I'm not a Bob Dylan fan so I didn't really enjoy this one. The low point was "You're A Big Girl Now." The only two songs I enjoyed were "Meet Me in the Morning" and "Shelter From The Storm," and it was more for the lyrical content than the music itself.
This was a very pleasant listen. At no point did I feel as if I wanted to skip a track - Ray Charles' voice is lovely, and the music itself is beautiful. That being said, I can't see myself listening to the whole album again. It's just not the sort of thing I normally listen to, and while I found it pleasant, the album as a whole didn't blow me away.
I did particularly enjoy "When Your Lover Has Gone," and "Tell Me You'll Wait For Me," and saved them both on a playlist of relaxing/rainy day music.
I liked this one a lot! I already knew and loved the song "Uncertain Smile" going into this, but hadn't heard any of the other songs, so this was a real treat. I think that "Uncertain Smile" remains my favorite, but "The Sinking Feeling" is a close second.
There were a couple of songs I didn't enjoy as much (mainly the opening track, "I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)" - not a bad song, just nothing special in my opinion), but nothing that ruined the experience for me. I could definitely see myself listening to the entire thing again. Very glad to have heard this album.
This is an album I already know and love, so listening to it for the millionth time was not a chore. I absolutely love every single song on this album - I don't know if I could ever pick a favorite. But I will say that the one-two punch of "So Far Away" and "Money For Nothing" gives this album an incredibly solid opening.
I don't really know what else to say about this one. It's perfect. I've listened to it a million times and I'll listen to it a million more.
The only song I already knew when I started this album was the opening track, "Let's Stay Together." Of course, I already loved that song - it's iconic, a classic, it's a fucking jam. I expected that at the very least, the album would be pleasant to listen to.
This album exceeded my expectations. I liked the vast majority of the songs, and though there were some I didn't enjoy as much, there were no true "low points" for me. "Let's Stay Together" is probably my favorite track, but I also loved "I've Never Found a Girl," "So You're Leaving," "It Ain't No Fun to Me," and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." The album as a whole is very good, but I think those are the only songs I'll be likely to revisit.
While the title track of this album is, in my opinion, one of the sexiest songs of all time, the rest of the album didn't leave much of a strong impression on me. It was a good listen, relaxing and very chill, and Marvin Gaye has a great voice. I just don't know if I could see myself going back to listen to the entire thing.
Standout tracks: "Let's Get It On," "Please Stay (Once You Go Away)," and "Distant Lover."
Honestly, I did not enjoy a single song on this album. I liked elements of some songs - some beats were nice, a few clever lyrics here and there. But overall, I just could not get into this at all. Maybe part of it is that I'm biased against Jay-Z himself. The sound of his voice grates on me.
I gave it a go. I even listened to a few songs twice, trying to get into them more, trying to see if I just needed time to come around to them. But no. This just wasn't for me.
This was a lot of fun to listen to. If I'm honest, this isn't the sort of rock music that I normally enjoy, but I think I was in just the right mood for something like this. I don't know much about the New York Dolls, but given the year this album was released, and the way it sounds, I have to guess that they must have been extremely influential.
Standout tracks: "Trash," "Lonely Planet Boy," "Subway Train"
Smooth, sexy, beautiful. A very easy listen. The perfect album to relax to. I am already familiar with Sade and have listened to this album many times before. It's not one that I frequent, but one that sometimes pops into my mind, and listening to it again always feels like sinking into a warm bath, or curling up all cozy in bed.
Favorite tracks: "Smooth Operator," "Hang On to Your Love," "Frankie's First Affair," and "Why Can't We Live Together."
I enjoyed listening to this album. I don't know a lot about rap, but Ghostface Killah has a great flow and a knack for interesting rhymes. He also has a way of telling stories in his songs that keep me interested, so I never got bored despite the 1hr 12min playtime. The production here is fantastic as well. I loved the instrumentals throughout.
I can't see myself just throwing on this album again, but I'm really glad to have heard it. It left an overall positive impression on me.
Standout Tracks: "Kilo," "Whip You With a Strap," "Back Like That," "Jellyfish"
I had never even heard of Hüsker Dü before listening to this album, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. I ended up loving this album and planning to do a deep dive into Hüsker Dü's discography. I was very surprised to see that this album came out in 1987 - just judging by the sound, I was expecting to see that it came out in the early to mid-nineties. I hear elements of Barenaked Ladies, REM, some songs even gave me a bit of a Weezer vibe.
Usually, I don't rate an album a 5 unless I love every single song, or maybe I only dislike 1. I'm making an exception for this one. There were several songs that I strongly disliked - "Charity, Chastity, Prudence and Hope" drove me crazy and I was gritting my teeth until the end - but the good songs were SO good that they brought the album to a five all on their own. Over half the songs on the album are now in my regular rotation.
Standout Tracks: "Ice Cold Ice," "Could You Be the One?" "She Floated Away," "No Reservations"
Let me just say right off the bat: I love jazz. Especially jazz piano. Needless to say, I've already listened to this album many times - it's an old favorite of mine. Every single track is perfection as far as I'm concerned.
The atmosphere of this album is lovely. It was recorded live, and you can faintly hear soft chattering, glasses and silverware clinking, and smatterings of applause. Normally I'm not a fan of live albums, but here, it just works, as if the background noise is part of the performance. If you close your eyes, you can almost picture yourself in a smoky, dimly lit jazz bar.
I adore Dexys Midnight Runners. However, I don't like this album very much. It's not that it's bad - it's certainly not, and I can understand why someone would like, or even love it. I've tries several times to get into it in the past, but most of the songs just don't do anything for me, unlike Too Rye Ay (1982) and Don't Stand Me Down (1985), both of which I consider to be perfect albums.
In my opinion, this album sounds like a band who hasn't quite found themselves yet. There are glimpses here and there of the greatness of Too Rye Ay, particularly in the only three songs I can say I love from this album. But I always find myself getting bored while listening to Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, and this time was no exception.
Standout Tracks: "Seven Days Too Long," "Geno," "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green"
I can't say that I've ever really "gotten" Frank Zappa - I would never deny that he was influential and important, but I've never been able to connect with his music. Although it was an interesting listen, this album was no exception.
Many of the lyrics were funny and insightful, particularly the song "Flower Punk." Listening with headphones is also highly recommened as the left and right channels are played with quite a bit, and the effect is very cool. Although this album wasn't really for me, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre and/or enjoys social satire.
Standout Tracks: "Flower Punk," "Who Needs The Peace Corps?" "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"
How have I never heard this album before?! This was incredible from start to finish; I actually listened to the entire album twice in a row because I loved it so much. While listening the second time, I also looked up the story behind the album and the translated lyrics, and that made me fall even more in love with it.
Amazing album, one I know will be in my regular rotation from here on out. I will definitely be checking out the rest of Songhoy Blues' albums.
Standout Tracks: "Soubour," "Irganda," "Sekou Oumarou," "Jolie"
Although I had never heard this album before, it somehow made me nostalgic. It sounds so incredibly early 90's, and I mean that as a compliment! It's such a fun listen from start to finish, and one song in particular, "Higher Than The Sun," has been stuck in my head ever since.
Towards the end, the songs become more melancholy and introspective, which is a nice change from the more dance-rock feel of the first half. There's a mix of psychedelica, techno/dance, and rock throughout that somehow blends perfectly together and makes this an easy listen. I could see myself putting this album on while cleaning/doing chores around the house, or when I just need something to lift my mood.
Standout Tracks: "Higher Than The Sun," "Loaded," "Slip Inside This House," "Damaged"
Nina Simone is one of my favorite vocalists of all time. Her voice is so rich and beautiful and can convey such a wide range of emotion. I had heard some of these songs already, but hadn't listened to this album in its entirety. Although I didn't love every single song, I loved her voice on every song, and that was enough to make this a great listen.
Besides her voice, the instrumentals, particularly the piano (if I'm not mistaken, Nina herself is the pianist), are gorgeous throughout. Her voice and the piano blend so well together, and there were many moments that gave me goosebumps. I will certainly be listening to this album again.
Standout Tracks: "Four Women," "Lilac Wine," "Either Way I Lose," "Break Down And Let It All Out"
First things first, let's get the obvious out of the way: Chris Cornell's voice is incredible. He had one of the greatest rock voices of all time, and there were moments while listening to this album where his voice alone gave me chills. I had never listened to Superunknown before, but I was alive in the 90's, so of course I know (and love) Black Hole Sun. That was the only song I was familiar with going into this.
It turns out that as much as I love Black Hole Sun, it's not even the best song on the album, at least in my opinion. There were a few songs I was kind of indifferent toward, but also several that blew me away and that I have been listening to on repeat. If I could give half-stars, I'd probably go with a 4.5/5, but as it is, I'm going to round up. I doubt I'll listen to the entire album again, but enough of the songs (over half) are in my regular rotation now that I have no qualms with giving it a 5.
Standout Tracks: "Mailman," "Fell On Black Days," "Limo Wreck," "The Day I Tried To Live"
I have always maintained that even the worst Radiohead album is still a 4/5. And this is not the worst Radiohead album (that would be Pablo Honey). Radiohead is a band that hits me in all the right ways. I love their instrumentation. I love their dark, melancholy, eerie sound. I love Thom Yorke's voice. If I had to choose one band to name as the "perfect" band, I would probably say Radiohead.
Hail To the Thief is not my favorite of theirs, but it is still a perfect album. Zero skips, and nearly every song gives me chills at some point or another. Beautiful song after beautiful song. I'm glad this album popped up because it has been a few years since my last listen, and rediscovering it was fantastic.
Standout Tracks: "Backdrift," "There, There," "A Wolf At the Door," "A Punch Up at a Wedding"
When I was growing up, my mom had this CD in her car and would listen to it regularly. I always enjoyed listening to it and would ask for "Who'll Stop The Rain" all the time - as a kid, I thought it was the prettiest song. I still find it beautiful now and consider it the best song on the album, but there is a lot to like here.
CCR are consistently great, and have written some of the catchiest hooks and riffs that I've ever heard. I don't love every song on this album, but when it's good, it's VERY good. This was a nice trip down memory lane for me, and helped me rediscover some great songs.
Standout Tracks: "Who'll Stop The Rain," "Ramble Tamble," "Up Around The Bend," "Run Through The Jungle"
I'm not going to lie. I have a deep, seething hatred for John Lennon. I can't stand his voice. I can't stand his lyrics. I can't fucking stand the song "Imagine," literally one of the most hypocritical and preachy songs ever written. I've tried to listen to this album before and never got past "Jealous Guy," which, frankly, is hard to listen to knowing Lennon's history of abusing women. I did manage to listen all the way through the album all the way through this time, and I tried, I REALLY tried, to listen with unbiased ears.
I'm sorry, but I still think this is hot garbage. Literally the only song I like is "Oh My Love," but there are cover versions I much prefer over this one. Besides that one song, every song on this album is grating, boring, or frankly unlistenable (shoutout to "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama," one of the worst songs I've ever heard). John Lennon was so far up his own ass, and it really shows in his pretentious lyrics throughout.
I know a lot of people love this album, and of course, to each their own. But for me personally, this album can go fuck itself.
I'm not familiar with Stephen Stills, and I went into this feeling a bit skeptical just due to the genre fusion listed here. Rock, country, folk, psychedelic rock, and singer-songwriter? That's a lot of things and I wasn't sure how it was going to work.
Turns out it works just fine. The music is pleasant throughout and there was nothing grating, nothing that made me want to skip a song or anything. However, I did find the majority of the album to be kind of boring, which is not at all what I expected. There were a few great songs on here that I'm sure I'll come back to, but I can't imagine I'll ever listen to this entire album again.
Standout Tracks: "It Doesn't Matter," "Jet Set (Sigh)," "Song of Love," "Rock and Roll Crazies / Cuban Bluegrass"
Let me begin by saying that I love Depeche Mode. They've made some of my favorite songs and albums of all time - their sound just appeals to me. I do like the first half of this album quite a lot, but I always forget what a slog the second half is to get through. It's not that it's bad, it's just that it gets a bit boring for me.
If you enjoy Depeche Mode, or New Wave in general, then I would recommend giving this a listen. If you're not a New Wave fan, I don't think this would be the album to change your mind. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could, but I think I'll round down this time and give it a 3. A few great songs, but overall, not my favorite from them.
Standout Tracks: "Strangelove," "Behind The Wheel," "Never Let Me Down Again," "The Things You Said"
