View Album
Tue Sep 06 2022
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Really solid album front to back, with a run of constant great songs - and then some absolute bangers sprinkled in on top.
4
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Wed Sep 07 2022
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
I quite liked the vibe and attitude, but it's not really for me, or an album I'd revisit.
3
View Album
Thu Sep 08 2022
Abbey Road
Beatles
It's really good. I don't think it's my go-to Beatles album, but lots of great songs on there.
4
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Fri Sep 09 2022
evermore
Taylor Swift
Quite a soft, delicate album. The songs are all quite nice, but there's very few standout tracks to me, it all kind of sits in the background a bit and feels a bit samey for the most part. No body, no crime is a good track and worth revisiting.
3
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Mon Sep 12 2022
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
This can't be a coincidence getting this album to listen to today of all days. Madness.
Anyway it's a really solid album with some great tunes in there, Bigmouth Strikes Again and There is a Light being particular highlights, along with The Queen is Dead itself.
The main problem with this album comes outside of the album itself, as Morrissey is such a rampaging bellend these days it's hard not to be put off at least a little bit listening to it. And I know he's a massive anti-royalist, but the Queen was brilliant and an amazing public servant, so there.
3
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Tue Sep 13 2022
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Not for me. I'm not really a fan of any of this, there's just nothing grabbing me at all. Oliver's Army is pretty good, but that's about it.
2
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Wed Sep 14 2022
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
I do like a bunch of Black Sabbath songs. I think I appreciate this album more than I like it though. There's some really nice rhythmic stuff going on here, some great guitar work, and so on. It's just not maaaassively my jam.
3
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Thu Sep 15 2022
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
Not a country fan at all. 1/5
1
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Fri Sep 16 2022
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
It's safe to say this isn't what I was expecting from this album at all. It's not my thing, and I have a major aversion to Phil Collins usually, but I do really dig parts of this album. There's some good jamming and guitars on firth of fifth in particular. Elsewhere it's pretty damn weird, which I was surprised by and kind of respect in a way, but ultimately it is still just weird and I'm not that into it.
2
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Mon Sep 19 2022
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
I like it, it's nowhere near as heavy as I thought it would be at all, but it's still got some fantastic guitars in there, and it's also quite melodic. I'll certainly check out some more Alice Cooper beyond this (and the other big hitters I know).
3
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Tue Sep 20 2022
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Quite easy going, it'd make for good background music at times but that's about it.
3
View Album
Wed Sep 21 2022
...And Justice For All
Metallica
I like it - I couldn't listen to it for too long in one sitting, especially as the songs are all quite long, but it's hard rocking, and some good riffs in there.
3
View Album
Thu Sep 22 2022
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
I like the vibe of this. Some good driving beats, and I like the violins.
3
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Fri Sep 23 2022
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
I'm not a fan, it all sounds a bit one-note and not drawing me in at all. I'm not liking the vocals, lots of shrieking and it's just too much.
2
View Album
Mon Sep 26 2022
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
I'm glad this project is helping me to really expand my horizons... I'll be honest, I thought the first track was not great and really put me off... but later on it's very listenable and I had a good time with it. I'm still not a jazz man so I'm never going to rate this too highly, but maybe I appreciate it a little bit more now.
3
View Album
Tue Sep 27 2022
My Generation
The Who
There's some great tunes on here. A really nice, chilled record, but it also has some decent driving rock n roll.
4
View Album
Wed Sep 28 2022
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
Really great - the Stones have got such a great sound, and some real tunes.
4
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Thu Sep 29 2022
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
The best Led-Zep album. Stone-cold classic.
5
View Album
Fri Sep 30 2022
The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
I'm struggling with this one - I don't like his voice at all, and it's all just a bit weird and floaty and weak.
2
View Album
Mon Oct 03 2022
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
It's a nice easy listen, but I'm not really invested in it. I found it a bit much after about 6-7 songs. If I were watching them play in a Havana club while sipping a rum cocktail then this would be 5/5.
2
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Tue Oct 04 2022
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
I like it, some solid synth tunes.
3
View Album
Wed Oct 05 2022
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
This isn't my kind of thing in general... but it's not too bad. Some nice beats in there.
2
View Album
Thu Oct 06 2022
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Nice melodic tunes, but it's not grabbing me.
2
View Album
Fri Oct 07 2022
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
Banger.
4
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Mon Oct 10 2022
Station To Station
David Bowie
Quite short this one, but some really great songs on there. I love love love love love Wild is the Wind, I genuinely think it might be my favourite Bowie song ever. I know it's a cover, but he sings it with so much pain and soul and it's JUST sublime.
4
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Tue Oct 11 2022
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
I like the vibe of this. I've heard other stuff from her and not got on-board, but this has got a nice energy to it, and a really interesting sound.
3
View Album
Wed Oct 12 2022
Gris Gris
Dr. John
3
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Thu Oct 13 2022
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
Not into this, it's just a bit weird and not connecting with me in any way, musically or lyrically.
2
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Fri Oct 14 2022
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
I much prefer their darker, moodier stuff (like Mezzanine) but this is still a really good album. Lots of good tracks and generally very solid throughout.
4
View Album
Mon Oct 17 2022
Stardust
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson!? Ugh... this is going to be a chore.
*2 seconds in* - Ok, damn, those are some smooooth vocals. Yeah. Ok, I really like this.
I'm not convinced by the entire album, but there's some really lovely tracks in here.
4
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Tue Oct 18 2022
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
It's ok - It covers quite a few styles and moods, but most of it I'm not that into beyond general background music. Some tracks I really dig and are definitely my kind of thing (like Midnight in a Perfect World) but I wouldn't revisit the album beyond that.
3
View Album
Wed Oct 19 2022
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
Not bad. I started off really into it, but it seemed to slow way down as it got into it, and my interest dropped off a bit. Some nice tracks in here though.
3
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Thu Oct 20 2022
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
It's got a nice vibe to it, this. It's hardly deep, and a little bit one-note at times, but it's an easy listen.
3
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Fri Oct 21 2022
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
Yeah man, love a bit of Stevie Wonder. Never heard this album before, but some great tracks on here. Really nice funky soulful grooves.
4
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Mon Oct 24 2022
The Joshua Tree
U2
I'm not really a fan of U2... A lot of this just doesn't do anything for me. I like some of the moodier bits and some of the soundscapes on songs like 'bullet the blue sky', but the rest just doesn't hit for me.
2
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Tue Oct 25 2022
Elephant
The White Stripes
I love the driving guitars on this. Jack White has such a distinctive tone and style.
4
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Wed Oct 26 2022
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
Very middle of the road, gentle, folky rock n roll. It's very dull. It's not for me.
2
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Thu Oct 27 2022
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Ugh, I hate this. I like a guitar, but this is just grating and an assault on the ears. Production is terrible. They sound reeeeally amateur, like they're a teen band who haven't learnt how to play with each-other properly yet. Why the fuck does the lead guitar keep cutting in and warbling in a different tempo and style to the rest of it? This is the kind of thing I'd expect to see in a comedy film or parody - a lead character in a band who thinks they're good and are tearing it up, but the reality is they're shit and the audience are laughing at them. This is the first album to make me properly angry. Fuck this noise. I'm not a fan at all, and neither is my tinnitus.
1/5
1
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Fri Oct 28 2022
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
I really like Arcade Fire's earlier albums, and my interest fell off a bit beyond those. However there's some good songs in here. It does feel over-long though, with a bit of sag in the middle. I really love Sprawl II. Seeing that song in particular live at Glastonbury - there was actual magic and electricity in the air and it always takes me back to that moment.
3
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Mon Oct 31 2022
The Cars
The Cars
I really like this. I'd heard some of these guys before but never really invested beyond a few songs, but there's plenty of catchy songs in here and it's overall a really good listen. The whole presentation is great, I love the cover too.
4
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Tue Nov 01 2022
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
I like the big sound of a lot of this, but I'm not connecting with it on a deeper level. I've never been able to 'crack' Pink Floyd beyond a few songs - I guess they're just not entirely for me.
3
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Wed Nov 02 2022
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
It's not really my vibe, and it was a bit much in one listen, but I can appreciate it. It's got a gentle funky vibe, and damn has he got some smoooth vocals! I think I'd appreciate it more in smaller doses. 3
3
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Thu Nov 03 2022
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
I just can't seem to get into Pink Floyd. I honestly don't get it. A lot of people approach this album with sheer reverence, but it seems to me that there's plenty of random filler and blase songs in here, along with random weirdness. I like some of the instrumental stuff. The Great Gig in the Sky is good. Please stop giving me prog rock.
2
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Fri Nov 04 2022
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
I knew essentially nothing about Neil Young, so I'm glad this has enabled me to actually give him a listen. I really like the vibe of this. It's a nice gentle listen, but it's really good musically, and there's plenty of stand-out songs.
4
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Mon Nov 07 2022
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
I like this, it's a really good moody mix. I guess it's just as well it's not too long, because it is a bit hard-going in one sitting, especially the bits where he's singing with a kind of mania. I love the first track in particular. What a voice.
3
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Tue Nov 08 2022
Low
David Bowie
It's fine. I do like a lot of David Bowie, but this one isn't hitting for me. I think I appreciate the fact that he did a weird musical half more than I like the weird musical half.
3
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Wed Nov 09 2022
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
I only listened to the first half, as it wasn't really my thing. However, this is definitely better than I was expecting. I like the ambition of the thing, and it's way more thoughtful than I was expecting. Ultimately though, this isn't my jam and I don't connect to it.
2
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Thu Nov 10 2022
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
After seeing the cover I was expecting a radical being from an alternate future to come and take me on a most triumphant voyage through hyperspace. While it didn't quite reach those dizzying highs, I did have a really good head bop and foot tap while he played an array of synthesizers at me. I spent some time in his company. We nodded knowingly at each other during particularly rad beats. We drank way too much sonic-Pepsi. We had fun together.
4
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Fri Nov 11 2022
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
It's a nice listen, and musically pretty interesting. I'm glad I gave it more than one listen, because it's definitely grown on me a lot more with repeat listens. I've now upgraded this from a 3 to a 4 because I really like a lot of what they're doing here.
4
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Mon Nov 14 2022
Young Americans
David Bowie
This is on the lower-end of Bowie for me. Not really my jam. It's alright. His cover of Across the Universe is terrible. It feels at complete odds with the content of the song. Go to Fiona Apple for a beautiful cover of it.
2
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Tue Nov 15 2022
Kid A
Radiohead
I love this album, but I am sympathetic to the people who really don't get on with this, particularly if they enjoyed earlier Radiohead. I think the whole 'Radiohead disappearing up their own arse' thing is valid, and there's some tracks on here that definitely come off as pretentious. On the whole though I think this is a big, bold and beautiful album. It definitely requires a few listens I think, and it deserves to be listened to as loud as possible. Some of the tracks on here and truly transportive. Songs like 'How to Disappear Completely' just wash right over you in their melancholic majesty, while other tracks like Optimistic and Idioteque really drive on with some real thrust. There's so many dark, broody, interesting tracks in here, and I think it was a really interesting direction for them to take as a band. It definitely paid off.
5
View Album
Wed Nov 16 2022
All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
I didn't realise, but this is a proper old-skool sound. Some quite funky beats in here, and some properly weird bits. It sounds very dated which goes against it a lot, but I'm more on-board with this than I thought I would be. It's still way too much though, I gave up after 8 tracks. In small doses... it's alright.
2
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Thu Nov 17 2022
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
It's a well put together album, and it's got a lot to it, lots of different vibes and styles, and some interesting things going on - that gives it an extra star, as I don't like it at all.
2
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Fri Nov 18 2022
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
I don't like reggae, so..... a few stars to show appreciation for the musicianship.
Ps: JAMMINGG
2
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Mon Nov 21 2022
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
A lot of this I quite like, nice easy listening, good jams etc. Especially towards the end, they really go for it. But then there's plenty of smug, masturbatory musical interludes that are annoying and soooo long, and do absolutely nothing. Imagine seeing them in concert and a third of the gig is them just them wanking each-other off on stage.
3
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Tue Nov 22 2022
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
Although it's an album I doubt I'd ever come back to in its entirety, I do quite dig this. Lots of great guitars and driving rhythms, alongside some solid bluesy rock.
3
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Wed Nov 23 2022
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
I like a bunch of their songs from other albums, but this one is kind of boring.
2
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Thu Nov 24 2022
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
Ugh, I really love this. It definitely helps to listen to this as an album in its entirety. Turn the sound way up and let the whole thing wash over you in its sublime majesty. The whole album is solid, with big melancholic soundscapes throughout, and flashes of searing beauty (notably with songs like Starálfur). The long tracks go by so quickly.
I love everything about this. The album art, the concept, everything.
5
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Fri Nov 25 2022
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
You know a band are really on top of their game when a whole bunch of live acoustic versions sound better than the originals. I'd say that's true of 'About a Girl', but definitely 'All Apologies' which to me is the definitive version. Chuck in some absolutely brilliant covers, and you have one of the best live albums ever. I love how it's a celebration of lesser-known songs, and they play so well.
There's so much feeling in a lot of these songs. 'Where did you sleep last night' is utterly mesmerising and imbued with so much pain and emotion. It's like his very soul has been laid bare.
5
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Mon Nov 28 2022
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
It's mostly low-key and nice and inoffensive. It doesn't get me going.
2
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Tue Nov 29 2022
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
I'm not really loving it, as it's not my groove, but I am loving the passion and the energy. It sounds like it would have been a grand old time.
3
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Wed Nov 30 2022
All Directions
The Temptations
It's not my thing.
2
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Thu Dec 01 2022
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
I like this, it's got a good atmosphere and some really interesting songs. Quite dark and broody in places. Plenty of cool synth too.
3
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Fri Dec 02 2022
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
I find it weird that so many people classify this as grunge or even part of the grunge movement. I think what the Pumpkins were doing here was so much more interesting and varied than a lot of their contemporaries in that space. Sonically, it's so good. You have deep, fat, layered guitars that smack you around the face (notably on tracks like Hummer and Mayonaise). The ridiculous amount of tracks mixed in give it such a robust, unique sound, with layers and layers and layers of guitars and noise. Jimmy Chamberlain is pummelling his drums like he hates them, and Billy is laying down some mad, squealing guitar solos on top. When this rocks, it really rocks hard, with a real depth and force to it.
But then you have some beautiful and tender ballads thrown in, utilising violins, bells and all sorts, and some truly iconic songs sitting in there like Disarm. Lyrically there's so much to love here too. There's a lot of raw feeling, vulnerability and honesty. Billy really chucked himself out there, and the songs benefit from it. I get that a lot of people don't get on with his voice, but personally I love weird, interesting singers and it really works for me.
There's so many different levels and riffs and interesting details running through this whole album. I just don't think other bands of the era had anywhere near this level of range.
This is an absolutely superb, iconic album.
5
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Mon Dec 05 2022
Vivid
Living Colour
Eh. It feels dated. And bland. And inoffensive. I'm not sensing any stand-out tracks throughout.
Metal / Hard Rock.... eh?? Who's picking these classifications? Is this what passed for hard rock in the 80's? I feel like this is the kind of thing you put on at an American prom to get the kids to have a bit of a boogie. Mr. Strickland is roaming the floor making sure there's no inappropriate touching, and keeping an eye on the fruit punch so it's not getting spiked.
2
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Tue Dec 06 2022
Technique
New Order
Quite nice. There's some nice melodies in there. Nice.
3
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Wed Dec 07 2022
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
There's some nice smooth, soulful tunes in here, along with some real funky jams and big hits. I really like the funky psychedelic space guitars.
4
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Thu Dec 08 2022
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
I like a lot of this. I'd never heard of this band before so this is a genuine little hidden gem. They have a lot of elements from similar 60's bands, like the jangly guitars, bluesy riffs and vocals... some surf in there. It's kind of the Doors meet the Rolling Stones, with a bit of Dick Dale thrown in, or sitting somewhere in that space. The jug was pretty interesting at first, but jeez do they use a lot of it! It would have been better used sparingly I think. Still.... Groovy!
As a side note, the first song was SO familiar and I knew I'd heard it in a film I knew well - turns out it's the start of High Fidelity, apt!
4
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Fri Dec 09 2022
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
It is the distant future. The year TWO THOUSAND.
Jean Michell Jarre has invited you to a strange alien landscape. He invites you to sit awhile, while strange noises and themes come at you. They come slowly, and deliberately, allowing you to explore them at your leisure. There's probably some weird alien fauna surrounding you. It's blue, and the sky is yellow, and there's a strange alien breeze whisping about your feet and running over your toes. Somewhere you hear a distant shore.
You're calm and laid back, exploring this world in no real hurry. JMJ is taking his time. He's exploring the space himself, just like you. A look of serenity is on his face. He looks over at you and nods approvingly. Am I in a dream right now? Am I dead? Why am I surrounded by purple clouds? Have we transcended into another spiritual realm?
No. It's all over now. That was interesting, and I've enjoyed this moment in time.
3
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Mon Dec 12 2022
Different Class
Pulp
I've always been a fan of Pulp, but rarely ventured into their albums as a whole. Clearly, I'm an idiot. This album is brilliant, and plays so well front to back, especially as so many of the songs tie into one whole, throwing up themes of class, resentment, and general depravity. I love the cover with this in mind. I also didn't realise how brilliant the lyrics were on some of these songs. Kicking off right away with Mis-shapes, it's superb, and really pointed.
Jarvis Cocker is such a brilliant front-man. I really wish I were rich enough to hire him to just follow me around and read things for me in his overtly sexual perv-voice. Imagine him listing off a recipe while you cook.. "Add in two grams of... salted butter... and stir... vigorously... while you ladle over... ladle over the beef dripping, and STIR"
So many big, sing-along classics here. And even if you didn't have the rest, this album has Common People on.... I mean come on... it's an absolute stone-cold classic. What a song.
It's a big five from me.
5
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Tue Dec 13 2022
Heroes
David Bowie
There's some quite engaging and upbeat tracks in here, compared to some of this other stuff. The musical tracks feel pretentious and I'm not into them.
3
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Wed Dec 14 2022
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
It's very nice.
3
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Thu Dec 15 2022
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
I quite like the jams they're kicking out here.
3
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Fri Dec 16 2022
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
What a character! What a presence! What funky jams! What soulful ballads!
4
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Mon Dec 19 2022
Woodface
Crowded House
Bit of a mixed bag. It starts off really bad. It's just a bit boring, and the lyrics are terrible. But there's some nice songs in here like Fall at Your Feet and Four Seasons in One Day, and Weather With You is a good tune too. Overall, it's just a bit mediocre / soft / middle of the road I think.
3
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Tue Dec 20 2022
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
It started off ok, and it has a few songs in there that stand out a bit, but I don't really like his vocals, and plenty of the album just comes across as a bit soft and wanky.
2
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Wed Dec 21 2022
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
He's got a great voice, and it's got some nice smooth songs in there. It all blends into one a bit though with some very samey songs, and it's just all so slow and sad.
2
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Thu Dec 22 2022
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
I don't like country, and I'll never listen to this again, but it was easy enough to have on in the background.
2
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Fri Dec 23 2022
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
I don't like country. I'm sure it's a fine example of the genre, but that genre is awful.
1
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Mon Dec 26 2022
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Some great songs on here, I'll definitely make sure this album works its way into the Christmas rotation.
4
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Tue Dec 27 2022
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
I think this is probably the last great Muse album for me. From here they did some good songs still, but the band as it exists now is so far removed from the one I was really into.
This album though is solid front to back. I really, really like the fact that they're unafraid of going as big as possible. Massive sounds, big riffs, interesting instrumentation and lots of fist pumping stadium bangers, highlighted best with the ridiculously epic Knights of Cydonia.
5
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Wed Dec 28 2022
Rubber Soul
Beatles
It's a great album with some real stand-out all-time songs. In My Life is possibly my favourite Beatles song. The content and lyricism is just superb. Deceptively simple, but so expressive and effective.
4
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Thu Dec 29 2022
Skylarking
XTC
I don't like it, it's really annoying.
2
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Fri Dec 30 2022
Garbage
Garbage
I really love the sound of Garbage. I'm sure a lot of that is down to the fact that a lot of the band are music production nerds and have carried it across to the band. The guitars are droney and interesting, and I really love the big sound they generate. Then you have a bit of trip-hop flavour seeping in there, and Shirley's vocals on top.
I like the album as a whole, but there's some real stand-out tracks in here. I particularly love both Queer and Milk. Great stuff.
4
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Mon Jan 02 2023
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
This album is an absolute banger. I'd only really listened to Jailbreak before, but I'm definitely checking out more Thin Lizzy albums now. So many big, big tunes in here. Massacre is fucking great! Jailbreak is a tune! Emerald is utterly badass!
All the guitars are awesome. The squealing guitar solos are SO my jam. Phil Lynott's vocals are iconic.
Do I want it to lose a star for not being fully live...? No, I enjoyed it way too much for that.
A great discovery, this.
5
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Tue Jan 03 2023
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
I'm not a fan. There's a few interesting tracks in there, and some others that sit in the 'not bad' category, but there's also a lot that are just very noisy and screechy.
2
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Wed Jan 04 2023
Phrenology
The Roots
I'm not really a fan of most hip hop, and that's still the same here, but there are some good tracks. I like the more upbeat tracks like 'Thought @ Work' which has some old-skool funky beats in it, 'The Seed (2.0)' and 'Rhymes and Ammo'. There's some interesting variation across the board.
3
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Thu Jan 05 2023
Destroyer
KISS
I like some of their bigger, bombastic hits, but a lot of this isn't hitting for me. It's alright. I was quite surprised at some of the slower, piano-based songs, so at least there's that. 2.5 / 5
2
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Fri Jan 06 2023
Clandestino
Manu Chao
Ehh... it's ok. It doesn't move me in any way though.
2
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Mon Jan 09 2023
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
I do appreciate the opportunity to go through Bowie's albums as a whole, because you get a much better understanding oh his back catalogue and get to stumble across some hidden gems beyond the greatest hits. This album has got some nice tunes in, and is way more consistent than some of his other albums.
Life on Mars remains an absolute classic and is the stand-out, with Queen Bitch coming in a close second.
3.5 / 5 rounded down
3
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Tue Jan 10 2023
Debut
Björk
I like a lot about this. It's quite a bold debut, pulling together lots of different elements. I already knew there were some good songs on here, like Human Behaviour, Big Time Sensuality, and definitely Play Dead, but there's a lot of other good songs on here too. I really like 'There Is More to Life Than This' and 'Come to Me' too.
4
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Wed Jan 11 2023
C'est Chic
CHIC
Some good upbeat songs on here. Some nice chilled grooves otherwise and some little hidden gems. I really like Happy Man.
3
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Thu Jan 12 2023
Risque
CHIC
Two Chic albums in two days! I liked the first one, but this one is just a bit too disco for me.
2
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Fri Jan 13 2023
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
I was never really into Oasis as a kid. I always said Blur were the more varied and interesting and maybe dismissed Oasis as a bit one-note, but I realise that's not really true. Maybe when you look at their career as a whole, but there's a lot of variation in here.
Production is really good. I'm hearing a lot of bits I hadn't really heard before, with some really interesting harmonies and background tracks. The riffs are really good. The song-writing itself is super strong, and there's a lot of big, big tracks on here. The hit ratio across the whole album is massive, and this is undeniably a classic, magic album.
So why am I not giving it five stars? I guess because despite all the above it still doesn't quite connect with me enough. I don't think I would ever choose to actively listen to this despite really appreciating it.
4
View Album
Mon Jan 16 2023
Dust
Screaming Trees
Quite nice this. I like his voice. It seems pretty solid all the way through. I'll have to check out their other albums, as I hadn't really heard of these guys before.
4
View Album
Tue Jan 17 2023
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I like his voice, and some of the musical bits and melodies are nice, but it's just so sombre. There's a few standout tracks, but the whole album certainly didn't fly by, let's say that.
2
View Album
Wed Jan 18 2023
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
I mean... it's interesting... there's lots going on here. I'm not really on-board with this wild ride, but I appreciate it's out there somewhere and people are jamming with it.
2
View Album
Thu Jan 19 2023
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
Very nice. Very soft, but some lovely songs on here.
3
View Album
Fri Jan 20 2023
Illmatic
Nas
He's got some good rhymes, but I'm not big into hip hop and it's very samey the whole way through. The score came down the more I listened.
2.5 rounded down to 2.
2
View Album
Mon Jan 23 2023
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
This is a really random album. It started off as a 2/5.. it was very delicate and I was finding it hard to engage with a lot of it. But then you have Without You, which is a sudden weird burst of passion and energy, then you have that followed by the quirky and upbeat Coconut. And from there you have some genuine stand-outs. Jump Into the Fire has some jams, and I'll never leave you is really interesting and weird and quite heartfelt. Harps and everything, violins. I really like it.
So there's actually loads of variation across this whole album. It's a real mishmash.
3
View Album
Tue Jan 24 2023
Dummy
Portishead
This is definitely my jam, and it really is a classic album. There's a lot of big hits in here, but the whole album is solid. Lots of interesting jams and production. Definitely one of the big trip-hop albums / touchpoints. 'Roads' takes the best song award - what an emotional punch that has.
5
View Album
Wed Jan 25 2023
Dry
PJ Harvey
It's alright.
3
View Album
Thu Jan 26 2023
Fun House
The Stooges
I like the first song a lot. It's got a lot of manic guitar energy, and driving jams. The middle and end felt like it dragged a bit to be honest, and was just a bit too loud and brash.
(It's a really clever album cover. I had no idea about the face until I saw the deluxe album cover turned the other way around)
3
View Album
Fri Jan 27 2023
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
Again, as with their last album I reviewed, it's mostly very gentle and folky. But once again, there's some really nice songs in here.
3
View Album
Mon Jan 30 2023
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
I really hate prog rock. I get the impression they think they're way more clever than they actually are. They're just farting about and making random noises. It's utterly tedious. There's a bit of nice violin in there which always gets my attention, and some nice piano and musical bits AT TIMES. That's where my 1 star is going. But it's like a feeble ray of light shining on a giant cloud of guff, which can't quite penetrate it and break free.
1
View Album
Tue Jan 31 2023
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
It's a really nice time, lovely jangly guitars, nice harmonies, some great toe-tapping beats in there. Lots of very short songs so it's over and done in no time at all - perfect to get in and out and have a perfectly enjoyable time in-between.
3
View Album
Wed Feb 01 2023
Fromohio
fIREHOSE
It seems to me like nothing much at all is happening in this album. I'm nearly at the end and I'm not sure I've really heard a single fully-fledged riff or some kind of theme. It's just... a bunch of stuff happening. Or maybe it's so boring and nothing that it's washed over me without me even realising it.
1
View Album
Thu Feb 02 2023
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
It's quite nice for the most part, but very gentle, and it didn't really grab me. I don't know why so many bands of the era felt compelled to add in random, tedious instrumental tracks with weird sounds. It's not big and it's not clever.
2
View Album
Fri Feb 03 2023
Sound Affects
The Jam
I like a lot of this. Nice music and grooves, good musicality, really good production. I like Paul Weller's vocals and style. The general content and attitude. "But I'm different now" is my standout, it's really upbeat with driving rhythms.
3
View Album
Mon Feb 06 2023
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
I was 17 when these guys exploded onto the scene, and I couldn't have been MORE the target audience. Those were some formative years and these guys were part of my identity almost. I played this CD so much it's permanently engraved on my brain, to the extent I could probably not listen to it for another 50 years but still somehow remember all the lyrics.
I'm aware that the nostalgia factor has woven its way firmly into my rating, but I think if I heard it for the first time today... I think I'd still be on-board. I'd definitely have some heavy eyerolls at some of the overly-dramatic lyrics. I can't go on! The face inside! Paranoia! Pain! However, I think I'd still massively appreciate how many brilliant hooks and singalong choruses are in here. You can't deny how great some of these songs are.
To me these guys hitting when they did, it was lightning in a bottle. Everything came together, riding the nu-metal wave, Chester's raw vocals, Mike Shinoda's rapping, the heavy riffs, the soaring choruses. I love it. What a debut.
5
View Album
Tue Feb 07 2023
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
Sorry Boss. I'm not really into it in general. It feels way too broad rock n roll and I just don't think it's for me for the most part. 'No Surrender' has got something about it and 'Dancing in the Dark' is a real air-punching tune.
2
View Album
Wed Feb 08 2023
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
The 80's always feels like it's dated the worst out of any decade by far. A lot of this just doesn't work for me at all because it feels like it's from a different world. The music itself just feels so soulless. Maybe if I were wearing some mad, garish shellsuit or something then it would help me tap into this energy. I got about halfway through - I'm very certain it wasn't going to change direction. 2/5 because it was inoffensive enough and didn't actively irritate me. What a recommendation!!
2
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Thu Feb 09 2023
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
My experience with Sonic Youth before listening to this was that I liked a bunch of their songs, but that the majority of their work was unrelenting shoegazey noise. I had some hopes after the first track 'Teen Age Riot' - It's got a real groove and energy to it. The rest of the album doesn't hold up to it though. There's a lot of general meandering and extended takes. I do like a bit of distorted guitar and shoegaze at times, but it gets more and more oppressive the longer it goes on, and this is a long album. I end up feeling completely drained by the end of it.
2
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Fri Feb 10 2023
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
I wonder how many people have actually listened to the whole thing?
I was fully expecting this to be quite irritating when I first turned it on, but, I don't know... it sounds quite nice. There's some nice songs on here and there's some interesting variation. It's obviously way way too long of course and there's tons of filler. I listened to the first disc before giving up. I get the idea.
3
View Album
Mon Feb 13 2023
Homework
Daft Punk
I totally understand some people finding this really grating, with tons of repetitiveness throughout, but damn some of these beats are good. I've had some solid head-bopping going on here. It is really long though and there's plenty of tracks that don't cut it. Overall, generally happy with this.
3
View Album
Tue Feb 14 2023
Tapestry
Carole King
This is real nice. Lovely songs, really solid instrumentation, good singing. There's not a single track that feels out of place, they're all consistently good across the board. I'll definitely listen to this again. It wouldn't be a common go-to, but it'd work wonders at a dinner party or something, but also as a good rotation option for when I'm in the mood.
4
View Album
Wed Feb 15 2023
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
I was fully expecting to dislike this based on the overview and genre, but it's remarkably listenable for the most part. It's definitely avant-garde, but doesn't feel pretentious in the same way similar albums do. At least, again, for the most part. There's clear musical melodies and themes here. I wouldn't really come back to it, but I quite liked it overall.
3
View Album
Thu Feb 16 2023
School's Out
Alice Cooper
My first Alice Cooper album I got on here I met with a raised eyebrow - until I realised that it was actually really good, and there was a lot more going on with it than I thought there would be. So I was actually really looking forward to getting stuck into this one.
This one is really varied. There's some great songs on here, and it's hard to place it in any one genre. Alma Mater as an example sounds like a Beatles song, and you wouldn't expect quite so much brass either. I'd say a few of the middle songs lag a bit, but it's still very listenable overall. I like a lot in here. I really like the songs with lots going on instrumentally, including brass, piano and violin.
Bring on more Alice Cooper!
4
View Album
Fri Feb 17 2023
Born To Be With You
Dion
The very first note of this is a typical country-twang note... siiiiigh.... but hey wait, it's not country, and this actually sounds quite nice. The second song is nice too. In fact these are all really nice songs. He's got a nice voice, it's all quite heartfelt and there's some nice melodies and interesting ideas here. Real easy listening.
It's consistently good all the way through. While it's not 100% my thing, the fact that there's 20 songs and not a single bad one is some achievement.
3.5/5 rounded up to 4
4
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Mon Feb 20 2023
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
This is a really good album. Catchy songs. Lots of driving rhythms. Some iconic bangers in here. And lots of energy and oomph in general.
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4
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Tue Feb 21 2023
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
It's a nice album, but it's definitely a contrast between the two big hits, and the rest of the album that meanders along.
3
View Album
Wed Feb 22 2023
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
This is a really bold album. The tracks are so strange in places, with tons of variation is music and tone. It's not a typical singer-songwriter approach at all. Overall I found it interesting.
3
View Album
Thu Feb 23 2023
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
Nothing has really stood out at all across the whole album. It all seems to have melded into one giant murky thing, with no particular standout riffs or moments, and no real changes in tone or mood.
It's completely ordinary. I'm not getting a lot from it.
2
View Album
Fri Feb 24 2023
Machine Head
Deep Purple
Solidly good all the way through. There's some killer tracks on here. Highway Star is an absolute beast of a song \m/
There's some great guitar work on here, but I also particularly love the keys too. They seemed to fall out of favour at some point.
4
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Mon Feb 27 2023
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
There's some great songs on here, the first three or four in particular. It's weird, in that I don't think I'd ever properly heard this one all the way through before. There's definitely a lot more expansive stuff on here compared to other Beatle's records, but I personally think there's a lot of misses in here too. There's also some stuff I actively dislike as well. I'm not digging 'Within You Without You' at all (sorry George).
3
View Album
Tue Feb 28 2023
Hysteria
Def Leppard
This is quite easy-ish listening. A bit of general toe tapping and head nodding going on. But this kind of 80's rock just feels a bit empty for the most part, devoid of any real depth of feeling. There are some standout tracks in here that I dig, including 'Love Bites'.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 01 2023
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
It's quite nice. It's not exactly exciting though. Very soft.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 02 2023
Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
Fucking hell. I'm 30 seconds in, and I'm already wondering how the hell I'm going to endure this whole album. What the fuck is this 'singing'?
Ok, two songs down, it's picked up a bit... to the point where it's not utterly grating. Let's wait and see...
Track 4 checking in... this whole album is just weird, and I'm not really along for the ride. I don't find it particularly charming or interesting, just weird. I can't help but think about the recording process. What's going through their heads? Are they embarrassed when they're just spurting hysterical gibberish into a microphone?
Track 7... not far off the finish line now... close, but OH so far. Who the hell voted this into a compilation of greatest albums? What are people getting out of this? Christ.
Final song. Come on. Let's limp over the finish line. Please. I'm a pretty upbeat guy, but this whole album has made me wish for death's sweet embrace.
Ok. I'm done. It's over. I'm going for a lie down.
1
View Album
Fri Mar 03 2023
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
It's quite easy-listening I guess, but it feels a bit anaemic. If you take away the force that is Elvis and his whole persona and fame, and just listen to it fresh on its own merits, I don't think there's that much there to really get excited about. I appreciate I'm saying this from the year 2023 of course.
2
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Mon Mar 06 2023
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
When I was a kid I printed out the lyrics to 'Guilty Conscience' and learnt it with a mate of mine, taking a part each. My parents found the lyric sheet and freaked out, which I thought was a bit over the top, but looking back now I'm not fucking surprised! I think the main thing I find re-visiting this album now as an adult is just how immature the whole thing is. And needlessly 'edgy'.
That said there are some good tunes in here. The production is really good, and all the samples and sound effects work well. And yes, I did rap along to Guilty Conscience with full gusto when it came on, regardless.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 07 2023
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
He's got a lovely voice. A bunch of tracks on here I really like. There's a real melancholic undercurrent with the whole album. I can see a lot of influence on later albums like like Beck's 'Sea Change'. There's also some interesting musical arrangements in here that I dig.
It's mostly quite nice, but I feel like a lot of it bleeds together as one. I think this is more of a selective listen with a few individual tracks for me rather than listening to the whole thing in one go.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 08 2023
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
This album is incredibly boring. It's far too floaty, nothing, indie-wank for me. Nothing stands out at all.
2
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Thu Mar 09 2023
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
It's alright. It's definitely better than the other Elvis Costello album I had. The songs in general are at least quite musical and have something about them. 'Pump it Up' is probably the stand out.
3
View Album
Fri Mar 10 2023
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Victoooooooria! Victoooooooria! Victoria. Victoria.
I love the Kinks. I've always loved their songs, but their back-catalogue was always a bit intimidating, so I never really ventured into it beyond the (admittedly still quite large selection of) greatest hits. So thank you 1001 albums generator for making me do just that!
There's lots of really good songs in here, with tons of personality and charm. Everything is top class - songwriting, musicality, instrumentation, the sheer variation on display.
I am loving the brass on here! I'm loving how upbeat it is! I am loving the extended instrumental moments! I'm loving the boldness, the chucking lots of different ideas at it, the range of instrumentation! The different styles! The lyrical content!
They're just an all-round class act.
5
View Album
Mon Mar 13 2023
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
I got quite a long way into this before I even realised that it had been playing. It was just kind of moving along in the background. Its alright, it's in no way exciting though. It all feels a bit one-note, with very little ambition.
2
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Tue Mar 14 2023
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
It's a really nice time. She has such a lovely soulful voice (I mean, obviously).
4
View Album
Wed Mar 15 2023
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
It's an interesting album. I love the storytelling in these kinds of songs. There's also some great tunes in here. Sally MacLennane, what an upbeat toe tapper that one is. I much prefer that kind of thing over the slower songs.
Ps: What a great album cover. Very renaissance.
3
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
Wow what a voice! This is way better than I was expecting from the cover. I love the vibraphone throughout the album, especially on the opening track, and the general mood through the album is nice.
There's lots of really interesting instrumentation throughout the whole album. Gypsy Woman is over-indulgent and a bit annoying, but it's still got some interesting instrumentation and rhythms going on in it.
I'm going to go 3.5 / 5, rounded up.
4
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Fri Mar 17 2023
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
I think, objectively, this is a good album. The songs all have some passion and energy to them, they're well crafted, and the melodies are nice. I'm generally not a fan of Bob Dylan, but I did have quite a nice time with this one. He needs to give his harmonica a fucking rest sometimes though.
3
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Mon Mar 20 2023
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
Yes boy! Some sick beats in here. Lovely bass, really working my headphones.
A lot of it IS very repetitive, but it's still a head-boppin' good time. What I appreciate about a lot of these songs is that they're a real, real happy time. Standing in the sunshine with friends, pint of cider in your hand, feeling the good vibes kind of songs.
4
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
It's a nice listen. Lots of funky, upbeat jams and cool instrumentation, and he has a nice voice to boot. It's not my usual listen, but I appreciate it.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 22 2023
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
It's alright, but it's not really for me. I thought there'd be more standout tracks, but a lot of it feels quite repetitive. Some of the longer jamming moments feel pretty tedious.
2
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Thu Mar 23 2023
Ragged Glory
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
It's fine. It has some nice guitar work and is pretty competently made in general, but it's definitely not exciting and nearly all the tracks go on for way too long. You could easily lose 2-3 minutes of generic jamming off of nearly every track. It wore on me more and more as it went on - it's just all a bit generic and samey.
2
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Fri Mar 24 2023
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
I was fully prepared to downvote this because 'Country', but there's some really lovely soft songs in here in places and I had a nice time with it in general.
3
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Mon Mar 27 2023
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
It's perfectly nice.
3
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Tue Mar 28 2023
Dare!
The Human League
This isn't even bad 80's, it's completely boring 80's. Don't You Want Me is of course the only exception.
2
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
It's a very solid album, and a really good listen. Once again, I appreciate this project giving me the opportunity to dive into back-catalogues and discover an artist's work in a more cohesive way.
There's a lot of brilliant standout tracks on here. The start in particular is really strong. I love the opening with the synths and real upbeat rocking out bits. Candle in the wind is superb. Obviously Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a real sing-along. "I've Seen that movie too" really worked for me. I'm not digging ALL of the songs, but that said even the ones I'm not massively into are still really solid.
4
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Thu Mar 30 2023
Snivilisation
Orbital
It's not working for me, it just kind of sits in the background. There's not really any fully defined songs - it's more like different experimental soundscape phases. That's not bad in itself, it's just that those soundscapes have nothing much to them.
Ps: The album name and cover are terrible. Who signed that off?
2
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Fri Mar 31 2023
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
It's pretty upbeat and funky. I'm liking the beats and sampling going on. Overall I liked it.
3
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Mon Apr 03 2023
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
This is my second Willie album, and he's shown me once again that Country can be genuinely great if done right. This guy just seems like such a class act. Once again, really lovely songs on here. His voice is liquid honey.
4
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Tue Apr 04 2023
Live At Leeds
The Who
I do like the Who, but I'm not massively feeling this live album. They do have a good energy about them, but, as with seemingly everyone else on here, I am puzzled by its inclusion. I'd much rather hear the studio songs.
3
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Wed Apr 05 2023
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
It's not really my thing. I don't particularly dig it, but it's nice enough.
3
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Thu Apr 06 2023
The Slider
T. Rex
It's pretty groovy, I quite enjoyed it.
3
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Fri Apr 07 2023
New Wave
The Auteurs
I liked the opening song. After that a lot of it all felt quite soft, generic indie that didn't really grab me. He's got quite a weak singing style that doesn't work for me. Maybe it'd be improved with a more dynamic or interesting singing style?
2.5/5 rounded down.
2
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Wed Apr 19 2023
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
I found this really boring. I fundamentally don't like the song structures or compositions on any of these tracks. She effectively sing-talks over all the tracks, and each track is SO dense with lyrics, it's just incessant. She doesn't allow any of it to just breathe, or introduce any interesting hooks or melodies. She should have just written a book of poetry or something.
2
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Thu Apr 20 2023
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
It's a nice listen all the way through. I actually came to like it the more I listened. Plenty of toe-tapping tunes, nice production, nice instrumentation, backing vocals and so on. Once again, I love the brass, and I love the violins. Suspicious Minds remains an all-time classic, but I've also saved a bunch of other tracks too including Long Black Limousine, I'm Movin' On, Power of My Love and Gentle on My Mind.
4
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Fri Apr 21 2023
Opus Dei
Laibach
This is a very oppressive album. I quite like how weird it is, with the rhythmic drums, layered synths, guitars and trumpets. It definitely has a unique atmosphere to it, it's just a real slog. Very repetitive and very hard going.
2
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Mon Apr 24 2023
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
It's not the best Led Zep album, and it's definitely overlong I think. That said there's some good standout tracks, and the rest of the album is generally pretty solid. Contrary to a lot of people, I actually think I prefer the second half more. I like a lot of the chilled songs, and I think there's some real nice grooves going on. Across the whole album I found a decent amount of songs quite generic though.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Tue Apr 25 2023
Zombie
Fela Kuti
The first two tracks were quite nice. Pretty upbeat and interesting instrumentation, but I was absolutely done after 20 minutes. It got more of a slog as it went on. The third and fourth tracks I didn't like at all.
2
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Wed Apr 26 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
I remember being underwhelmed with this album when I first heard it, and wrote off 'latter years Radiohead' in general, but actually it's been really nice to re-visit this. First off I think the production on this is sublime. There's so many interesting layers to the songs, lots of variation in tempo and style, and just a very consistent mood sitting underneath the whole thing. It's definitely a whole album experience, I don't think I would dip into any of these songs individually from here.
4
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Thu Apr 27 2023
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Overall this is a really well produced album. Musically I think they're really strong and sound super tight. The drums and guitars are all solid. There's some interesting rhythmic things happening throughout. I agree with another reviewer that I really like the jamming moments and wish there were more of those / they were extended. Like I said, they play well together and those bits are great (found in songs like 'Sir Psycho Sexy').
On the other side I'm not a big fan of the general rapping and musical style for most of the songs, and it's also a long album. RHCP remain a band that I really like a number of songs from, but who I'm not that interested in overall. Under the Bridge remains a stone-cold classic.
3
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Fri Apr 28 2023
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
It's quite nice. Easy going but with some interesting things going on.
3
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Mon May 01 2023
Dookie
Green Day
I was an Offspring kid around this whole era, and I never got to listening to much of Green Day or this classic album, despite the fact that Basket Case was on constant rotation on MTV2 / Kerrang TV.
I really enjoyed this. It's really upbeat and toe-tappingly good all the way through. I really like Welcome to Paradise - this was one of the songs I did know, but it's nice to re-connect with it. Plenty of other good songs in here including, of course, Basket Case. Re-listening now on headphones I noticed lots of new little details like the additional harmonies that work really well. Overall a well made, fun, good-time album.
Music aside, this is also an awesome album cover.
4
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Tue May 02 2023
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
I really like the vibe of this album. Plenty of nice tracks, good song writing, nice instrumentation. Free Bird is obviously a stone-cold classic, but I really liked Tuesday's Gone as well.
3.5/5 rounded up.
4
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Wed May 03 2023
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
There's a lot of really nice songs on here, but I realised they're all covers, so a lot of that is simply down to the power of the song writing. She's a good singer though, of course. It's a perfectly nice time overall.
3
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Thu May 04 2023
Suede
Suede
Yet another album where I knew a bunch of songs, liked them quite a lot, and had never listened to the album as a whole.
Kicking off with So Young, what a way to open an album! And then straight into Animal Nitrate, wowzers. This album is upbeat and rocking in a few areas, but there's also a lot of really lovely songs with floaty guitars and really nice melodies. I like his vocal, it's quite ethereal and I think it works well with the songs.
I'll be re-visiting this again, but have also added a few additional songs to my liked list, including 'Breakdown'.
4
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Fri May 05 2023
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
There's some really nice song-writing in here. A lot of the album kind of floated by, but there are some good standout tracks. I particularly liked 'Junk Bond Trader' and 'Stupidity Tries'. I really like the instrumentation and his vocals.
3
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Mon May 08 2023
Parachutes
Coldplay
I'd never really listened to this album before despite hearing various songs here and there. There's some nice songs in here though. It's also a lot more chilled than I realised. There's a lot of interesting floaty guitar tracks running through it. Sparks is really nice, I really love the mood on that track. Other standouts for me are Don't Panic and Trouble.
Ps: I really like the album cover. Very simple but impactful.
3
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Tue May 09 2023
The La's
The La's
I'm finding it hard to tie this band and sound down. A lot of it sounds like it's straight out of the 60's. 'There She Goes' is an obvious example. 'I Can't Sleep' sounds just like the Kinks, but other tracks feel like they have lots of other touchpoints from that era. It doesn't feel 90's to me at all.
It's fine in parts, but most of the album isn't really grabbing me. A lot of it really drags. It certainly doesn't feel essential.
2
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Wed May 10 2023
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
I do like a decent amount of this. I really like the interesting layers of guitars, and the quite complex picking that serves as an undercurrent for most of this album.
It's just very dense. There's lots of storytelling and lots and lots of lyrical content, and after a while it gets a bit samey.
The standout for me is 'So Long, Marianne' (which I'd already had as a favourite before listening to this album). It's got a really nice driving rhythm to it, but most importantly it's just way more direct in terms of the song writing and message. It's feels more heartfelt and is just a really well written pop song.
3
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Thu May 11 2023
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
This is the second Springsteen album I've had now, and another that I just haven't connected with on any level beyond one song.
I'm reading a lot of people raving about Thunder Road. It feels like it should be an air-punching good time but it's evoking absolutely nothing in me. I don't really like his voice, or particularly the way he sings. It feels like he's tuned into a completely different energy to me. I get why people might like him, but christ, it's not for me. And just to pick out one track in particular to shit on: Backstreets is fucking terrible, my word.
2
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Fri May 12 2023
The Blueprint
JAY Z
This was better than I was expecting after the first track. It's still not my scene, but there's plenty to appreciate. The production is really what makes the album for me, which is pretty consistently interesting and well done across the board. Girls Girls Girls works well, as does Hola' Hovito.
I'm not a fan of the lyrical content or his rapping style particularly. "U Don't Know" in particular is terrible. Ah you've got so much money and you're so great and brilliant and untouchable. Good for you.
3
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Mon May 15 2023
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Uh man, this album is just a drag. It wore me down into the ground. And give the harmonica a fucking rest man! It's not big and it's not clever.
2
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Tue May 16 2023
London Calling
The Clash
I enjoyed this overall, despite it being not massively my scene. Having only heard 'London Calling' before, and knowing they were a punk band, I was really impressed by the variation on display here. There's genuinely lots of different styles and the songs all stand apart from one another. The second half is better in my opinion. I think I would enjoy it more with more listens too, so that's why I'm going to go.... 4 stars!
4
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Wed May 17 2023
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
It's very pretty. Lovely singing, really nice delicate instrumentation, but with lots of interesting layers. Some of these songs are definitely entering the rotation on my various 'chill' mixes.
3
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Thu May 18 2023
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
From all the negative reviews I thought this'd be terrible, but it's really pretty decent all the way through. The songs are pretty varied, there's nice instrumentation across the board, and it's sang well with plenty of character.
3
View Album
Fri May 19 2023
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
I let out a groan when I saw the album, because ugh... Dire Straits! I realise now that I had a bit of an irrational prejudice against them, based on very little data. They just generally blended in amongst a whole bunch of other similar bands who I couldn't possibly get on with. But hey, now I'm over that, this is a nice album! A solid 3 stars.
3
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Mon May 22 2023
Bad
Michael Jackson
Heee-heeeee!
My overriding memory of this album is from listening to it as a (roughly) 6-7 year old. My brother had it on cassette, and I remember us playing it while jumping up and down on our beds together. Fun times!
A lot of these songs do sound dated now, but you can't deny MJ is a really talented song-writer. There's some great songs on here and the hit ratio is really high.
3.5 / 5 rounded down.
3
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Tue May 23 2023
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
The whole album is nice. Really smooth tunes, relaxed vibe, and of course she has an incredible voice. I bet this was amazing watching live. However I found it a bit much all in one go and found it a bit samey by the end.
3
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Wed May 24 2023
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
This album is terrible. The opening track 'Pretty Hurts' doesn't prepare you for what's to come, because that's actually not bad - but from there it just descends into boring nothingness. It only picks up slightly towards the end with the last few tracks, where they start to resemble actual songs.
I know this sounds pretentious, but at least with other albums I don't like I can at least see why others might like them, or even appreciate how they're made. I don't get any of that with this. The beats are basic and stripped back, the content is completely shallow and nothing, and it's irritating to listen to. Bewildering.
1
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Thu May 25 2023
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
It's not massively my jam but this is a really good live album, with lots of great audience interaction and lots of energy. What a character.
3
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Fri May 26 2023
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
I'm not on-board with their weird shit.
2
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Mon May 29 2023
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
This is a lovely album. It's real smooth and chilled. I love her voice, I love the instrumentation and melodies, and it's just a real nice time overall.
4
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Tue May 30 2023
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
It's fine. It's ok. There's some standout tracks, but a lot of other tracks feel quite low-key and a bit boring. It's not the most exciting album in the world. White Rabbit is a hell of a track.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Wed May 31 2023
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This is a big and noisy record, with plenty of punky, chaotic energy. It sounds quite rough around the edges, and in production, but I think that works in its favour. I like Karen O and the anarchic energy she brings to it.
There's a lot of hits, but also a lot of weird tracks that you need to tune into to really appreciate I think. For me I tended to like the singles on the album, and found a lot of the rest a bit hard to get into.
Best tracks: Date with the Night, Pin, Maps, Y Control.
3
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Rio
Duran Duran
Even though I would never choose to listen to this album from here, I had a pretty good time with it overall, and I appreciate having an opportunity to check out different genre's that I wouldn't have otherwise touched.
There's quite a few tracks on here that I liked. I like how upbeat My Way is. Songs like Save a Prayer and The Chauffeur are really good. Rio is just a bit much for me, I've heard it too many times at various family discos and whatnot.
A solid 3/5
3
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Disraeli Gears
Cream
It's alright. Kind of floaty and jangly. I like the playing on this, but not so sure about the main vocals. It sounds like he's being gently haunted by a ghost throughout. "ooOooo a ghhooOOooost"
3
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Mon Jun 05 2023
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
George really did have a great career post-Beatles. This is a really good album, with a lot of standout tunes on it. My Sweet Lord is probably the main one, but there's a lot of others in there across a generally solid album overall. I like the guy's style.
Some of the mixes do sound quite strange with the vocal mixed way back, but they're still carried by the songs. Musically it's very good. You might switch off before all the extended jams at the end, but they don't really detract from what went before.
4
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Tue Jun 06 2023
Parklife
Blur
There's some really good tracks on here, including some real classics. I'd never listened to this album as a whole before now, and I don't think I'm missing much at all by only hearing the singles/hits before. It has a good energy across some songs, but there's also quite a lot of weird tracks and general filler it feels like.
3
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Wed Jun 07 2023
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
Public Enemy Number 1! Public Enemy Number 1! Kna what I'm sayin? Yeah Chuck!
I like how aggressive their rapping style is on a lot of songs, and I like a bunch of their beats. A lot of other tracks are really upbeat and quite funky. Overall the album is solid, with no real dips in quality.
Standout tracks: Nighttain, By the Time I Get To Arizona, Move! And of course... Bring Tha Noize - Tony Hawk reprazent!
3.5 rounded up
4
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Thu Jun 08 2023
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
This is absolutely dreadful, I'm not a fan at all, and I love a lot of other Iggy Pop songs! But this is so subdued and grubby sounding, with a really low mix and zero energy. It's utterly depressing and a chore to get through. It sounds like he's singing it while sat half-drunk on the sofa or something. There's nothing dynamic or attention grabbing here, it's just a constant dirge.
1
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Fri Jun 09 2023
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
This is what this whole 1001 greatest albums process is all about. Completely left-field choice, something I'd never even heard of before, a concept album in a different language - and it's a real, genuine hidden gem.
What an atmosphere this album has. It's quite dark and dangerous and sexy and seductive. The music and production is incredible. I love the violins, the sudden explosion of drums, that deep driving bass. Very very good. I've given it about 3-4 listens now, and it'll definitely be one I go back to a fair bit. There's something really compelling about this.
Album 192 and I've finally found my first 5 star album from an artist who was completely unknown to me beforehand - thank you!
5
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Mon Jun 12 2023
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
It's real nice musically, even if it's not massively my thing. I find his voice a bit floaty and too nice, which sounds like a weird criticism. I guess I just prefer something with a bit more bite, and this is just very pleasant and lovely.
3
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Tue Jun 13 2023
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
It's not really my jam, but it's got a good energy to it in general. The guitar and keys are nice. Too many of the songs just sound the same to me though, it's so formulaic. Also, if there's one thing this 1001 process has taught me, I find the harmonica really, really irritating.
3
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Wed Jun 14 2023
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Zero is a tune. It's a great energetic way to start the album. I knew that song well before listening, and also knew 'Heads Will Roll' which is also good. The energy and vibe changes a bit beyond this, but it's generally solid, with some standout tracks sprinkled in. 'Runaway' is great, it's got a real depth and atmosphere to it.
3.5 rounded up. And side note: It's a great album cover!
4
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Thu Jun 15 2023
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
Boooooring. I don't want to check how many Bruce Springsteen albums are in this list, because I suspect it might make me cry. Please, I implore you, no more Springsteen. I don't get on with it at all. It's just so bland and middle of the road, man. The lyrics are absolutely dreadful. And why are there 15 tracks? Why?
I will however give a shout out to the track 'World's Apart' which has something about it.
2
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Fri Jun 16 2023
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
It's very solid across the whole album. Nice guitar work, nice singing, nice tunes in general. There's some standouts of course - Sweet Emotion is always going to be up there. Walk This Way is a classic. I really like 'No More No More', there's some great guitar and keys on that.
I'm glad I gave this a second listen, because I didn't give it enough focus first time around. It holds up well with the second play-through, and I'll listen to it more from here for sure.
4
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Mon Jun 19 2023
All Mod Cons
The Jam
I'm not getting lots out of this. I still get why people do, and I like the energy of it, but it's a middling 3 for me. My favourite track (David Watts) is a Kinks cover, although I do also like Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.
3
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Tue Jun 20 2023
The Wall
Pink Floyd
My third Pink Floyd album, and this one finally hits!
Considering there's so many tracks, there's surprisingly few that are just ok. This album is also interesting, in that their more experimental bits I'm really on-board with, whereas that definitely wasn't the case on some of their other albums.
I love the whole concept album approach, the way the tracks repeat and are re-worked, and how it all plays out in one big sweeping thing. It's way more expansive than I was expecting.
There's a real epic feel to some of these tracks, but I also like some of the drama on this too, like 'One Of My Turns'. It's really interesting. The standout element though has to be the guitar playing. A lot of the guitar work in this album is genuinely amazing. Comfortably Numb is such a fucking tune, oh my god. His guitar tone is like liquid honey.
I'm going to go 4.5 rounded.... up! I admire the ambition.
5
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Wed Jun 21 2023
2112
Rush
I'm not a fan - It picks up a bit once you get past the bloated, boring first track, but it's still not good. I don't really like his voice. Some of the guitars are quite nice, but still the songs aren't grabbing me at all.
2
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Thu Jun 22 2023
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
It's a real nice, fun happy time. Really great instrumentation and playing. It's all top-notch and I appreciate it, it's just not massively my scene.
3
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Fri Jun 23 2023
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
I thought it was going to be rubbish 80's glam based on the cover, and the first few 1 star reviews on here... but I really liked this! They've got something about them. They have a real manic energy, with tons of personality and attitude. Nice rocking guitars and rock vocals. Plenty of 'waows' in there and so on. Good stuff!
4
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Mon Jun 26 2023
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Let's Stay Together is a tune. The rest of the album is a nice time overall.
3
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
It's overall pretty good. Time to Pretend is a brilliant track, and Kids is also really good. There's a reason why they were the two main singles. The rest is kind of a nice time for the most part but I didn't find it massively exciting. Of Moons, Birds and Monsters was the other standout for me.
3
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Wed Jun 28 2023
Konnichiwa
Skepta
My only exposure to this before now, was that the track "Shutdown" was in the Tony Hark remaster, and was always an instant skip the second it came on. Blah blah blah, shutdown! Blat blat blat and shutdown! Did some tings and shutdown!
Fam, I'm not a fan of grime. It's boring and repetitive, you get me fam? Also the actual content is just dreadful fam. It's dreadful fam!
Some of the beats and production are good though, I'll give him that.
2
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Thu Jun 29 2023
White Light
Gene Clark
Well this has happened before... kick straight off with a country twang and a prominent harmonica... "Ugh... kindly fuck off please". But wait... actually it's not too bad. In fact it's really nice and chilled and I'm enjoying it very much. I don't often go in for this kind of folk music, but these are some smooth vocals and the whole vibe is incredibly mellow.
Thanks again 1001 for making me confront my various musical prejudices! It's nice, real nice.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
This is actually really good, and pretty consistent throughout. For someone who doesn't really listen to hip-hop, there's a lot to like here. The beats and production are really solid throughout. There's a lot of variation here too, with some real driving and funky beats. The Champ is siiiick, what a tune.
4
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Mon Jul 03 2023
Either Or
Elliott Smith
It's a nice album. Quite chilled and soft. I like his style, but also feel like it tailed off in the second half a bit.
3
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Tue Jul 04 2023
Thriller
Michael Jackson
It's a good album, and consistently good too. Thriller is a massive, massive tune, going straight into Beat It (wowzers!) then THAT goes straight into Billie Jean (hooo lordy!). What a 3-track run. Overall it's a solid 4 stars.
4
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Wed Jul 05 2023
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
Well this is really weird. I'm not really with this. The cover definitely reflects in the music. Like he's just dropped a load of acid and is exploring this mad world via weird ditties and sounds..
But then there's some genuine songs in there in the second half that work well, particularly the more soulful ones found on the likes of 'Medley'.
I kind of appreciate that he's done something interesting, and I admire the variation, but too much of it is just weird, and there's not enough to latch onto.
2
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Thu Jul 06 2023
Odessa
Bee Gees
It's all very soft and breezy for the most part, but there's nothing really standing out, and it IS a bit weird. I'm usually a sucker for a violin undercurrent, but this was just a bit bland overall. Especially when you compare it against some of their other bigger (ballad-type) hits - these just can't hold a candle to them. I can't say I'm a fan.
Marley Purt Drive was nice though.
2
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Fri Jul 07 2023
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
I used to listen to Bon Jovi back in the day as a kid and thought they were awesome. Listening back now a lot of this stuff seems so bombastic and cheesy. Just his voice alone is so exaggerated, "YeeeEEAaaH, huhh!" *rock riff*
They DO do the bombastic, woah woah hair metal thing effectively and well though, and there is plenty to like, with lots of great hooks, choruses and riffs. I think people can be too elitist about some of this stuff. I mean, come on, Livin' on a Prayer is superb. I don't care if people are sneering at me while I'm punching the air, I'm having a good time!
3
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Mon Jul 10 2023
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
What a way to kick off the album eh? Straight into Immigrant Song - whollop! And then this follows with a bunch of great tracks all in a row. Just very good rock, interesting instrumentation, style. They're a great band.
I think the second half tails off a bit, but I do like some of the more folky type songs and they're still good overall. It's a shame I really don't like the last song, because it leaves a bit of a sour note.
4
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Tue Jul 11 2023
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
I came to this album thinking, "I really don't like the Police, they're shit", and I'm glad I got the opportunity to give it a listen now, because it confirmed my suspicion. I was right, they're shit.
2
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Wed Jul 12 2023
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
This album is more interesting to me than it is exciting. It's not my scene, but I kind of appreciate what they're doing with it. The actual musicality and skill are there, and I admire the amount of different ideas and experimentation they've thrown at it. There's some interesting things happening with the instruments, with brass, violins, weird kind of soundscapes, synth... It's just a bit floaty and unassuming for me.
3
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Forever Changes
Love
Alone Again Or is such a great song. I love the Spanish guitar, the brass, the orchestral movements in it. What a great opener.
The rest of the album feels reeeeally 60's hippy / psychedelia. There's a few standout tracks with some interesting things going on, but it's mostly quite soft and floaty.
3
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Fri Jul 14 2023
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
I love this guy's energy. It's a real good time, with some FAT trumpet.
I'm Baloo in that moment in the Jungle Book where he can't help but be taken by the music. I'm gone man, solid gone.
4
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Mon Jul 17 2023
Be
Common
I like the intro. There's some funky beats in there man. It's a shame the rest of the album doesn't hold up to that. There's still some nice things going on, but it's just not my thing and lots of it sounds generic.
2
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Tue Jul 18 2023
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
This whole album is full of real nice, catchy songs, all just brilliantly crafted.
4
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Wed Jul 19 2023
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
This feels like country in the classic-mould, twangy, sincere, well shucks country. It's a genre I can never identify with, I just don't get it. So much of it is so derivative, and tends to stick within extremely close parameters. This one certainly isn't pushing any boundaries, but it's competent enough. There are some songs that are actively irritating to me, but 1 star would feel harsh I think.
2
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Thu Jul 20 2023
Nowhere
Ride
It's weird that some of my favourite ever bands have shoegazey elements to them, but outright shoegaze I really struggle with for the most part. It really just grinds me down and down, and I find it so dreary and depressing. This album holds mostly true to that, but also just seems really samey and goes on and on. There's nothing here that stands out.
2
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
It's very gentle, 60's hippy-folk. It all feels quite painfully sincere and nice. It's not necessarily bad, it's just quite boring in my opinion.
2
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Mon Jul 24 2023
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
It's a quite nice floaty-sounding album. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. I think I had these guys confused with another band who were a bit more hard-hitting. I can't say this is particularly exciting. They kind of sound like a softer, less-interesting Roxette or something.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
It's a nice easy listen this album. I was expecting it to drag on, but I had a pleasant time with it. A lot of reggae is so formulaic and samey, but I don't want to dismiss this on those grounds because it's pretty solid throughout.
3
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Thu Aug 03 2023
Scott 2
Scott Walker
I'm honestly not sure what to make of this - it's quite nice in places - there's a kind of performative, theatrical element to it. There's some nice instrumental bits, with sweeping violins and things. The first song is certainly something - It's very grandiose. There's plenty of other meandering songs though that are hard to latch onto, and a lot of other songs that are just really slow and drag. Overall it's just... a bit weird? Hard to digest as a pop album?
I like the ambition, but it's not for me.
2
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Fri Aug 04 2023
Frank
Amy Winehouse
This is really nice. She has such a strong singing voice and sense of self for a debut at such a young age. I like the songs and style. It's very cool.
4
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Mon Aug 07 2023
Abraxas
Santana
I'm not really into this genre and style of music, but it's quite a nice time.
3
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Tue Aug 08 2023
American Idiot
Green Day
I think the hit rate on this is pretty damn good. It's fairly consistent across the board too. Really upbeat, nice catchy songs. I always thought of Green Day as super quick, pop-punky songs, but there's plenty of longer ones on here too that still work well.
4
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
It's all a bit weird and silly and shit.
2
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Thu Aug 10 2023
Da Capo
Love
I wasn't into it that much. 'Orange Skies' is quite pleasant. The rest of the normal length tracks were just ok. I was actually dreading that last 19 minute long track. It was just sat there taunting me. "It's almost 100% likely that I'm going to be an over-indulgent wank-fest" it said. However... that was actually the track I dug the most. It changed this from a 2.5 rounded down, to a more favourable 2.5 rounded up!
3
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
It's very nice and is consistently good across the album. I like the mood of it. It's not massively engaging, just kind of soft and pleasant.
3.5 rounded down
3
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Mon Aug 14 2023
Liquid Swords
GZA
I'm not into it. I like the kung-fu elements, but I'm not feeling the beats or rapping at all really. They don't feel particularly innovative or interesting.
2
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Tue Aug 15 2023
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
This album is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I much prefer the more soulful / singing songs to the rest, which I'm not big on. I actively dislike all the backing uh, uh, uh's - yo, yo, yo stuff that are littered throughout the whole thing. I think it actually undermines some of the nicer songs. Overall, it's alright, it's easy enough to listen to.
3
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Wed Aug 16 2023
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
Everyone naturally compares them to the Stones which is fair enough. They are very similar, but they do it very well. It's a good album - I like their flamin' grooves!
4
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Thu Aug 17 2023
Shleep
Robert Wyatt
I'm glad that this project gives me the chance to discover these kinds of albums. I would have avoided this like the plague based on the description, but this one mostly works for me. Yes it's experimental, and it's a bit of a concept album, and it is weird and non-conforming... but he achieves a cohesive mood throughout the whole thing that I'm on-board with. There's some nice floaty songs in here... a little bit melancholic at times... and sure, there's quite a lot of meandering bits in there too, and some odd moments, but it holds true to the vision of the album and works overall for me.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Close To You
Carpenters
Is it a bit too gentle and nice? Maybe. Will I revisit it again? No. Is it a perfectly lovely time in general? More or less.
3
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Mon Aug 21 2023
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
On my review of Siamese Dream I said it was mad that the Pumpkins got lumped in as 'grunge', and how I thought they were way more interesting than a lot of other bands at the time. Mellon Collie only further exemplifies that point, because this album totally blows those guys out of the water. How many other bands of the time had this range and breadth of songs? This level of mad ambition? This insanely prolific level of creativity? Even their (many) B-sides from this era were so good and could have easily appeared on this album, or walked onto any other album of the time.
Am I biased? ....Yes. I came to this project with Mellon Collie as my favourite album of all time. I have the t-shirt, the record mat, the original pressing vinyl that I spent an absurdly large amount of money on. This album, to me, is perfect. I love it deeply on a very personal level. It means an awful lot to me, and I think it always will.
So with that said, I'll try and leave some notes with fresh ears...
I think what's funny, re-listening to this critically through the 1001 lens, I totally get why people might find it a bit bloated. If I listened to it for the first time I would undoubtedly be blown away by a lot of these songs, but I think I would likely dismiss a number of them too. Overall though, I do love the way this album ebbs and flows, and has various moods working through it. I like how some of the weirder songs punctuate that too. I love how grandiose the whole thing is. And that extends to the cover and the whole package. It's beautiful.
Sonically it's so good. The drums really struck me this time around, as they explode into life in Tonight, Tonight. There's so many sounds, instruments and vocals layered brilliantly throughout the whole thing. The work that Flood and Alan Moulder did can't be underestimated in that respect.
This album does things to me that I struggle to explain. Listening to something like 1979 - I love it SO much. It's transcendental. It evokes something in me that makes me so happy. As a nearly 40 year old man, I find myself losing more and more individual fandoms, but it's so satisfying to know that I can put this on and still be so moved by it.
I came here with the plan of hopefully beating this album and finding my new favourite. I haven't yet, and likely won't. After all, how do you top something that has so much nostalgic and sentimental value? Something that was there for me in some of my most formative years, and has stayed a constant in my life since? I will hold out hope though, because if Mellon Collie can be toppled, it'll need to be by an album that's very special indeed.
5
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
It's real nice. "Ain't No Way" wins the best track award, which is a lovely soulful ballad.
4
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
There was some decent headbanging going on during particularly gnarly moments, and some decent foot tapping too. They're really tight as a band, with some great musicianship, but it's just relentless.
3
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Tue Aug 29 2023
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
I didn't discover this album via this project, but it has been a recent discovery nonetheless. I joined a vinyl subscription club during the first covid lockdown, and this was in one of my monthly bundles. I have to admit I was massively disappointed when I opened it. Queen are just so bombastic, and while I like a bunch of their songs, they're not really go-to listens. Or so I thought...!
This album is fantastic, and I've listened to it a ton since then. Brighton Rock is a mental opener. It was one of those cases playing the vinyl where you immediately take it off and play it on the different speed setting because it sounds like a chipmunk singing... only to realise it was correct in the first place!
So many other great songs, with lots of variation and playfulness. Big glam hits. Really catchy, great guitars and melodies. TONS of personality. I love the way the tracks merge and sit alongside each other. I particularly love the segueing of Tenement Funster into Flick of the Wrist, which then eases beautifully into Lily of the Valley. Flick of the Wrist is an absolute beast, and definite favourite on the album for me. I can't help but sing along. Killer Queen is obviously another big hit, but Now I'm Here and Misfire are other real standouts.
I think this is a brilliant album. And for me it's a real left-field choice. I just think it fires on pretty much every level.
As a fun aside, the actual track 'Sheer Heart Attack' didn't make it onto this album, but instead went on 'News of the World'. However, that is also a tune!
5
View Album
Wed Aug 30 2023
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
This is ok, just ok. And by that, I mean it's ok as background music only. It doesn't really have much substance. It has that kind of 'nothing' feeling to it that a lot of 80's music does. It's not offensive.
2
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
I like a lot of Creedence songs. I feel like this album doesn't reflect their best work, but it's still pretty good. Graveyard Train was the only real down note and was a real slog at over 8 minutes. The album beyond that was nice and groovy. Proud Mary is obviously pretty iconic.
3
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
I don't like it, it's just so chaotic and noisy.
2
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Mon Sep 04 2023
xx
The xx
I really like the intro to this - it's a really nice way into the album and sets up the tone. Sadly I don't think the rest of the album really delivers on that early promise though.
I do like the atmosphere on some of these tracks, but the songs are just waaay stripped back and I'm not really digging that. I do usually really like bands where they have a girl and guy playing off each other, but less so here. The vocals are so breathy, and it feels a bit wanky indie to me. It doesn't have a ton of substance and I was a bit bored by the end.
2.5 rounded down.
2
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Tue Sep 05 2023
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
There's some big hits in here. The album in general is pretty nice, but it's not setting the world alight for me.
3
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Wed Sep 06 2023
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This album has got such a sense of style and mood to it. From the cover alone the tone is set, and the album really carries that promise through the whole thing.
I'd had 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' on my main playlist for years, but this was another classic case of not delving into the album as a whole. I think I did once, but maybe got unstuck after the first song, which frustratingly is a bit of a slog.
It picks up a lot from there. Stagger Lee has some real bite, and that's followed by Henry Lee which is a lovely duet. Outside of those, I thought The Kindness of Strangers was also one of the better individual tracks.
O'Malley's Bar threatens to derail it as it's SUCH a long samey song again, but it's then finished off with Death Is Not the End which is a great closer.
As an album and overall piece of art I think it's very good.
4
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Thu Sep 07 2023
Rid Of Me
PJ Harvey
It's pretty raw and grungy. I don't find it particularly compelling. It's alright.
3
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
This album is funky as fuck. The main thing for me here is the absolutely brilliant instrumentation. Smooooth bass, funky psychedelic space keys, violin, sexy synth, trumpet!
There's tons of great songs on here, but I also I love the extended musical interludes - really nice. And big shout out to the mixing on this record - it's top notch.
I find the other commentary on here around appropriation so boring, if we're talking solely about the music of course. Are you not allowed to have influences anymore? Get over yourselves. You're a white British man JK, stay in your fucking lane. You should be more like someone like George Formby, play ukulele and sing some innocuous song about cleaning windows or something. Oh wait, the ukulele was from Portuguese origin and popularised in Hawaii... but... that's appropriation too! Is it too late to cancel George Formby? He's a monster!
Rant aside... great album!
5
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Mon Sep 11 2023
Brothers
The Black Keys
There's some nice songs in here, and the album as a whole is pretty solid. I like their phat guitar tones in particular. I just think some of their other albums are a bit more exciting.
3.5 rounded down
3
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
I'm not sure what I really want to say about this other than it's just really lovely. Lots of nice songs, quite delicate in its approach, and kept nice and short. As the songs are all well crafted and presented there's no bloat at all.
3.5 rounded down
3
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Wed Sep 13 2023
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
Yep, this is misogynistic as fuck, and that's obviously a mark against it. Looking beyond that there's some good tracks on here - quite an array of different sounding tracks - you can tell the influence of the 80's scene coming into the 90's. I quite like how aggressive something like 'Fuck Tha Police' is. If It Ain't Ruff is good. Express Yourself is a tune.
3
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Thu Sep 14 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
The first track is boooooooring. The only positive being that it got me looking up some Mighty Boosh skits on YouTube. "No-one listens to jazz. Science teachers and the mentally ill, that's all jazz is for." - "You hate jazz? You fear jazz!"
I'd say it picks up from there a bit, and it's not quite as chaotic. There's some smoother stuff later on with the last track.
2.5 rounded down
2
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Fri Sep 15 2023
Pretenders
Pretenders
The whole album is kind of lo-fi. It doesn't have a huge amount of bite to it in general. Is it just mixed a bit weird? Everything seems so far back and just a bit bleh. It's not grabbing me at all, sorry.
You do get a sense of Chrissie Hynde as a personality, and she seems to have a bit of attitude which comes across. Brass in Pocket is about the only stand-out track. 'Stop Your Sobbing' was done way better by the Kinks.
I'm not going to fall-out of love with the Pretenders as a result of this, as 2000 Miles remains my favourite Christmas song and I'll be singing along to that with gusto come December (probably November).
2
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Mon Sep 18 2023
The World is a Ghetto
War
It's quite a nice time. It's pretty funky in places, pretty atmospheric in others, and well made in general. It's not really something that kept my attention though, and the reality is a lot of it just sat in the background. But it was pretty nice background music.
3
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Tue Sep 19 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
It started off real nice, then it started to get a bit tedious after a while. I didn't even really like it as background music.
2.5/5 rounded down
2
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Wed Sep 20 2023
The Visitors
ABBA
This is a good album on the whole. These guys really know how to write a song, with plenty of catchy tracks on here. I like the driving rhythm on a lot of songs. Especially towards the start of the album, I was tapping my foot a decent amount. There's some good synths in here, some nice piano and violins, and generally pretty good production. There's also a bit of atmosphere on a number of tracks.
It's not my usual go-to, but it's pretty good. I felt like the quality fell off a bit from about the half-way mark, but it's still quite solid.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
I love a bit of Stevie. This isn't his best, but it is a real nice, funky time. He obviously has great soul and presence, and a WONDERful voice. I really love the ballads most on this album, I think they're reeeal nice.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Fri Sep 22 2023
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
I'm sorry Rod, I just find this SO boring. It's way too boring, twangy, middle of the road rock n roll for me.
2
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Mon Sep 25 2023
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
It's nice enough, but I'm 5 songs in and it's not really popped yet, it's just kind of floated along. Ok I'm now 8 songs in and it still hasn't - it's so stripped back and barely there. Surely this can't keep up for the whole album...? Ok I've finished it, and it kind of did. I'm not mad Fleetwood Mac, I'm just disappointed. You have some banging tunes, did you forget to put any on here?
The album cover is rubbish as well.
2.5 rounded down.
2
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Tue Sep 26 2023
Play
Moby
This is a really good album. I like the lo-fi beats across it, the strings, the piano, the melancholy / bittersweet feeling to a lot of the tracks. There's some good variation in there too, with some good upbeat tracks. It's really consistent across the board here, just very well done and great to listen to.
5
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Wed Sep 27 2023
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
There's some nice covers in here, alongside a few original songs. It's very soulful. Plenty of songs that are stripped way back, but mostly hit well. I really like the first track, that's great. Hurt is brilliant. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is a standout, which has a real depth of feeling.
3
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Thu Sep 28 2023
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
This is a real weird album, real hit and miss. The tracks are way too long and over-indulgent, and they start to get repetitive and grate after a while, especially when so much is instrumental.
The 18 minute track is 9 minutes of completely uninteresting talking, 9 minutes of great track that slowly builds into something with real energy.
One Woman was reeeeal nice - why couldn't they all be 5 minute tracks? I love all the instrumentation on here: keys, sweeping violins, wind instruments, chimes, backing chorus - and of course the big man's incredible voice. It's very dramatic and big and I love it.
On that note, I should say I'm reviewing this album without the single edits (so the original album). The single of Walk On By works SO much better. If they'd have trimmed the rest it would have improved this immensely.
3
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Out of Step
Minor Threat
I grew up as an Offspring kid, and I am hearing SO much influence from this band, as I'm sure it influenced so many others. I do like the attitude and driving bass. There's just not really much variation and it's very samey. Thankfully it's short.
3
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Mon Oct 02 2023
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
I like a lot of Beastie Boys tracks, but damn man, so much of this is just irritating and repetitive. Some of the samples and beats are good. Fight For Your Right is a classic and I love it. No Sleep Till Brooklyn is good.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Tue Oct 03 2023
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
This is my third Bob Dylan album now. My previous two reviews both resulted in me demanding for him to 'give his harmonica a fucking rest', and in this case... you know, he's used it JUST the right amount. And when he does use it, it seems to have some genuine personality and fit well within the songs. So well done, Bob Dylan, you come good.
I actually really enjoyed this, and I think it's a definite step above the other albums. Some songs are over-long, yes, but they're also just really good. Again, lots of personality here, and well written, interesting songs.
4
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Wed Oct 04 2023
Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
I think this is pretty rubbish. The songs don't have much form to them at all, they're just kind of loose and chaotic. I don't like the singing at all. It's so whiny and weak and nothing. It's kind of telling that the best track is the instrumental one.
2
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Thu Oct 05 2023
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
I like this. It's very nice, well sung, nice tales, gentle guitars. What a silky voice! I like all the "oooOOoo" backup vocals too.
3.5 rounded down
3
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Fri Oct 06 2023
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
It's not bad this. More gentle than I thought it might be, but a few tracks hit a little bit harder and are more upbeat. I like Neil Tennant's voice.
3
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Mon Oct 09 2023
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
This just showcases that Paul McCartney is a really accomplished and interesting songwriter. I really like this album, there's tons of great songs, and lots of moods and tones running through it.
4.5 rounded down.
4
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Tue Oct 10 2023
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
I'm a filthy millennial, so I'm clearly not educated enough to understand or conceptualise this properly. Kids these days just don't understand what the jazz is all about.
So now that my ignorant and stupid position is established... this is fine. You know, in a kind of reasonably nice, background, boring way. There's some nice trumpet in there. My thoughts on this may be more easily summarised with a slow head-nod and a lip sticking out, in a kind of 'not bad, but ultimately I don't really care' face.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Wed Oct 11 2023
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
It's not bad - another middling Bob Dylan for me. I kind of appreciate him, but I'm definitely not a fan outside of a number of songs.
Subterranean Homesick Blues is great and the standout track. The rest are kind of just nice. He still has the habit of having waaay too many verses in a lot of his songs, but once again, at least the harmonica doesn't grate here.
3
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Thu Oct 12 2023
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
It's pretty good. It's quite upbeat. They kind of sound like a more energetic and slightly rockier REM. I don't think there's tons of variation across so many songs, but I didn't really mind, and it was a real easy-listening experience in general.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Fri Oct 13 2023
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
It's a bit weird, but there's some nice vibey tunes in here. All weird samples flowing into each other. Frontier Psychiatrist is brilliant and elevates the score a bit, but overall it's a bit mad and chaotic for me to revisit or to have as a go-to background chill mix.
3
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Mon Oct 16 2023
Blackstar
David Bowie
I love David Bowie's back-catalogue of songs and hits, but this project has taught me that a lot of his albums are wildly inconsistent. This album however is actually consistent and good throughout. The context of the album definitely elevates it I think, making a concept album out of his looming death. A true artist to the end. It's bold, and artsy, and kind of wonderful.
4
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Tue Oct 17 2023
Disintegration
The Cure
I like that there's a consistent mood on this. It's just that, for me, that mood is quite oppressive for most of the album. A lot of it is quite lo-fi, and there's not many stand-out songs that particularly grab me.
3
View Album
Wed Oct 18 2023
Signing Off
UB40
I don't really do reggae, but this is a super chill time.
3
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Thu Oct 19 2023
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
It's real nice. Lovely song-writing. Good instrumentation. It's quite inventive and with varied songs.
4
View Album
Fri Oct 20 2023
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
I love the energy and vibe of this. A lot of it is pretty iconic. I like the vocals. I like the artiness. I love the droning violins, the weird jangly guitars, the heart-attack inducing, thumping drums. They add to this kind of weird oppressive atmosphere on it. Heroin, jeez what a stressful time, but it's so good. It's not their best album in my opinion (I prefer the more accessible Loaded) but it's still great.
4
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Mon Oct 23 2023
The Band
The Band
Who could have guessed that a band named "The Band" would be incredibly boring and middle-of-the-road dad rock? I mean... it's alright. It's competent. It's just not exciting in any way shape or form.
2.5 rounded up
3
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Tue Oct 24 2023
Queen II
Queen
It's such a weird, bold, arty album. It has some similar DNA to something like Sheer Heart Attack, but the songs aren't anywhere near as compelling or succinct. It's all a bit chaotic.
3
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Wed Oct 25 2023
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
It's got plenty of catchy songs, but also a bunch that are just quite samey. I really like the addition of rock guitars with rapping over the top. There's a lot of similarities with people like the Beastie Boys, only their voices aren't quite as grating. I wouldn't listen to the whole thing again, but there's definitely stand-outs that raise the bar overall.
Walk This Way is iconic. Tricky has tons of energy. I had flashbacks to SSX Tricky on PS2. Tricky Tricky Tricky Tricky!
3
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
Take on Me is a belter of a tune!
Some of the other songs are a bit generic and ehh. Others pop (like The Sun Always Shines on T.V). Overall it's quite nice, but it's only Take on Me that's worth revisiting.
3
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Fri Oct 27 2023
Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
I quite like some of the older hip-hop stylings from this era. This one feels a bit underwhelming in terms of the beats though, and the mix is really murky. It feels like it should be way funkier. And it's way too long.
What "U" Waitin' "4"? is a good track, despite the MAD punctuation. Good Newz Comin' has something interesting going on. But it's not enough.
2.5 rounded down
2
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Mon Oct 30 2023
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
It's utterly bombastic from the off, and I kind of love that. It's unapologetic, leaning heavily into the grandiose rock opera thing. Lots of foot tapping happening across a lot of these songs, but there's a lovely ballad in 'Heaven Can Wait' too.
4
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Tue Oct 31 2023
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
This man has ENERGY. A lot of the songs sound very similar in the beats and delivery, but they're still great.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Wed Nov 01 2023
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
It's a nice time. Real upbeat and full of energy.
3
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Thu Nov 02 2023
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
Sounds very 90's alt-singer-songwriter. I guess because it is. It's alright, but I'm not really into it that much.
3
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Fri Nov 03 2023
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
I feel like I say this about a lot of albums lately, but it's generally a nice time. It's not my go-to genre or type of music, but it's gentle and easy and well made.
3
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
I'm not really a massive Elton John fan. He does have a pretty great backlog of classics, but a lot of other songs feel quite similar to me, at least in a structural sense.
On this album I think that kind of holds true. Tiny Dancer is a great song. I (obviously) love the bit where it all kicks off, and you get all the strings coming in along with the piano and the rest of it. A lot of the other tracks are very well done, and are good in themselves, with plenty of decent hooks and melodies... it's just I started to lose a bit of interest after a while.
There's some really good experimentation and variety of instrumentation on this album though. Holiday Inn has some cracking mandolin playing through it for example. Other than that there's violins, keys (obviously) and even some soul backing vocals. So, overall good, just not entirely my jam all in one sitting.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
I like this. Lots of driving energy throughout. Some of the guitars in this are greeeeat, both bass and jangly lead guitar.
I obviously have no idea what they're singing about, but they clearly have some serious lived experience to draw upon. I'm sure it's quite profound.
The more 'world' sounding tracks I didn't enjoy as much.
4
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Wed Nov 08 2023
Roots
Sepultura
Not a fan of metal albums where it's just guttural screaming. The Brazilian influence in the music is interesting, and there's a few good heavy riffs, but... ehh.
2
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
Ehh. I'm not a fan. I like some of their singles, but a lot of this just melds together as one big noise, and a bunch of tracks also annoyed me.
2
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Fri Nov 10 2023
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
I love the energy on this record. Lots of driving, catchy rhythms. There's some other interesting things going on instrumentally, with some nice organ keys and so on. Take Me Out is obviously a big hit. I'm definitely going to re-visit.
4
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Mon Nov 13 2023
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
There's so many great songs on here. I love the big sounds they create, with lots of layered instruments and backing vocals and so on.
Intervention is such a fucking tune, real power and building to SUCH a crescendo. Been working for the church while your life falls apart - DADAA DADAA DADAA!
4.5 rounded up.
5
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Tue Nov 14 2023
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
Much like the other album I had by these guys, I like it. There's good rhymes and beats and I really like the sampling. It's quite a noisy record, with lots and lots going on (which I like) but it's also 20 tracks so it's quite a lot in one sitting.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Wed Nov 15 2023
Guero
Beck
Beck is such a great musician. Everything he does is at least interesting.
This isn't his best album, but there's plenty of great songs on here. You have real upbeat numbers like E-Pro, which is a great kick-off for the album, via weird electronic robot songs like Hell Yes, and then a gorgeous ballad like Broken Drum. The music and instrumentation is so varied and interesting throughout.
Beck transcends genres even as he re-invents them, and I for one applaud that.
4.5 rounded down.
4
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Thu Nov 16 2023
LP1
FKA twigs
Jesus Christ, it's so minimalist. It's like literally nothing is happening. There's some interesting sounds and backing bits that sound kind of sci-fi, but it's just so empty. I don't think any single song distinguishes itself as something separate from the rest. Just high breathy vocals over some basic minimalist beats on every single song.
It faded into the background easily enough for the most part, but that's hardly a winning endorsement now is it?
1
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Fri Nov 17 2023
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
It's nice enough and made with enough skill, it's just not my thing at all.
2
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Mon Nov 20 2023
The Clash
The Clash
Overall this is a pretty good package. There's lots of energy, and some great iconic songs. Some don't work for me, but being a punk album it's quite quick, gets in and out and does it's thing.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Tue Nov 21 2023
21
Adele
This may sound a bit cynical, but it feels a bit X-Factor-y for me. She's got a big voice, but it's like a lot of the songs are just a vehicle for her voice and not a lot more. I don't find the songs themselves that particularly interesting bar a few. It's ok overall.
3
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Wed Nov 22 2023
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
Fast-paced and snappy, with a decent energy and plenty of personality. It's pretty good. I feel like it picked up the more it went on. I'd have to be in the mood for it though.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
Well this was much better than I was expecting based on the cover and title. I like the singer... those are some real nice vocals. He doesn't sound like he should be singing in this kind of band, more like he should be in a rock/indie band or something. I like the mix of fiddles alongside the kind of upbeat rocky numbers. Some nice mandolin in there too.
It turns way more traditional towards the end of the first half, which is quite a nice way to end I think. The songs are very nice. They're very tight musically and it's all solid.
I was going to say it was way too long, until I realised the original album is just the effective first half of the special edition. That makes it a much more appetising package I think and means it doesn't outstay its welcome.
4
View Album
Fri Nov 24 2023
Sincere
Mj Cole
A bit more interesting than I thought it was going to be based on the most popular reviews. There's at least a bit of inventiveness in there, with some interesting soundscapes and changes in mood and tempo at times. That said, it's still not good. UK Garage beats are all pretty much exactly the same. Some tracks are incredibly vacuous and irritating as hell. And it's SO long.
I almost gave up after 10 tracks, but then a few good tracks dropped. Incredibly frustrating that there's some good stuff in there, but that so much of it is just actively shit.
2
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Mon Nov 27 2023
GREY Area
Little Simz
It's not really my thing, but it's put together well enough. Plenty of weird and wonderful instruments and sounds. I'm not a fan of the rapping style and content.
2
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Tue Nov 28 2023
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Lots of great songs on here, lots of experimentation with genre, lots of changes to tempo and style. Sprinkle on a ton of classic riffs, iconic vocals, big interesting guitars and you're looking pretty good!
4.5 rounded down.
4
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Wed Nov 29 2023
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
I like the chilled vibes of this. There's some interesting instrumentation and soundscapes in it, and the overall atmosphere is pretty nice.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Thu Nov 30 2023
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
I'm not really a fan. Most of it is sitting solely in the background and it's not grabbing or interesting me. There's some nice synths, but it's quite pared back. It's mostly forgettable.
2
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Fri Dec 01 2023
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
It's ok. It's quite murky and rough around the edges, and his vocals are definitely an acquired taste. There's enough variation on display and a few standout tracks, but I wouldn't revisit.
3
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
This is a well made enough record and I'm sure a fine example of the genre. It's just... reggae is so boring.
2
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
This is a nice record and it's well made, there's just something that's not quite taking it to the next level for me. Some bigger hooks and memorable choruses maybe. It feels a bit paint by numbers perhaps.
3
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
It's interesting having a solely instrumental album for a change, and there's some nice songs in here... but it's a bit limited.
3
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Pearl
Janis Joplin
There's some good jams in here but I'm not massively keen overall. I know people love her voice, but for me it's just way too bombastic.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
People obviously find it hard to shake the Pixar thing, but there's some good songs in here, and some nice music. I got over it pretty quickly. I like the backing orchestral bits. Overall quite easy-going and it didn't outstay its welcome.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Doolittle
Pixies
What an album! So many amazing tunes on here, my god! Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Hey..
They've got a bit of an anarchic edge to them. Lots of weird and wonderful compositions and approaches, but then just tons of catchy hooks and choruses as well. The combination of male and female vocals...
It works so well as an overall album.
5
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Tue Dec 12 2023
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
I'm enjoying this. Real big sound and tons of personality.
4
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Wed Dec 13 2023
The Man Who
Travis
This is objectively a good album, with good standout songs, strong melodies, choruses and all the rest. It's quite soft and melancholic, and I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea, but reading the top reviews on here it just reads like complete snobbishness. I guess it's just somehow cool to hate on it? Who knows? Fuck the haters, I like it.
4
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Bummed
Happy Mondays
I like the atmosphere on this. It's got a manic energy to it, and there's some interesting things going on musically. I like the psychedelic guitars. It's quite unique.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
It's quite a chill time. He's got a great voice. It's just a bit slow.
3
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
I feel like The Cure are a band I should like, but I can never quite get into them. I quite like the vibe on this album. It's broody and a bit foreboding, with some interesting soundscapes to it. Once again, there's not really any standout songs, but as a whole it's quite consistent.
3
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Tue Dec 19 2023
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
It feels quite samey all the way through, but it's pretty listenable.
3
View Album
Wed Dec 20 2023
Rapture
Anita Baker
Plenty of nice songs in here sung well. It's not something I'm massively into in general, but it's easy listening.
3
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Solid Air
John Martyn
Oh this is nice. The music is complex and interesting, and there's lots of varied songs. Plenty of experimentation. I really like the acoustic playing, the vibraphone, the brass, the vocals. The musicality is absolutely on point.
4.5 rounded down.
4
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
I like the vibe on this for the most part. It's a bit frantic at times, but they're an interesting band and the songs have a lot of experimentation in them. Probably not one I'll re-visit, but there's some good songs on here.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Mon Dec 25 2023
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Lots of really catchy tunes in here, and some utterly badass riffs. Loads of energy. This is great.
\m/
4
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Tue Dec 26 2023
1984
Van Halen
It's quite good. There's some good riffs and plenty of energy. Nice and short. Maybe a bit superficial? I don't know if that's a massive criticism as it is what it is, and it's not trying to be anything more than that. Just a bit of good fun that you can nod your head to.
3
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Wed Dec 27 2023
So Much For The City
The Thrills
It's quite nice, but it's a bit indie-wank. It's the kind of music Zach Braff would put in one of his movies. All very floaty and quirky and inoffensive with breathy vocals on top. Crafted well enough but not exciting in the least.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Thu Dec 28 2023
L.A. Woman
The Doors
It's a bit hit and miss for me. I like a lot of the Doors hits, but there's lots here that's quite plodding and slow. I'm not really that excited by most of the album.
Love Her Madly and Riders on the Storm are the standouts for me.
3
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Thu Jan 04 2024
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
It's all a bit dad-rock, gentle fist pump while sipping a cup of tea for me. Since others have pointed out the drums thing, it's really bothering me. It must be the most dull band to play in as a drummer. Even though there's plenty of layers of sound to the whole thing it still somehow feels really anaemic. And it's just so bloody boring, christ.
2
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Fri Jan 05 2024
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
Overall it's a nice record. There's some interesting experimentation and some weird old sounds in here, but also some solid, well-crafted 60's tracks. Favourite tracks: Thoughts and Words and My Back Pages.
3
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Mon Jan 08 2024
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
I'd never really listened to this album all the way through before for some reason, despite loving 'Music for the Jilted Generation' as a kid. There's plenty of banging tracks outside of the big singles, although they don't all hit. In terms of quality and consistency I think someone like the Chemical Brothers were way better, but this is still decent and I'm pretty there for it.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Tue Jan 09 2024
The College Dropout
Kanye West
I didn't know anything about Kanye West before listening to this, apart from the fact that he did the 'gold digger' song, and that he's a flaming bellend in real life.
So I had no idea what to expect here. I was definitely expecting it to be way more obnoxious than it is, and I was under the impression that he was quite minimalist, but that's definitely not the case.
It's actually pretty impressive how varied and broad this is in scope. There's lots of different, interesting beats and samples, and the content is also more varied than I was expecting. It's incredibly well produced, and I hate to admit that this is good, but it is.
3.5 rounded down
3
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
It's a really nice album and well crafted. Very consistently good across all the songs. I really like the instrumentation and like his voice.
4
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
"You hate jazz? You fear jazz! You fear the lack of rules. The lack of boundaries."
I mean, this is mostly nonsense isn't it? In my humble opinion, a lack of any kind of cohesive structure makes for a dull and un-engaging listen, especially if you spread it into a long-form piece. I didn't hate it like I have some other albums, but I have to judge it based on how well it moved and involved me, and that answer is not at all. It sat in the background well enough, and I adopted a face of mild bemusement for the most part while listening to it.
Jazz isn't big, and it isn't clever.
1
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
I groaned so loudly when I saw this pop up, but actually it's nice. I like the covers on here unlike some others, particularly Jumpin' Jack Flash. I like all the weird spacey sounds. I'm not sure about the extended 13 minute track, but overall it's a really chill album.
3
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Mon Jan 15 2024
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
I had a nice happy time listening to this. Straight down the middle, good vibes.
3
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Tue Jan 16 2024
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
I would usually expect to go for something like this. Something with some moodiness to it, and with plenty of extravagances with the violins and brass and so on. But... it's just fine. I don't quite click with Alex Turner, either here or with the Arctic Monkeys. The songs just seem a bit superficial and lacking somehow despite all the nice instruments on top. They ultimately don't excite me at all.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
It's pretty varied, upbeat, funky, lots of layers and grooves. Well produced. But boy is it loooong. And the second half isn't as good as the first in my opinion. I appreciate this one way more than I like it.
3
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Shadowland
k.d. lang
It's pleasant.
3
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Fri Jan 19 2024
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
I'm not usually into punk, because it's just so noisy and discordant, but as an example of the genre I think this is decent. There's some good grooves and riffs running through this, and it clearly has a lot of typical punk energy. It's way groovier and more musical than other punk albums, with the addition of the sax in particular.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
Top-tier Bowie. I love how generally dramatic and big the whole album is. Watch That Man is such a great opener. I love the elaborate twinkly keys across a lot of the album, definitely in songs like Aladdin Sane but then particularly in Lady Grinning Soul. That song is soooo good and elevates the whole thing.
5
View Album
Tue Jan 23 2024
Synchronicity
The Police
The Police, to me, put out really soft, insipid, uninspired, nothing music. It's not dreadful, but it's just so, so weak.
1.5 rounded up.
2
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Survivor
Destiny's Child
I recognise all the hits, but I'm not into them. It is hilarious how you have a bunch of female empowering songs, followed immediately by a song slut shaming someone and telling them to put more clothes on. Hmm.
It's a 'meh' for me overall, with one or two tracks that elevate it a bit. I can't relate to most of it and it doesn't really move or inspire me in any way. 'Happy Face' is probably the best and most interesting track for me, and that is by far the least listened to song on the album according to Spotify, go figure. I guess I'm really not the target demographic!
2.5 rounded down.
2
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Urban Hymns
The Verve
It's a good album overall. There's some really well crafted indie pop songs, and some particular standouts (basically the singles!). The longer form, meandering songs I'm not as big a fan of.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Fri Jan 26 2024
NEU! 75
Neu!
This is more interesting to me than it is something I actively enjoy. It starts off quite chill, with some interesting soundscapes mixed in and then it builds into this kind of relentlessly upbeat thing, which all feels a bit samey and repetitive. I think I would enjoy the songs more individually, but a whole album in one go is a bit much.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
British Steel
Judas Priest
I quite like this, but it's not one I'll revisit. Breaking the Law is a real head-banging tune.
3
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
There's some great tracks on here, but there's also a lot of generic filler. I don't think it really recovered after the rubbish 11 minute track smack bang in the middle of the album. Who thought that was a good idea? It completely kills all the momentum. The mix is really low and strange for much of the record too.
A generous 3/5
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Good country or bad country? Bad country. How does a 28 minute album manage to feel like an eternity? It's so, so dull.
1
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
I didn't like this as much as the other album I had of his. It's still quite nice overall. He still has an incredible voice, and the instrumentation is still on-point for the most part. I'm not really into the whole 60's hippy folk-singing scene. To the person who mentioned it sounding like a renaissance fair.. I can't quite shake that, and yes those songs in that vein did grate a bit. Pleasant Street was real nice, that's the standout for sure.
2.5 rounded up.
3
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Fri Feb 02 2024
Boston
Boston
I've enjoyed this, but I have to be honest that it mostly sat in the background. I looked up and it had practically finished. So it's good, but obviously not gripping enough to push the score up further.
3
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Thanks to this 1001 albums project, I've come to learn that I really don't like 'Post Punk', so at least I could come into this album preparing for the worst.
And yes, it still holds! I just think it's way too weird, and it does absolutely nothing for me for the most part. I don't like his singing style at all. He's either singing with some kind of mania, or just mumbling and farting about. I thought I would hate this more though. There's a few upbeat tracks that work well, but that's about it.
2
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
It's real nice. He's got a lovely voice. Smooooth.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
This is bad in the classical 80's way. It just sounds so dated.
The bits where she's singing definitely work better. There's some more upbeat numbers that are quite good, but overall it's just dated and feels hollow like so many other 80's mainstream pop albums.
2
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Thu Feb 08 2024
In It For The Money
Supergrass
I watched their 2023 Glasto set, and realised they're one of those bands where you know way more of their songs than you thought you did. There's plenty in here which were pleasant reminders of that.
I think this is overall a good album. I love the trumpet on the opener. And then really, to be honest, when it's at its best it's with the singles and bigger hits. I thought it tailed off a bit in the last third or so.
There's some great songs in here though. Great melodies, happy singalong times. I may revisit the album, but it'll mostly be putting the bigger tracks into playlist rotation.
4
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Fri Feb 09 2024
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
It's alright. Jimi knows how to play, but it's not speaking to me. It's quite stop start, and the songs are quite chaotic. There's not enough flow for me, and not enough to latch onto.
3
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Blur
Blur
Once again, I think Blur do disappoint a bit on the album front. You're kicking off with a classic in Beetlebum, and the other singles on the album are great too, but outside of those it's a bit meandering. I do admire them switching things up a bit and trying different things creatively, but there's not enough outside of the big hitters.
3
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
It started off so promising with the opening tracks, but I'm sad to say it fell off and I ended up bored by the end. There's lots to appreciate here - the big concept album approach, tons of varied instruments, lots of interesting songs, good lyrics.
It's way too long for me though. The songs are all quite soft, and touching on the twee for some of them, and it's just too much. There's still some good tracks throughout, but it mostly feels like one big gentle thing.
3
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Diamond Life
Sade
It's very pleasant and chilled. Smooth songs, sung very nicely. I wouldn't usually go along with this level of sensual 80's sax, but you know what? It's working.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
It's alright. It's fine, but entirely forgettable. It lacks any kind of bite.
2.5 rounded down.
2
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Fri Feb 16 2024
1977
Ash
I love Ash, they're genuinely one of my top 10 bands - and yet there's so many albums I haven't listened to all the way through. They're one of those bands that I've mostly only listened to on compilation albums. Maybe it's because their music is more about an overall feeling, and delivering a particular kind of hit. They're kind of specialists in that nostalgic, teenage fantasy realm, where it's always summer and there's possibility everywhere. When I want to feel good and rock out a bit I'll stick some Ash on and they'll always deliver. I don't need to go beyond the big hits and compilation songs, because they all rock and do exactly what they need to do.
Anyway it's a stupid reason. This is a really good album, and I definitely enjoyed it. I'm so happy Ash made it onto this 1001 list, as I've always thought they were a bit underrated and should have been bigger. I've seen them a bunch of times live and they've always delivered big. I remember seeing them play a tent at Reading festival, and some 'cool kids' at the back were sneering at me for jumping up and down when Kung Fu came on. Come on man, it's Kung Fu, it's an absolute jam! I went straight down the front, jumped about with those lot and had the time of my life.
Lots of brilliant songs on here. Some great melodies, choruses and riffs. Bits of the album fall off a little bit but overall it's another feel good treat.
4
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Mon Feb 19 2024
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
Two albums in a row where I've mentioned seeing them at a festival. This one was Glastonbury festival on the pyramid stage. We were walking generally past. The weather was utterly abject. Dark clouds overhead and rain coming down. I decided to buy a pear cider. We take a look at the main stage, and who is coming on? De La Soul. At that moment, the clouds part, a ray of sunshine breaks out, and I'm standing there with a pear cider in my hand and a big grin on my face, watching some super happy fun-time music. It was magical.
Anyway, I like the upbeat energy of these guys, but most of the album isn't as good as the big hits. I guess we'll always have Glastonbury.
3
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
I don't like jazz really, but this one was a real chill time. Way more accessible than most jazz albums, and there was some genuine foot tapping action going on for most of its runtime.
3.5 rounded down.
3
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
I like this kind of electronic ambient stuff. It can't exactly reach the highs of other albums in terms of impact and merit, but I really dig it.
4
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
It's competent but really boring.
2.5 rounded down.
2
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Document
R.E.M.
As a broader fan of R.E.M I thought I would like this more, but the only songs really worth re-visiting for me are the ones I already know (It's The End Of The World As We Know It and The One I Love), which are obviously great.
3
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Mon Feb 26 2024
1989
Taylor Swift
There are some absolute bangers on here (Blank Space, Style, Shake It Off). The rest of the tracks are all very solid and catchy. She's a very gifted songwriter.
4
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
There's some really accomplished songs on here. Lots of character and depth of feeling. The production is superb. It's not the kind of thing I'd put on usually, but I can't deny it's a really good album. That's why I'm going 3.5 rounded up.
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
I like this. Good rhythms and beats, and it's pretty solid throughout.
3.5 rounded up.
4
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
There's a few good tracks in here which are pretty funky, with good beats and production, and lots of variation in instruments and so on. There's not many though, and the runtime is too long. Most of the album for me doesn't work and isn't my thing.
2
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Fri Mar 01 2024
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
A bunch of my favourite bands have shoegaze elements to them, so I always find myself optimistically starting albums like this, before almost immediately realising that it's depressing, droney bullshit. It's so fucking miserable! Christ.
Turn that frown upside down guys! Go outside for a bit, sniff the fresh air.
1
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Dirt
Alice In Chains
It started off pretty good, but the further I got into it the more it dragged, and the more samey it felt. There's not really tons of variation across these songs. There's some nice guitars in places, but it was definitely way too much in one sitting.
2.5 rounded up
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
It's way less obnoxious than the other album I heard from them. I don't like his voice and the manic way he sings a lot of them still, but a lot of the actual music I'm finding myself tapping my foot along to a fair bit. There's some good upbeat grooves in here that work for me, with nice guitar and drums in particular.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 06 2024
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Some of it is pleasant. There's some chilled tracks with nice violins and guitar. Some of it is kind of boring. In fact it's mostly boring. I'm not really into it.
2.5 rounded down.
2
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
I don't mind these kind of ambient, soft electronic albums. It's a very chill time for the most part, but it's never going to dazzle me.
3
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Hotel California
Eagles
I've listened to this twice now, and I've come to the conclusion that it's really good. There's some great upbeat numbers, as well as some really nice ballads. It's pretty consistently quality throughout, and the instrumentation is on point. It's got a real easy listening vibe to it.
I'm going a solid 4/5.
But... you know, that's just, like, my opinion, man.
4
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Mon Mar 11 2024
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
I know from this 1001 project that a lot of Bowie albums can be strange beasts, and be wildly inconsistent. It's great to see an album like this where he's just laying down perfectly crafted rock n roll / pop songs and nothing but.
I'd never heard this album before outside of 3-4 songs, but it's great. Obviously there's some massive hits, that are still as good as ever. Listening properly now I've come to appreciate new little details like all the layered vocals, and the really great guitar on Moonage Daydream for instance. I've also been introduced to other great tunes like Five Years, It Ain't Easy and Rock 'N' Roll Suicide.
It's a great overall package. Brilliant songs. Great production. This one is a HIT.
5
View Album
Tue Mar 12 2024
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
I mean, it's classic country music, so it's not going to be my thing. Dolly's a class act though. There's lots of personality in these songs, and they're nicely put together. This one is easy listening enough to work for me.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 13 2024
Funeral
Arcade Fire
What a debut this is. There's so many big hits. Catchy hooks. Big choruses. I absolutely love all the layers of instruments, the violins in particular coming through, but also the dual vocals. It has a really big depth of sound and tons of energy to it.
Parts of this album are just absolutely joyous. After this album came out I saw them at Brixton Academy London, and seeing everyone on stage at the same time really was something, but having the whole crowd sing back the melody to Rebellion Lies minutes after the song had ended was something else. A great memory, and great collective experience.
This is a brilliant album.
5
View Album
Thu Mar 14 2024
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
Yee-haw.
1
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Yeezus
Kanye West
It doesn't really sound like anything else I've ever heard, so I guess there's that? I do quite like some of the weird electronic noises throughout, but everything else that goes with it, rapping, lyrical content etc, is shit. I was going to give an extra star for production, but I realised I hated the content so much that I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Kanye West is a piece of shit, and a gay fish.
1
View Album
Mon Mar 18 2024
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
It's nice enough, and it's not too offensive. There's some quite good songs in here, more so on the first half. There's some nice variation in music, instruments and so on. I'm not excited by any of it, but it's nice.
The second half all goes a bit slow and the length of the tracks start to wear on you a little bit more. Side note: It's a rubbish album cover, but I won't hold that against it.
A perfectly acceptable, middle of the road 3.
3
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
This is funky as SHIT. Great production, flow and tunes. It's also misogynistic as shit.
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
The White Room
The KLF
I don't hate it, but it's hideously dated, and generally kind of rubbish.
2
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
This is a real nice, smooth, chilled album. I kind of like everything about this. The really nice guitar, the complex strumming and picking. I like his lower register vocals. I even like the harmonica, so that's saying something. Maybe because it sits nicely in the mix, and isn't brought obnoxiously up front.
4
View Album
Fri Mar 22 2024
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
It's nice and jangly, and whips along at a fair old pace. This just reminds me of Saturday mornings, my dad playing this album while cooking a bacon sandwich for everyone. Nostalgia!
3
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Who's Next
The Who
I knew some hits on this already which I liked. Most of the album I thought was a bit of a let-down though. Maybe I was expecting more from its reputation, but there was plenty of 'meh' in here for me.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 26 2024
Teen Dream
Beach House
It's nice enough. Chilled, inoffensive, and not too engaging.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 27 2024
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
It's not that bad, it's just a bit disjointed.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 28 2024
Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Spirit
It's quite a strange record, with unusual production and song construction, as well as some quite varied tracks. It is interesting though, I'll give it that. I'm kind of digging the vibe here and there's some good jams. It's definitely unique and doing it's own thing, which I respect.
3.5 rounded up.
4