Just the epitome of that era of hip hop. The lyricism is clever, the production is simple yet great, and LL Cool J is obviously one of the best to ever do it. What I didn't expect was the range of song themes and tones. I expected the entire album to be somewhat similar to the titular track but there was a broad range of different themes and emotions that really added a lot of depth to the album. Truly one of the greats.

Obviously a classic but some of the lyrics have NOT aged well. Despite that, the gritty guitar riffs hit hard and will hype you up as long as you don't pay attention too much to the lyrics.

In a music landscape full of massive productions with multi-layered instrumentals and loud guitar riffs, All Directions is surprisingly stripped back and minimalist. The first word that came to mind when I listened to it is "delicate". It's orchestral yet not overwhelming, moving yet not overly sentimental, and most importantly its groovy and funky while not being silly.

Paul Simon's songwriting skills are legendary for a reason. While not every song on this album is a brilliant folk rock masterpiece (looking at you Baby Driver), the album is nonetheless filled with both introspective and emotional ballads and leg-thumping folk flavor. While it's far from a "happy" album, even during the somber emotional moments I can't help but wear a smile on my face while listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water. Very few albums have the capacity to move that this one does.

Maybe I'm just not a blues-y rock type of person but this album didn't really move me. The songs all feel too similar and blend together. Not to say that this is a bad album, far from that. The vocals and instrumentation are top quality and well produced. It's just that there isn't enough variation in either mood, lyrics, or melody.

I don't know how to sum up this album other than with the word "interesting". It seems to exist in an area between genres. At its core it is a rock album, but there is so much layered on top of it that really made me pause and consider the production behind each song. Normally that's an aspect I don't really think about when I listen to music, I'm more interested in the melody and the lyrics. But the way these songs are put together is very unique. Coupled with the lyrics and melody, this album is an unusual yet intriguing emotional journey.

I'm not a big fan of metal and this album does nothing to change that opinion. I can handle loud, prolonged guitar riffs but they start getting gratuitous and excessive when 80% of the album is loud guitar solos that sound way too similar to each other.

Not a bad album by any means, but I just prefer Radiohead's later work. The Bends feels a bit underdeveloped, like they were trying a lot of things to see what works before settling in on a more consistent sound. That being said, it's interesting and unique enough to catch and maintain my attention and that's worth something.

I really want to like this album more but I just don't like her voice. It's nasal to the point of grating. Which is a shame because I like almost every other aspect of this album. The melodies are great, the instrumentation is wonderful, the lyrics are fine, it's just her voice that doesn't do it for me.

It's just too melodramatic and cheesy for my tastes. It's very evocative of the era but not necessarily in a good way. To me, this album has not aged well.

I have no idea how to feel about this album. My opinions on it change from song to song. I really enjoy some of the relatively more mellow songs like Headache but I also really dislike some of the more screaming vocals on some of the other songs. I just really with there was a consistent sound. Also, the last half of this album feels like it's all filler. The album does not need to be an hour long. Overall, I think it's an okay album with some great gems hidden throughout.

Just the epitome of that era of hip hop. The lyricism is clever, the production is simple yet great, and LL Cool J is obviously one of the best to ever do it. What I didn't expect was the range of song themes and tones. I expected the entire album to be somewhat similar to the titular track but there was a broad range of different themes and emotions that really added a lot of depth to the album. Truly one of the greats.

Abusive husband, neglectful father, and one of the most successful musical artists of all time tells the rest of us to stop caring about earthly possessions and be better people. Not only is the messaging gratuitously pretentious, even when ignoring all the character flaws Lennon had, but most of the songs aren't even good or catchy enough to make up for it. The album jumps wildly from genre to genre giving you musical whiplash and many songs are cheap imitations of classic American rock.