Absolutely an incredible experience. Presenting such a heavy bluesy album in the unpolished format of a live performance is a truly remarkable sound which emphasizes the nonstop assault this is. The type of album which makes you want to look up every detail about the artists. Janis Joplin deserves all the praise she gets. 9/10
I don’t know if I want in the right space to listen to this album or what, but I don’t understand what the appeal of this record is. Nothing seemed particularly impressive or revolutionary, with only a few tracks appealing to me. I wouldn’t describe the music as offensive, the best way I could describe it is hollow. Almost like the music in a commercial, it’s passable quality but there’s nothing that draws you to connect with it. 3/10
I have been hesitant to listen to the Grateful Dead because of my perception of their fans and my lack of interest in what I had heard, but this was probably the perfect introduction. Drawing on folk influences reeled me in, as folk is my favorite genre. There were songs I didn’t enjoy but they all had qualities which I could enjoy even if I didn’t like the whole song. 7.5/10
This album started out very boring but picked up greatly around the halfway mark. Sadly the closing track was not great either. The first 3 tracks were what I can only describe as background music. Tracks 4-7 were quite good, and track 8 was just ok. The albums middling quality is emphasized by the fact that I chose to describe it by which songs were good and which were bad. Not an album I think I’d come back to. 3.5/10
Literally the definition of mid, maybe a little below. Singer is annoying, guitarist is meh, drummer is a standout, and Flea is rad as hell. Some of the songs were offensively bad/annoying. 4.5/10
Very glad this was live, as I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this a much as I did if it was a studio album. Should be noted that it’s a shame that he exploits/profits off of black music (and was generally a piece of shit), especially Long Tall Sally which will never compare to Little Richard’s version. Also was his concert only 22 minutes? Cause if so, what a ripoff. Overall, he seems to be a talented piano player but I can’t see how he was considered a transcendent talent in his day or a pioneer of rock music when there were so many before him doing what he does better. 6.5/10
I thoroughly enjoyed this album. My expectations for this album (and Supertramp as group) were both subverted and affirmed as the album was more “rock” and “jam” heavy than I had expected, but also was thickly layered with the bands signature synths. The dense and varied instrumentation always provided something new to listen for. The jazzy piano and saxophone combo proved enthralling. 8/10
The mix is poor, even if it is intentional. I feel like better mix would have complemented this album’s strength, the energy. The songs proved to be repetitive to the point where if anything changed it would standout. Drums are so background that you sometimes forget they’re there. Not my vibe overall. 3.5/10
This album is so, so, so, so close to being a perfect album. A heart-wrenchingly meaningful and beautiful album that does not have a bad moment from start to finish, just a couple hiccups. The album never lets you rest with most songs featuring a mostly natural transition. I say “mostly natural” because there a certain transitions which jolt you into the next song by featuring mismatching instrumentation, or at times audibly skipping into the next song (this could be an error with the streaming platform). Otherwise this album is a complete delight, that I won’t get tired of. 9.5/10
All you can say about this album is wow, what a story. What is truly amazing about this album is it is the record which catapulted Kendrick Lamar to superstardom despite the fact that it is so different from the popular rap music being released at the time. The story of the album is drastically impactful, even bringing tears to my eyes at times, that it can be understood and lauded by people that could never personally relate to the experience of a black man from Compton. An album that will never fade away. 10/10
An album that didn’t particularly excite me but didn’t upset me either. T Rex seems to be at their best when they’re playing whimsical nonsense songs, but this album still seems to be lacking in ways which makes me question why this is considered a great album. It’s in the weird gray area where I don’t love the album, which would lend credence to it’s praise, but I don’t feel as though the album was offensive to me either, meaning I see the appeal it has for others. 5.5/10
Simon and Garfunkel have always struck me as a product of their time and ahead of their time simultaneously. No matter what time they’re from, of this album all I have to say is WOW. I came into the album with high expectations and they were excessively exceeded. Although I knew Simon and Garfunkel could be political I was impressed with the finesse with which they express their opinions. The album could not have been any better. 10/10
I’ve heard great things about this group.This albums track list is perfectly arranged. Tonite is such an enjoyable, peppy song. Quality album on the whole that inspires me to explore the band’s other work. 8/10
This is an album which didn’t find many ways to stand out. I don’t like the lead singers voice, I find it quite annoying. However the quirkier middle section and the closing section were definite highlights. This was the type of album where the songs were okay but you wouldn’t come back to many of them. 5/10
This album was underwhelming across the board. Personally, I just find Steven Tyler’s voice, and Aerosmith as a whole, to be grating. The only standout moment I found was the harmony on Sweet Emotion’s chorus. I didn’t find a single song I could look back on and say, “Hey, that’s a good song.” 1.5/10
This album alternates tracks between magnificent Midwest ballads, and songs about New Jersey 🤮. You may think I’m joking but literally any song he mentions New Jersey in, I did not like. How am I supposed to take a man talking about Mahwah seriously. Jokes aside, it seems to me to be a very odd choice to have your album have one foot in the folk genre, and the other in pure rock. This album is by no means the masterpiece some tour it as, but it has its share of shining moments.
4.5/10
This album could be 10 times better if it was mixed better. I started by listening to the remaster and the mix was dreadful, but the original version wasn’t much better. It just feels a little base, they need to center the mix on Alanis’ powerful vocals and give the drums more of a presence. The other criticism I would levy is that the songs can be a bit difficult to distinguish because their style is a bit repetitive. Otherwise, the songs are quite good. I’m impressed by how many of her hits (most of them) come from this album alone. Through this album Alanis Morrisette paints a mundane, but enchanting, portrait which I found quite enjoyable, despite some missteps. 7/10
