Not my cup of tea, but I’ll give a little since I’m a bit of a sucker for theatrical rock and an anthem. Had a few moments, but all in all the whole vibe felt shallow and a bit cringy.
Album is full of positive messages and good music. It’s community wisdom in song, built for sharing. Respect.
The first song was decent. I couldn’t listen to any of the rest without skipping. Not sure why this album was on the list.
This one was a hard choice for me. Torn between a 4 and a 5 because the album is great, I’ll listen to it again certainly, but it doesn’t blow the roof off when looked at overall, and gets a little too quirky for me to immediately place at the top of the top. The one deal breaker for me is Blackbird. I just love this song, it has brought voice to heartache and given me hope so many times. Of course there are other great songs on this album, Helter Skelter, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Dear Prudence, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, but the 5 stars is due to Blackbird in the end.
Nice background music to the day. Got me through cleaning the grout on the shower.
This is a band I feel like would have been a hell of a good time in concert. They could sing about anything and make it sound good.
Bob Dylan is an iconic songwriter who hangs out at this really cool crossroads where poetry and that feeling of fireside song meet. I dig it. I don’t always enjoy how much that man loved his harmonica, and this album makes that feeling even bigger. Of all his work, this particular collection doesn’t feel like the best representation of him, with some of the songs I love done in ways I enjoyed less. This would get a higher rating if it was a different collection.
Listening to a three hour album is outside of my interest for this genre of music. That being said, Ella has a voice that is transcendent. I love her sound. I wish she could have been free to sing her heart out without the cultural constraints of her time.
The beastie boys have a cool sound for a time and place, but damn this album is just grossly immature. I just can’t get past the smash your neighbor’s property fuckboy-ness of it. I mean, girls? The song is awful. All this album ends up making me do is remember all those asshat dudes when I was younger who made their whole personalities about “fucking shit up” and misogyny. Give me some beastie boys after they grow up, until then, no thanks.
I’d not listened to this album in its entirety before, though I’ve of course heard a few popular songs. I have to say, it was good all the way through. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. A solid album I’ll likely listen to again.
The album had a unique focus on the environment and nature, though some of the vocals felt weaker than other beach boys music I’ve heard. Not their strongest collection, but a cool listen nonetheless. If it had been their earlier album Pet Sounds I would have given 5 stars.
What a great album! I loved the whole thing. This was one of the albums that this list really worked well for me, because I’d never really stopped to listen to Cyndi Lauper except a few of her hits. She’s got a great voice, is eclectic in such a great way, and made me get up and dance instead of hitting that afternoon coffee. I’m a fan.
Always enjoyed Elton John’s music. A few greats on this album, but didn’t love all the songs.
Joni is a classic songwriter, a free spirited bard, and the songs had some great lyrics.
“I know, no one's going to show me everything
We all come and go unknown
Each so deep and superficial
Between the forceps and the stone”
The album did start to feel repetitive though, even if it was a good jam. Glad I took the time to listen, and probably would do well to spend some more time on her prose, but I don’t currently feel a huge pull to replay.
When Genesis was in its earlier progressive rock days with Peter Gabriel still lead singer, the music had a mythological feeling, a walk between the “sacred and the profane” and a dark wit. It was before my time, but it must have been great to catch their live performances which had theatrical elements, costumes and makeup etc. In fact, “More the Fool Me” almost feels like an intermission in a play, with Collins on vocals for this one, and I can almost imagine Gabriel is backstage changing costumes. It’s a fine enough song, but it’s the only one that feels out of flow with the rest of the album. Written and sung by Collins, it seems to me to foreshadow the more romance centered pop music Genesis would put out after Gabriel left for his solo career. The earlier prog rock days are my preferred time for Genesis, and this is a great album I’m glad is on the list. Along with it I’d recommend “Foxtrot” and “The Lamb Lies down on Broadway” if more classic Genesis is wanted.
