Soulful, melancholic. Released soon after the George Floyd murder and the ensuing protests, which gives it additional emotional power.
Soothing listening experience, groovy musical sections. Just fantastic drumming!
Interesting that the album got heavier as it progressed. Raw guitars and simple but effective rhythms. Last song is a banger.
Very enjoyable and dance-y. Elvis vocals are a revelation to me! Short, sweet songs with a few diverse ones thrown in as well. Great fun!
not much going for it in terms of personal interest. soft, slow and mellow. probably a 2.5
Different song styles, catchy groovy stuff. Some progressive messaging for a 1972 album with "Make Up". Overall good listen.
Nice rhythm section, groovy drumming. Catchy songs. Nothing overly memorable though. 3*
Do I need to say anything about this masterpiece? Has long been my favorite Beatles album - or music albums period - upbeat, creative, diverse and endlessly replayable. Heard both the UK and the US release tracklists. Easy 5/5.
The title track is the clear standout, but it's more than a decent album otherwise. The Grave is excellent, really tugged at my heartstrings. The album overall had a Simon-and-Garfunkelesque feel, and that's never a bad thing!
First time listening to Alice Cooper. Much tighter, groovier and catchier than I expected. Great fun from start to finish, although I'm not really a fan of the choice of topics in their lyrics, but I suppose it's all a part of the overall persona. Well worth a second listen - and adding to my YouTube Music library is my way of keeping track of these. 4/5
Groovy and relaxing. Nothing that stood out to me. 3/5
Fun record, fast and groovy, drummer on fire, not much wrong on that level. Would have appreciated some variety in the album. 3/5
It's MJ! You can't go wrong with the King! I've of course heard the Thriller album and a number of other 80s/90s hits, but this album not really. When I saw it 'pop' up, I was super 'thrilled'! Ok yeah I'll stop that now.
On "Off the Wall", the only one I'd heard before was the opener, which immediately got me movin' (albeit like a robot - which is not the worst analogy for a tech employee in his 30s staring at a monitor for 10 hours a day). But honestly, the rest of the album doesn't feel new in any way - driving home the point that MJ's debut solo effort was some effort! You can immediately recognize and appreciate the impact this record would have had on future R&B, with the sweet bass licks, the falsetto singing with a generous helping of oohs and aahs, and drumming (on some tracks) which would make the greats proud!
This is a definite 5/5 for me.
"Roses are red," I wrote in my journal, "Pantera is loud but Doom is eternal" 4/5
Enjoyable listen. Couple of tracks I immediately loved, #1 and #3. This might be the start of a long, beautiful friendship with Bowie albums!
My twin bro Sai's recent obsession, Talking Heads, tends to be brought up in any conversation - as is his wont (-_-) - but I hadn't yet given it a chance (as is probably mine). Now despite that - or because of it? - I went into it with fairly low expectations. The first few songs felt like samplers, setting me in the mood, but once I got into it, I was hooked! Very catchy and upbeat, puts a smile on my face. I think I can listen to music like this for hours! Just hope it has the retaining power which, so far, hasn't always happened with artists that sound like them. Thankfully I've got the aptly-named playlist "Talking Heads - average" to help out ;)
Energetic live album with breathless drumming. Good old 70s rock.
Technically talented, lyrically demented. Every good thing the music does is instantly negated by the objectionable lyrics. Clearly people like it and I'd assume it's done for theater, but it's just not for me. 2/5
Enjoyable listen. Drumming reminds me of John Bonham, and the singing/writing of Jim Morrison and occasionally of Plant. Parody? Or respect? Either way, it gets a high 3/5 from me; I would listen again.
PREFACE: I've given this album a try in the past, but it never "stuck" or I never "got" it. And I know it's considered one of the all-time greats, especially from a 21st century viewpoint, and therefore this time I'm going to go in having done a bit of reading, so I know what to expect.
REVIEW:
[First listen] Really appreciated the experimentation being demonstrated here, with the unique sounds, wailing style of singing, and the recording which is very raw, giving me a 'live' vibe - never been a problem for me, that!
[Second listen] Appreciating the guitar a lot more. Also quite sure there's a number of other instruments being used in songs such as "Paranoid Android", and the music sort of builds up to a great crescendo very often in the album. And the jumps between slow and fast are reminiscent of more recent music I've heard such as Steven Wilson's "Hand. Cannot. Erase", pointing towards this album's influence on future artists of a similar vein. I'm also trying to keep an eye out for the lyrics. I am aware of the album's overall theme, but connecting it to these lyrics doesn't seem straightforward at this time. No matter, I'll be happy to read about it later. The bandmembers do not consider it a "concept album". Interesting.
Overall a very consistently enjoyable listen. There is definitely more to appreciate and gather from it on future listens. For now, a high 4/5 from me.
Really solid from start to finish. The last one is a standout but even otherwise, the consistent quality of bass/drums, despite the real lack of variety in the songs, was right up my alley. The influence it had on metal bands is quite clear as well. Lowish 4/5.
I can't quite remember a time I haven't enjoyed Motorhead, despite having not really explored them all that much. My brother is a massive fan of the Overkill album, while I have a soft spot for their self-titled debut. 'Iron Horse' and 'Motorhead' are great songs. Rediscovering 'Overkill' and 'No Class' was a joyful experience. The energy that comes across even in the studio recording is multiplied several times live, and all that comes out in this album. I can only imagine how it must have felt actually being there to take it all in. One of the special efforts which I'm sure I'll never tire of. 5/5.
Rolling Stones before they found their sound. Honestly "their sound" itself isn't quite my thing, and this particular album, seemingly a cover album, even less so. 2/5
A few good songs with a very diverse style. I could see Beatles and Jimi Hendrix influences in several places. Would give it a relisten; for now, high-ish 3/5.
Beautiful.
Quite a catchy sound and good, clean alt-rock guitars. Not a big fan of the singing. 3/5
Very enjoyable listen. Great musicianship and catchy tunes, particularly the opener and the cover of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. In the high 4's, but 4/5 for now. In my YTM library.
Leonard Cohen would make for a good sleep therapist if you didn't understand English. If you did, someone better tell him you were looking for music, not a talking album.
A few standouts in a reallly consistently listenable album. Loved "I want you" and "Blue chair". Chorus sections are great, highly energizing, and exactly what makes rock music so good. Low 4/5.
Great musicianship across the board. For a 3-member band, this is truly a masterful performance. A couple of standouts including Little Wing and Spanish Castle Magic, but I need to give the others a relisten. 4/5
Mellow and trance-like at times. There's a mood for albums like these, such as nighttime road trips, but otherwise I didn't find a lot to connect with. Wikipedia says it shares a bond with The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips (an album I've already heard) so I'll consider listening to them together in the future. 3/5
I was watching a TV show (Maid) where this album is referenced, and it immediately got me excited for when I get this album - lo and behold, the very next day I get it!
This is such an easy 5/5 - one of my favorite albums. Pure rock, great vocals and instruments that enhance the drama of the subject matter. "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" and "Bat Out Of Hell" are my standout favorites, but the whole album is great.
Enjoyable classic rock music.. right up my alley.
The music is okay, enjoyable even. It reminds me of the sort of hits Queen regularly belted out in the late 70s and early 80s. But damn if the album doesn't go on and on! Its sheer size may put me off future listens, and it even affects my ability to pick a few standouts in what was, to be fair, a consistent listen. Closer to a 3 than a 2, but I'm rounding down so 2/5
Good enjoyable prog rock. Enjoyed the title track and the opener. Higher side of 3/5. Worth a relisten.
Smooth Criminal, Bad, Dirty Diana, Man in the Mirror, plus a bunch of good-to-great songs. Wow.
P.S.: "Smooth Criminal except every other beat is missing" - YouTube. Do itashimashite.
Solid and smooth, so listenable as usually is the case for Steely Dan. Really starting to enjoy this band after having heard Aja and absolutely loving it. 4/5 with a promise to listen to it again in the future!
It got off to a nice start. I liked the electronic-inspired opener. Otherwise it was a fairly okay listen, although I may need to give it another go. 3/5
Decent, but I would have to give it another chance to really appreciate it. Having said that, "No Intention" is just wonderful! The album also ended really well, although I will admit this was not a "one sitting" listening experience for me. 3/5
Reminds me of the few old Italian songs I've heard, dance friendly and enjoyable. 3/5
