Classic/Blues Rock: Bayou Country. Fogerty’s voice carries a deep raspy grit that matches the title, you know what you’re going to get. While listening to “Graveyard Train”, I can’t help but feel that I would rather get my rocks off on some Morrison jams, the pacing flows like pouring cement, steady and predictable. Fantastic cover of “Good Golly Miss Molly”, possibly one of my favorite covers of this song. The reason to come back to this record is the classic song “Proud Mary”, it has the catchiness that is needed from the record and is the best constructed song on the album next to the starting track “Born On The Bayou”. Overall, with such a short record, it leaves me either wanting more or something else entirely.
The debut album of Le Tigre has a definitive sound with essences of; grunge Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 80s pop, with 60s fashion and feels like the start of something bigger. The starting track “Deceptacon” has the quirkiness of The Bangles and with synth driving grunge beats. The album has highlight tracks that keep me coming back; “The The Empty”, “Eau D’ Bedroom Dancing”, “Les and Ray”. With many highlights there are a few slight misses. The album has concept pieces and some work better than others, “Phanta” the beat needs more of an evolution and becomes stagnant, where as “Slideshow At Free University” is a spoken word concept piece but feels rounded and formed. There are 90s essences for sure in this record that can be heard in “Dude Yr So Crazy” and “Friendship Station” with beats and over vocals. Overall: This record has some 5/5 songs and leads to an overall score of 4.5/5 stars. Great record.
Rock chord progressions with country flair, sums up the debut of The Black Crows. There are hints of blues and early rockabilly vibes with “Thick N Thin”, but most of the record carries 80s power glam with vocal backup and chord rock structure. The first song to catch my interest was “Sister Luck”, the vocals were cleaner with less grit, smooth piano leads and lends itself favor to the 90s rock ballads. Songs that stand out are the smoother jams such as, “Seeing Things” with its organ fills and blues licks. This album sets the tone for alternative bands in the 90s with a gruff male singer but still carries the left over residue of the 80s jam and glam. Overall: After years of many records like this, the debut gets lost in the shuffle. 2/5
Fun record with punk lyrics and heavy metal drive. There’s something to be said about these tasty licks, fun on a first listen but wouldn’t warrant me back for multiple listens. Feels like a great skateboarding weekend adventure music and I could see album being a staple in a lot of peoples collections. Overall: Fun, goofy, punk. 3 stars.
Not too many people or really anyone, can carry the desperation, longing, and hopefulness that Morrissey provides with his solo debut. Something about these bossanova beats and his crooning voice creates a melancholy dance and makes me yearn for unrequited teenage love and regret. Even though these heavier feelings emerge, I still am filled with happiness as the album makes it seem possible to go back to the past with new enlightenment and say things you never could’ve said then. Overall: fantastic record and the first 5/5 so far. Instant buy and a mark in the collection.
For a band that wants to surpass The Beatles, they surely miss the mark on short, concise songs. They’re clearly heavily inspired by The Beatles buy taking the sign off melody to “With A Little Help From My Friends” and forcing it for their sign off on “She’s Electric”. This record hold most, if not all of Oasis’s hits and it’s deserved as there are good radio tunes on This record. The biggest downfall of this record and Oasis in general is carrying on a song for far too long. Nearly every song on this record should end at the 3/4 mark. I found myself digging the songs and having the natural conclusion and “fill” of the song just to look at the song duration and find that there’s still a minute to go. Oasis forces every song to be a radio hit by repeating the chorus line until you’re done with the song and it kills it’s replay value. If the songs were shorting and leaving you wanting more, I could see myself wanting to listen to the song, but left me wanting the song to be over with the repetitive “driving me to like it” repetition. “Hey Now” does a great job and being a punchy highlight, but still would be better with shaving off the last chorus repeat. Overall: there’s some good songs on this record. Catchy tunes and for sure hits, but forcing every song to end the same way with repetition doesn’t make me want to come back any time soon. 3.4/5 stars
