This album is new to me; I like a lot of prog, for example Yes: Close to the Edge, King Crimson, Red, and had friends in school who liked Rush. My Dad also had A farewell to kings when I was growing up, which I liked.
I'd heard Tom Sawyer before and thought it decent, but never sat down with the whole album. There's a shrillness about Geddy's vocals I don't love, and a general dated cheesiness to the sound overall.
The vocals on this album are maybe a bit mellower, but I think it has a bit of that 80s cheesy prog sound rather than 70s. However, the songs are a lot of fun, surprisingly catchy. Rush always had that classic rock vibe to me. Big, enjoyable riffs, trebley guitar sound. There's good songwriting on display on this album.
As this is a daily challenge, I listened to this album four times, despite my temptation to move on to the next. I'm glad the challenge wouldn't let me move on so quickly.
Tom Sawyer is a good track, they most popular Rush song on Spotify. It's classic rock, really, but a good example. I prefer Red Barchetta which is a very accessible progish song. YYZ goes hard, the guitar reminded me of Satriani or Vai. Limelight felt a bit cliche at first, and I was surprised to see it is Spotify's second most popular Rush song, but it is a grower. Camera eye lost my attention a little bit at first, but it's another grower and I particularly enjoyed the latter half of the song. Witch Hunt is probably my favourite, I love the vibe on this one. Vital Signs is interesting, with a strangely ska feel, but perhaps the weakest song on the album.
Overall, this sounds very much how I'd expect a Rush album to sound, but in a good way, with their sound condensed and accessible. I'm glad this challenge prompted me to listen all the way through the album, several times, which otherwise I probably never would have, especially in this age of Spotify.
After four listens through, I'd rate this album 7.5/10. It's very good, not elevated to my favourites in the genre but really enjoyable and I'll return to it I'm sure.
I've created a Spotify playlist of my favourite new albums from this challenge. This is the first album of my challenge and it goes on the playlist.
What a disappointment it was to see this as my second album of the challenge, after starting with Rush and looking forward to another classic album. My expectations for this were something poppy, cheesy and annoying. I knew I'd be turning my Spotify on to private session when I listened, so that my last.fm, song kick et al didn't start giving me pop recommendations. This intro might position me as a music snob but it was my honest reaction before listening.
I was sure I'd recognise a song off this but couldn't think of one specifically. I googled the album before listening and saw it was critically well reviewed but knew that stylistically this was likely to be a one listen only album for me.
I put it on at 7am while prepping my 10 month olds bottle and of course she immediately started dancing. I recognised the first two songs immediately, high quality pop from an era when there was a decent amount of stuff like this. Laura is a good song, take your mama less so but obviously a catchy hit too. The Comfortably numb cover was a surprise, not sure it worked for me but quite creative.
The album slows down with Mary, a pleasant ballad, and then comes lovers in the backseat, which had a cool intro but was a forgettable song otherwise for me. Likewise, tits on the radio had a good baseline but was a bit skippable as a song, especially the chorus.
Filthy gorgeous was another song that's perfectly fine but not for me, Clive. And the next few songs were all pleasant enough tunes that don't feel like they will stick long in the memory, although I enjoyed the strange breakdown in better luck next time, that almost felt like a hoedown. Return to oz also stood out to me for being such a change of tone, while the final couple of bonus tracks were perfectly serviceable, particularly get it get it.
At 19 years old there was no chance I'd give this album a list, so I appreciate the prompt aged 38. It was worth a listen and something out of my usual tastes.
Has this album a place on this list? I can at least say that, from my limited experience, it's better than most pop I've heard from the last 25 years. I like the retro disco feel and general seventies vibes. But is it elevated to a must listen album? I'd argue not.
I even sped through the tracks one more time before I moved on, which I hadn't expected to do. is my favourite on the album.
Will I listen again? Unlikely, unless my 10 month old has a say- it's not my sort of music and I won't be saving it on my playlist from this challenge, but that's more on me than on the album and perhaps I'm missing out by having less fun pop in my life.
6/10 - a few great pop tunes and plenty of filler
This is an album that was super hip around a time in my life when I was making a great effort to like contemporary music, following a few years of mainly listening to stuff like Zappa, beefheart, the Beatles and Bert jansch. I remember giving this a go and being very underwhelmed, so when this came up as my third album of this challenge I was keen to see what I'd think now. Vectatmist, the ecstatic, two dancers, embryonic and journal for plague lovers were 2009 albums I did like. I also liked beach house around this time and I assume xx are a little similar? Let's find out.
First impressions did make me think of beach house a bit. Simple, moody, a bit sexy. However I again found this to be not the most engaging music, with vocals and lyrics that I wasn't much a fan of; however maybe this would is something that could grow on me, and/or be nice music in the background.
Back in 2009 I was interested in more of a more maximalist approach to music and I can see why this album would have bored me. Also because it sounds like it is trying to be cool. In 2023 I have more time for it and for the challenge I will listen several times, integrated to see what impact that has on the album for me.
First listen reinforced what I thought back in 2009. I find it hard to put my finger on why, since I enjoy stuff like Grouper and other slow minimalist music. But I think the affected "cool sexy" vibe, the vocals and lyrics all put me off.
Second listen was with my 10 minty old daughter which often brings a different vibe to listening, eg she loved scissor sisters and made me appreciate it. But, halfway through the second listen of xx I was done with it. The music feels affected, lacks depth in emotion, lyrics, music dynamics, textures. Not for me, Clive. I turned it off.
4/10
This is an album I really enjoyed back in 2010 and which helped me get into modern indie. I listened to it often on a bus ride from the countryside to city for work having moved briefly back into my parents before moving to London. I associate it with transition and reflection, and the songs still sound reflective. I knew nothing of the band and thought the singer was a man.
I can't help but compare it to yesterdays generated album, xx's debut. Both are from the same era, gentle, with simple guitar and drums. Yet I really disliked xx and I'm very fond of this. The vocals here are so much more soulful, the mood more passionate and evocative, the whole thing feels more authentic, sincere. The vocal backing harmonies add meaningful depth and emotion.
There are a couple of songs here that were amongst my favourite of the 2010s: Norway, Walk in the Park and Used to be. But the album is consistently very good.
Granted, I could see how someone could find this album boring, as it's a bit repetitive and simple. But it's very much a grower and now a nostalgic album for me too.
This has prompted me to check out their first two albums too, as I only know what came after this.
An album for quiet evenings, long drives, rainy afternoons, lost in contemplation.
8/10. Lovely.
Felt a bit dated to me. Decent enough but I felt a bit forgettable too. Not sure if it was the vocals, or the sultry sexy spy movie vibes, but I think it's probably influenced so much modern music that I unfairly hear it as jaded and dated. Did have some decent beats, synths and songs.
6/10
I went through a blues curious phase once. I remember cd shops having 400 compilations of blues artists for cheap and buying a few CDs, nothing really landing. Nowadays I associate blues with blues lawyers on YouTube playing the same three blues licks to sell a 500 dollar drive pedal. As far removed from blues origins as you could possibly get. But in between there's the joy of playing blues riffs, the influence of blues on a thousand artists I like.
Listening to muddy waters triggered both impulses in me- the music is satisfying, but not something I really want to listen to. It sounds "blues by the numbers" and that just doesn't appeal to my ears anymore.
This album predates any studio album and having a live blues album from this era on this list seems sensible. I thought the fidelity was pretty good, but the blues music itself was fairly plodding, and of course predictable, which is what blues is all about really. But I'd hoped for some more vibe from a live album.
Objectively it probably deserves a higher rating than my subjective one, which is a 6/10, based on influence and legacy, but musically I think 3 stars is fair
A favourite of my teenage years, arguably better than mellan collie, or at least more consistent, and billie corgans vocals not yet as grating as they would become. It's not the most diverse album musically but does what it does well.
As a teen I would have waxed lyrical about this one but nowadays I'd say, yeah this is a very good album. It doesn't hit like it used to. Favourites nowadays are hummer, geek USA and mayonnaise which is great fun to play on the guitar. Luna is a lovely closer.
Something I now do on this challenge is read the album wiki page, and that gave me a deeper understanding of the albums context. Recommended.
8/10
I'll keep this one brief. This grated on me, the affected vocals, cherry white guy reggae, boring songs. Even the weird stuff was corny not interesting
3/10
This is the first album of this challenge where I hadn't even heard of the band. This hits with an immediate gratifying vibe of straight forward punk rock. It sticks to and holds that vibe pretty consistently for the half hour of the album, with a few surprises in there like adult books, which gives some much needed variety to the album.
It's not very original, but it's good at what it does. The two vocalists set it apart a bit, and occasionally you can hear some influences not usually found in the genre, but mostly it felt like straight forward punk rock to me.
I've saved this to my 1001 albums playlist, thought I'm in two minds about how much I would enjoy returning to an album like this. I think I will, it was a fun listen and I'm glad to be introduced to it.
7/10
In coincidence news that will interest no one, was singing demons off their second album as I was refreshing this page for todays album, imagining to myself if I got that album. You should listen to that album next if you even vaguely like this.
This debut album isn't as good, but is still worthy of your time - varied, fun, a bit psychedelic at times, catchy, and doesn't take itself seriously. It has a few weak songs on it but overall it's a breath of fresh air even now. I was amazed to see people on here calling it the worst of British music at the time, it's so much more inventive and fun than most of it. Give me this over oasis and the verve every day of the week! Not sure I can trust anyone who can't enjoy this.
I think of this as a post modern album, taking elements of psychedelia, British prog, rock and pop, and deconstructing them. It's also playful and whimsical and endearingly naive, from some young welsh men exploring their influences. It's earnest in its own way; these guys don't have a lot of affectation and their attitude is refreshing.
They really hadn't come close to their true powers of songwriting on this album so I was surprised it's on here; I hope radiator and rings around the world is too but I'd be surprised if they had 3 on this list [mwng is also excellent and guerilla very good, even spaced out the b sides is very enjoyable].
That said, I think this album is great and I'm glad this sort of stuff didn't get overlooked on this list in favour of only the very "insisting upon itself" stuff of this era like oasis, verve, blur... Enjoy all the little details in this one, and relax, dont take it too seriously.
SFA were a big part of my teen years and one of the first bands I saw live. Tempted to give this 5 stars as a biased retort to all the unfair one star reviews on here, but 8/10 is fairer
I thought this was obviously influential but felt a bit dated. Decent, with good lyrics, but the beats and music didn't do much for me
Nah
Enjoyed when I was 13, it's perfectly fine now but a bit dated and repetitive. A friend called it the spiced rum of dance music and I think that's apt.
I thought this was pretty meh. I love pavement and expected it to be similar, it was, but much worse
Pretty decent, although I thought it had a lot of skippable tracks
Expecting a moody indie album and mostly got that. But I felt a lot of it was quite forgettable
Not my sort of music but undeniably very good
lyrically pretty cringey these days, I'd be a bit embarrassed to have this on around others. Musically it's not bad
Great voice, but had her best albums ahead of her I feel, if she had stayed alive. A couple of bangers on here but otherwise the songwriting is not amazing
Some classic songs on here, not really my thing and some filler, but good fun and danceable
quite enjoyed this, great first track, the rest a bit forgettable
I owned this on a cd with come on pilgrim so it's weird to me to listen to it separate. As a teen I'd have called them my favourite band for a while and they were very influential on me starting my own band, as they were for so many others. I love that this is a chaotic breath of fresh air and full of energy and weirdness, but I don't quite love it like I used to do. Still a really important album and more interesting than most indie
Owned this as a teen due to being a fan of his son. Good singer, some good songs, but overall doesn't really speak do me in the same way and some of it's a bit boring
deserves its position as one of the best albums of all time, reminds me of smoking weed in the summer at my parents house in the country, early 20s. Was one of the first Beatles albums I got into. So much to enjoy here, even the cheesier stuff.
I had this as a teen, and the t shirt. Unlistenable to me now, edgelord lyrics, boring music, Manson it turns out is a horrible person. Feels like music you stop listening to age 16
Forgettable and uninspiring for me personally
I like the edgier noisier stuff on this album but it still suffers a bit from what never mind does which is repetitive, simplistic and predictable songs. That's probably the appeal to many but I prefer when They get a bit weirder on this one and I think bleach is probably my favourite nirvana album. 7/10 rounded up to 4 stars
Interesting, varied, doesn't quite do it for me
one of Bowies best, even if the opening track is a long one that takes about 6 mins to really get going. A good mix of what makes Bowie great on this album. 9/10
MSP were my favourite band as a teen and this was the first album of theirs I heard. While it's good, I think it was the start of the end of them being an interesting and surprising band. Holy bible is obviously the masterpiece but the first two were more interesting than this. This one sounded the beginning of the arena rock anthemic middle of the road era. This is my truth took that way further and they've mostly stayed in that space. And made a lot of money doing so tbf
7/10 but I've prob added a point for nostalgia
The start of the Beatles genius. Not as perfect as albums that would come but still a must listen. Very close to 5 stars for me but not quite
good instrumentation, annoying voice and vocals
Always heard of this as a classic, felt fairly run of the mill to me but I suspect it grows on your
Big fan of the doors when I was younger but always preferred their live albums. This has some good songs but also some forgettable blues. Probably a 7/10 for me but rounding down to 3 stars
I love pavement. This stuff excites me, it's raw, creative, fun, doesn't take itself seriously, but has some seriously good vibes. Sure, they're not expert musicians but that's part of the appeal. bands often get boring the more they perfect their craft, I find joy on these young imperfect bands who reach and miss for something, but create something fresh in the process. 4.5
I do have some time for this band thanks to some great individual tracks from their earlier catalogue. This one doesn't have as many stand out tunes as earlier hot chip albums but fairly consistent, unlike those. Might grow on me over time but for my initial two listens I was not bowled over
I'm a recent prince convert and this one needs to grow on me more but for now it's a 3/5
Great fun even if it's a bit dated. I thikk their 3 albums after this were better as Patton came into his own but this is still a classic
A 10/10 album for me for about 20 years, I'm not always in the mood for the opening track but when I am it is sublime. Nearly always in the mood for and you and I. Surprised to see other reviews lament this album as all theory/technique no emotion, as this album feels very emotive to me, lyrically and in its shifting dynamics and chord changes. One to listen to often as you find new things, immaculately max intricately made just like aja by steely Dan, and a great album to own on vinyl
Bit meh. Liked the closer
- I love this shit. It felt exciting and fresh. Very varied too. Reminded a bit of faith no more at times. She's calling you was a highlight.
