User Albums Summary

This was fun in spots, and seems ahead of its time in 1985. Enough variety to keep it interesting.

The performances and recordings on this record are all pretty excellent, and the vibe is as sultry and cool as it wants to be. The issue is that's really all this record (group?) aspires to be. That's fine, and there's a place and time for this, but it never elevates because it never cares to.

I loved this. How have I not stumbled upon this band before? Got strong Monster Magnet vibes, a little less psychedelic/stoner, but similar attitude and sound. I'll be digging into their catalog — they've got lots of albums to choose from. A fantastic blend of aggression, riffs melodies, lyrical acuity, power, and don't-give-a-fuck. Right on.

In some instances, not understanding the spoken language of a music artist doesn't detract — and maybe even enhances — the experience. Not so here. The tunes and production weren't enough to reel me in, and without understanding the content, there was nothing keeping me around.

I'm realizing this crowdsourced version of the 1001 journey is going to be filled with picks where folks are trying to show off how diverse and cool they are, and in the process, we'll get some marginal selections to slog through. This was uninteresting. Sounded like ideas your stoned guitarist brings to rehearsal and you play along to appease.

Fuck off with this noise.

I'd argue the biggest misstep of the 1001 list is the exclusion of Heart. This album and Little Queen belong on the list. So yes! What a debut, what a voice, what a band, what an album. Beautiful songs, simple, crafty production. This is a seminal '70s band featuring one of the all-time great lead vocalists in rock and roll. Nancy's guitar playing, as well as Roger Fisher's, is excellent, and Michael DeRosier's drumming is under appreciated — he's awesome. No qualifiers, just a great album. Pretty when it wants to be, the hits hit hard, and Sing Child is one of those tracks that somehow slips under the radar but is freaking gold — love Ann's flute solo.

I think I'm really at a 3.5, but glad I discovered something new that I related to. Oddball compositions and instrumentation, something of an unconventional sound — I mean, not wildly so, but the group has etched its own thing. A couple of the tracks didn't quite match the best of the lot, but this was solid throughout and never got tired. I'd need more time and a listen to other releases to get a better feel for the group aesthetic — and I liked it enough that it just might happen.

This was a very enjoyable listen. Really liked the orchestrations and compositions, his vocal performances are spot on, vibe is great, inviting but not safe, consistently interesting. Nice one.

I love this record. I own it (CD!) and served it up for our own side listening project to our review group. It's one of those records that never gives the same experience twice — something new presents itself on every listen. The endless loop aside, the way the band borrows lyrics and melodies from other songs on the record makes for a self-referential soup that elevates the album experience with the manic unrestrained energy of a spaceship barreling down a highway. I give it a 5 star with a hell yeah. Nonagon infinity opens the door. By the way, WTF are they talking about?

OK, changing my mind a little — the user albums are skewing toward righteous. This was a sonic ocean I was happy to wade into. Never would have guessed Toulouse as home for these guys. Loved the blend of melody, noise, and flat-out rock. Maybe just a hair indulgent, which accounts for the point off. But really, this was a blast.

Props for musicality and musical arrangement. That's totally undermined by the actual recorded sounds. That can't be real piano, or drums, or horns, or an amp on the guitar — and if it is, it just sounds digital. Product of the times, maybe of accessibility, I don't know. But it detracts from the experience. And a little loungy at heart for me, but that's just a personal preference.

It's really not bad, but so hopelessly not my thing and the production is just too '80s awful to enjoy. 2 is harsh, but I had to bail, so it fits.

Everything sounds pristine, well-produced, and tuneful, and it starts off sounding fresh and interesting and then, midway, my ears glaze over and it might as well all be the same song. There's a missing spark.

I'm feeling too good about yesterday's election to make myself deal with this noisy mess.

From the outset, the jazz, R&B, hip hop stilt was like knocking my head against a wall ... would it break through and take me somewhere wonderful or be a continuous exercise in beating my head bloody? B.

Why would you introduce a human element — a voice — to strip it of all its human qualities? For one song? OK. As a recurring character in a larger musical story? I guess. As the overarching aesthetic? I just didn't like it. Actively. Even a little. The literal sound of the vocal. I would have preferred a synth or a string. Or a car horn. I spent the first half of the album grappling with this thought and then just stopped listening to give myself a break to enjoy the sounds floating in through my window. I'll take the latter every single time.