I think my rating for this is more like 4 and half stars. Soaring, moody, better than I remembered. I think this album suffers in comparison only to OK Computer, the later being a perfectly prescient concept record. The Bends feels more like a series of perfectly sad and compassionate singles from a band who's guitars screamed while Thom Yorke lullaby'd.
I can't be unbiased about this. Stevie's my favorite. I remember holding this vinyl as a kid. The 70s synths feel like spending a sunny day on another planet to me. Favorite tracks are Superstition, Blame It On The Sun, and I Believe.
Steven Tyler is very horny. It bums me out to think about how horny Steven Tyler is. He'd love to have sex in an elevator. And then there's a song about sexual abuse that also kind of feels like a party? Real weird. The hits from this album were annoying to me when they came out and they still are. I'll give it two stars because you could listen to this and feel like a kid with a teen mustache in 89 driving a trans am. That's a fun place to be for a few minutes, but no one should want to live there.
I love the first and last tracks on this album. Mr. Soul sounded maybe 30 years ahead of its time. Broken Arrow seems to be about a country in trouble and the pitfalls of the American Dream which feels relevant (maybe? I need to re-listen. Just felt like there was a lot of depth there). I love records that experiment with different genres but they can also be hit and miss. Some of the stuff didn't age that well (Good Time Boy) and there was one too many "birds as metaphors" lyrics. Still, lots of beautiful strings, harmonies and pretty moments throughout. Also I like Neil Young, so I was into pretty much all of his stuff.
Ska's not really my thing. I think this is the OG British ska band, but man did I have to force myself to listen to it.
I bought this when it came out because I loved Tennessee. I still have most of it memorized. I imagine it may sound corny or preachy to other people, but to me it sounds bravely spiritual, positive and pro-black. I love it and I think this album influenced my life in a positive way. The depth of samples on this record is sick. Speech may be the only MC ever who sounds happy (maybe MC Lyte?), and it's interesting to remember that you could have a bunch of dance tracks and still be a hip-hop record.
I'm not the biggest B.B. King fan, I'm not sure what it is. Feels a bit like a slightly dumbed down version of the blues or something. Still, this is a fun live record that for me feels like good background listening.
I happened to be driving through Arizona while listening to this album. Which was kind of interesting since it feels like an album for a rainy city day. Lot's of beautiful moments and melodies and it was cool to hear him do so much with a saxophone. I get a little bored with jazz, possibly because I'm not smart enough, but I liked it.
It's challenging my attention span to listen to a whole album, so I'm glad I'm doing this. Only heard the two singles from this one, real fun album. I like the the British blues thing when it's mixed with psychedelic and even a little Beatles or Kinks-sounding stuff. Fun record to travel through Kansas with. Added a nice trippy vibe.
Didn't listen to the whole record, so this may be an illegitimate review. Always found the Foo Fighters a bit overrated. Pleasing inoffensive pop-rock. Still feel about the same. Not really my thing.