overall pretty good album but like not mindblowing - the songs I knew were good (baba, blue eyes and won't get fooled) and some of the ones I didn't were good surprises (getting in tune and song is over) but overall the instrumentation wasn't anything to rave about (except for the opening and closer) and some melodies were j too bland (bargain) - 3.5

pretty good shit. overall the vibe is there, and the two main instrumental bits give it a nice lil structure BUT the opener is so weak and they use lalala in two separate songs. i was alr disappointed with one. also the mix was a lil off on like 1or2 songs, the lower harmony and guitar were sorta clashing. otherwise, the run from blue jeans to villa rosie is pretty clean. and i’m a big fan of chemical world, miss america and the closer. solid 4

I mean the songs I alr knew were as good as I remembered, and the others were as good as (often better than) I expected, so nothing really blew my mind - except that I never really appreciated his panning before, and I think that's a super important factor to why this is a good album, the stereo sound is incredible. Highlights: the majority of it - obv Watchtower and Slight Return, but also Have you Ever Been and Rainy Day. Lowlights: 1983 didn't work as well as I wanted it to (although it opened real well - I'm all for a good jam but it didn't feel very cohesive), the short ones just felt like filler, and Still Raining was just... there, a very cheesy ending and sorta felt like they just wanted to fake the idea of the album being a lot more cohesive by varying another song's title If I had to shit on it for no reason I would say that some of the songs felt sorta bare, like the focus was entirely on the guitar, which is cool but can't do everything. And it's also just a little too long. like I get it but like a lot could have been cut to create something a lot more cohesive and impactful. I mean there's no doubt in anyone's mind that Jimi is one of the greatest guitarists, but I think as a whole, the album isn't his magnum opus - low 4.5

i mean it was good for what it is, I'm just not a huge fan of what it is. I didn't really give it a proper listen if I'm honest

I mean there is really not a single miss on this whole album. But that doesn't mean every song is a 10. And it's also not consistent. Starts off alright, but not perfectly. And really that first song as well as a string of forgettable songs near the end it what stops this from being a 5. And although I do love money for nothing --> your latest trick, it's really not the best shit i've ever heard. The closer is amazing. but again not the most impressive closer ever. Amazing album but on the whole it comes off as a little cheesy. solid 4.5

very pleasant listen as a whole, and a few songs are pretty good but definitely nothing noteworthy. It honestly feels like a compilation of okay songs back to back to back. and although they're all good/okay, they don't really have any emotion or impact behind them, sorta just pleasant sound. solid 3

i mean i kinda want to hate this, but the instrumentation is actually banger. he’s like drake, the worst part of every song is when he starts singing. low 2.5

damnnnn. great album through and through. opener is amazing, not a single song is annoying, except maybe the second one, but not to an extreme extent, and the closer (The Cinema Show/Aisle of Plenty) wraps it up really nicely. it always feels shorter than it really is, because it really takes you to a place and brings you home. I would love to give this a 5, but it does feel somewhat bland at times, and is not incredibly memorable on a song by song basis. it feels more like a long soak in this world than different songs that stick with you. high 4.5

absolutely beautiful, but not incredibly consistent, the great songs are amazing but there are quite a few skips imo

good shit, It's just inconvenient to listen to (not on spotify) and so it's just annoying to figure out, meaning I didn't listen to it a shit ton, so I don't feel like I can really give it a fair score

yeesh idk i was pretty underwhelmed, each song is pretty similarly unimpressive… bad moon rising is a classic but didn’t rly stand out, the instrumentals were nice but nothing crazy good. low 3

the beats were all sick at but tbh i didn’t love many songs individually (except armand est mort) and a lot of the lyrics felt cheesy/forced, the rhyming was just so kids book-y, and maybe i would enjoy it more if i didn’t speak french. solid 3

good stuff. nothing mindblowing but good stuff from a good genre and era solid 3.5

yessir. i mean i just love this kinda stuff, very cohesive and very sexy. only comment is the melodies sometimes feel a little lackluster and since they’re so important it does bring down the experience a bit low 4.5

I've been told that Aja is Steely Dan's magnum opus. I still don't know if I agree. I've been listening to Steely Dan for as long as I can remember. Well I should say I've been listening to one singular song of theirs: Reelin' in the Years (it's in the soundtrack for a baseball movie my family watches every year). And that one song, along with a few other of their hits from "Can't Buy a Thrill" have essentially been my only exposure to the band. In the past few years I've gone out of my way to listen to a few more of their hits, and even some deeper cuts (Hey Nineteen, Doctor Wu, Jack of Speed) but nothing off Aja. And I think that simple fact makes me dislike the album just a little more than I really ought to. It's too... jazzy. "But you love jazz!" Well, yes. But my perception of Steely Dan does not consist of vamps and improvisation, instead I think of catchy melodies with fun lyrics and great harmonies that really let the vocals pop. It's cool guitar riffs and bass lines that mainly serve to support said vocals. But Aja is more than that, and therefore more than I expected going in. The vocals take a backseat. And to a guy who's fallen in love with Steely Dan because of their biggest hit whose vocals carry the piece... it feels off. I can pretty confidently say that had Aja been the first Steely Dan album I had listened to, it would be one of my favorites. The jazz and funk elements come together with a classic rock sound where beautiful melodies are gracefully rested atop luscious guitar riffs and elegantly composed piano pieces. Where grooves in "Josie" and "Peg'' allow for glorious solos and improvisations, with perfectly timed transitions and crisp instrumentation. I love this album. But hearing it from my perspective, it sort of sits in an uncanny valley, where the band's new direction feels... wrong. The shift in focus from vocals to instruments is one I almost always support. And I wish I could support this one more than I do. high 4.5/5

weirdly feels like the smiths and the doors had a kid. high 3

i mean i see the appeal but felt a little cringe at times, i don’t feel as though i need to revisit low 2.5

damn the opening songs really slap. but after a while it really starts to fall off, and objectively the lyrics are kinda meh and a lot of bits just feel like they're trying to be experimental, and that's just not where they shine, they have a really nice songwriting style and I love the way Chicago uses horns in their pieces, either as a build or for dramatic effect or just to highlight the melody, so when they don't use them or they try something vastly different most of their appeal sorta dissapears. like high 3

she didn’t write a single one and still picked bad songs. some of these songs have annoying ass lyrics, and the second half is just the same bland “oh no we broke up” song over and over. for a style with sick ass instrumentation (and that is the aspect of this album that is pretty consistently good - the band is nice af) that’s only purpose is to serve the singer you’d expect the singing to acc say something. i liked 24h from tulsa, anyone who had a heart and summer is over. the other ones i liked i just knew alr from better versions. this album says nothing and her voice gets kinda whiny at times (eg i only wanna be w you and once upon a time) like solid 2 tbh

I mean definitely very groovy, and a very pleasant sound to have on but i feel like none of the songs really went anywhere, and weren’t very memorable high 3

I mean i definitely don’t have anything against it (those two instrumentals felt a little forced) but the main pull of classic rock, or at least this particular vibe, is that I know it alr. without that it’s just kinda… there. low 3.5

I mean it was alright enough, a few bangers here and there, but instrumentation-wise the music was pretty one dimensional, the only time where I noticed a change was Fear --> does anybody out there. Definitely a cool style but I think he was still trying to find his footing as an artist - the lyrics aren't there yet and neither is the real emotion eh like low 3?

This is an interesting one. I only knew the top hit before listening and wasn't expecting such distortion. But I liked it. the guitar tones were super nice and different, but also within the album and the drums and bass are just so in sync throughout this whole album, the rhythm section is doin a sick ass job. My biggest complaint is the length of the songs, I think due to such short tunes they are a little less memorable and start to blend together, and sure enough my favorite songs are essentially the longest ones: Where is my mind? (obviously), Bone Machine, Gigantic, River Euphrates and I also liked something against you quite a lot - beautiful tone. solid 3.5

very jazzy and funny good good - didn’t feel too underwhelming but maybe my expectations were low. will definitely revisit. highlights: title track, revolution 1993, low 3.5

I mean maybe I just like the kinks but this is such a nice little album. Short and sweet, every song stands out as a story - and although their songwriting obviously could do with a little more time and experience, the majority of these songs are enjoyable in and of themselves. Doesn't feel too forgettable but also isn't annoyingly catchy, overall the songs are just pleasant listens individually and come together nicely to create a very pretty little listen. my only grievance is a little contradictory to all the things I enjoy about the album - it doesn't really require any attention. the lyrics are pretty shallow and the production isn't anything to goggle at. pretty little album, low 4

fucking vibe.

I mean it's the same chord progression for 40 minutes. Which is fine when you've got lucille singin to you but these guys aren't exactly B.B. King. like low 2

well i’d like to say this is some annoyingly over dramatic entirely skill focused jazz album, like they all are but truthfully this is just a quaint pleasant listen that has a vision and executes it very well.

I mean it was like exactly what I expected - not bad or anything but pretty much the exact same as 80% of popular music, not special at all like low 2.5

this shits gorgeous bro - maybe i’m j romanticizing the portuguese but Clarice and anunciciao and soy loco are beautiful i love this album and the vibe it creates low 4

eh. like low 2.5, it’s just the same as everything else

starts off so ducking well and keeps it going even through songs i dont know, but dips a little in the second third…

good but the opener and closer we’re kinda meh which are like the most important. highlights: Killer Queen and in the lap of the gods (og not reprise)

I love this, beautiful esthetic, the voice the songwriting the production, chefs kiss. I would just say overall the album isn’t incredibly cohesive and some songs are very clearly better than others

i love the vibe the kinks go for - works really well but does get a little one dimensional after a while

i mean this is sick af, idk how to criticize it tbh, ig it’s j a little long and don’t develop quite enough, and i think maybe the tone could be a little cleaner/more controlled

I’ve just listened to too much aphex twin for this to be good, defo good moments but overall it felt a little stale

I had low expectations when I saw the cheesy ass album art but the instrumentals went hard and Groove is in the Heart is a hit for a reason. Wouldn't say it's revolutionary and a lot of it is pretty one-dimensional but it's not bad either

it was just bland - lots of unimpressive tracks but a few made up for them ig. you can see the potential but they’re definitely not there yet

i mean it’s a compilation so it’s kinda unfair but yeah i liked it

very nice grooves and overall had nice structure and coherence

Surprisingly better than i thought but it just makes me mad there aren’t more 2000+ albums on here

what even is this. it's meant to be mainly popular music, which is why they don't have a lot of great albums, but then what is this dude.

this was really good, i love the recurring motifs and the simple lyrics, works really well

funky but pretty one dimensional didn’t say much

i dont really see the appeal tbh, long repetitive tracks with not much pretty stuff, but it ain’t bad euther

eh he’s j lame

ahhhh ska is so lame

cool idea cool vibes but the short instrumentals are too short and the longer sung bits j don’t have good lyrics and it j kinda feels whack overall, but still enjoyable

I have nothing against it but it’s all been done so much better and this doesn’t add anything to the world

is there a reason it goes sad xmas song - blues - sad xmas song - blues the whole album, to be honest the sad ones are really beautiful and moving but as a whole… we’ll idk maybe i’m missing smth but it feels like he’s j tryna pull you between two vibes and it j doesn’t work

i mean im not the biggest club music fan but this seems pretty good for what it is

Beautiful, could be a 5 if i was more attentive

damn her voice is j so unique and the songs are just such a beautiful story put together with these sick ass beats. amazing production and amazing voice what else do you need

legend

it’s j so stagnant

argh idk what to say dude it’s kinda nice but like there’s no real substance there i feel. overall pretty mid

surprisingly good

beautiful voice, nice songs but there are definitely plenty of better live jazz singer albums out there

kinda cool ig but nothing special

i love this album, and there goes the fear is low key the best end credits song for any movie

my god do i love the cure. but disintegration is still better.

idk dude it’s fine for a christmas album, but there are plenty of better ones out there and it really doesn’t stand on its own any other time of the year

i mean he’s great but i can’t really say a ton of good things about an album of covers when all of the originals are better

such a great execution of this cool ass genre

eh

sick album. lots of god things not a lot of bad but a couple of the suns blend together a lil bit

oooh good one

clean af. somehow i’m getting cure vibes- had no idea what to expect with this one but it’s good

cute

v cool. but pretty one note and doesn’t do anything crazy moving or interesting

eh i guess so

pretty good

acc such a cutie

long. but pretty good.

good good. better than i was expecting

beautiful sounds on this one, and such a nice little batch of songs

classic

pink floyd’s discography is so cool

eh

pretty nice

pretty nice

damn all his best songs are on this, acc rly good album

better than country life - medley is kinda cool

pretty cool but idk if i really see all the hype

mmmh. another fine album from the kinks

i’ve always found this overrated, bias confirmed

kewl

pablo picasso was not called an asshole