From reading through the reviews, I can tell this is either a love or hate album and I kinda get it. A lot of psychedelic music that was coming out in the 60’s was just… terrible and I think this album treads the line between atrocious and genius a bit too well. You can tell they were high af making this. A lot of the lyrics and sounds feel like they could have come from a child’s imagination. Which, to me, is not a bad thing, it brings a more wholesome and almost innocent tone to the tracks. Another thing that I’ve found with 60’s psychedelic music is the pretentiousness and seriousness of it all. This album doesn’t take itself seriously which I think helps make a more positive listening experience. In all of the weirdness and experimentation, you can tell the band members are all very talented at what they do. The backing instrumentals never feel messy (although I think the variety and layers of instrumentals would put some people off) and the lead singer actually has a lovely voice. I liked the use of harmonies with the backing vocals. I actually really liked it and it was an enjoyable listening experience. Fave track: The Minotaur’s Song Least fave track: Three is a Green Clown (Bonus points for being a homegrown Scottish band)

Kate Bush is able to pave a whimsically emotional journey for the listener. Her haunting voice, the complex poetic songwriting, the dreamlike synths and romantic piano transports you to the depths of a different world. Bush’s lyrics are spilling over with feeling and she has a natural ability to paint vivid dreamscapes with her words. Every track feels so full with expression and experimentation yet never feel crowded or too jarring. You can tell a lot of artists have drawn inspiration from her, from then and til today, and specifically her contribution to the 80’s goth and darkwave scene is definitely felt on Hounds of Love. Top tracks: Running Up That Hill/Cloudbusting Least favourite track: Watching You Without Me

Not my favourite Dylan album but that doesn’t take away from the fact he’s a music heavyweight.

Solid indie album but nothing there that I would listen again to.

Angel and Let Me Entertain You are iconic songs but the whole album is just a mediocre example of 90’s Brit pop. A lot of Robbie William songs are total misses.

Listening to a bunch of RHCP songs back to back made me wonder if it wasn’t for Flea how long they would have been relevant or if they would even be relevant in the first place. The songwriting abilities of the members are…lacking and Antony doesn’t have that great a voice, although I appreciate him trying out a lot of different styles. The distinctive groove of Flea’s bass is really the only great thing about RHCP. He clearly has a lot of funk and disco influences and his skill never fails to shine through. Overall, a listenable album but I don’t think it really holds up that well in comparison to the albums of rock giants they were up against at the time (if I want to hear rapping over a groove baseline then I’ll listen to RATM) Best tracks: Californication/Scar Tissue Worst tracks: Road Trippin’/Get On Top (Also points deducted for Antony being a nonce)

Kate Bush is able to pave a whimsically emotional journey for the listener. Her haunting voice, the complex poetic songwriting, the dreamlike synths and romantic piano transports you to the depths of a different world. Bush’s lyrics are spilling over with feeling and she has a natural ability to paint vivid dreamscapes with her words. Every track feels so full with expression and experimentation yet never feel crowded or too jarring. You can tell a lot of artists have drawn inspiration from her, from then and til today, and specifically her contribution to the 80’s goth and darkwave scene is definitely felt on Hounds of Love. Top tracks: Running Up That Hill/Cloudbusting Least favourite track: Watching You Without Me

I understand that hip hop during this time was still in its infancy and continued to pay homage to the disc jockeys that pioneered the genre and Arrested Development does a great job of keeping that authentic sound. Unfortunately, due to how far hip hop has progressed in the last 20 years, this album can often feel dated. Lyrically, it deals with a lot of issues that the black working class dealt with (and still do) and while I appreciate the more positive attitude, the messages become more watered down and feel simplified to appeal to a wider (more white) audience. Not a fault on Arrested Development’s part, more a criticism towards a culture that punishes the oppressed for being angry about their oppression. Because of this issue, the lyrics can come across a bit cheesy. Overall I think the album is good example of classic hip hop had some good beats on it. Fave track: Give a Man a Fish Worst track: Natural

From reading through the reviews, I can tell this is either a love or hate album and I kinda get it. A lot of psychedelic music that was coming out in the 60’s was just… terrible and I think this album treads the line between atrocious and genius a bit too well. You can tell they were high af making this. A lot of the lyrics and sounds feel like they could have come from a child’s imagination. Which, to me, is not a bad thing, it brings a more wholesome and almost innocent tone to the tracks. Another thing that I’ve found with 60’s psychedelic music is the pretentiousness and seriousness of it all. This album doesn’t take itself seriously which I think helps make a more positive listening experience. In all of the weirdness and experimentation, you can tell the band members are all very talented at what they do. The backing instrumentals never feel messy (although I think the variety and layers of instrumentals would put some people off) and the lead singer actually has a lovely voice. I liked the use of harmonies with the backing vocals. I actually really liked it and it was an enjoyable listening experience. Fave track: The Minotaur’s Song Least fave track: Three is a Green Clown (Bonus points for being a homegrown Scottish band)

The skeleton of the unmistakable sound of Gorillaz is there but not fully realised. Personally, I think Plastic Beach is the best example of their musical ingenuity and I think they really shine when they collaborate with other artists, a thing which is lacking in their debut album (compared to their other albums). Something which I’ve always appreciated Gorillaz for is their willingness to experiment with sounds and there is a nice variety here. Overall, not their best work but it’s definitely not bad either. Fave tracks: Clint Eastwood/19-2000 Leave fave track: Sound Check (Gravity)

Why is a 2 hour long live album on the list…?

Wasn’t really a surprise when I looked at the Eagles wiki page and discovered the band originated from Los Angeles. The music they make is what I like to call Corporate Country, totally divorced from its original working class and black roots and we end up getting songs like Chug All Night. I don’t even wanna talk about that song, it was such a cringefest and sadly a vision of what mainstream country would become. The album doesn’t help itself by having the two best tracks first. It all goes downhill after Witchy Woman. The lyrics are pretty surface level. There’s a lot of lyrics pertaining to loving a woman but they way it’s written doesn’t come across as a genuine emotion. Rather that they’ve written about loving a woman because they think it will sell well. It takes the aesthetic of country and wears it like a poorly fitted costume. Best tracks: Take It Easy/Witchy Woman Worst Tracks: Chug All Night