Dire Straits and Gerry Cinnamon vibes. Reverb-y.
Funky fresh rhymes. Nostalgic and honest. Highlight: Pyramids.
Disjointed and lacking emotion. Interesting prog/math rock sound on Stay Hungry.
Not a big fan.. soft slow rock. Reminds me of Beck. Highlight was Pot Kettle Black.
I like this one a lot. Sounds like 'space opera' the album. Highlights: Turn to Stone, Big Wheels, Mr Blue Sky (obvs).
Heavy on the falsetto vocals, but it complements the synth sound.
A powerful, raw and earnest record. Ranging from the gritty Adam Raised a Cain, to desperation on Something in the Night - a personal highlight.
Strange album. Gospel, "freethinking" writing over a slow, shoegazey sound. Didn't get on with this one. Points for Helvetica on the artwork though.
Refreshing, bouncy tunes. Latin origin but songs are still relatable. A different and welcome record.
Quirky rock sound - Bowie influence is clear. Not as refined as second album but ideas are there. Opening track Sister Midnight is probably best one.
Funky jazz beats. Long tracks with a freestyle session vibe. Chill background music - will return to this.
Fantastic album and has aged really well. Heard Planet Caravan for the first time around 10 years ago and opened up new world of music to me. Returning for the full album has not disappointed - there's a great variety here and every instrument has an opportunity to shine, e.g. the drum fills on Fairies Wear Boots. The driving riff on Electric Funeral might be my favourite but it's tough to call.
Clever guitar work and clear masters of their trade, their influence over rock is understandable. Not my favourite record as feel it lacks that emotional/cinematic sound I like, but still enjoyable either way. Highlight was Black Dog.
Accessible, easy listening but nothing to excite here.
Confident and stylish record. Not too my taste but can see it’s appeal.
I enjoyed the nuance on this record, particularly with Let's Stay Together. Green's voice and the instrumental backing complement each other rather than competing for attention. First listen might sound like background music, but subsequent listens had me stopping what I was doing to appreciate this one. Green excels at taking relatable themes (each stage of a relationship) and defining those feelings through each track. Highlight: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - honest and delicately sung.
If you didn't know when Murmur was released, you would have a hard time placing it in the alternative/rock timeline as the record sounds very familiar to fans of the genre (myself included). Releasing in 1983, it becomes clear how influential the R.E.M. sound was as traits of their music are still clear in today's scene. The under pronounced vocals, underproduced sound create an honest but mysterious vibe that draws you in. As someone listening to the genre in reverse, it feels like watching the prequel film to all my favourite bands. Highlight was Perfect Circle.
Imagine Jay from The Inbetweeners learned guitar, moved to LA and told his sex stories over some jangly riffs. Sleazy, cringey and uncomfortable, the worst part being this isn't even satire - it's just another Tim Buckley record.
Albums purpose of educating western audiences on Indian music is still just as relevant as it was back in 1957 and serves to preserve that slice of culture. A different listening experience, but an appreciated one at that.
Technically proficient and full of soul. You'll need to like jazz to enjoy this one.
Polished sound, a well oiled machine. Not a fan of this kind of rock - lacking emotion. No highlight.
Really enjoyed this... delicately sung and played. Cohen's voice carries a certain cadence that leaves you waiting for the next line with interest. Best demonstrated on Suzanne which was my highlight of the record.
Dark, mysterious and ethereal. Highlight was Plainsong.
Ultra modern and experimental. More of an interesting art piece than an enjoyable record to listen to.
Recovering from disappointment following the classic second album dip after the first album success, Morrison returns to roots and finds more to work with. Interesting Irish fusions with traditional folk. A lot of metaphorical phrasing in lyrics and diverse use of instruments. First 2 tracks are the highlights for me.
Decent flow, raw production sound and lyrics. No particular highlight, genre isn't my thing.
Masterful covers of beloved tracks. Can't rate too highly as unoriginal works, but skilfully played and produced regardless. Highlight was All of Me.
Some beats go hard, but don't think the album has aged well. Highlight was Elektrobank.
Really enjoyed this one. Intelligent, carefully crafted sound disguised behind a rough production exterior. Will return to this. Highlight was Disappearer.
Lacking substance, sounds like a demo tape. Interesting ideas but not enough here.
Very slick and easy to listen to. Clever writing and infectious beats. Will return to this. No particular highlight - enjoyed it all.
Peaceful and captivating. I often find this style boring to listen to but it held my attention. Highlight was White Winter Hymnal - will return to this.
Foundational rock with a county vibe. Some nice guitar work. Highlight was Carry On.
Funky, jazzy and vibrant. 16 min live drum solo has to be the highlight. Not an album I would put in my daily rotation, but worth a listen. The better of the two Fela Kuti albums I've had so far.
Glamorous and funky. Not my favourite of Bowie’s records, prefer the more grounded rock sound. Highlight was Across the Universe.
Out of the norm for pop music with the clear African influence. Lyrically creative and thought provoking, but I'm not likely to return. Highlight is obviously You Can Call Me Al - great track.
Big, cinematic sound. Clever guitar work and tempo changes. Highlight has to be the opening 20 min medley, with The Temples of Syrinx section being my favourite.
Had only previously heard the big songs from the album so was interested to hear the rest. Extravagant as you would expect. Really enjoyed Death On Two Legs.
Rough around the edges punk sound, with lyrics sung in a drawly way that's almost irritating on some tracks (Breaking Down). Album would function well as background noise but not something I want to spend time listening to. Highlight would be Another Girl, Another Planet.
Enjoyed this one. Heavy guitar distortion and messy sound. Sounds like it could be a lot more recent than 1987, showing how influential their music was in indie/rock scene. Reminds me of early Biffy Clyro which I love. Highlight was Little Fury Things + bonus points for the Just Like Heaven cover.
Conflicted on this one. While the high points are very high, I also felt there was too much filler, with 17 tracks that could have been 12 or 13 making it feel like an endurance test even after several listens for familiarity. The big hitters - Bennie and The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night.. etc are pop genius and make me interested to see what a piano led male artist would sound on today's scene. Matty Healy and Alex Turner have both tried this on their respective latest records and I think there's a niche to be filled in the likes of Elton.
Scratchy electronic dance sound "bloghouse". Good variety, ranging from party tracks like D.A.N.C.E to hardcore sounding Stress. Certainly a record of it's time, but a fun one at that. Highlight is Genesis.
Well Sexy Boy is a tune. The rest of the album holds up as well. A unique sound; almost trance-like electronica with catchy lyrical hooks - it's presence on the list makes sense. I'm likely to return to this at some point. Highlight has got to be Sexy Boy lol.
Big and noisy, but carefully crafted rather than reckless. I loved this and was surprised I hadn't heard it before. You can hear the inspiration the record has provided for other bands (Wolf Alice for example) - that signature shoegazey sound with disconnected, daydreamy lyrics. Highlight is when you sleep.
This isn't what I would usually gravitate towards and I don't think I will return. However, after several listens the album definitely exudes that soulful warmth and I can appreciate the appeal and progress Ray Charles made in the genre. At 24 tracks long and averaging 3 mins each, I felt there could have been more variety and lyrical depth. No particular highlight.
Great debut album. Mature and technically proficient, with clever writing thanks to Mark Knopfler. My highlight is still Sultans of Swing, but I think Six Blade Knife deserves a mention too.
Rap-Rock has never been my favourite, but I can appreciate what they were trying to do here, as they were ahead of their time. Raucous and energetic - highlight is definitely Sabotage. Not likely to return.
