Such an eccentric album, very much like prime Peter Gabriel but... Bowified. Deep and dark, pleading, beseeching, sorrowful and sad. An edge not alien to Bowie's style, but slightly rougher and less carefully selected, more from the gut. Fearful. Magnificent.
Is there a better morning soundtrack than literally ANY Nick Drake album? On his debut - what a debut! - Drake unveils his talent of fast plucking strings to weave a picnic blanket over which he places lyrical sandwiches and pies of a most rustic quality. The arranging influence of Richard Thompson shines through Drake's green folklore, making for a piece of art that is timeless as a cloudy English sky.
Good album obviously and the source of some of the most recognizable Paul Simon songs in existence, but I think it gets dragged just a little bit by its use of tymphonic 80s drums. Can't really BLAME it for that, but it is an element I don't love. Need to revisit.
There is so much sparsity in this stripped-down ripper of an album, and yet it feels completely full. This is a testament to the passion and prowess of Jack White who throws all of himself into every song he performs. Hits aside, the quality of each track on this album from a lyrical, rock-n-roll standpoint is elite - there are no fillers. I defy you to complain when the needle touches down on this record.
I have to be honest - funk isn't my thing; I don't know why, it just isn't. That said, Maggot Brain's gritty blues production quality and experimentalism won me over from the start. Listening to it makes me feel the same way that watching Evil Dead 2 makes me feel - just a dirty good time. With Eddie Hazel tearing off lead guitar riffs, it's almost like The Mothers with a message, and I'm actually now wondering if Zappa didn't try to replicate the Funkadelic sound with Napoleon Murphy Brock as Clinton and himself as Hazel. Really great album - a wonderful surprise.
What can I say about this album? It is unique. As a Mr. Bungle fan, I love the fresh take Mike Patton brings to the table. There just wasn't another band doing all the things that Faith No More was doing on this album. The album oscillates from wispy Dream Theater prog to irreverent Gwar metal to west coast Beastie Boys hip-hop punk. It was ahead of its time, bending genres and setting the bar for what could be done. That said, it's not for me personally. If you're going to go weird, go all the way like Bungle did - I just can't get a firm handle on what this album is trying to do or say. Maybe it does TOO much.
This album is so damn 60s. It's got that Mamas & Papas chord picking folk sound mixed with that Rolling Stones distorted blues vibes all rolled up into a frantic cyclonic trip.
It's not... bad. It's just not for me.
In the past, I've tried to get into Nick Cave and could not. I am delighted(?) to report that I am now world-weary and sad enough to really have enjoyed this album! The religious imagery poured out in the dreary drawl of Cave's voice makes for a collection of songs that feel important - sacred even.
Despite the sickly sweetness of a lot of Dolly's ballads and memoir songs including the title track, this album stretches into all the spaces the genre has to offer. 'Traveling Man' is Nancy Sinatra-style country punk, 'My Blue Tears' has that high lonesome bluegrass style, with harmonies and simple melody, and 'If I Lose My Mind' is classic Nashville country. It sort of tapers off toward the end in my opinion, but the first half is top-notch and as a piece it holds up very well.
Yeah ok. I get it. The Pretenders are awesome. They rock, they're funny, they're hard, they get it. Chrissy Hynde is a gem.
This is some awesome ass work music. Where did this album come from? I've never heard it or heard OF it. It does a really admirable job of getting into a groove and then pressing it along like a rolling boulder, which is honestly its major charm in my opinion. It takes a lot of the prog rock methodology and puts it in an alt/pop/post-new wave format. 1992? I'm impressed!
