Here we go, embarking on this challenge! First up, Amy Winehouse's debut, Frank. I love Amy Winehouse, hadn't ever heard this album all the way through before so I'm glad I got to listen to it!
I feel like I should 100% be rating this higher but it is what it is. I just feel it in my gut to give this 8.5. Amy Winehouse's debut album is very strong. I'm a huge lover of this type of music, and she takes a lot of inspiration from jazz conventions. A particular highlight for me is October Song, her requiem for her bird Ava, and how she quotes the melody of Lullaby of Birdland in the chorus. Are you fucking kidding me?? Amazing. Amy's a powerhouse. What Is It About Men is one of my favourite songs of hers, was great to hear it in the context of this album. Overall I feel like I like Back in Black a little better than this record but this is still extremely solid and really fucking good.
Fav tracks: Cherry, Know You Now, I Heard Love is Blind, October Song, What Is It About Men
I'll admit I'm not overly familiar with the rock legend known as Tom Petty. I remember once I was working and my work band and I were playing covers as an opening to this event, and someone shouted at us from the audience, "Play some Tom Petty!" and our singer responding with something awkward and funny that I can't for the life of me remember.
I'm gonna say it, this record is kinda fun y'all. There's some kind of earnestness about it that I really like. Right down to the main man Tom's smirk on the cover and the Flying V piercing the heart. There's a lot of pretty competent blues playing on this record, though maybe not wholly original and groundbreaking stuff here. I was surprised by how country this album could sound at times. Petty's vocals are inconsistent to me on this album, they go from being really distracting because it sounds like he's trying to put on an accent(but the accent itself is inconsistent) to being pretty decent. Some of the harmonies are really nice, too. I will say the lyrics on "Strangered In The Night" are a little.. 70s, and a little bit dated. When I got to "American Girl," I was like, oh yeah! I've heard this one before! It may be his most popular song but it's still a pretty damn good song. I'd be open to checking out more of Petty's later work to see how he evolved as an artist from this point!
Favourite tracks: Rockin' Around (With You,) Breakdown, American Girl
Least favourite tracks: Strangered In The Night, Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) (though I do think the track name is very funny)
7/10!
I feel like listening to this at 11am on a monday is not the intended listening experience, need to be in a pickup truck on the way to go fishing or in a dive bar somewhere.
Kind of goofy. Fun though. Still love Sharp Dressed Man. Lost steam in the middle.
Idk man!! This album fucking rules!!!!
I've heard Paranoid, War Pigs, and Iron Man (obviously) but I've never listened to whole thing. It's awesome.
Excellent, a masterclass in the blues. Great live album too. John Mayer could never
When I was like 16 or 17 years old, the title track to this album blew my mind. I was just getting serious about guitar, and I was obsessed with Edward Hazel's solo on it. I think this and All Along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix) made me go out and buy a wah pedal.
I was just as pleased with Hazel's playing on the rest of the album. I think there's some weaker spots on the album that didn't quite "hook me," but my god, revisiting that opener was something. Love the first half of this album.
First album for the listening club, here were my notes:
Watch That Man - very bluesy, idk I like it. I like that “shot” on 2 in the prechorus? I’m a sucker for it, to be honest. Kind of a banger. Like the backing vocals
Aladdin Sane: -piano is awesome, like the little recurring guitar lick in the verse. Kind of a weird song, huh? Definitely interesting. Idk, I like it. Piano gets super weird in the instrumental section, we kinda get into like some free jazz shit and the bass is holding down like one central harmony. Pretty bold! Feel like it fits the vibe to be honest, “A Lad Insane” anyone??? Dude is going insane on the keys for sure. I feel like the “weird, off kilter” vibe is definitely intentional. I can see how some people wouldn’t like this, but I think I do.
Drive-In Saturday - a little doo-wop thing going on. Like the bgs a lot in this one. Bowie does some good vocals on this, especially near the end.
Panic In Detroit -cool percussion, I like the guitars a lot in this one. Bass is kinda doing some heavy lifting. It’s ok, doesn’t stand out to me too much but I don’t dislike this one. Really like the instrumental bit at the end. Some kinda nasty guitar tones lol.
Cracked Actor -Lot’s of blues influence on this album for sure. This songs got a great groove, especially on the chorus.
Time: Kind of cabaret style piano that I really like. Read on wikipedia this song got banned on the BBC for saying “wanking” which is hilarious. One of my favourites so far. Idk fellas I really like this one. Could do without the “la’s” at the end, though.
The Prettiest Star - agree with Luis, great guitar tone. It’s ok. The lyrics are cute though, however feels a bit out of place for me because the rest of the album so far seems to be a bit “heavier” lyrically, but idk. Noticing on a lot of these sounds the outros are quite long. Outro goes on a bit too long for my taste on this one specifically, I’m over it Bowie, let’s move on.
Let’s Spend The Night Together: Rolling Stones cover. Read on wikipedia that several critics considered it “a gay appropriation of a heterosexual song” which is… something., they were on some shit in the 70s huh? Very campy, I actually haven’t even heard the original song, lol, so I have nothing to compare it to. The fading out of the instruments at the end is kind of cool conceptually, but not sure how I feel about its execution.
The Jean Genie: -off the bat.. excellent title. Idk, feel pretty mid on this one tbh. Feel like I can’t really come up with anything interesting to say on this.
Lady Grinning Soul: Tbh the piano player (Mike Garson) was kind cooking on this album. This one is really good, I like that twinkling piano, the overall vibe of the song, it’s very cool and mysterious. One of my favourites. Super cool arrangement. Stands out from the rest of the album, for me.
Overall: -pretty good. I’d say on first impressions, I’d give it a 3/5. Some stuff I liked, some I didn’t. Favourites were Watch That Man, Aladdin Sane, Time, Lady Grinning Soul (I liked this one the best)
I am actually having a very difficult time rating this one. I've only listened to it all the way through one time. Through so much of it, I was thinking "I do not like this." I don't dislike the sort of "awkward speaking" style of rap(especially with his accent,) and I think it gives the album a lot of character that I really did like. The concept wasn't even bad! I'd assume it hits much harder if you're from the UK. The last song, where it presents 2 resolutions to the narrative is really clever, and emotionally affecting in a way, it was the best one on the album by far for me.
But there's something about the album that stopped me from being all in. I love sort of funny but emotionally raw rap. I love concept albums. I even love it when rappers are British. But I don't know... felt like there was something on every track that annoyed me. The beats... nothing to write home about, man, I don't know. Got too repetitive. Overuse of hooks. I was doing some research on this and everyone seems to love it. I think I really just must be missing something here. Maybe it takes a few tries. On first impression though, I'm just not completely sold.
Not what I expected when I saw a George Michael album pop up, but I enjoyed it all the same.
I've never really been much of a Blur guy, to be honest, and I can't say this album really changed my mind. I think they're ok, and this album was ok.
This is the album that got me on board with sample based music as an art form. Haven't really listened to The Avalanches in a while, but I still love them, and this album is great as a cohesive experience listened to in order.
