul album. Reminds me at times of Safe. It's very smooth and polished. It's just not a style that I really enjoy so despite the quality that the band exhibits I can't give it more than 3.5 stars
A new discovery for me and one that I really enjoyed. You can hear the growth that reached it's zenith with Pet Sounds, but this one has a similar feel and dare I say may be a little more accessible. 4 stars
A pretty good album,not up to the standard of the best from Eminem, A Trube Called Quest or Kanye but NY State of mind and Life's a Bitch, Halftime are great. 3.75 stars
For me this is Tom Waits the way I like to hear him, jazzy arrangements that sometimes swing and sometimes torch (what's the verb for torch?). I love the banter between songs and to start and end the album. The album is closest in style to my favorite TW album; Small Change...which has my favourite song...Step Right Up. An easy 4.5 🌟 for me.
The Hives do this sound about as well as anyone. Infectious garage punk that grabs hold and doesn't let go. Not sure about the wisdom of including what is basically a compilation album here when their regular releases repeat a number of the songs here but there's no doubting the quality of the songs included. Great stuff but loses one star because of redundancy 3 🌟
I guess if I lived inside a club I'd have this going and all would be right. But I live in a house and there's not many opportunities to enjoy this type of music. Still a very good album for what it is. 3 🌟
I'm not much of a blues rock guy, I don't usually Gosford guitar virtuosity nor for extended jams. But despite thar I found myself enjoying this album. In memory of Elizabeth Reed is especially good and seems shorter than its 13 minutes. However, Whipping Post, at 23 minutes is just too much still has some beautiful parts to it though; 4 🌟
Most definitely not my thing. Might be more tolerable if the vocals were a little less....aggressive? I think there were 2 songs that I could possibly enjoy in another context, but in this context 2.5 🌟
I've never heard this iconic album until today. I have heard, own and love In A Silent Way. Bitches Brew is very much cut from the same cloth. The atmosphere, the feel, the playing is so similar to In a Silent Way that it sounds like they were both taken from the same studio sessions. Do I like it as much? not yet. Will I? maybe. I'm tempted to give it 5 stars which is how I will rate IASW, but it's too new in my listening life so 4.5 🌟
After being introduced to The Marshall Mathers LP through this exercise. I was prepared to be similarly blown away by this album. I wasn't. Still a great album, funny sometimes even hilarious, some excellent production but not up to the standards of Marshall Mathers, it is missing the emotional depth of that album as well as the almost frightening honesty. Still a hell of an album 4 🌟
This is the album where it all came together folk with gospel with blues and it ROCKS! The title track, Mandolin Wind and Maggie May ensure its all time classic status, but the choice of covers are all spot on especially I Know I'm Losing You. 5 🌟
What an absolutely gorgeous album. I'm only discovering Can now...in the last year it so and every listen reveals something new (to me). I'm always surprised at how soulful the music. 4.5 🌟
My favorite Jam album and one of my favorite albums, period! The 3 album run of All Mod Cons, Setting Sons and Sound Affects, is as good a three album run of any band, ever. This is the album where The Jam sound and Paul Weller's song writing reached their zenith. To Be Someone, Mr. Clean, In The Crowd, "A"Bomb in Wardour Street and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight are all incredible songs that alone would make this album worthwhile, all together they make for one of the best albums of the 80s, indeed of any decade. No band ever communicated more vividly what it was like growing up British. Maybe that kept North American fans at arms length, but for me if their lyrics and themes ever became TOO British, the musical interplay is universal and these three kids were the epitome of tight. A no-brainer 5 star album from my perspective.
This album is a revelation. First some background I'm 60 years old and Hendrix was the music of my older siblings...at least Are You Experienced was, and I love that album. But I never heard anything else, other than Smash Hits and Band of Gypsys. Recently I've listened to Electric Ladyland but I haven't been able to connect with it. My conclusion; Hendrix is not for me. Today was the first time I ever listened to Axis Bold as Love and I love it. I think it's a stronger album than Are You Experienced. Where AYE has some filler in my opinion, while every song on ABL is substantial. The songwriting is very strong and shows off more variety...jazzy and funkier than AYE and Electric Ladyland it seems that the production is cleaner and you can here more interplay between the instruments. A 5 🌟 album without a doubt.
Not a bad album I'm not a big Arctic Monkey's fan but I did enjoy listening to this album, but nothing makes me want to listen to it again. 3 🌟
This is what to me is the classic Byrds album Belongs in every music lovers collection. Ringing guitars, beautiful harmonies, rich production overall and the songs....wow. The Dylan covers like the title track, Chimes of Freedom and All I Really Want To Do are beautifully rendered and the originals; I'll Feel a Whole Lit Better and Here Without You show a maturity ro their writing that would develop even more on later albums.. favourite track; The Bells of Rhymney. 5 🌟 (note my copy is a Sundazed Vinyl pressing that includes two very good bonus tracks so that's what I'm commenting on and rating.)
Some really cool tunes here. Great storytelling interesting sounds/beats. I enjoyed my listen not sure if I want or need any further listening though. 3 🌟
I liked this album a lot. Good country style rock. Reminds me of The Dead more than anything, but I would so shorter on jams and perhaps a little more rocking. 4 🌟
Not my favourite rap...I prefer something lighter with more of a jazzy esthetic. Still some quality stuff here. 3.5 🌟
Wow this album starts off really strongly Movin 'em Up. Great funky bass and drums propel the song...a really great start. Then we get bogged down in some long drawn out dance floor jams, especially; Don't Fight it Feel It, which about 4 minutes I'm hoping for an end, unfortunately that end comes only 3 minutes later. The next song Higher Than The Sun is more of the same. Inner Flight is better but then things really start cooking with Come Together and the album finishes strongly. I'm going to listen again, so it did make me WANT to see if I'm missing something in the songs I didn't like but what I did like I liked enough to almost give it a 4. 3.75 🌟
I love this period of Bowie....the Berlin period. And Low is generally regarded as the masterpiece from the Berlin period. But I actually prefer both Station to Station and Heroes. I acknowledge that Low is the more unconventional and atmospheric of the three, but I find myself wondering what the point of songs like; Art Decade and Weeping Wall. Having said that Low is one of the greatest post-punk / New wave albums of all time. Considering that it was released in 1976 three years before post-punk was invented that's something. 4 5 🌟
I was ready to give this album 5 stars. I thought like Rumours that it's mega sales meant that its quality was beyond the regular pop fare. But it turns out there are some really shifty songs on here. I listened to Thriller and after being mostly unimpressed decided to listen to Off the Wall. Off the Wall is a much better album. Thriller gets 3.5 🌟
This is a fine album. Nice easy to like songs with jazzy arrangements. Perfect background music for a dinner party with friends. 3 🌟
The first two songs are good, song 3 Barmy is great, with a a weird rhythm guitarcdriving the song. The songs of the fall are all kind of weird and quirky...kind of a post-punk / new wave Captain Beefheart. Mark E. Smith's through a megaphone style vocals are certainly an acquired taste. Not much conventional song structure here, just Smith ranting over strange rhythms. But I like it, though a full album can get daunting. 3.5 🌟
Loud and obnoxious 2 🌟
Well this was an interesting sojourn into the world acid-jazz-rap francaise. I speak some French so I could understand alot of the lyrical contente and for those who don't speak French, let me say you're not missing much. MC Solaar does not have a lot to say. Having said that I really enjoyed this album. Whether or not you understand what he's rapping about, one can easily appreciate the flow of the phrasing and especially the perfect marriage of that slow sensual lyrical flow and the sultry jazzy flourishes. The music and the singer in perfect synch, make this a satisfying listen. 3.5 🌟
Another Leonard Cohen album. 4 🌟
Music is pretty good if a little hard for my tastes. The raw guttural screaming that passes for singing is just not to my taste. I have to admit that musically there's some pretty impressive playing. 2.5
Some good old fashion greasy lues-rock in the style of classic Rolling Stones. Nothing particularly memorable to me but a lot of fun. 3.5 🌟
I love this album. Side 1 is by far the best moment of The Waterboys career. From the epic opening track to the dissonant fiddle that dominates We Will Not Be Lovers, to the beautiful accoustic turn of Strange Boat, the start of this album is as good as it gets. The band then rocks out with danceable World Party and closes side one with a gorgeous take on the Van Morrison classic Sweet Thing. Unfortunately side 2 pales in comparison (how could it not?) With the only standout track being And a Bang on the Ear. The underwhelming second half keeps this from being a 5 🌟 classic. 4.5 🌟
One of the top 3 stones albums along with Sticky Fingers and Beggars Banquet. Just not a bad song on here. I suppose one could argue that Country Honk is filler but that won't be me an easy 5 stars.
Pop vocal is just not my wheel house, so I sm most certainly NOT the one to judge this albums artistic merit. For me this album sounds generic in its pop vocal performance. Her voice is sublime there is no doubt but you better bring more to the table than a pretty voice to catch my ear. First off ballad after ballad makes for a boring listen for me. When she does open up a little like on Send My Love...it sounds like rip off of the Lorde hit from 2 years earlier. I'm not an Adele officialdom but I've never heard anything that comes any where near Rolling in the Deep. As I type Sweetest Devotion comes on and it's easily the best song on the album. Makes the album climb from a 2.5 stars to 3 🌟.
Damn Tge Saints are GOOD. Can't believe I missed them back in the day. I would say they are the most faithful to The Stooges of any band I've heard from that era. 4 🌟
So I have tried to get into The MSP at other times and have found them too bombastic, too Queen-like (I hate Queen), self-indgent, etc.. And this album started out giving me a similar impression. But halfway through, specifically with the song; The Girl Who Wanted to be God, my opinion started to turn and U actually liked every song right to the end of the album. The songs seemed to get simpler, more direct, less overblown and just plain better. 3.5 🌟
The best thing about this exercise is the great hip hop albums I've been introduced to. ICE Ts album Power was the first rap album I ever purchased back 35ish years ago. This album is wonderful. Intelligent, compelling, musically diverse and just fucking good. 4.5🌟
Really nice album. I tend to prefer the instrumental tracks where the vibraphone playing can really shine. But all the songs have a life and a real feeling of momentum that makes the irresistible. The tempos are infectious, the percussion irresistible. Just great music playing throughout. 4.5 🌟
What a fantastic album, captures the spirit and feel of classic 60s British pop (is it Mersybeat) better than any British pop album I can think of. It manages to sound both fresh and nostalgic at the same time. And every song is a winner. Of course the omnipresent There She Gies is the hilight, the song everyone knows but no one knows who sings it. I love this album for its sound, its gorgeous and utterly tasteful production but mostly for its fantastic songs. 5 🌟
I like this album...I like it a lot. To me this is to be lumped in with Arctic Monkees, The Good the Bad and the Queen, the Libertines / Babyshambles and maybe even British Sea Power and The Legends. For me this is the best of the bunch (except for BSP, The Decline of British Sea Power is an incredible album). More consistent in its accessibility than the more lauded Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand has very few missteps and when it hits it's target its a bullseye. A very enjoyable listen. 4 🌟
For me the 50s is like this; There's Buddy Holly and then there's everyone else. To me Buddy Holly is the seed from which grew all the music that is important to me. Now after hearing this Lityle Richard album there's Buddy Holly up here, then there's little Richard a notch or two below ....and thennn, there's everyone else. Good songs and one of the most chameleon like voices I've ever heard. 4.5 🌟
My favorite album from one of my all time favorite bands. Ian McCulloch has never been in better voice. The lyrics are beautifully obtuse but fun and provoking and at times achingly beautiful. Will Sargeants guitar is tasteful and never overdone, alwaysserving the song. And there are so many great songs; Silver, Seven Seas, Thorn of Crowns, Yo Yo Man, Ocean Rain, Kingdom and of course The Killing Moon. A 5 🌟 album if I've ever heard one.
Sonic Youth's most famous album and quite possibly their best. Teenage Riot is probably their best song but this album is full of classic SY songs. It's not quite a 5 star album for me as SY has some dissonant characteristics thatvI personally find difficult. 4 5 🌟
Not really for me...electronic heavy metal with lead vocals that I dislike. 1.5 🌟
Excellent album. Fuga,I might have the best rhythm section in American Punk, (Minutemen?). And they are on full display on this fabulous album. Yes, sometimes the vocals can become jarring...grating, but really only on a couple of songs. In general the songs are really really good. Highly recommended. 4 🌟
This is one of those albums on this list that makes me think ..."Really?..., I have to hear THIS album ". Sounds like some generic smooth jazz ... the kind that Starbucks used to sell, the kind that give jazz a bad name. 2 🌟
A very good album. Pop...punk...indie...grunge...shoelace a little bit of everything I this one, including some excellent songs. Reminds me of The Darling Buds album; Erotica, which would be a 5 star album for me but does make this list. Anyway this one's a 4 🌟
It's got some great songs; the title track and Jealous Guy are classics and there are a couple of other great songs (How do You Sleep, Oh My Love), but it also has some filler that keeps it from being a 5 in my opinion. 4.5 🌟
This one kind of stunned me. I was not expecting so many quality songs. Us there a genre Solomon can't do and make his own. He does a country song that is note perfect. I had to spin this one twice to begin to appreciate his incredible range. 4.5 🌟
Not his best but damn good. 4 🌟
It's got some good songs but just one hit....Help Me Rhonda. Not their best but still has some good songs worthy of attention. 3.5 🌟
What a great album, among the best of this era. 5 🌟
I was prepared to dismiss this album as aelf-indulgent over-rared shifted, but it's not. ( ok maybe We're Going Wrong is that, but...). Most of the deep cuts are pretty damn good; World of Pain, Dance The Night Away and Blue Condition which has an almost indie-rock feel are three fine songs that make up the middle section. All the songs are short so they don't wear out their welcome. I really enjoyed this albu, much more than I thought I would. 4.5 🌟
Wow. The first 3 songs are sooo good. Clever, catchy and they rock like he'll. Can't help but drop off from there but it's not like it comes to a screeching halt there's plenty of other great songs to help carry us to the end. Kathleen Hanna is an American treasure. 4.5 🌟
Another overplayed classic that I never listened, aside from the hits. This is a fine live album that I think captures the energy of a live concert. I especially liked the intense mid-tempo scorcher; Need Your Love. That song starts off a particularly strong 4 song run that winds up with that high school dance mainstay; Surrender. The album does fall prey to some mid 70s live album cliches, ie not one but two needless (thankfully short), drum solos. Despite that a pleasurable listen; 3.5 🌟
A very cool album. O e that I missed back in the day but I'm happy to discover it at this late date. It does get a little avant garde here and there but it ne er loses its pop song way. 3.75 🌟
Bit of a meh for me on this one. Nothing really grabbed in a general way on this. Most songs inoffensive a couple rise above that descriptor. 2.5 🌟
Love Sly and the Family Stone. They were my introduction to funk music so hold a special place in my heart. While this album isn't as strong as There's A Riot Going On, it actually has more hits. Its a great album that should be a part of any library that includes American funk as part of it. 4.5 🌟
It's pretty good but I do prefer my synthesizers when they are serving up some melody and some traditional song structures. Though the sounds from this album are gorgeous in spots, the music doesn't connect 2.5 stars
A much stronger album than I thought. There's four or five really first-rate songs on the two biggies plus fascination, win and Right. 4 🌟
There might be some good songs here but sheeesh they're hard to find under the bright, overwrought production. Like Brian Wilson on steroids, the studio effects just keep coming with little relief in sight. Somewhere under all the orchestral flourishes and choral singers and unnecessary sound effect is some good old fashioned rock songs....I guess. I wish someone had said to him; "Jeff, why don't you take a break?" 2.5 🌟
This is a very strong album. Most of the songs are packed with beautiful stick-in-your-head melodies and are well produced and tastefully arranged. Coldplay have a penchant for grandiose sounding songs that make them sound like they would be at home in the arena rock venues and this album definitely have them sounding like the heir apparent to the U2 throne. An impressive sophomore effort from a band that clearly has superstardom in its sights. 4.5 🌟
A fine album with one GREAT song; All the Way From Memphis and a bunch of really good ones. 3.5 🌟
A fantastic album. Along with rap, country has been my eye opening genre that I will likely explore as a result of this exercise. Each song is a small cinematic snippet replete with shady characters, beautiful vistas and plot twists. All the songs are great but the standouts for me ; Big Iron (gorgeous rhythm guitar), El Paso and The Masters call. I loved this album 5 🌟 (bonus; the songs chose by Tidal after the album was finished more great storytelling songs that enhanced my listening experience)
Quite simply a masterpiece. Each song is a cinematic journey that delivers in every way possible. I used to think that The Bends is a better album, but that simply isn't true. It might be a more exciting listen, but can't equal the drama and quality of songwriting on OK Computer. 5 🌟
Wow. Best Marley band ever. Did not think I'd write that but the songs are all sooo good...all of them. With the exception of the closing song which is still more than listenable. Marley's best, need I say more?
A pretty good album that sounds kind of derivative. The melodies are generally pretty and memorable. The arrangements a little pedestrian and the vocals are generally beautifully rendered in the same vein as Thom Yorke but without the depth. I found myself often reminded of Andrew Bird. A little too one-trick to rise above a rating of mediocre. 3 🌟
Really cool album. Lots of styles, lots of interesting studio trickery but nothing overwrought, always in service to the song and the songs are great. Great melodies, interesting lyrics and the rhythms are tight and driving. I lje his vocals toond sounds like John Cale at times. 4 🌟
First of all almost impossible to find and when it is found who knows what versin they are rating as a most listen album. Is there any other soundtrack albums on the list? I hope its not the only one. I have no idea why this is on the list of Must Hear albums. I don't hate the music though. 2 stars.
What a fantastic album. Incredibly tough and uncompromising. PJ'S absolutely drips with anger and attitude and ultimately strength and determination. Her emotional range is matched by her vocal range which never hits a wrong note. And the dynamics on this record are incredible, especially on Man Size and of course The title track which absolutely explodes when the full band kicks in. This album is not an easy listen, but once it gets its hooks in you it's impossible to set yourself free. 5 🌟
The title track basically created the rap genre for old white guys like me. The rest of the album left me cold as I waited impatiently to hear those famous words; "don't push me cuz I'm close to the edge, I'm trying not to lose my head", sung in that staccato rhythm. 4 🌟 just for that amazing song.
Kind of a bizarre al um that I am just now beginning to appreciate . Dissonant chord progressions, strange, otherworldly vocals, great drumming and cool reggae-esque rhythms that were quite unique at the time. The songs continue to grow on me with repeat listens. 3.5 🌟 with a bullet
Funky little album this is. Some really great danceable rhythms. My wife really liked this album. I liked most of it but did get annoyed at times by the syrupy tone of the sax which fell I to Kenny G territory from time to time. A fun listen that probably doesn't have any real staying power. 3 🌟
I was not expecting much, I was not expecting to like this album, but the funky groove that threads itself through most of it and the soulful almost Tricky-like vocals won me over. And the songs which often lean towards bombast are pretty good too. In that way the remind a little of Nine Inch Nails. I bet their damn good live. Finish things off with a pretty inspired version of War Pigs and what we have here is a 4 🌟 album.
My second Tim Buckley album, an artist I was unfamiliar with. Greetings from LA was a more rocking album, this one more English folk based, which is more what I expected from Buckley. I really liked Greetings and this one has its own charms. Quieter and more acoustic in nature I hear some Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention influences especially in the epic title track. Lots of great songs that I enjoyed tremendously. 4 🌟
An interesting album that doesn't hide it's love for classic popular song writing of Rogers and Hart and Gershwin. No denying the lyrics are witty and the production lush and dramatic. An impressive nostalgic document. However it's all just a little too precious to keep me interested. At times I take not of the cleverness and a really lovely melody will wander by once in a while, but just not often enough to make me want to listen again. 3.5 🌟
Great atmosphere. Not a big blues guitar fan The band cooks I like the way the music doesn't stop even between songs. The banter between songs can get a little tiresome His singing on Worry Worry is amazing. You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now...might be my favourite. A good listen just not something I would return to 3.75 stars (out of 5)
I've tried really hard to get I to Nothing Shocking. I own it on vinyl but whenever I play it there's something that keeps me disengaged. The vocals are difficult the spreading guitar solos are not my style. I appreciate some of the songs but as an album it leaves me cold. Ritual De Lo Habitual has the same elements, but I find there's a higher degree of variety in the production and the songwriting. I like it better for that which also gives me hope for Nothing Shocking. I especially like the longer songs in the second half which really allow the band to stretch out. A very good album 4 🌟
A step below Sufer Rosa and Doolittle but still a really good album. No immediately catchy songs that stay in your head even after a first listen...you know like Here Comes Your Man or where is my Mind, but there are songs that reward multiple listens. Like Velouria, Is She Weird, The Happening. All in all an excellent album for Pixies fans; 4 🌟
So when I saw this album come up as my listen for today, my initial reaction was "oh no, not another electro-dance album". From what I've gleaned from the previous albums I've heard (been assigned?), these albums tend to be pretty samey and way too long. Well this one is better than most I've heard of the genre. It's still much too long. I got through the 6th song and was thinking this is pretty good, actually, then I see that of 3 of the 4 remaining songs, the shortest is 9:26, with one of them clocking in at over 15 minutes. Well the last part of the album was as good as the early part. In general terms; interesting beats, not too monotonous and overall an enjoyable listen. 3.5 🌟 (extra points because Tidal chose as the next random song after the last had played something called "Water From A Vine Leaf" by someone called William Or it, which was quite excellent).
It's hard for me to adequately convey the impact this album had on me when it came out. I was about 18 or 19 when I first heard this album. I was just coming out if my prog rock high school days and was ready for a new sound that got my ass moving as well as my mind. I had never heard anything like this before. A rhythm section that demanded attention...that grabbed hold and would simply not let go. Stabbing guitar that was more color and mood than lead instrument. And the singing...real English accents that I found so damn charming. This album and Wire's first three were at the centre of a musical epiphany for me that 40 years later continues to shape my musical tastes. 5 🌟 (I'd give it 6 if I could)
I like jazz but not a big fan of fusion. This album has moments where rhe groove gets pretty intense, but for me thecsoloing intrudes on the song and serves no useful purpose except to show the musicianship and speed with which each player plays. 3 🌟
This us where The Who went from British Invasion stars to Arena-Rock mega stars. I like The Who but somehow never before listened to Who's Next from beginning to end. It went as I expected. It's a great album that will never usurp My Generation, Quadrophenia and The Who Sell Out as the Band's best. Too overplayed for that to ever happen. Favourite songs; Getting in Tune and Behind Blue Eyes. 4 🌟
Well was prepared tobjate this album, but I didn't. The shouting vocals are something I will never get used to but the musc; fast, full and dramatic made up for it. I did get a little bored at the last couple of songs so I would say best served in small doses. 3.5 🌟
Blue and Court and Spark are my two favorite Joni Mitchell albums. To me they're 2 sides of the same coin that is JM. Blue is of course the quieter, more sparse album, often just Jon's voice and a guitar or a piano. And what a vocal performance it is. Expressive, emotive and with a range few can match. So mature for such a young lady at the time. I also love when she does up the tempo, specifically on Carey and This Flight Tonight. Every song is an artistic expression. I really never tire of Blue. It should be a staple of every record collection 5 🌟
Wow. What an album. Captivating from beginning to end. Many familiar tunes that I had no idea were hers; Eli's Coming and Stone Soul Picnic in particular. On first listen my favorite song is the blues burner The Poverty Train. This album is an important discovery for me and I expect it to be an important addition to my regular listening. 4.5 🌟
A nearly perfect album. One great song after another. The guitar playing throughout is amazing and that includes some of the best accoustic guitar strumming anywhere. This was my introduction to Radiohead and it remains my favorite. OK Computer and Kid A are more ambitious and perhaps greater accomplishments, but for me this is where Radiohead hit their sweet spot 5 🌟
Lots of interesting tracks here kept me entertained from beginning to end. Favorite song; Come To Me. 4 🌟
With just one hit single: the brilliant I Can See For Miles, it might not be self evident why The Who Sell Out would be many fans favourite Who album. But one listen shows just how many, interesting and fully formed musical ideas that ....Sell Out, has. It's the perfect distillation of their obvious musical chops and their songwriting chops, before they became arena rock darlings. I think it's subtle and understated and totally compelling. Quadrophenia is still my fave but Sell Out continues to close the gap with each listen. 4.5 🌟
A fine album with 2 absolutely superb songs; Superstition and I Believe When I fall in Love. The rest of the album ain't half bad neither. My 2nd favorite Stevie Wonder album. 4.5 🌟
Well this album certainly has some of The Police's best and best known songs. The hits are some of the classics from the era. The early part of the album has some strangely dissonant songs that are no where of the quality of the second half particularly the song Mother which sounds like it could be from a Birthday Party album. It sounds soooo out of place on this album that I had to vheck that Tidal hadn't started a random play. The hits are impressive the rest... not so much. 4 🌟
Ok so I'm NOT a Bon Jovi fan. This album has lots of hits no denying that. My favorite song is Dead or Alive...sucker for that power ballad formula when it's done right. The real question is are any of the songs...the non-hits worthy of my attention and my answer is an empatic; no fucking way! (OK maybe album closer Wild in the streets). So what we have here is a generic hard rock album with some mega hits. 3 🌟
I forgot how great an album this is. Even the noisy, distorted bits are compelling. But the pop songs are absolutely gorgeous. Songs like I Hang Suspended, I Wish I was Skinny, Butterfly McQueen, Barney....And Me, Lazarus ate just gorgeously crafted pop songs. 5 🌟
Still my favourite Doors album, with my favourite Doors song....The End. But the rest of the album is damn good as well; Break on Through, Light My Fire, The Crystal Ship, Back Door Man. Allmusic.com calls it one of the greatest debut albums of all time and I tend to agree. 5 stars
Another enjoyable hip hop album. More smooth than others of the genre, both in the music and raps which have a warmth of subject line relationships, family etc... a nice mature soulful sound. Half way through and enjoying the generally positive message. Then comes Chi city which has what I perceive as more traditional rap theme's...life on the streets, police conflict, etc. Still a pretty smooth sound to the music. 3.75 🌟
I liked this a lot. Interesting delivery good songs and not too long. Very mysterious. 4 🌟
It's a Tom Waits album, what else can you say? You either like it or not. Well I guess I'm the exception that proves the rule because I kinda like but I'm not a fan. One TW album sounds pretty much like the rest. For me, in small doses I can find enjoyment. 3 🌟
Another great sounding hip hop record. I really had no idea how talented Kanye West is. Yes the record is too long but I hardly notice because each song real substance and stands on its own as a piece. The longer songs never wear out their welcome. A testament to his inate ability to keep things flowing and accessible. 4 🌟
Not a fan of Clapton. To my mind this is average album with 2 great songs; one, Layla I really wouldn't care if I never heard it again, the other Bell Bottom Blues, gives the album a full star for its excellence. Overall 3.5 🌟
I like this album. The atmospherics give it a Daniel Lanois vibe. His voice has a dylanesque drawl which is appealing. The songs are generally strong especially Under Pressure, Red Eyes, Burning and in Reverse. The guitar sound is also notable. It does get a little same by the end but the strong songwriting keeps it interesting. 3.75 stars.
This is a very accomplished album. Is it as good as I Should Coco, their brilliant and much lauded debut? I'm not the one to ask. You see In It for the Money is my introduction to Supergrass and as such will always hold a unique place for me. Regardless In it for the Money is a GREAT brit pop album and packs a rockers punch that other more celebrated albums of the genre never quite reach for me. Every song has their charms. I had forgotten how good an album this is. 4.5 🌟
This is a really good album, not quite as good as Either/or, but there are some really good songs. 4 🌟
Rush was part of my adolescence. 2112, A Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres, were never far from my turntable. Unfortunately once Moving Puctures arrived, Rush was part of my past. I had moved on to punk, new wave and alternative though those three mentioned still have a place in my heart if not on my turntable. So how dod I like Moving Pictures? Not very much. The songs I knew; Tom sawyer and Limelight suffered from over exposure and among the other songs nothing really grabbed me....perhaps with a few more listens....but I somehow doubt it. 3 🌟
A polished slice of 80s blue eyed soul. To me this is everything that's wrong with 80s popular music; lots of glitz and glamor with little substance. On the plus side there's some great bass playing. 2 🌟
I'm really not a modern R&B guy, I have never heard of this album or artist before. Even though this is not a genre that I like, generally I can't deny the quality and uniqueness of this album. The spoken word intros are interesting and generally delivered with a sincerity and conversational style that lends an authenticity that I found provocative. The songs are strong and intelligent. I appreciate the brevity of this album as well. 3.5 🌟
No denying his impressive talents, unfortunately his style of music just doesn't resonate with me. Little Red Corvette is a great song and there are a couple other good songs too but that's about it for me 3 🌟
My first Missy Elliott album. Not bad musically every once in a while it hits a reslly cool groove, most notably on Back in the day...definitely a cool song. Now the lyrical subject matter is generally pretty juvenile...nothing wrong with that, per se, I mean juveniles are people too. The spoken word intros get a little hard to take for sure but all in all a good listen that could work for me as background music that once in a while might push it's way too the foreground. 3.5 🌟
Never heard of this band until now. Not sure why they are not huge radio mega stars. My theory on the fly is the hype machine doesn't know how to market this kind of music unless there is an individual (ie. Bruno Mars) to focus on. Their sound is varied with all kinds of different touchstones; funk, latin pop, rock, alternative maybe even, rap, hip hop and jazz . Everything is performed with a verve and energy that is absolutely infectious. This is not typically my genre but this album will remain on my playlist. Favorite song; Love and Hope. 4 🌟
This was my first ever hip hop / rap album and still perhaps my favoeite. like most albums of this genres i wish it were 10 minutes shorter, but its got great tunes. It does sound a bit samey throughout but it still manages to keep me interested to the end. 4.5 ⭐️
...and post punk begins. John Lydon in all his irreverent, pissed off, indignant glory. And great songs to boot...Theme, Religion, Annalise, Public Image. A fine album that shows the way to the master piece to come (Metal Box). 4 🌟
Nice album. Season of the Witch is a 5 🌟 song and there are a few others that caught my ear. A few more listens and it might get to 4 but for 3.5 🌟
This album is loads of fun...just like it's most famous tune....Just a Gigolo. 4 🌟
A nice debut solo effort for Simon but not among his best nor the best of Simon and Garfunkel. but the trademark Simon 70s songwriting style is there in abundance, which is a good thing. 3.5 🌟
I liked this album. I like it more than Urban Hymns. Spacey and atmospheric, I think they pull it off really well. It starts out great, bogs down a bit in the middle but ends with a couple really strong tracks. Urban Hymns always sounded too polished and too "rock star" like. I never warmed to it which is why I never explored any other releases from their catalogue. 3.5 stars
this album has my favourite Byrds tune...My Back Pages. Love that song. A couple of other good songs here but more filler than most Byrds albums that I know. 3.5 stars
this is a fine album that I find difficult to make stick. Listened to it several times, can't seem to recall the melodies nor do I find myself curious to put it on again. i am aware of it's huge reputation and alleged importance to the Brit Pop movement so .5 additional stars for that. 3 stars
Wow this is a great album. Jazzy, funky with amazing guitar and fantastic percussion. I loved it. 4.5 🌟
Pretty damn hott this album. Dance rock at it's best. I warmed to thus one more easily than Screamadelica, which still hasn't quite done it for me. But this album makes me want to try Screamadelica another spin see what I'm missing. Anyway Vanishing Point locks into some awesome dance grooves. Very enjoyable. 4 🌟
some really good songs and some songs that didn't engage me. The good songs; Strawberry Letter 23 and Ice Cold Daydream, Sweet Thang are really good. Wish there were a few more gems. 3 stars
Another strong album from LCD. The rockers are infectious and the slower tempo numbers sound appropriately intense and emotional. As usual the influences are a plenty....Bowie, Talking Heads, Kraftwerk, Can; they're all here and many more. 4 🌟
What an incredible top 10 for me for sure. One great tune after another. And the Attractions COOK! Favorite songs; The Beat, lipstick Vogue, This Year's Girl. 5 BIG STARS
Not my favorite S & G album but it has Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade if Winter. Enuf said. 4 🌟
Not my type of music but there's no denying Dolly's songwriting chops and the arrangements are generally tasteful and melodies; timeless. 4 🌟
Mostly uninteresting and boring dance music. 2 🌟
Can is an incredible band that sound so far ahead of their time that it's mind boggling. The rhythms and cool melodies are at times accessible and at times otherworldly. The drumming on this album is virtuoso. Two of the longer songs are noise fests and unlistenable to me. This keeps this album from being 5 star entry. So for now 4 🌟
What a gorgeous mess of an album this is. I first put it on while working and every once in a while something would catch my ear and I'd think WTF was that? (and not in a good way). Next step listening in the car...louder, less distracted and my WTFs became...Hmmm isn't that interesting? Then a listen on the big rig at home and I'm all in. Does anything boring or unintelligent ever come out of these guys talented minds. Reminds me of a Hip Hop Clash Sandanista. All kinds of influences that are filtered through Andre's fertile imagination. This guy is a music lover and he's brilliant. 4.5 stars
This album starts out like an all time classic. Side 1 is non stop excellence...with some of the best power pop mixed with some stellar psychedelica. Side 2 is less successful as the songs are just not as memorable. All in all an excellent album 4 🌟
Nothing else on the album approaches the brilliance of You're Gonna Miss Me; a potent blast of guitar rock gold. The rest of the album stakes the bands claim as the FIRST psychedelic rock band with the amplified jug playing giving them a totally unique and somewhat spacey, ethereal sound. A fine album that all should hear at least if you have even a passing interest in 60s guitar rock. 4 🌟
Another fine album from the boss. Even his throwaway songs sound familiar and comfortable. Doesn't have the consistency of his 5 star albums but there's enough good songs to please most music fans. 4 🌟
Hello Bells is a great song my favourite from this band of which I'm not really a fan. But this a strong hard rock album. Some of the tunes are pretty banal; Give the Dog a Bone, Let Me Put My Love Into You...I mean really? Reminds me of Spinal Tap's Lick my Love Pump. But still a very strong album. 4 🌟
Man this one shocked me. Of course the dance floor standards are iconic blasts of energy, but the whole album is great. Rather song Savoir Faire has some of the most gorgeous guitar I've ever heard. The album emphasizes the bands incredible interplay and leaves the cheesy production flourishes that plagued so much music of this era, to a bare minimum. 4.5 🌟
I had never heard this album before and damn it's good. I did find the opening track and it's weird lyric snd over the top lead guitar solo. Also a bit of a dated 80s sounding production but on first listen the songs sound great. I look forward to listening more intently and paying attention to the lyrics I expect to be pleased. 4 🌟
This is a damn fine album and for me just behind Madman Across the Water for EJs very best. The first 4 songs are basically classics and point to the stylistic chameleon EJ can be. A prog rock opus, a tender ballad, a straight up rocker and mid tempo beauty all done with drama and grace. There are a few silly one's the rest of the way (I'm looking at you Jamaica Jerk Off). But Grey Seal and especially Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, raise the bar once again. An excellent album 4.5 🌟
This set is really hot. Love his voice and the band really cooks (pardon the pun). The atmosphere sounds incredible and his interplay with the audience natural. It's a great performance. 4 🌟
A pretty good album just not up to the standard of Paranoid or my favorite 4. But this one set the template for a slew of heavy metal bands to come. 4 🌟
This is one really excellent pop music album. Who knew? 4 🌟
Another fine collection of R.E.M. songs. Maybe the first album where Michael Stipes vocals are NOT unintelligible hilighting what a fine lyricist he is. Side 1 is particularly strong with not a weak song of the bunch, plus huge personal props for including a Wire cover (is this the first time they include a cover song?). Side 1 ends and Side 2 begins with the two hits, which are both excellent songs. After The One I Love, we get our first run of less than stellar songs in Fireplace and Lightnin' Hopkins. (It's weird and a little jarring hearing a sax in an R.E.M. song). The album ends on a particularly strong note with Odfellows Local 151. Not quite up to the standards of Murmer or Reckoning, but a damn fine album in it's own right. 4.5 🌟
The first great Beatles album full of classic songs, beautiful harmonies, memorable melodies, tight rhythms a d great playing. 5 🌟
This one was a surprise a fine amalgam of jazz, R&B, hip hop and rock. The playing is first rate especially the bass. The vocals are distinctive and excellent. A very nice discovery. 3.5 🌟
It takes serious balls for a band to start their "difficult" sophomore album with a song like Attrocity Exhibition. Challenging, jarring even ugly at points both musically and especially in subject matter. But JD if nothing else, had balls. This album is as harrowing a personal statement as any in rock and roll. I just wish it had been cathartic enough to allow Ian Curtis to fend off his personal demons...to allow us the chance to hear what would have come next. Unknown Pleasures was JDs statement of arrival and it is visceral and immediate and raw. Closer is the magnum opus for me it holds up better today. Either way both are 5 🌟 albums
I have tried and tried to get into Loveless, but the wall of sound buried melodies and mumbled vocals just don't do it for me. This album seems more of the same but it seems to have more moments where I found myself nodding my head and thinking ok yes this part does work. On a couple of occasions they dial back the distortion and feedback to where one can actually hear individual instruments. Still the overall feel is of pleasant noise instead of stirring music. 2.5 🌟
This is one heavy album. And the opener Requiem is the albums heaviest song. The album is carried by the greatness of Requiem. Requiem is the perfect distillation of classic Black Sabbath through the filter of 1980s Punk/post punk in GB. Both reminiscent of the past as well as predicting the Goth and Industrial styles to come. There are other good songs on Killing Joke, But its Requiem that makes this album a 4.5
Damn this is a good album I have always been partial to White Blood Cells but Elephant stock is on the rise. It also helps that it opens with The Strips greatest anthem....and it really is an anthem; Seven Nation Army. And there's not much let up; There's no Home For You Here, Ball and Buscuit, The Hardest Button to Button to name just three. And the slower songs too all uniformly strong. Ever time I listen to thus album my esteem for it grows. 4.5 🌟
Another gorgeous Nick Drake album, though this one's my least favorite of the three it is still a gorgeous album, beautifully arranged and performed with just the right hint of pathos. 5 🌟
I enjoyed this album very much on first listen and I feel it warrants a deep dive. Stylistically very different from my usual fare as he definitely has the voice and sensibilities of a crooner. But the arrangements grabbed even on the first listen and make me want to get to know them. 4 🌟
What a fantastic album. Johnny Cash sounds particularly motivated on this album and he really seems empathetic to the audience who of course feed off of his empathy and his energy. Johnny Cash at his absolute best 5 🌟
Green Onions is a true undisputed classic. Mo Onions is also lost as good. And there are other great renditions of classic tunes that Boomer T turn into instrumental classics ...I've Got a Woman, Twist and Shout and the album closer, Coming Home Baby make you forget that they originally had lyrics, so adept are Boomer Ts organ and Steve Broker's guitar at filling the tune with melodic goodness. 4.5 stars
It has been more than 40 years since I put this album on a turntable and set back to listen to it. When it was released it was everywhere and Do You Feel Like I Do was the anthem that defined the year it was released. Well this was a very enjoyable stroll down memory lane. The songs hold up very very well, (Helped by the fact that the vinyl copy I have is almost dead quiet and sounds awesome. Tyîcal of A & M releases back in the day. There are a couple duds....Jumping Jack Flash is totally unnecessary and uninspired but the hilights are very high and Frampton's guitar playing always tasteful...something I appreciate more now than I did then. This is a fince 70s live album that has stood the test of time. 4.5 stars
A really nice album with catchy singable songwriting, a storytellers gift for a beautiful lyric as well as production that is graceful and always in service to the song. I could see Nancy Griffith holding the same lofty position in my library as the brilliant Lucinda Williams. 3.5 🌟
An absolutely gorgeous album, perfectly paced, beautifully produced / orchestrated and songs that are so full of beautiful melodies that stay with you. I was introduced to Mercury Rev through All is Dream and I still think it is the stronger album overall but the higher high points belong to Desserters Songs. 4.5 🌟
this is a pretty good album, didn't really hear any dud songs. Good melodies, nice harmonies, beautiful playing and tastefully arranged. This would be called dream pop if it came out today and it sounds as good as Beach House and the like. 3.5 stars
This is my favourite Stooges album and by definition my favourite Iggy Pop album. It is a noisy muddled mess but it captures the band at the peak of there power. And the songs are better than on The Stooges even if the latter had the bigger "hits". Sure a couple of the songs go on too long with the dissonant noise thing...but hey it's The Stooges init? 5 stars
This album has its moments especially in the second. The first half sounds strained and sophomoric. Sounds like they just want to be a white Parliament/Funkadelic, but the funky sounds just ridiculous and the screaming guitars lack the taste of when funkadelic showed that side. After Give it Away things get better and the band seems to find their voice but by then the mold is cast. 2.5 🌟
Some good songs here. It suffers from cheesy 80s style production choices. 2.5 🌟
Ok so it's not my jam but I definitely liked it more than I expected. Probably as close to punk as metal gets. 2.5 🌟
After Funeral there was no where for Arcade Fire to go but down. Luckily they didn't fall too far. I find Neon Bible a very different sounding album; thicker, darker production that is in stark contrast to Funeral's lighter, childlike feel. Not a bad thing in and of itself. It's the songs where Neon Bible falls short. There are still some very good songs; Keep the Car Running, Ocean of Noise, Windowsill and No Cars Go to name a couple. But the heaviness of the album makes carrying that weight a chore all the way through. That's not aided by the fact that Regine's contributions are lesser in both quantity and quality. Still a good album but one I probably would not have included on this list. 3.5 stars
A beautiful album just not sure it's for me. High level songwriting, sweet melodies. Will play this more than once and see where it leads me. 3.5 🌟
A really good album, UT I'm not a huge fan either Depeche Mode nor of 80s electronic music in general. But this is a good one. 3.5 🌟
It's OK a little light-weight. 2.5 stars
This one really surprised me at just how good it is. The songs are excellent, the playing...particularly bass and drums absolutely first rate and funky as hell. Jim Kerr hasn't quite found his trademark voice, sometimes sounding like Howard DeVoto, but you definitely see the arena rock mega stardom that's to come. An excellent 80s rock album. 4.5 🌟
This is the definition of a 5 star album. One incredible song after another. I gave it short shrift because of how overplayed Stairway is .... and was during the 70s. But there is no denying the song's greatness. The other real classic is; in the same epic sense When The Levee Breaks. Just a fantastic with so many wonderful, musical twists and turns to let it sound fresh and new and interesting with every listen.
Not really a favourite of mine among Neil Young albums. Seems kind of a generic sounding rock and roll album with few memorable songs. Mansion on the Hill strikes me as one of the better tunes but besides that. 3 🌟
This electronic effects music has its moments but it's mostly strange background "music" for me...really more sounds than music. 1.5 🌟
Classic Lou Reed album, not my favourite of his, that distinction goes to Coney Island Baby which has a more relaxed and personal feel, but Transformer is the album that gave Lou his solo voice and launched his career. And of course it has classic songs like Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day and Satellite of Love which have all become classics. It does have some filler material as well which keeps it from being a 5 star album. 4.5 stars
hit after AOR hit on this album, just not music that holds any interest for me. Still can't ignore the incredible success of this album. 2.5 stars
This is a very nice album. The vocalist has a lovely child like quality that reminds me of Andrea Lewis of The Darling Buds. Songs are good, the melodies tight and the arrangements are fresh and tasteful and really well executed. Interesting to me is that the only song from the album that I recognize; Lovefool is, I think, one of the least successful on the album. A very nice album . 4 stars
Well I could have disliked this a lot more than I did. I found it different and had some elements of music I enjoy, but it was mostly loud and aggressive and relentless. Not in and of itself a bad thing but just not the type of aggressiveness that turns my crank. 2.5 stars
Oddly compelling album that's obviously ahead of it's time and massively influential on music styles that were to come; from punk and post punk to new wave to industrial to goth, the list goes on. And also dark and disturbing with uncomfortable subject matter. I can't imagine how audiences must have reacted to their legendary early New York shows. The album starts off strongly with the 1-2 punch of Ghost Rider and Rocket USA's spare rhythmic onslaught, bizarre deadpan lyric delivery and synth flourishes, one can here the seeds of industrial in general and NIN in particular. The band shows a more melodic sense on the next couple songs, but always keeping the listener on guard for the next twist. And that twist comes with a vengeance in the form of the 10 minute epic Frankie Teardrops which weaves a horrific tale of angst and murder that is truly frightening. A groundbreaking album in so many ways. 4.5 🌟
Just an amazingly good album. I only have 3 Pixies albums which just does not seem right because I still love all three. Surfer Rosa does seem to get the greater share of my listening time among the three, but this listen reminded me that Doolittle deserves much more of my attention than it's been getting. I think it is the stronger album over all. The production gives Kim Deal's bass the space it deserves moreso than on Surfer Rosa. A word about Kim who I think is The Pixies MVP. I absolutely love the tone of her bass and her playing is so clean and distinctive and underpins the Pixies sound perfectly. I've never really heard another bass player like her and Doolittle hilights this beautifully. Side one is nearly perfect and has the hits. Side 2 has the lesser known songs and may not get the love it deserves but by ending with Gouge Away it peaks at the end. An easy 5 star pick for me.
Such a lovely sweet little album, brings a slight sweet smile to my face. Not unlike a Bill Forsyth movie with sweet characters that are creatively and vividly captured within the grooves of this album. Some might say it's too light-weight where are those Kink rockers? Personally I don't miss them one but. Ray Davies has always written gorgeous melodies and lyrics and to my ear the arrangements for these songs are absolutely perfect. 5 stars.
A difficult album for me to assess. Its songs are almost completely lacking in melody in the conventional sense. Her singing while gorgeous is unique and again does not follow conventional song structure rules. Hidden Place has moments of beauty especially the choral voices towards the end. Cocoon an incredible breathy vocal performance with spare arrangement that does not resonate with me. It's Not up to You, starts out with typically unconventional phrasing over some lush strings and electronic flourishes. The chorus has a more conventional pop song feel that helps me to connect with the song. Undo is similar with overdubbed voices and some gorgeous choral arrangements. Again little in the way of conventional song structures, but moments of beauty. Pagan Poetry, the highlight of the album for me and its centerpiece. It's mystical eastern sounds go beautifully with another tour de force vocal performance. But by the time we get Aurora I find myself wishing for some tempo variations. And that's how this album leaves me...feeling of promise unfulfilled, wanting more. 3 🌟
Not my cup of tea. Don't like the vocals...actually, REALLY don't like the vocals. Don't like the crunchy guitar sound and overall production. Don't like the rap / rock hybrid style. Also find it curious that the "hit" In the End really sounds nothing like the rest of the album, vocals toned down, production toned down, find it kind of disingenuous. 1 star
Psychocandy announces itself with a bang with Just like Honey a psychedelic pop masterpiece. And there is some, but just a little, fall off from their. These guys turn up the distortion from time to time, but never such that the melody lines are lost. The more you listen the more get lost in their psychedelic jungle. This band and album countless trends to come; shoegaze and brit pop to name but two. Other highlights; Never Understand with its driving beat and distorted noisy guitars, The Hardest Walk harkening back to the best of the 60s pop and I just love the feel of Cut Dead. Great stuff. 4.5 stars
An unremarkable electronic dance album with one remarkable electronic dance song. 3 🌟
Not much for me here. First song was okl...had a bit of a Jane's Addiction feel. After a 2nd song that did nothing for me, 3rd song ok again as a matter of fact the next couple songs were not bad but after that it became increasingly difficult to listen to this album. Vocals too hard and aggressive as was the music. Much of the rest borderline unlistenable. 2.5 🌟
This was a huge album for my 14 year old self. Probably hadn't put it on the turntable in 40 years. Well I've been missing out. BBB stands up today and remains a great album. What shocked was the variety of styles and the ease with which they pull them off. Great playing, excellent production and great songs! Of the hits No More Mr. Nice Guy is stellar but the title track, Hello Hooray and Elected are not far behind. And for a deep album cut, you won't find better than Generation Landslide. A stellar hard rock album that has aged very well 4.5 🌟
An amazingly good album. The simple, memorable, absolutely gorgeous melodies. The sweet, soulful vocals, the poetic lyrics, the perfect tasteful arrangements. Every song is a winner. A beautiful 5 🌟 album.
A compelling and endlessly interesting. On first listen you can get bogged down in the noise and dissonance, but every song has an interesting melodic line that shines through on subsequent listen. The noise is always there to keep things tense and never allow you te get overly comfortable because you never know when the beautiful will give way to to the sinister. It took me a few listens to appreciate the tension and release of the music on this album, but now I'm all in. 4.5 stars
Opinion 80s album and the album that brought the music of Soweto to the masses. A cynical attempt to cash in on South African political unrest or an earnest attempt to help these great musicians to North American ears. Whatever the motivation Simon absolutely hit his stride on this masterpiece. His best most consistent album. Every song is a success, whether straight ahead pop; You can call me Al. Or beautifully South African harmonies; Homeless and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, or even a credible stab at zydeco; Crazy Love. There's just not a note put wrong or a rhythm not perfectly timed. 5 🌟
Nina Simone is a fascinating artist and this is a fascinating album. The album has the seeds if Simone's political activism which would flower later in her career. With Four Women being the obvious example. But the album also has pretty effective blues songs that show off her powerful voice and unique delivery. A compelling listen that is a good cross section of styles. 4 stars
I have a bit of a mental block with this band and it begins and ends with Kevin Rowlands unique vocal style. The other problem is I keep hoping they will reach the heights that they reached for me that they did on the very first song I ever heard from them. I heard Burn it Down, the first song off their first album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. That song just blew me away on first listen and they have never come close to matching that feeling for me that I had found the perfect marriage of punk attitude and soul arrangements. And then there<s his voice; unique and interesting on first blush but over the length of an album it becomes cloying and annoying. Now this album; well Come on Eileen is a great song and there are other good tunes here too but the vocal style starts grating early on and I have little interest in investing the time to try to appreciate the album as a whole. 2.5 stars
I couldn't make it through 33 minute album. Very loud, very noisy, mostly incomprehensible singing. Turbocharged drumming. 1 🌟
A very lovely album. Beautifully arranged in the country rock tradition. Lovely melodies and just some lovely music. 4 🌟
This is a fine album. The vocals generally sound flat but the dynamics are truly impressive. I also like the arrangements which have a nice mix of real instruments and electronic sounds and percussion. The soft loud dynamic shifts are very impressive. And the songs are much more compelling than I thought they'd be. I'm not really a fan of industrial music, but the Downward Spiral house a nice balance between industrial stylings as well as a melodic foundation that I find pleasing. 4 🌟
An absolutely gorgeous album, capturing Nick Cave at his poetic, melodic best. Into My Arms is my favourite Nick Cave song and one of the best piano ballads in music history. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. And there are many strong, gorgeous song on this masterpiece. 5 🌟
Steely Dan is a band I struggle with. Maybe it's that they sound too polished, I'm not sure but this album has some history for me and the first four songs are all excellent. There's some filler after that but once the title track hits the album takes off again. All in all a fine album, maybe Ads best. 4 stars
This one surprised me. Way more melodic than I expected less reliance on shredding guitar solos and more on song structure. There's even a piano balad (Changes). All-in-all listenable album. 4.5 🌟
I think I understand the historical significance of The Band in rock music. And their importance given their connection with Bob Dylan. I've heard the quotes from rock music "A" listers about what The Band means to them. Plus I'm Canadian so I gotta be proud, right? And I am. But....this album leaves me cold, I much prefer Misic From Big Pink but even that one doesn't make me swoon. All in all it's mostly uninteresting music...3 🌟
I was expecting, from previous experience with this album to hate it. I thought of it as a beautiful sounding album of boring basically elevator music. I still don't like Black Cow but the rest of the album is better than I remembered (maybe Black Cow colored my overall impression), and Peg especially is a great song. And then there's the sound, even my old scratched vinyl couldn't obscure the impressive sound engineering and perfectly balanced production. Very impressive. 3.75 🌟
A really nice album of Americana folk songs. 3.5 🌟
I have one album by The Charlatans. It's called US and US Only, I think it was the release immediately after Tellin Stories which I guess is their moat critically acclaimed album. What listening to Tellin Stories tells me is that I don't really need any other Charlatans albums. Nothing wrong with Tellin Stories it has some fine songs...but nothing anywhere near as strong as Forever from US and US Only. I much prefer US and US Only. 3.5 🌟
Has there ever been a stronger collection of songs on a debut album....a truly remarkable effort. 5 🌟
OK, I like Nick Cave but I had never heard The Birthday Party previously. I listened a couple times through this album, the first listen was difficult. I'm listening a third time right now and things are improving. The music seems more accessible if not quite inviting. The lyrics where discernable are provocative as expected from Nick Cave. The arrangements are still very difficult as is the screaming vocal style. Some songs will never be anything I can listen to and enjoy. 2.5 stars
Never heard this entire album until it came up here. I of course know the two stone cold classics and I think that they are both absolutely superb songs. Somebody to love is a Grace Slick singing tour de force and White Rabbit is a simply amazing song. So I thought I'd take a close look at each of the other songs and reflect on the impression they leave and base my rating on them. 1. She Has Funny Cars; this song did nothing for me. 3. My Best Friend; this one I like a lovely ballad with some really beautiful harmonies as Grace takes a backup role and does so expertly. 4. 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds; a nice song again with really nice harmonies and some really nice guitars. 5. How Do You Feel; I like this one too. Starts with a nice flute, some great acoustic guitar and more beautiful harmonies. 7. Plastic Fantastic Lover; I know this song, perhaps a lesser known single. Not the tour de force of the 2 better known songs, but a very good song. Beautiful guitar parts both acoustic and electric lead, makes for another very strong song. 8. Go to Her; The final song ending the album on an upbeat note, unfortunately this one ends the album on a similar note as it begun with a somewhat unremarkable song. So here we have it an 8 song album, 6 of which are excellent and two somewhat unremarkable. The good far out weighs the bad and I would rate the album as a whole at 5 🌟
Wow what an amazing album. The title track is a true de force of infectious African poly rhythms and jazz melodies. An amazing song. The rest of tgealbum; more of the same. Reminds me of the revelation of my first listen to Miles' In A Silent Way 5 🌟
WTF, I liked this album and I am not a heavy metal guy. But this album had some subtlety. This album had some intelligence. The vocals are ok, not objectionable. The guitars definitely shred but they don't sound over the top, they don't go on too long and the don't sound pretentious. Yup I liked this album, really never thought that would happen. Now if they can just do something about those God awful covers. 3.75 🌟
My favourite Nick Cave album. Gorgeous song after gorgeous song. Beautiful melodies, tastefully simple near perfect arrangements including backing vocals. And of course Nick Cave's beautiful lyrics. 5 🌟
This one's a tad over-rated. To me more and more filler starts to appear on this album. I guess they might call songs like Lovely Rita and When I'm 64 whimsical, I call them filler. There are some very good songs, but not enough to hold my interest through the whole album. Give me Revolver or Rubber Soul anytime. 4 🌟
Passable southern boogie rock. Not my cup of tea. 2.5 🌟
My favourite Springsteen album. Not a bad song on it and it rocks like a motorcycle. I think of Darkness as Bruce's punk album. 5 🌟
Pretty cool, ahead of it's time stuff here. Most of it I really liked. 4 🌟
A pretty fun rock and roll album if somewhat unremarkable. No doubt there are some very good songs and performances and it makes for an enjoyable listen from start to finish. 3.5 🌟
retty generic sounding R&B dance album in the mold of Michael Jackson. It does have some soft jazz elements that give it a Sade vibe as well. The recording and mixing is outstanding, and who is the bass player. Brilliantly played and beautifully mastered. 2.5 🌟
An interesting album in which Buffalo Springfield explore some different genres. The different styles keeps things kind of interesting. Though I never really liked the guitar sound of Mr. Soul, the album really picks up with the jazzy feel of Everydays. Learning to Fly is is a quite beautiful baroque pop song. And Bluebird has some gorgeous accoustic guitar. That ends with some very nice banjo. More baroque sounds with Sad Memory, this one not quite as successful. Things take another turn with a soulful Good Time Boy which could easily be mistaken for a Four Tops song. Sort of doesnt really belong to my ears however I do like it. The album finishes strong with two very good folk pop songs; Rock and Roll Woman and the beautiful Broken Arrow. All in all a fine album that doesn't quite rise to classic status for me. 4 🌟
I have enormous respect for Joni Mitchell, I just don't enjoy her music that much. The uptempo numbers on Court and Spark are uniformly excellent; Free Man in Paris, Help Me, Raised on Robbery, even the beatnick vibe of twisted is great, it's when she slows things down that she becomes hit or miss for me...and more miss than hit. 3.5 🌟
Passable late 80s pop. Love tge song Freedom '90. 3 🌟
Wyite simply perfect. 5 🌟
A rockin' party album. The Cramps best, I think, with classics like Garbage man, Strychnin and of course their classi rendition of Fever. My affection for this album is romanticized because I was lucky enough to see them and was mesmorized by Lux Interior as well as Poison Ivy. Top 5 shows I ever saw. 4 🌟
I'm there is some very humorous and interesting raps on this generally decent sounding recording. Musically it's just not interesting enough to grab my attention enough for me to put the effort into finding out, unlike a group like A Tribe Called Quest. 3 🌟
I was surprised how little I liked this album. Don't think he found his voice yet. 2 🌟
Pretty good all over the map stylistically. I wish he'd find his sound and stick to it. 2.5 🌟
4 pretty damn fine songs, classics perhaps of the 7 songs on this album. 4 🌟
4 good songs one of which is way over-rated (Riders). Much of it is pretty pedestrian blues-rock. 3 🌟
Never heard any Tim Buckley before and I liked this a lot. Great upbeat songs with a great great band laying down the foundation for Tim's amazing voice; powerful, emotive, versatile. A really good album that will stay in rotation. 4 🌟
Personally one of the most important albums in my musical development. When I heard this album in 1980 I had never heard anything quite like it...and to this day never heard anything quite like it. In that way it is similar to Gang of Four's Entertainment; they are both of their time but also timeless. Great song after great song on this album whether it's the crunching guitar of the opener Reuters, to the 28 second assault of Field Day for the Sundays or the beautiful melodies of Mannequin and Fragile to the anthemic punk of Ex Lion Tamer to the grunge sounding Strange...this album bever fails to impress and delight. An easy 5 star album that 40 years later still gets regular play in my listening room. As an aside it is a travesty that either Chairs Missing or 154, the 2nd and 3rd Wire albums, didn't make this list.
A classic album with the classic roxy Music sound. Bryan Ferry's voice is an acquired taste but there is no denying the stellar song writing on this album. 4 stars
A classic album that I find a bit overrated. It starts off incredibly with poly-rhythmic masterpieces. Side 1 is a wild ride and it only gets better with Once in a Lifetime, an absolute classic sluce of 80s goidness that remains fresh today, kicking off side 2. Then things take a turn towards the atmospheric, droney and dare I say monotonous. The one song that does stand out is Seen and not Seen, but the other three I find eminently forgettable. All that makes for a 4 🌟 album in my opinion.
A fun and generally very good album. Not as strong as Buddy Holly and the Chirping Crickets which has fewer ballads and country songs but Elvis' voice is quite remarkable even on the songs that I don't like...the country flavoured tunes. Not quite 5 but 4.5 stars.
This isn't just one of the great funk albums ever but it is also one of the greatest GUITAR albums of all time. The playing is absolutely sublime as well as tasteful. What an album. I can't understand why it is so difficult to find on streaming services. 5 stars
This is a fine debut album from some very fine musicians. The sound is sooo smooth and natural, the guitar tone sweet and clean clean clean. But its the mature songwriting that really makes it a classic album one that sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released. One nit I could pick is the strange production choice of mixing Knopflers voice almost hard left channel and the guitar in the right channel, almost like a Rudy Van Gelder jazz mix. It softens the approach a bit on Sultans of Swing but it does strike me as a weird production choice. Favorite songs; Down to the Waterline, Water of Love, Sultans of Swing and Wild West End. 4.5 stars
Avery interesting album that quickly draws you in with its relaxed folk vibe, interesting arrangements and excellent, idiosyncratic vocals. Then you read the back story, discover that Skip produced and played every sound on the album and it becames apparent that this is the work of a singular talent. I'm on my second listen and I anticipate many more in the coming months. 4 stars.
A fine pop-rock album from a talented singer/songwriter that paid her dues. However nothing here makes me believe I'll listen more than this one time. 3 stars
An all-time classic. Every song, with the possible exception of Stay Away, is first rate. A singular achievement that both defines and transcends "Grunge" 5 stars
This album is a blast. Locks into a steady groove with the opening track and just rides that groove through every song. Just put it on and let it seep into your sub concsiousness. 4.5 stars
This is a fine album. Papa Was A Rolling Stone makes it an all-time classic. What a song! What a performance. The rest of the album has some very good performances; Love Woke Me Up This Morning and Mother Nature to name two. 4.5 stars
I Love this album. So cool, so innocent, so straight ahead. To me it ranks with The Violent Femmes debut album as the one that best captures teenage life. Modern Lovers focusing more on teenage simplicity, Violent Femmes more on teenage angst. It helps that Jonathan Richman and Gordon Gano both have idiosyncratic (some might say; annoying) voices that I love. Any album is chock full of classics; Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Pablo Picasso and the fantastic I'm Straight. As well as other minor classics like Girlfriend, Dignified and Old, She Cracked. Just a classic album that laid the blueprint that was later followed by indie rock bands like Guided By Voices, Magnetic Fields, Pavement and the afore mentioned Violent Femmes. 5 stars
starts out with quite possibly my favourite Bowie song...Five Years, and just doesn't let up. Great song after great song. Then it ends with three epic songs in Ziggy Stardust, Sufragette City and Rock and Roll Suicide. A nearly perfect album. 5 stars
An awesome album and XTCs best in my book...and that's saying something. This album is legendary for the acrimony between band and producer, Todd Rundgren. Apparently Andy Partridge and Rundgren were at each other's throats throughout the sessions. I don't know what the source(s) of the conflict were, but if music this inspired is the result then it was well worth every hurt feeling and acrimonious gesture. This is the album where XTC picked up the gauntlet of best British Psychedelic Pop band since the Beatles threw it down oh so many years ago. And I feel like Rundgren plays no small part. Favourite songs; Grass, Supergirl, Ballet for a Rainy Day, the jazzy The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, the brilliant Dear God (which was not included on the original release and frankly seems a little out of place with the albums theme) and Sacrificial Bonfires. But really pointing out individual songs defeats the point of this album as every song is a little pop gem that deserves rapt attention. No brainer 5 stars.
A fine adult contemporary pop album that is elevated for me by the harder rocking and excellent Rolling in the Deep. The rest of the songs serve as vehicles for Adele's excellent voice and spot on pop sensibilities. 3.5 🌟
....and a legend is born! This is where Rush went from a plucky Canadian hard rock power trio to Arena rock stars. Not quite mega-stars yet, that wouldn't come until Moving Pictures started the ball rolling. This is where Neil Peart entered the discussions of Best Drummer on the Planet, and you get the feeling that this is Neil's album and this is no where more in evidence then on the opening track, the 20 minute opus 2112. Complete with over the top lyrical themes of space and futuristic totalitarian society, drum fills that could power a small city and a drum kit big enough to block ou the sun. All of this to the delight of arena-going 15 year old rock fans the world over. I loved this album and the concert that accompanied its release but now I find it cliched and somewhat rediculous, I actualy prefer Rush's debut album to 2112 now. Am I a Rush fan? That phase died out when I finished high school but do I respect them for being Rock mega stars without an ounce of pretension in any of them? Absolutely! So for an album that I don't really like but which launched an career that is worth celebrating...3 stars
Boring beautifully recorded elevator music. 1.5 🌟
And here's the album where the Alice Copper Band goes all show tuney, showing off their jazz chops believe it or not...and believe it or not they damn well pull it off. The album starts off conventionally enough with a couple of straight ahead rockers; with the all-time classic School's Out and then Luney Tune, which is a great tune as well than things get a little sideways as Gutter Cat Vs The Jets is a West Side Story tribute and a pretty good one at that. Then Blue Turk continues the jazzy theme and it sounds freaking awesome; great guitar work, some nice keyboards and some very tasty horns. My Stars sounds like it could have been a The Who outtake from Quadrophenia and Public Animal #9 is a bluesy number that swings like hell with a stonesy feel. And the album closes with a lovely nastalgia laced ballad number in Alma Mater and Grande Finale brings back the West Side Story, big band feel. I had this album as a young teenager but it must not have impessed me then as I remeber little of it apart from Scool's Out and perhaps Luney Tune. Well it impressed me on this listen and I think I'm going slot it into my current playlist. 4 stars
This is a hulluva good electro dance/pop album. Every song has something to offer. One of the best pop albums of the 80s / new wave era. The only negative I can say is it may one song too long. 4.5 stars
Well I quite enjoyed that. Intelligent and intelligible raps that are generally NOT shouted at you. The understated raps are accompanied by further understated instrumentation that sound like REAL instruments. Generally pretty stripped down to a drum beat, again sounding like REAL drums, a nice bass line and subtle washes of keyboard or guitar or horns. The feel is more jazz that hip hop I would say and the spare arrangements sometimes put me in mind of beat poetry. And best of all 14 tracks clocking in at just over 48 minutes with only three songs at over 4 minutes, this album and the individual songs do not over stay their welcome as most rap albums I've heard do. I'm really tempted to give it 5 stars but it does suffer a bit from a samey ness. I really liked it though and would search out rap that is similar in style. I'm definitely going to listen to they're other albums. If anyone reads this and knows other similar bands, hit me up. exliontamer1977@gmail.com. 4.5 stars
I'm 60 years old and somehow today was the first time I ever listened to The White Album. Of course I know almost all the songs but I don't think I knew that they were on The White Album. It has always been between Rubber Soul and Revolver as to which one is the best Beatles album. Sgt. Pepper just had too many novelty songs and Abbey Road though has great songs is not as consistently strong as either Rubber Soul or Revolver. Well The White Album is now, in my opinion, the greatest Beatles album. So many incredible songs some of them not so well known so actually still sounding fresh. I feel lucky to only be hearing this album now because I'm going to be listening to it over the coming weeks as if it is a new discovery. Looks like I have a contender as well for the crown of greatest double album of all time along with London Calling of course. 5 stars
Another strong effort from the Kinks. They were such a consistently interesting band. From '65 through 71 one could argue that no band had as consistently strong albums as The Kinks. No really big hits on this particular album but the song cycle and the strength of songs like Victoria, Some Mother's Son, Drivin', Shangri-La, Brainwashed etc... make this a concept album that never sounds overwrought. 4.5 stars
Pretty generic sounding 80s new wave with a strong dance groove thanks to a really strong rhythm section. Hungry Like a Wolf never really did it for me but I have to admit that there are some pretty good songs on this album, which unlike a lot of other albums of this era does not sound like it is stuck in its time and place. 3.5 stars
A little heavier in the guitar than I normally listen to but the album does have good dynamic swings that aleviate some of the really heavy aspects that don't generally appeal to me. The drumming on this album is absolutely incredible and drives the music with incredible energy. Generally the songs are very good. I enjoyed this album much more than I expected to. It has elements that i find difficult; heavy metal style guitars, high pitched vocals, but somehow the whole works for me. 4 stars
Not a bad synth pop / dance album that has as its main theme sexuality and the sex trade. Tainted Love is the Big Hit but I quite enjoyed other songs such as Sex Dwarf, Seedy Films, Youth and Bedsitter. The sound is a little "stuck in the '80s" but not is a terrible way. 3 stars
Apparently this is a very influential and important electronic dance album. 2 🌟
I quite enjoyed this album. Some fine songs on here that make good use of the female singer's sultry voice. The mood throughout is dark and emotive with nice washes of synthesizers, simple but effective guitars and a tight rhythm section. Favorite songs on first listen; VCR, Crystalized, Shelter and Night Time. It does bog down a little in the second half and I do find myself hoping for something a little up tempo ...Night Time does somewhat fit that bill and Stars helps things end on a relatively high note. All in all a good album that I can't give a full 4 because of the lull in the middle. 3.5 stars
One of my favorite Bowie albums. On this one he stretches out and the arrangements get a decidedly jazzy feel on a few songs; especially the title track which features some excellent piano work from Mike Garson. There are still some quality rockers here like Watch That Man and Gene Jeanie as well as the great mid-tempo rocker, one of my favorite Bowie songs of all-time; Panic in Detroit. Other hilights; Cracked Actor as well as an excellent take on The Stones Let's Spend the Night Together. 4 stars
I enjoed it. 3 stars
Some freat songs on here hilighted by the opener; Suite Judy Blue Eyes. But lots of others too. Marakesh Express, You Don't Have to Cry, Wooden Ships and Long Time Gone. The star of this album are of course the wonderful vocal harmonies as well as the idividual voices of all three members. Great album. 4.5 stars
Wow what an album, what a session, what a band; Stanley Turrentine on sax, Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on Drums. Turrentine is the star of this session and the songs that he lets loose on are absolutely great. Didn't realize I was such a fan of the organ. Really pleasant discovery. 5 stars
Awesome album...crazy energy from start to finish. It would have been a treat to see these guys live in the day. Starts off with a bang with One Chord Wonders and it just never lets up. Gary Gilmor's Eyes - classic. New Church - unrelenting. 4.5 stars
A beautiful and honest album that sounds fantastic. Great songs with great arrangements and Joan's sultry vocal adding some earthyness that gives each song a nice warm quality. I do have to mention the production and the sound quality of my vinyl copy. Deep dynamic and tastefully arranged the production helps to bring out the best in each song. A & M pressings rarely disappoint in this department. 4.5 stars for over all quality.
The best part of this, program, for lack of a better word is that it reminds us all to revisit favorite albums that were important during a certain time and in a certain place. This is just such an album. for me And what a great album. The Pogues best in my opinion. All great songs that allow the memories to come flooding back, (Streets of Sorrow / The Birmingham 6, literally brought me to tears). And other songs, like Turkish Song of the Damned, Bottle of Smoke, If I Should Fall From Grace and of course the iconic Christmas tale of wretched characters that is Fairytale of New York, simply one of the greatest songs ever written. So yes this is an easy 5 star album for me, but I am admittedly biased. As an aside it led me to play other forgotten and underrated Pogues albums like the way underpreciated Peace and Love, I encorage you to check it out if you are new to The Pogues and enjoyed If I Should Fall From Grace (but only after Rum Sodomy and the Lash)
For some reason, though '80s alternative / post-punk is my favourite musical genre, this is the only The Fall album that I own and I got it in the 2000s., and I've barely listened to it. Don't know why The Fall flew beneath my radar, but it has. As for this album it is musically quite appealing especially the first 3 songs, but all throughout I find it likeable and accessible. Themeatically I can't assess it yet as this would take a few more listens, but the fact that it appeals to me in overall sound means the likelyhood that I will listen more is a good thing. For now I will give it a strong 3 stars with potential for a higher rating after more time.
I'm not a hardcore guy but this album has just enough melody to keep me returning to it and lots of classic songs...Kill the Poor, Holiday in Cambodia, Let's Lynch the Landlord it's a landmark allbum of the genre. 4 stars
I enjoyed every minute of this album. Split between jazzy big band arrangements for most of the quicker tempo songs and orchestral arrangements for the ballads the album swings effortlessly from one to the other. Underpinning it all is Charles' soulful singing that elevates each song and makes these country classics his own. It's not my go to genre especially the string arranged compositions, but tht did not get in the way of my enjoyment of the album. An album that should be heard by anyone that loves music. 5 stars.
I enjoyed listening to this album. Although the sound is full with all the variety of vocal sounds that fill the soundstage, a full album of acapella (choral?) music is too much for me. I'm glad I heard this album, but once is probably enough for me. 3 stars
Wow. Really enjoyed this album. Great playing, hyper literare lyrics that imopress even on first listen. Lots of lyrical turns that jump out. Lloyd is a gifted story teller and his characters are really well drawn. But the songs are the thing and they are all gems. 4 stars
Wow! Miriam Makeba posses the voice of an angel. Some lovely jazz-tinged songs here; some in English, many in what I assume is her native tongue. Standouts for me Mbube, The Click Song and a a lovely rendition of House of the Rising Son. Very happy to have discovered this album. 3.5 stars
I think I prefer it over all over Common People but it is still overly dramatic and comes off as pretentious. 2.5 stars
I just don't get MBV...so sue me. I do prefer this to the utterly tuneless Loveless. At least there is some semblance of melody somewhere and you can sometimes something other than the bizarre guitar effects. 2.5 stars
I am far from an Elvis Presley expert but this probably has some of my favourite Elvis Pressley standards....In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, (though the Allmusic reviewed version does not include this cut so not sure that I should consider it), Gentle on My Mind (not really familiar with Elvis' rendition but he absolutely kills it!). Plus there are some others that I had not heard previously that are great as well (Wearin' That Loved On Look, It Keeps Right on Hurtin', Only The Strong Survive, I'm Movin' On and others). Throughout the plaing, production, back-up vocals and production are quite simply outstanding. Even if I don't include the stellar Suspicious Minds This is still a no-brainer 5 star album.
Not my favourite Replacements album, but still damn good. It is a little too heavy at points. Is this The Replacements heavy metal album? Though nothing as classic as Left of the Dial still some classic tracks here; Waitress in the Sky, Unsatisfied, I Willl Dare, Androgonous, Answering machine. 4.5 stars
One of the great debuts of all time. Chrissie Hyndesexy swagger is captivating but it's not only that the music is mature and confident in a way debuts just aren't supposed to be. They seemlessly move from Punk to new wave to ballads with the skill of a veteran group. Their rendition of The Kinks Stop Your Sobbing is simply perfect. This truly is an album everyone needs to hear. 5 stars
Good adult contemporary album. The playing is uniformly excellent. The production is excellent; clean, clear, balanced. The songs are OK, the highlight for me is The John Hiatt cover. Not my type of album but the quality is hard to deny. 3 stars
The best part of doing this is dicovering artists from my younger days that I woud never have given a chance then are actually worthy of my time. This is just such an example. Some great, funky soul here along with some seeds of trip hop. I am reminded often of Massive Attack (is the female singer the same as on Safe From Harm or other MA classics?) A really enjoyable listen this album was. I was only familiar with one song but found the whole album quite engaging. 4 stars
One of my favourite Pogues album. ùmsybe the most traditonal Irish-folk album hey ever made. But the punk attitude is there in spades. Some incredible performances on this album. Dirty Old Town, I'm A Man You Don't Meet Everyday , Pair of Brown Eyes and the hilight is a gut-wrenching rendition of The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. A beautiful album and one of the 80s best. 4.5 stars
Arguably The Kinks best album. This is the album where The Kinks could now be considered on a par with The Beatles. Each song is a little gem that paints a portrait as vivid and palpable as any band ever managed. This was The Kinks magic and when done well like on this album well there was very little on this level. 5 stars
Interesting final effort from Sir David. Mysterious, captivating and very poignant given his terminal illnes at the time. A very fitting and beautiful farewell. 4 stars
Easch song (or should I sa piece) has something that I like, but in the end a little too abstract in approach and execution for my tastes. 2.5 stars
Great nouveau punk album. 4 stars
This is my second Zappa album of my last three. I did not like much of Hot Rats, but Freak Out I did enjoy. It has some actual melodies and pop song structures. I especially like the doo wop elements in a few of the songs. 3.5 stars
Yeah I really like this album the beginning with three great songs in a row (if you exclude the between song songs, if you will); Gasoline Dreams, So Fesh So Clean and Ms. Jackson get thi gs started with a bang and there's little let up afterwards. A fantastic hip hop album. 4.5 stars
loud, distorted, irreverent and brilliant. Is it 5 stars not quite. The 10 minute dirge We Will Fall keeps it from the highest level, not because its not good; it is quite good and interesting, but damn it is too long. I wanna Be Your Dog almost single-hadedly brings it to a 5 but ultimately can't quite do it. 4.5 stars.
I have surprised by the fact that I have enjoyed a lot of the rap albums on the list, sadly this is not one of them. I do need some semblance of musicality in my music some melody perhaps. This album is more rapping over nonsense noises. I can't derive any listening pleasure and so the rapping no matter how honest or funny or poignant or righteously indignant can't make it through to me because the music has no redeeming qualities. 2.5 stars
NotNot really my cup of tea but I did enjoy a couple of the songs. really my cup of tea but I did enjoy a couple of the songs.
Now this is a swan song. Some of S & Gs finest songs are on this album. The gorgeous title track, The Boxer, El Condor Pasa, Cecilia, Baby Driver; thre is just no let up in quality of songwriting and arrangements. 5 stars
A pretty cool debut album that must have been pretty unique in rock music at the time with generous use of horn charts , the fusion of pop and jazz (big band) and first class musicianshio. Lots of great songs. I do find the double album a little long especially with some of the drawn out instrumental breaks, specfically the guitar freak outs on Liberation and the aptly titled Free Form Guitar. At its best; Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is, Beginnings and especially The cover of The Spencer Davis Group's I'm AM Man, the bands songs and playing are really quite remarkable. Ultimately their reach excedes their grasp but still a stunning debut. 4 stars
Pretty nice adult contemporary pop album. 3 stars
Listened to it a few times. Never really captured my full attention. Never compelled to skip a song but no song really stands out as excellent and worthy of repeat listens, (maybe The Garden of Eartly Delights). 3 stars
This is a great album, deftly balancing differing styles of pop music, from Country - rock to contemporary pop to americana to indie-style rock to straight-up rock all with a deftness, subtlty and skill that would make you wonder if they are one of the best bands at each of the above genres. It doesn't have as many straight ahead rockers or classic songs as its predecesser; Rumours but it is full of really great lesser known tunes. In fact this is the rare double album with almost no filler. After spending the time to get to know it I feel like its among the great double albums of all time, up there with London Calling, Exile on Maine Street and The Beatles. Bravo! 5 stars
I really like Belle & Sebastien...The Boy With th Arab Strap, If You're Feeling Sinister, Dear Catastrophe Waitress all 4 star albums in my book. But somehow I never heard this album, I certainly knew of it but never heard it before today. It is on a par with the other three albums. Very upbeat, as is typical superbly arranged and beautiful whispy vocals that draw you into the complex yet accessible melodies. A beautiful album 4.5 stars
Very nice folk rock album...quietly powerful. 3.5 stars
Iggy's best. 2 great classic songs with a few minor classics thrown in. 4.5 stars
I really wanted to like this album but nothing stood out for me, the way a song like This is The Day does. I was shocked to read that this is his best selling album and that Heartland is his best selling single...it's a good song but doesn't come close to TITD. I did really enjoy the 2nd tune; Out of the Blue (Into the Fire). 2.5 stars
The first Jazz album I ever bought, or was it Elegant Gypsy by Al Dimeola, get quite be certain. Birdland is a great song but the rest just aren't for me, not 45 years ago and not now. The closer; Havana gets a bit closer but al in all bot my cup of tea...but Birdland does elevate it to 4 stars
1st listen; Well this is weird and of little musical enjoyment. Has Fiona Apple become Tom Waits? (in a bad way) - 1 star. 2nd listen; Hmmm there are some interesting ideas here. Not really rock music, not sure how to classify it ecxactly which always make things difficult. Has Fiona Apple become Tom Waits? (in a more accessible way) - 2.5 stars 3rd listen; OK now we have something here, almost every song has an aspect that is catching my attention and more importantly HOLDING my attention. The arrangements where before were strange and off-putting now are unique and invite further investigation. The lyrics are interesting and obviously intlligent, this was obvious from the first listen but now the arrangements invite me to listen more closely, analyze more deeply. Has Fiona Apple become Tom Waits ? (in a very good way). The answer now seems to be well perhaps but there is so much more there there. I definitely here some PJ Harvey influence now and Fiona's own voice shines through way more clearly. 3.5 stars with a bullit. (Do I wait before posting this rating, I recognize how given more time this could become a 5 star album but this is a one album per day exercise so I'm forced to give today's rating. 3.5 stars
I like this album there are a lot of really good songs. Starts off really well with the title track and only loses momentum after about 5 or 6 songs and only for a couple or three songs then ends really well. It's not Funeral it doesn't have the combination of the grandiose with the innocence of youth that made that album so exciting and fresh. Still a very good album 4 stars
A brilliant album, lyrically, musically and in its production which is always in service to Cohen's brilliant lyrical expression. The arrangements are spare and basic but never boring,. Accoustic guitar underpins each song with flourishes from horns or percussion or backing vocals providing lovely accents that again serve the lyric. A picker of nits might say that the arrangements and maybe the melody can sound samey from song to song but deeper analysis unveils subtle but musically signficant differences. The Songs of Leonard Cohen is deserving of its legendary status 5 stars.
I mean how good a song is Wishing Well? Just outstanding and right in my wheel house. Too bad the rest of the album can't match it. Often sounds like TTD is a Michael Jackson wannabe. 3 stars
Make it stop....PLEASE!!!! 1.5 stars
So the first song starts; OK so far, then the overbearing guitar solo hits and I think yikes, no thanks. Well at least it doesn't last too long. Then the 2nd solo starts, again short, then a third solo hits and I think really, three guitar solos in a 3 and a half minute song? The next song is 5 minutes long. Help me! This may be the first album I am unable to make it through. Well I made it through - suffice to say this is not music that touches my soul. 1.5 stars
I was taken aback by the Sinatra stylye big band arrangements. But wow this album is good. 4 stars
Sonic Youth has been a difficult band for me. Their noise excursions always rub me the wrong way, but when a song of theirs hits me it absolutely floors me. Goo is one of my favorite Sonic Youth albums. Songs like Cool Thing and Dirty Boots two of those songs that hit me right where I live.... and ther's others so despite the noisy excursions; 4.5 stars
A very nice album, but no individual songs made a huge impression after 2 listens. But every song was good and in time some real favourites might emerge. 3.5 stars
I had never heard this album before. I was aware of many of the songs through their live album; Play which I think is underrated. Difinitive Gaze, Shot By Both Sides, Recoil and The Light Pours Out of Me are all great tunes. Howard Devoto's voice is an acquired taste, but to me it fits his songs beautifully and for me its always about the song not about the individual elements, including the vocals. Its a very good album; the best studio album I've heard from Magazine. 4 stars
I think this is an excellent album, just one rung below the brilliant Innervisions. I had never heard Fulfillingness before. I loved it. Lots of great upbeat songs here and some of his most beautiful ballads. 4.5 stars
This wasn't a bad album. I actually enjoyed it. I think it has a bit more depth than my perception of what an ABBA album sounds like; (finely crafted if shallow pop songs). 3.5 stars
This garage / psych rock band had some pretty good tunes. Unfortunately it was encumbered by some filler and novelty songs. 3 stars
I'm not a blues guitar guy, but if I was..this might be my favourite album. Mannish Boy is KILLER! 4 stars
If only all blues could be like this. Danceable....boogi and a Woogie. Sort of a bluesy Cramps. There are songs here that I LOVE. Rocketship....WOW, but also 2Kindsa Love, Chicken Dog, Dynamite Lover (hmmmm almost straigt ahead blues), Hot Shit, turns up the garage quotient a la Cramps. The album starts off kinda weird and annoying with Skunk but quickly turns to weird and uniquely interesting; Identity is a punk/blues (if that's a thing) rave-up at it's finest. Wait turns on the heavy blues AND I LIKE IT! Then comes Fuck Shit Up. kind of a mash-up of non sequiters and weird looping guitars and burbling bass, weird but cool. Then the pace quickens on 2kindsa Love, to that blues/punk thing that just works for me. So I won't go through each song but suffice to say I find something to like in most every song. Previously, JSBX was only Acme for me...and I like that album but Now I Got Worry is just way more everything....more mess, more blues, more noise, more chaos, more musical goodness. 4.5 stars
An undeniable classic and hugely important album. BUu not quite a 5 star album for me. Where is My Mind is a near perfect song but I do find a couple songs fall in the category of filler...(Tony's Theme). Doolittle for me IS a 5 star album, Surfer Rosa...close real close but not quite there. 4.5 stars
Might be my favourite Smiths album, and that's saying something. Headmaster's Ritual, What She Said, Barbarism Begins at Home (that bass line KILLS!) and especially Rusholme Ruffians are among The Smiths most underrated songs. Throw in classics like That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Well I Wonder and of course How Soon Is Now and you have yourself a 5 star album.
This album is damn near perfect. Song selection, arrangements, execution. Wow. 5 stars
a decidedly mediocre Doors album. I feel like The Doors are a pretty overrated band in general and this album does little to dispell that impression. 3 stars
I am shocked at how much I enjoy this album. It is an absolute tour de force that I had no idea was so good. Every bit the equal of What's Going On or Stevie's own Innervisions. And epic in scope and variety, almost 2 hours of music that sparkles throughout, with its varying styles and moods. Many of the songs clock in at 6 or 7 minutes, but somehow never wear out their welcome. Disc 1 has more hits but it also has some beautifully arranged lesser known songs that are uniformly beautiful. Side 2 starts off with Isn't She Lovely which I had previously considered just radio shmaltz but it is in reality one of the most beautiful love songs from a father to his child that I know of. There is just not much to criticize in this epic album. 5 stars
Interesting album something I will listen to again and hopefully draw further enjoyment as it does take some effort and, as Shankar suggests in the introductory message, an open mindedness to non western song structures. 3.5
A fun album, with some great songs but the hits are hits for a reason they shine much more brightly than the deep album cuts. Not that there is filler just the song quality drops off. 4 stars
This is such a brilliant album. A revelation when I first heard it. I'm not even a Van Morrison "fan", but every song on this album moves me. Beautifully arranged and produced with flourishes of folk and jazz and classical each listen yields something new and fresh to enjoy. The title track and Sweet Thing (try the Waterboys cover of Sweet Thing too, it's excellent) are obvious standouts but to single out any particular song does the album a disservice. It really should be taken as a whole piece. The definition of a timeless album. 5 stars
Album starts out rough, Hot Dog = hot mess, mostly the vocal style in the chorus rubs me the wrong way. Things don't really improve until My Way which actually has a nice melody. Things improve from there...Livin' It Up isn't too objectionable, The One is a good song. So bottom hit an miss sounds like 2.5 stars
A very nice album of easy listening jazz, beautifully arranged and played. Manenburg Revisited is the standout track for me. 3.5 stars
In general I like the groove in this album. It<s slow and sensual. There are some annoying noises in a couple of the songs but in general I can easily swing to it. The rapping is subtle and understated which works for me. Reminds me of Rapture by Blondie or Grandmaster Flash. As with many rap albums it sounds a little samey by the time you get through the middle and for me it can be difficult to make it through the whole album, thankfully though it does clock in at less that 50 minutes (barely), so that's a plus. 2nd time through better than the first. Getting the idea that each song is a vignette, a character study that gets its point and theme across and then moves on. No unecessary fat. I tend to like this rap style like Tribe Called QuestI'm tempted to give it 4 stars. In fact I will.
When I was 14 and 15 this album was the absolute bomb. My favorite live album. Now I'm 60 and I'm afraid the bloom is off the rose. All the songs go on too long except possibly Highway Star and Smoke on the Water. 15 year old me thought Child In Time was a masterpiece, now Ian Paice's vocal wailings just make me cringe. The musicianship is first rate there is no doubt, but I'm just not into wailing guitars and overly long drum solo's and self-indulgent organ wailing solos, though I still think Space Truckin' is great, my favorite song on the album. I think ultimately Spinal Tap ruined this kind of music for me, well at least it now makes me smile wryly. 3.5 stars for the nostalgia factor.
A mid tempo early 2000s classic. Yellow is the big hit but there are a lot of fine songs here. FIlled with beautiful melodies and plaintive singing, this album perfectly expresses the Coldplay sound. I expected it to be more up tempo and was taken aback on first listen. I warmed up to it on the second time around and it may even get a 3rd listen at some point. 3.5 stars
I've been introduced to a lot of rap thanks to this excellent initiative. Some I like; (Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar). Some I like alot; (Tribe Called Quest, Eminem, Gang Starr). Unfortunately this album I don't like much. Not much at all. Oh well, can't win 'em all. 2.5 stars
Janis Jopli's final statement is a rock and blues classic. I love the way it starts with hard charging Move Over. The rest of the album is a study in how to sing the blues in a rock context. Every collection of rock albums must include Pearl. 5 stars
A pretty unremarkable Brazilian jazz samba / pop album with some pretty unremarkeable songs. 2.5 stars
Great album. Every song is a winner. If they borrowed a riff from time to time so be it. Still sounds fresh and new and vibrant . 4.5 stars
Glam rock at its best. Mambo Sun starts things with a greasy groovy riff. It's the best song on the album but there is really little drop off and there is not a dud on the album, unless I was being hyper picky and hen I could say I might skip Lean Woman Blues, easily done since it closes side 1. A 5 star album that belongs in every collection.
Another one of the first albums I ever bought as a youth. This one plus Ringo (you know the one with photograph ) were my introduction to post-Beatles Beatles. I really liked this album as a 12 year old and beyond. I was expecting this revisit to bring back those warm feelings and it definitely lived up to it, especially on my 2nd time through. Great melodic sense and lots of different styles very well executed and beautifully crafted. Stand outs for me; Band on the Run, Bluebird, Helen Wheels, Let Me Roll it and especially Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five, a pulsating, mid-tempo piano-based rocker that ends the album with a bang after a slightly lacklustre side 2. 5 stars
catchy power pop melodies abound in this excellent album of pop punk, indie-rock. The songs are instantly catchy and familiar, but they also stand up as good dongs under further scrutiny. Confetti, the title track and Rudderless make side one an almost perfect 17 minutes or so of pop perfection. Side 2 does not see much of a drop off. There's even a nice if inconsequential cover of Mrs. Robinson to end things on a happy note. 4.5 stars
I have this album on double 45 rpm vinyl and the sound quality is amazing. Side 1 is just excellent 2 + 2 = 5 signals that guitars are making a Radiohead comeback which with Johnny Greenwood always tasteful playing is a good thing. Side 2 starts and ends with synthesizer - drum machine exercises that are tasteful and they bookend an excellent song in Go to Sleep. Side three is the weakest part of the album. It starts with a haunting creepy piano based ballad and continues in the same vein with The Gloaming. Things pick up appreciably after that with There There a pretty straight ahead mid tempo guitar drums number that really takes off as we start hearing guitar layering that gives the song an epic feel. A gorgeous ballad that showcases Thom's beautiful voice ends the side. Side 4 has four more tasteful songs and just maintains the albums high quality. It took me a few listens to re-acquaint myself with this album. In the end I think I appreciate it more now that I did on release. It's marriage of old-school guitar sound with Kid A atmospherics give it a nice balance and variety and previews their next album to come; the brilliant In Rainbows 4 stars
I do not really like this album at all. The melodies have little appeal, little to make them memorable. The arrangements are unnecessarily complex and sound disjointed. In fact the vocal often doesn't seem to match the music. I listened through twice and I have tried to listen on other occasions to this critically well regarded album but just like the other times it has left me cold. 2 stars.
Dion is more known as a 50s and 60s doo wop singer and that's how know him - as lead singer for Dion and the Belmonts. In the 70s It seems he has re-positioned himself as a singer-songwriter and as such this album is pretty unremarkeable. I liked much of it but as pleasant background music; nothing really reached out and demanded my attention. Sorry Dion...3 stars
The talent is obvious. The lyrics provocative and insightful. The vibe relaxed and cool, with tempos rarely rising above mid. Musically there is not much to catch my ear ,generally pretty simple and light with little to obscure the star of the show which is Kendrick's poetry. Personally I would prefer a higher level of musical intricacy perhaps but the understated jazzy vibe is pretty compelling and as I say it helps spotlight the poetry. I'm glad to have been introduced to this fine album. 4 stars
I really got nothing out of this album a 3 star album according to Allmusic.com so for me a mediocre album by a mediocre artist....sounds like a 2 star
Well what can be said. One of the greatest debut albums of all time. Every song is a classic, thought the Willie Dixon cover You Shook Me is one I can skip over but everything else is just classic Zeppelin. There's even a nod to the middle eastern influence that would become more pronounced later in their career. A no brainer 5 star album.
I was introduced to The Soft Boys from their debut, A Can of Bees, which never really caught hold with me so I never bothered ny further exploration at least for a couple or 10 years. Then I came across a couple songs by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians that really sounded good with solid hooks and a psychedelic feel that worked well for me. Then a bit of research and it turns out Underwater Moonlight is the Soft Boys consensus masterpiece....so I tried again. This album is so much better than A Can of Bees it doesn't even sound like the same band. Every song has solid hooks, and the psychedelic flourishes in tunes like Insanely Jealous make it a new and interesting listen each time through. Robyn Hitchock rules. 4.5 stars
There is some absolutely gorgeous music on this album. Intimate at times and grandiose at others always tasteful and beautifully executed. It took me some time to come to appreciate this album but once it grabs hold it holds on tight. 4 stars
This is a good album...no it's not Slanted and Enchanted, nor is it Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, but thete are a lot of good tunes and very few of what I wiould consider throwaways. However, In comparison to a Pixies album it is missing those 3 or 4 songs that transcend the signature sound to be of universal pop appeal. 3.5
I am NOT a fan of Queen and this album which I had never heard (well accept for Killer Queen) does nothing to change my opinion. I just think that their forays into campy styles and other explorations just sound pretentious and amateurish. Not my cup of tea. 2 stars
An excellent album that sets a mood that is dark and sinister and moody and creepy. I do love the slow burn but I also wish there were more songs at the pace of the wonderful Black Steel. But it doesn't detract from an overall superb album.
I like this album some provocative perspectives on subjects that I don't necessarily associate with rap. Intelligently and artisticly presented. The production s mostly interesting and musical and generally appeals to my musical sensibilities. 4 stars
Hyper speed heavy metal is just not my thing. 1.5 stars
I think The National are great. This album took a long time to warm to and in truth it is still my least favorite of their albums that I know. I think it is the thick production that keeps me at arms length. This is most certainly a drummer's album. The drums are awesome...in superb playing and in the sound which is heavy and also detailed. Despite the overall heavy handed production there are still some fantastic songs. Anyone's Ghost, Afraid of Everyone and Conversation 16 are standouts. So overall not their best album but it's still The National so still damn good. 3.5 stars
Haven't given much time in the past to this album - mostly listen to Willy and the Poor Boys and Green River to get my CCR fix, but this is an album worthy of a place in my listening rotation. Ramble Tamble is an awesome song and though I could do without Travellin' Band and Oobt Dooby, the rest of the album is excellent...especialy Grapevine, Run Through the Jungle, Who'll Stop The Rain and Long As I Can See The Light. So close to a 5... 4.5 stars
Perhaps the most underrated Smiths album. Side one is absolute gold. Side 2 not far behind. 4.5 stars
I am not really much of a country music fan - in fact I am not a fan at all. But I like this album. It has a singer-songwriter feel and the production seems more Americana than modern country, at least my perception of modern country. And the songs are uniformly strong and well written. I like it and I will continue to listen - another one to add to my current playlist. 3.5 stars
A decent synth-pop album. At its best it sounds like a more pop oriented Laughing Stock era Talk Talk, but more often then not it is a generic synth pop album that occasionally strikes all the right chords. The quality of the song writng makes it a slight cut above 3 stars
Adam and the Ants announce themselves in style. With the Heavy drum attack of Dog Eat Dog. Wow! I know that Dirk Wears White Socks is the debut album but this is my introduction to the Buccaneers of ant music. The recurring themes of pirates, ants and American Indian tribes is a little bit sophomoic at times but damn its fun. And that double drum attack gives the music a power that was unique at the time, at least as far as I know. It's not a GREAT or a Classic album but its really good and still makes me smile 40 years later. 4 stars
i don't know it this is a thing, but to me this is drone-rock personified. Everything about drones....the vocals (especially Kim Gordon's), the guitars, the arrangements. It all proceeds in a beautiful, compelling, noisy, disonnant drone that just fits together and works. It doesn't have that one signature track like Goo and Daydream nation and even Sister has have but its a compelling and homogonous listen that pulls the listener in. 4 stars
I have a lot of respect for Joni Mitchell. Her lyricism, the craft of her songwriting, her beautiful and unique voice. The problem is I just don't much enjoy listening to her records. Cout & Spark and Blue are generally enjoyable even Ladies of the Canyon has pop stylings that I enjoy. The only song on Hissing of Summer Lawns that I am familiar with is In France They Kiss On Main Street, and its good but it starts her turn to more jazzy song structures and away from tradional pop song structures. Is it a bad thing.? No Not at all, it just makes the songs less accessible. IThey require more effort to allow them to get into my soul. The lyrics are obviously well crafted and intricate and poetic, but the arrangements keep me at arms length - The Jungle Line is a perfect example. So of course I respect this album and if I allowed it to dig deeper into my concsiousness I might even grow to love it. But that would require many listens and frankly I don't see that happening. 3.5 stars
Side one is nearly perfect. Gorgeous melodies. Sympathetic production and tastefully arranged. Side 2 is only slightly less compelling but still wonderful listen. More dramatically arranged with classical strings it has the feel of an opera but it works without a hint of irony or pretense that would make the material seem trite. But it always sounds appropriate in its dramatic presentation. By the time Jig of Life comes up it introduces a nice stylistic change to English Folk which a bring a nice change in tempo and mood. It ends off with a more traditionally structured pop song that is really quite gorgeous. A beautiful album. 4.5 stars
I can describe this abum in 6 syllables; One-Hun-Dred -Per-Cent-Fun, with appologies to Matthew Sweet. Side 1 is as infectious as music gets and side 2, though not the perfection of side 1 still keeps the dance party going. 5 stars
A wonderful album that invokes many moods from intense to sad to joyous to funny. Its actuly quite amazing. 4.5 stars
There are some pretty incredible performances on here. Of course the star of the show is Janice Joplin. I am certain that rock music had never heard a voice of her range and emotional power. Her performance on Summertime, Piece of My Heart, Turtle Blues and Ball and Chain are seminal. Although i'm not typically a blues-rock lover this album is an exception and its all because of Janice. 5 stars
Barely listenable double album that it is supposed to be extremely important, perhaps innfluential, though I don't here it and apparently his best. I night listen to it again to see if there was something I missed. 1.5 stars
This is such a good album every song is rife with hooks and melodies and singable lyrics. Stories that are relateable with interesting, colourful characters. Themes are familiar; loneliness, boredom, hope, the myth of the American dream. The songs are delivered with simplicity and a rock and roll toughness that shows us what's to come. One of my favorite country albums and deserving of a 5 star rating.
Good dance album that works on a few levels. 3.5 stars
Don't make this brilliant album your introduction into Jazz, save that for Kind of Blue or Time Out. Don't even make it your introduction to Coltrane; Giant Steps or My Favourite Things would be better places to start. Once you think you're ready it will still probably take a 5 or 6 listens before the magic of this gorgeous, spiritual album hits the mark. It took at least that many listens did for me, but how....5 stars
A fun 70s disco album with a couple of huge songs I especially liked He's The Greatest Dancer, for its amazing dance groove. 3 stars
Not a fan of Metallica. Not a fan of Heavy Metal music. I liked parts of tis album. Never really dislikeed it. I don't know how fans of the bande feel about this album but it seems like a place where non fans might be introduced to their music. 3 stars
My favorite Leonard Cohen album. The songs are universally excellent with lyrics whose imagery is vivid and palpable. The melodies can at times sound similar from song to song but that's a minor criticism when the quality of lyrical content is this extraordinary. 5 stars
What a weird, wild, unique and fascinating album. Bizarrely poetic and literate lyrics that takes jabs at EVERYONE and does so with irreverance and biting dark humour. Musically the styles, production and arrangements are all ove the place but mostly interesting and engaging. My favorite Zappa album that I've heard so far and one that I think will remain in my rotation for a little while at least. As I type this is my 3rd listen. 4 stars
A fabulous album. I'm not a HUGE Husker Du fan but I love this album as well as New Day Rising. In fairness I haven't really explored any of the others like Zen Arcade and Flip Your Wig, but revisiting this album makes me want to. The reviews call this album slicker and more polished than previous Husker Du albums, now I don't know about that, but what I do know is the songs are consistently excellent and sound pretty rawe to me. The one negative I would say is the production sounds a little thin to me I would definitely like to more clearly hear bass lines and kick drum but its a minor quibble. For me it's hard to determine if I prefer the Bob Mould songs or the Grant Hart ones, they have different songwriting styles but each appeal to to me in different ways. In summary it's hard to conceive of a better collection of songs. Absolutely one of the best double albums of all time. 5 stars
I won't call II their underrated or underappreciated album because it is highly regarded. But for me it's a bit the forgotten album as I & II and even Zoso, get most of my attention but III is every bit as good and in some ways the superior of the four albums. This is the album where they expand their musical pallette from straight ahead blues rock to incorporate elements of British folk and country-rock and do so beautifully on songs like Tangerine and and Galows Pole and especially Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Every song on this album deserves classic or at least near-classic status and among the four classic Zeppelin albums it is the most rich and rewarding and varied listen. 5 stars
I'm not a U2 fan but it's hard to deny the epic nature of this album. Side 1 is incrediby strong with 3 perhaps 4 absolutely iconic songs. Side 2 lets up a little but not much and certainly not enough to diminish its power. This is the album that announced U2 as the biggest band in rock and roll since Led Zeppelin. 4.5 stars
I enjoyed just about every minute of this wonderful album Not sure I could fully embrace the nasaly nature of Baaba Maal's vocals but the music is wonderful. Rhythmically complex yet accessible, the incorporation of western melodies and production enhances that accessibility but still allows the authenticity of the music to come through. 4 stars
Never heard this album before and the only song that I recognized is the opener; Bodhisattva, (which if you would have had me guess I would have said its a Alman Brothers Band song, but I digress.) I I like Steely Dan the rock band better than Steely Dan the soft jazz band. This album falls more into the rock band camp so I like it, but not as much as Can't Buy a Thrill or Pretzel Logic. But it's a good album a little more subtle and sophisticated than Can't Buy a Thrill, starting to show their jazz chops, which in this instance is a good thing. Not as immediately accessible as either of CBaT or Pretzel Logic but worthy of attention none the less. 3.5 stars
This is my favourite Talking Heads album. The pure energy of I Zimbra announcing the arrival of the new Taliking Heads to the world as one of the first purveyers of true African Rhythms in rock music. This would reach its zenith on the next release Remain in Light. But this album I think better combines their punky, nervous new wave roots with the poly rhythms that they would become famous for. Filled with great songs from beginiing to end. My only gripe is the mastering of my somwhere close to original Canadian viny is a little thin and shrill at times. It doesn't allow those gorgeous rhythms space enough to breath the way they do on Remain in Light. 4.5 stars
This one's kinda new to me. Only know one song - the Sheena Easton duet You Got the Look, which is not a terrible 80s hit. Now for the album impressions. First off it's too long by about 20 minutes but it does have 5 or 6 really good songs. The opening title track is a mid-tempo commentary on 80s society that has a great burbling bass line that draws the listener in. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker is a off-beat love song, Hot Thing is hyper dance track that absolutely cooks. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man has a classic power-pop feel with a sweet melody and hooks that just won't quit. But my favourite track is The Cross which sounds like some classic alternative rock song, complete with a poignant vocal & guitar intro punctuated with a huge kick drum understated guitar figures. It would sound at home on an 80s Springsteen U2 album. This song and inseed the whole album, shows that Prince can adopt any style he likes and make it his own. Sign 'O' the Times is a sprawling messy affair that misses on occasion but when it hits it hits BIG. 4 stars
I could not find the compilation album that was listed, but it seems to be a re-issue of the self-titled first album - which I have on vinyl - and some demos and other stuff. I think the debut is a fine album, great punkish energy and interesting melodies. And Kirsten Hirsch's vocals are menacing and aggressive. 3.5 stars
An interesting listen that kept my attention. The covers of Light My Fire and especially Jumpin Jack Flash were very cool but the hilight is the 13 minute composition Sagar (The Ocean) which has some wich ebbs and flows beautifully. 3 stars
Excellent debut from one of the underappreciated bands of the 90s. Solid tunes, buckets full of energy and a solid base of influences that help this album show a variety of styles that somehow all sound at home here. Solid album by a solid band. 4.5 stars
Not a fan of this particular Yes album. Just 3 long suite type songs that don't really appeal to me. 2 stars
I am unfamiliar with Manu Chau, when I received this album to listen to I admit I was not looking forward to it. I assumed it was a typical latin-pop-dance album...boy was I wrong. This album charmed me from the opening. Subtle but deceptively complex arrangements and production. Stylistically diverse and always interesting. The vocals are nasally and won't be to everyone's taste but the singing always comliments the arrangements. This is so much more than pop musidc. Its magic is in the way it offers a folk music feel while maintaining popular sensibilities. 4 stars
This is the kind of record I like. Melodic, big-beat indie flavured rock music with emotive singing and simple straight forward arrangements and production that lets the drums and bass breath. Of course it sounds much like Nirvana, but Sebadoh is also a touchstone and the influence is seen from pop - rock music like rumours era Fleetwood Mac. Not much I don't like about this album. Its my my kinda music. 4 stars
ime of the Season is one of the best songs of the rock era. Incredible hook, gorgeous melody, sweet soulful singing, truly a modern classic. But how is te rest of the album? Well nothing quite so sublime as TotS but some really excellent psychedelic tinged rock songs. The whole album has a baroque feel that makes me think Belle and Sebastien ingested this album intravenously. All in all a beautiful album that is deserving of a 5 star rating.
This is my favourite Wilco album slightly bettering in my opinion Summerteeth. Jeff Tweedy has an incredible ear for melody and for hook writing. YHF from beginning to end is filled with beautifully constructed pop music which are punctuated with flourishes of electronic noises, fantastic horn charts and just sublime music making of the highest quality. The middle part of the album - sides 2 and 3 of my double vinyl LP is nearly perfect, reaching its peak on the infectious nostalgia of Heavy Metal Drummer, but all 6 songs that make up the heart of this album are timeless. The songs that make up sides 1 and 4 are more deliberate and somewhat experimental in their use of the studio as musical instrument, but their more languid pace does not diminsh the album in any way, in fact they add to the albums power. 5 stars
What a blast of an album. Energy en masse and with great melodies and hooks and surprisingly good playing for a bunch of kids just rocking out. One of the classics of the British Punk era from these lads from Notrthern Ireland. 4.5 stars
Let's Get it On is an undeniably great song. The rest of the album is not really in my stylistic wheel house...a little too love songy (if that's a thing). The singing is incredibly good but the arrangements are too syrupy and lacking in agressiveness. 3.5 stars
A fine sounding electro dance album. As usual with albums of this type and of this period, its at least 20 minutes too long and consuming it all the way through in one sitting causes fstigue. half way through I am impatient for the album to come to an end. The last song; Damaged People is a welcome mid tempo change of pace from the non stop hi tempo dance rhythms. So to summarize a good dance album that runs out of mementum in the middle. 3 stars
A passable update on glam rock for the 90s. The overwrought emotion of Jarvis Cocker's delivery and lyrics gets a little tiresome but most of the songs are pretty good. 3 stars
Way more rock and roll than I thought it would be. I especially liked the upbeat turn that part 1 takes at around the 10 minute mark and then the part where the narrator introduces the different instruments as they join the mix. This is much more than the ubiquitous melody from The Exorcist. Maybe you had to be there to see what makes it so groundbreaking. Still quite impressive that the album is 100% the brainchild of Mike Oldfield who produced, recorded and played every instrument. 3.5 stars
I gave this album 3 or 4 pretty decent listen and I found it quite consistent and not much to complain about. But none of the songs stand out to me. The album is strong but the individual songs have blended in to one another for me. Without at least on standout track I have to give it 3 stars
Never heard this album before. I of course have heard the songs Uncotrollable Urge and the iconic take on Satisfaction, but the rest of the album is new to me, and I love it. Almost every song has a way to bore its way into your brain to the point where I'm humming it at various points in the day. A couple of the songs are just a little too angular for my tastes which keeps it from being a 5 but its oh soooo close. 4.5 stars
A difficult album. Took a few listens for me to warm to it. It's getting there but not quite there for me yet. 3 stars
Non stop African dance party. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this album. 4.5 stars
I could listen to Otis Redding all day long. His voice is sublime. Ant the songs on this album are excellent. 5 stars
Won't ever get back the 40 minutes spent on this album. Hard for me to find anything to like about this difficult to listen to album. 1 star
It's a fine pop-dance album. Maybe Michael Jackson's best. But in the end it is still a pop album with songs of little weight or substance, which will always mean I admire it but will never love it. 4 stars
This is a solid effort from Elvis Costello. I gave it a really good long audition of at least 3 or 4 listens under varying conditions. Admittedly while I found it pleasant each time it did take time for individual songs to announce their presence, though This Is Hell did hit immediagtely and remains a standout track. Other favourite songs; Pony Street, Kinder Murder and Sulky Girl. So while not as immediately impressive as his best efforts with no really GREAT songs, it deserves a listen especially if you like Elvis Costellos middle period (ie Blood and Chocolate, King of America, etc...) 3.5 stars
totally unfamiliar with this band and their music. Read the review on Allmusic.com and was prepard to hate it. I don't hate it. I also don't love it. It's a loud noisy confusing mess but oddly compelling. Not sure I would ever recommend this to someone but an interesting listen. 2.75 stars
A lovely album. Beth Orton sings with an emotional depth that is extremely satisfying. The arrangements are pretty spare and organic sonuding and help to keep her voice and lyrics the star of the show. There is some lovely acoustic guitar and the whole album is beautifully rendered. 4 stars
PJ Harvey at her most literate, subtle and most poignant. Subtle and yet powerful arrangements that fit the hemes so perfectly. Her singing is understated and emotional and the songs are beautifully conceived. One of PJs quietest and yet most powerful a,bums. Long gone is the loud, punch to the gut immediacy of Rid of Me replaced with quiet beauty. But no less powerful. 4*
Perhaps the greatest most beautiful progressive rock album ever. After the madness of 21st Century Schizoid Man, comes the melodic beauty of the rest of this consistently gorgeous album. The melodies are so sweet and poignant that they endure still some 50 years later. Prog rock should have just stopped and left this as the near perfect peak of its existence. Wow!
Cool Concept. Excellent playing, the guitar is exceptional. On Mona...Wow. the band interplay also fantastic. I'm just not a big blues rock fan, however I think just from a historical and quality point of view this album should be in my collection. Just wish I liked it more. 3.5 stars
Companion piece to Kid A and the resemblence is unmistakeable one can easily see that they are from them same sessions. Not as immediately bracing and engaging as Kid A. Less focused in approach so can't help but seem less groundbreaking and forward looking. It has some stellar moments, however; Pyramid Song, You and Whose Army, Knives Out, I Might Be Wrong and Morning Bell which is unexplicably on both Kid A and Amnesiac. But there are also pieces of 100% filler. Can't help but wonder how great an album we would have ended up with they had released just one all killer / no filler album from these sessions. Still a fine album that I was happy to discover 3.5 stars
With classic blasts like the title and opening track and Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised) this album is must own or at least must hear for anyone wanting to explore Reggae's golden era. Peter Tosh is a pivotal figure in the history of music. Their is very little filler on Legalize it each song having a charm that transcends the narrow label of reggae to become simply good pop music. 4.5 stars
Very cool vibe. A little boring to me but there is a creativity and a craft that is not typical (to me) for this genre of music. As is the norm a little too long to keep my interest over the whole album, but in this case it is not unforgiveable and it does allow Erika to stretch out a little and express her creativity, especially her jazz leanings. She's also a great singer and a damn good songwriter. 3.5 stars
Child in Time is great - te rest of the album, decidedly meh. 2.5 stars
A great album in which Amy trades in her jazz chops for queen of soul quality stuff. No she's not Aretha, but man she's good. 4.5 stars
I have a passing and non fanboy interest in Will Oldham. I do have one Bonnie Prince Billie album that I listen to on occasion, it seems quiter and more sparely arranged than this one. I enjoyed I See A Darkness more because of its livelier musical presentation - didn't have time to delve into the lyrical subject matter however I'm sure there are themes of loneliness and struggle 3.5 stars
Damn fine rap album. Of course the lyrics are center stage with the arrangements taking a background position but the music and arrangements are not overbearing or overrly lacking in melodic elements. I liked it. 4 stars
A lively big band album that really works for me. The opening piece; The Kid From Red Bank might just be the perfect introducton for a newbie to big band jazz. Throughout this album the music is fast paced and joyful and infectious and incredibly played and arranged. I can't even imagine how incredibly amazing it must have been to be present at the recordng sessions. 5 stars
A surprisingly good album. Nice psychedelic feel with guitars that seep slowly and smoothly into your brain. A nice surprise for me from a band whose sound fits me like a well tailored suit. 4 stars
An absolute classic of New Wave.....is this the alum that invented New Wave? Quite possibly! Anyway an album that is much greater than the sum of its hits. Heart of Glass is of course THE iconic New Wave/Rock/Disco smash that basically invented the "genre". But like I say every song on this album is worthy of at least your attention. Its hard to overstate the inportance of this album in the shaping of the music of the late 70s and early 80s. 4.5 stars
I was blown away by how consistent this album. Song after song is of the highest quality. George Harrisons's burst of creativity on his first solo album is amazing the fact that it stretches over 6 full side of a triple album is incredible. Now I came to this album late first listen was only a few years ago, however I knew many of the songs from the Concert for Bangladesh which I absorbed at a very young age thanks to my older sister. I love that album. But still I was shocked at just how great this album is. Side one is just perfect in my books. The only criticism I would offer is sides 5 and 6 get a little jammy and perhaps less song oriented, though the first song of side 5; Out of the Blue, is great, its just the other three songs are a little long and overwrought. But this is a minor criticism of a no-brainer 5 star album.
Pretty ordinary hard rock album with a couple of hits, one of which has become a rock standard and a bunch of inconsequential songs to fill the album out. 3 stars
Never heard this album before. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Etremely intimate production fits the intimacy of the songs. Tori seems to have no problem wearing her heart on her sleeve even whn=en the subject matter is difficult and anger is the emotion that is laid bare - Me and a Gun, Crucify The arrangements make me want to re visit the album and each listen reveals more lyrically than the previous listen. Her voice and style is in the Kate Bush style, though not quite is high in register. I enjoyed listening to this fine album. 4 stars
Again, a classic album that I had never heard before. The songs are obviously great but after three listens no one song stands out which makes it harder for me to connect to the album as a whole - it would take repeated listens to make me fall in love with it, so for now I can't see giving more than 3.5 stars
One of my favorite albums of all-time. Sunday Morning is just so gorgeous with its sweet playful melody. It gives no clue as to the mayhem to come. Waiting for my Man is simply the best song about scoring drugs EVER. Femme Fatale introduces the deep sultry voice of Nico and her unconventional voice fits the song perfectly Things take a turn for the macabre with Venus in Furs, showcasing John Cale's viola. Side one ends with my favourite vehicle for Nico's vocals; the utterly gorgeous All Tomorrow's Parties. Side 2 is just as provocative and ground-breaking. My only gripe, I wish the sound was better. Possibly my all time favourite album. 5 stars...DUH!
Has many of the earmarks of Minutemen album, but it's not a Minutemen album. In My Mind has a melodic sweetness that tells the listener that this is somewhat different. But then Vastopol and Mas Cojones reminds us that this that even without the brilliance of D.Boon, Firehose is still the same surviving members that made Minutemen so damn unique. It does drag a bit and one finds oneself waiting for another song as memorable as In My Mind. A solid effort 3.5 stars
Still my favorite Ryan Adams album. Gorgeous songs, beautiful melodies. Intimate production. Great listening experience. 4 stars
I believe that this album was my first Cure album (though it could have been Boys Don't Cry), back when it came out in Canada or at least very soon after it came out. When I heard the drum intro to A Play for today as well as Robert Smith's opening line...IIt's not a case of doing what's right" (I thought he was saying Southern case....), I knew immediately that for me this is what rock music should sound like. I playd the hell out of this record and it, along with Echo and The Bunnymen's first and Gang of Four's and Joy Division's were, among others, my gateway drugs to alternative music. I loved this album at that time and I still do. I do recognize that it has a tendency to drag in some places as I listen today, however with songs such as A Forest with it's infectious dance beat, In Your House with that gorgeously subtle ascending guitar figure, The beautiful title track and of course the aforementioned Play for Today, iit is still a fantastic album and a compelling listen. I am tempted to give it 5 but I will do my best to be somewhat objective in my rating, but know that objectivity is futile when it comes to music that me for ever. 4.5 stars
So much incredible music on this more than 2 hours long collection. This band absolutely cooks. 5 stars
My wife loved this album. me I can take it or leave it. 3 stars
Definitely some sumptuous sounds in this Brizilian, bosanova flavoured electro dance album. Wish it was more Bossa Nova and less electro dance beat but still some gorgeous music here. Some of the vocal contributions are absolutely lush. The whole album can best be decribed as lush. 3.5 stars
Wonderful album. Side 1, the first half, is gritty and urban and not what I would expect from the Temptations, and its entirely successful. The title track is a perfect example, telling the story of impoverished urban life a young manand the escape into his own imagination. Next up an inspired version of Heard it Through the Grapevine and the epic 9 minute track; Runaway Child, Running Wild, another gritt=y tale of life on the streets. Side 1 is near pefect. Side 2 returns to to more typical Temptations fare and the songs are always strong and beautifully conceived but definitely classic Motown pop. This combination makes for a wonderful album. 4 stars
Wow, what great album. Wonderful rhythms, especially on the opening track. Beautiful guitar playing and other instrumentation, I imagine there is some sitar in the arrangements among other Indian instruments. Deep deep percussion, lovely flute. Just some gorgeous gorgeous music playing. Loved it. 4.5
Non-stop industrial dance music. great for a sweaty club after dropping extasy, not so great for listening to in my basement listening room. 3 stars
Just never really got The Beastie Boys. 2 stars
Yes its true The Buzzcocks are and always will be a singles band. Bt it doesn't mean they can't carry a full album and the do on this quite well, thank you very much. They stretch out nicely on songs like Sixteen and especially \moving Away From the Pulsebeat. You can see quite clearly that one thing that set Buzzcocks apart from others of their peers - hese guys can play. And they can write some excellent sonfs too. 4 stars
A surprisingly strong consistent album. Doesn't reach the heights or dramatic depths of Nevermind but they are some great songs here and Love's delivery is suitably angry to give them import. I'm impressed. 4 stars
Sheeesh 2 of my last 4 albums have been Beastie Boy albums. In my Licensed to Ill review I said I just never GOT the Beastie Boys. Maybe I get them slightly more now 3 stars
I like this album but it pales in comparison to American Recordings (vol. 1). Still it has some compelling renditions of modern pop songs like Personal Jesus . 3 stars
A good old fashioned funk/soul album that has some really bright moments. SOmetimes it feels and sounds a little old fashioned and dated but the music has real energy and a good amount of soul. 3.5 stars
Really gorgeous, ethereal music. The languid pace can get a little monotonous but there is no doubt of the beauty in the vocals and in the production. 3.5 stars
This is a lot of fun. Along the lines of A Tribe Called Quest where humour and irony take the place of anger and bravado. I didn't have the chance to really absorb the lyrical content and I would say that ATCQ does it better especially in the musical diversity but still an enjoyable listen that I WANT to further explore and discover 4 stars
I like it, but..... Wish it had more musical variety and innovation. The rhymes of course re clever, funny, angry but its not enough for me to really enjoy and come back to listen again. 3 stars
No doubting the high energy and amazing performance of JLL in this landmark live album. I just wish it had deeper, fuller, less tinny sound. Makes me not really want to listen to it. Also his style is not really that appealing to me compared to my favourites of this period (Buddy Holly) 3.5 stars
Very soulful and classic soul sounding. Not generally what I like to liste to tough, a little overly romantic for my tastes. I guess I'll stick to Al Green when I am in need of my dose of romantic, soulful music 3.5 stars
Not anything that appeals to me. The songs are trite and with little depth. I know the hits, Jump is OK but (one should hear the Aztec Camera version) the rest of the hits are decidedly meh. The deep album cuts hold no pleasant surprises. The only song that I liked was the one that my streaming service played after the album was over - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love. The guitar histrionics are impressive, if you like that kind of thing, for me it adds little to the song. 2 stars
Paul Weller makes a jazz / soul album with some interesting results. Lots of variety, the songs vary from overly nostalgic to the point of unintended parody to interesting interpretation of styles to, hey this is pretty cool. Wildly uneven but interesting for sure. Styles include; ragtime, lounge jazz, 60s bop, bossa nova, blue-eyed soul and even a bizarre rap experiment that should not have made the final cut. Ultimately too all-over-the-map to really grab hold. 2.5 stars
Music Is Love - nice intro to whatès to come Cowboy Movie is fantastic Songs With No Leaves - excellent Laughing- beautiful guitar, gorgeous harmonies What Are Their Names - Beautiful guitar work Traction in the Rain - sounds like it's a harpsichord that takes center stage and it's gorgeous. The last few songs they turn up the atmospherics and let traditional pop song structures go a bit. A bit meandering at this point but always done with taste. 4.5 stars
This is a very strong album. Poignant, provocative songs delivered with a honesty and authenticity that is very compelling. Very little filler at all. All the songs pack an emotional impact. The playing is also escellent and the arrangements are tasteful and very well produced. Which brings me to the sound quality...absolutely first rate my Candaian pressed original vinyl is outstanding. Clear, deep, balanced sound that never fails to impress. Definitely a strong point of an already strong performance. 4.5 stars
The song; What's Going On is a stone cold classic. The album deserves four stars for that track alone. The question is does the rest of the album push it to a 5? The answer for me is Yes! THe overriding themes of war and inner-city strife, the environment and a loving and benevolent God are delivered with heartfelt soul and honesty as to be dissarming. Gaye's singing is incredible. I am not a fan of strings / orchestration in pop music, I feel like it clouds the musical threads in general and I feel that that part is the weak element of this album but I can live with it when the performance is this honest and true. The songs are able to cut through that fog and deliver thier messge with still great imact. 5 stars
This is where Joni kind of loses me. She abandons traditional pop/rock, folk/pop song structures and turns to modern jazz arrangements and chord progressions. And I'm not really down. Often I find it tough to latch onto a musical thread, and if I do the singing often doesn't follow tat thread. I'm sure that her poetic and lyrical talents are there in spades. However the music does not make want to discover them. 3 stars
This is one hell of an album with an amazing variety of quality songs...classic songs. Beuatiful love song / ballads like You Are the Sunshine of My Life and I Believe to open and close the album with just classic pop songs. In between it does funk as well as anyone could; Maybe Your Baby. It rocks with as much attitude and strut as any Stones or Who song; Superstition. It does sweet soul; Tuesday Heartbreak, Folk / pop; Big Brother and it does all these genres with style and originality. It's a nearly perfact album. 5 stars
This is a favourite of my early youth. A gorgeous album , with classic songs of the time. Every song touches me and brings me back to an earlier, simpler time and place. The individual contributions of the 4 are mostly stellar, with Young's Helpless taking centre stage but followed closely by Carry On, Teach Your Children, Almost Cut My Hair, Our House as well as the dramatic title track. I think the classic songs and the place it holds in my heart adds up to a 5 star album.
When this album came out it blew my mind. I was just in the throws of discovering new indie rock that began around 1999. Bands like Built to Spill, Spoon, Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Luna, Modest Mouse, Eleventh Dream Day, pj Harvey, The White Stripes, Idlewild, Interpol, The National, GSYBE, pavement, Silver Jews and dozens and dozens of others had dominated my listening for the last few years. Then this album comes out and takes the Indie music world by storm. A band from my home town, shining a light on our music scene and dominating the talk around indie music. And then the accolades start pouring in from the likes of Bowie, Springsteen, David Byrne, Coldplay and U2. Anyway the music on the album is bold and beautiful and big and way too accomplished to be a debut album. And the live shows so incredibly energetic and epic. Well for me this was an album that defined an era, both musically and culturally (on a small scale). And the songs are all absolutely forst rate. SUre, no really new ideas nut the execution of the ideas they do have is nearly flawless. 5 stars
Side 1. 3 classics of the folk rock genre, 2 excellent lesser known tunes and 1 I might consider throw away. Side 2. No really well known songs, but all are successful with lots of humour and pathos and all those things that make S&G so compelling. 4 stars
Is this The Jam's BEST album? Maybe. But it's not my favourite, (All Mod Cons). It's not my 2nd favourite Jam album (Setting Sons), but listening to it today, I'm not so sure it doesn't deserve a higher ranking on my list. It's more classically pop sounding than previous albums, perhaps more timeless. Absolutely leans more to The Beatles rather than The Who or The Kinks; right down to the Taxman hommage in Start. So it's a collection of really strong songs and one absolutely brilliant stroke in That's Entertainment. In the late 70s and early 80s The Jam were at the top of their game and were about as good a rock band that there was. For me this is their 3rd consecutive 5 star album, a run as strong as by any band in the history of rock music. How you rank those 3 albums relative to each other is a matter of individual taste. To me The Jam are one of the most criminally under appreciated bands in the history of rock music. 5 stars
Its usually hard for me to positively review music from this era, unless its Buddy Holly or Roy Orbison however I enjoyed this album. I think partly because the sound is pretty good , but the songs are good as well. The ballads are enjoyable for their classic songs like Cathy's Clown and Love Hurts are fantastic. And then there are those luscious vocal harmonies. 4 stars
Somewhat interesting electro-dance album. I especialy like d the album opner which has really strong, infectious beat and the last which samples from Serge Gainsbroug Ballade de Melody Nelson. 2.5 stars
I'm a pretty big Wilco but somehow I have overlooked listening to this album. It is a really good sampler of all Wilco's stylistic moods. Country, Americana, indie-pop, noisy rock. All of Jeff Tweedy's many moods are beautifuly represented. Tweedy can write a hook filled song that sticks in your head in just about any style. He is among the most talented songwriters in rock today. I have often wondered why a band like The Eagles reach mega star status and a band like Wilco, arguably crafters of better songs, toils in relative obscurity. I wish the world didn't work that way but it does. 4 stars
This album starts off really strongly but fizzles out on side 2, but side 1 is very good. 4 stars
A very nice album though a bit all over the place that touches on country, blues and folk influences with even a little jazz thrown in. I'm not that big on the bluesy stuff but I can't fault the song writing nor the playing at all. A big sprawling epic of an album that I'm glad I was intrudeced to and which deserves more scrutiny. 4 stars
Tis is the album that Talk Talk begins to find their voice. Mar Hollis you can see is starting to incorporate jazz and classical motifs into his music and we can clearly hear the seeds of more atmospheric music to come on Laughing Stock and Spirit of Eden. Colour of Speing still has remnants of the alternative music sounds that they grew up on in the gorgeous Life's What You Make It, but even that has a soul feel not unlike Bill Whithers Use Me. It's a great album that points to the beautiful music Talk Talk will move towards in the future. 4 stars
More pop oriented and less noisy than the debut but still sounds like same band. Some might object to the higher degree of sheen and it certainly doesn't, to me have the impact and shock and awe effect of Psychocandy, but is it good album? Damn straight, 4 stars
Steve Winwood goes adult contemporary with mixed results. For me Spanish Dancer (the most "Traffic-sounding" song) is the best song on the album with a lot of MOR pop oriented stuff that tends to put me to sleep. 2.5 stars
I really enjoyed this album a lot moreso than expected. I hear the seeds of Neutral Milk Hotel in the melodies and the singing. A hodgepdge of sounds and styles mostly acoustic guitar based mid tempo ballads generally enjoyable. 3.5 stars
Just a great album. It rocks, its got iconic epic jams. It has some beautiful countrified ballads. One of Young's all-time best. 5 stars
Such a great album. This album as well as Low and Heros are usually classified as Bowie's "Berlin" albums with low being the mos lauded of the three but on certain days I can make an argument for either of the three being the best. For me Station to Station is the most accessible of the three with remarkable songs throughout. The 10 minute title track never languishes and each minute of the song is wonderful the mood and tempo changes keep the song moving forward. Just a great 10 minute song...never an easy feat to accomplish. Golden Years is the hit and it bristles with soul tinged hooks. TVC15 might be my favorite song on the album. It has great energy with a nice 50s doo wop feel. All in all another solid Bowie album that deserves a place in any listening library 4.5 stars
I like quite a few songs on this album - usually the ones with a upbeat, indie-rock feel. 6'1" is a great opener and Help Me Mary is also good. Never Said is another track that works well for me and Mesmerizing is my favourite on the album. The other less straight ahead and more "arty" tunes are often quite successful and worthy of close inspection. There's no doubting the talent on display here the level of songwriting is quite remarkable for a debut album as is the sheer breadth of ideas and sound stylings, how much of that is Miss Phair and how much the expert prouction is up for debate howeverthat's besides the point as each listen reveals new layers of depth. I never really listened much to this album when I first explored it, but this time I'm on my 3rd consecutive listen through and the reasons for its high acclaim are being revealed. 4 stars
There are some magical moments on this album. Moby has an incredible talent for framing his beautiful melodies with tasteful and gorgeous arrangements that gives the melodies and by extension the songs emotional ebbs and flows that draws the audience in. Porcelain, Soutside and Everlasting are the hilights for me. Well done. 4 stars
Exceptional album. The talent on display is incredible and the chemistry palpable. A must for any serious jazz collection. 5 stars
I liked it. Some cool moods and some thought provoking rhymes. 4 stars
Decent hip hop album with some nice variety. I do tend to like the Arrested Development style of Hip Hop which mixes in more jazzy elements. 3.5 stars
lovely ethereal beautifully produced album. The reverb on the vocals can get a bit monotonous and I would like to see some tempo and arrangement variety mixed in but overall a really nice album that improves with each listen. 4 stars
Really enjoyed this album. I think it's my new favourite TVOTR album. Nice mix of accessibilitty and TVOTR's unique brand of weird. Very nice find. 4 stars
Yes it is my least favorite VU album but it is still a classic. 4.5 stars
Just really not my style. An album full of mid-tempo songs about love. Not for me. I can't really judge it harshly if it's you're thing I'm sure it's great. Anita has a wonderful voice. 2.5 stars
I don't have the reverence for this album that many others have. It's a very good pop album with some excellent songs. I don't particularly like , I guess it is Chris Bell's voice, which is one thing that keeps me from loving the album rather than just respecting it. Anyway a solid album that was basically ignored for 25 years. 4 stars
A beautiful album that seems nearly perfect. The melodies are absolutely infectious. 5 stars
I've never warmed to this album to allow it to be ranked with their earlier albums. Maybe the timing wasn't right for me as I was an R.E.M fan from the outset...Murmer is still my favorite album. Maybe I resented it in some weird way because it was their commercial breakthrough and I'm thinking "Ha where have you all been for the last 10 years" Or maybe it's just a more difficult listen than their earlier works one that requires more time and effort to reveal its charms Well for whatever reason listening this time around after leaving it for a while allowed me to appreciate it more than I ever have previously. There's a melancholy intesity that I never quite appreciated previously. Sweetness Follows has just that feel and it's quite beautiful. Same for Monty got a Raw Deal - I never took the time to appreciate the deeper album cuts on this album, maybe because there are none that really rock out and the strong structures are not typical verse chorus verse. Anyway I'm thinking this album finally will get my attention, something it probably deserved long ago. 4 stars with a bullet
Took me a couple of listens to find the sweet spot on this album but find it I did. An absolute throwback to the golden age of soul music a la Bill Withers. The lyrics can get a tad overwrought at times however the arrangements and grooves are always spot on. A very nice discovery. 4 stars
The most rocking album I've yet heard from the Twins and my favorite of theirs so far. Gorgeous vocals, ethreal guitars and synths and driving rhythms abound. It still has an eclectic quality but much more accessible than Treasure. 4.5 stars
Highly successful marriage of modern, western, techno-style rhytms with eastern melodies and instrumentation. Beautifulk music that I'm sure would reveal subtleties with each listen. First impression very favorable. 4 stars
What an album. Eclectic mix of jazz and indie guitar rock. My favorite Pavement album as it balances their noisy guitar blasts with their unique but accessible melodic genius. Some of the most interesting and satisfying music made in the 90s 5 stars
Not my jam. There are some good songs that have endured so that is something. 3 stars
Cool alternative dance album. 3.5 stars
Not a bad dance album just not really somrthing that gets me very excited. 2.5 stars
Noisy nu-metal with shoutng vocals. Not for me 2 stars
Bright literate songwriting. Nice contemporary pop music with catchy hooks, driving beats and clean clear production. 4 stars
A bit on the boring obvious side. Nothing really reaches out and grabs me. Just kinda standard pop fair from the 60s. 2.5 stars
Luscious and mellow bossa nova that goes down really easily. Almost ideal date music. A bottle of wine a crackling fire and a special someone to enjoy a deep connection with. I like this 4 stars
Some wonderful musicianship especially guitar playing. There are a few songs that I quite enjoyed but overall not xomething I would return to. 3 stars
Leaves me somewhat cold. If I want to listen to big band jazz I would stick to the giants of the genre. Doesn't reel me in. No denying the talent of the musicianship and the arrangements 3 stars
Not really for me 2 stars
Incredibele variety in sounds and styles, all rendered with a directness and an ear for pop melody that is unwavering. Unfortunately not all of it works for me and the well known songs are well known for a reason and the not so known songs are also unknown for a reason. However you have to admire the shear scope of this project, the depth of Rundgren's musical talent. 3.5 stars
Solid effort from MA just a notch below the classics Mezzanine and Blue Lines. 3.5 stars. A little plodding and slow in spots would be my main criticism.
A glorious mess of an album that always satisfies. Each new listen reveals new charms. However it ain't Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain nor Brighten The Corners so I can't give it 5. 4.5 stars
Meh. Uninspired (for me) rap / hip hop album. 2.5 stars
Hah...this is the first time I ever listened to Achtung Baby, hard to believe. Some good songs nothing transcendent. 3 stars
Oh I liked this a lot. Great baroque pop music and arrangements. Excellent sometimes hilarious lyrics. Voice sounds similar to Josh Ritter. A very nice find 4 stars
Baby's On Fire alone would be enough to earn this album a 4 star rating but throw in the fact that all the songs are at minimum interesting and some are brilliant and I am tempted to rate this at 5 but I will hold the 5 star rating for Another Green World when it appears. Here Come the Warm Jets = 4.5 stars
I don't really understand the Billy Bragg and Wilco parir up. Did they ever rcord at the same time? I don't think I ever hear Billy and Jeff singing together on the same song, except for the last song Unwelcome Guest which is an album hilight. Regardless this is a fine album with some absolutely gorgeous songs. The Woody Guthrie lyrics are beautiful and the arrangements are tight and always in service to the lyric. I enjoy the juxtaposition of Bragg's traditional folky sensibility and Tweedy's modern indie rock take. Not everything works but most of it is a home run. 4 stars
Not much more to be said about the iconic title track which, it could be argued, was the kick off of a whole new genre. It's rediculously self-indulgent, way too long and is one of the great stoner anthems of the 60s. The rest of the album keeps the fuzzy guitar psychedelic vibe going strong. Of course nothing else measures up to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and it's not like I'm going to ever listen to it again, so.....3.5 stars
I liked this way more than I was expecting. Some really solid songs and nowhere near as annoying as I thought it was going to be. 3.5 stars
I should listen to this album more often. It's really good but somehow keeps me at arms length. This time I'm adding it to my playlist. 3.5 stars
Very cool album. Some very good songs, but none of them have a stick in your mind quality which makes me downgrade it 1/2 a star. The opener, Seagull, is a very dramatic start. I am sure that more listens will reveal new subtleties and it may regain that 1/2 star. The question is will I listen more?For now.... 3.5
Beautiful with exceptionally crafted pop songs that sound fresh and nostalgic at the same time. Not quite to the level of Water Pistol which sounds more immediate. HMS Fable is a little more produced and ornate in its production. 4.5 stars
An interesting album for sure. Dramatic vocal stylings. Unique songs that fit her voice and style well. I especially liked The Case Continues and the opener Little Water Song. 3.5 stars
Totally new to me never even heard the Peter Gabriel produced more celebrated in the west collaboraton with Michael Brook. However despite my newbie status to this artist, I quite enjoyed this album. Found my self tapping my foot along with the music. Also found myself in awe of the vocal performance which is at times sunning. Ultimately it proved rather too long to digest in one sitting, a better choice might have been the more easily digestable Mustt Mustt still a nice discovery. 3.5 stars
My second favorite Dylan album. That's enough for a 5 star rating
I like Paper Planes - you know the Clash connection helps...a lot. The rest of the album mostly meh! Jimmy is a good song, 20 dollar with the Pixies lyric also caught my ear. Overall can't see giving more than 2.5 stars
musically very good, lyrically thoughtful if a little preachy at times (spoken word parts). A fine album in sum. 3.5 stars
Do I like this version of Kings of Leon better than the cowpunk, idie-Americana version of Youth and Young Manhood? I don't think so. Both have good songs but there's a looseness and lack of pretense with the earlier music that fits my aesthetic better. This is a review of this album and on this album they hit the mark on 3 or 4 tracks which is enough for me to give it 3.5 stars
Damn good electronic album most of the album is wonderful I especially like Das Model and Neonlicht. 4 stars
Punk pop at its finest. Almost a perfect album. docked a 1/2 star for the out of place cover of Down on the Boardwalk. 4.5 stars
A fine album with great songwriting - just not a style that I really appreciate. 3 stars
I am partial to this, Daniel Lanois produced portion of EHs career. Wrecking Ball is a favorite album of mine and Red Dirt Girl is now up there. The interesting thing is I have had this album in my library for 20 years and it got forgotten and even ignored. Well no more. Beautiful atmospheric production Lanois recognizable (bass) sound. Poignant songs and Emmylou's angelic voice. Three elements that make for a wonderful listening experience. 4 stars
I enjoyed this album. The opening instrumental was excellent and was a prelude to the fine playing displayed throughout. The Novella that was played out on what I guess was side 2 with the spoken word narration between the songs was enjoyuable and maybe would become even ,moreso if I followed along with the narrative. I understand why it has a great reputation. 4 stars