That was… unexpected. Beautiful voice and reading a bit about the artist who she covered, I can see the beauty in it, but it feels like a cold war level of importance which doesn’t resonate so much with me.
Listened to it when I was quite young first, and has set a large impression on me. My only complaint is that it is music that can fade into the background and discerning one song from another if chosen at random would be difficult. But maybe that's good re: thematic consistency
Nice - felt very calming, but maybe not my vibe. Looped thrice through the album without really picking out a standout song or two, but maybe I need to listen to the lyrics more
One of the first albums that got me into classic rock as a kid. Relistening now while in the middle of a moderately predatory pyramid scheme (aka academia) brings new meaning to this album that feels dedicated to the pressures of selling out
Never been a fan of reggae, but man this album is good. Makes me realize how much of a virtuoso you have to be to just invent a genre of music by yourself. Super cool to listen to.
Taxman is a banger, but it really makes boomers make sense. Classic album, but I’m getting a little tired of the Beatles and their associates rn 1001albums
Goddamn what a star studded cast. Almost every song had me clicking over to see which great was involved. Really good album.
Its really not my vibe, but I can appreciate the talent. As with my Bob Marley review, it really exemplifies a genre which is why its on this list I guess
I can see how some don’t like it, but the super cerebrial, almost ghostish voice of Thom Yorke is indelibly seared into my head as interesting and not ott. But I think that’s also because I came of age during the Napster era when they reigned as the mainstream “thinking man’s” music
Man I have a weird reaction to late 80s - early 90s pop. I’m not a fan of pop in general, and I came of age in the early 2000s so a good signpost for pop was the lack of 4 part band. This means instinctively I react well to pop from the previous generation, but the more I listen the less I care about it. The same happened here.
I have really fond memories of blasting this album while burning through the mtn roads of the adirondacks on my way to a cliff to climb. I can’t make an unbiased review. 5/5
Rap makes me think a lot of Metal in that both are Ouroboros genres. Which is to say that in the same way that metal is consuming and recreating itself in search of something "harder", rap does the same. This aside is to point out how tame this album sounds in 2023 especially after everything from speed rap to the island boys. That being said, tame doesn't mean bad - this album is absolutely killer and the snippets of lyrics that I picked up were super insightful about the black perspective of NYC that was trying to come out of total bankrupcy/warzone status in the 1970s. I think of art as trying to make others see the world through your (inherently inaccessible) eyes, and intentional or not, this album succeeds at that while also being musically great.
Absolute banger of an opening song! But man I’m getting tired of the Beatles and assoc. acts. Also the western idolization of indian mysticism in Within you without you makes me roll my eyes. As an Indian who knows that alot of that mysticism originates from uncleji’s who just like to pontificate to feel important about shit they know nothing about, alot of the western gaze on this annoys me. So this song annoyed me, which (because this is the 4th beatle associated album I’ve listened to in the past 10 days) made the album annoy me. 5/5 for musicality 2/5 overall
Great! Sorta eclectic but I can see how its groundbreaking
That was… unexpected. Beautiful voice and reading a bit about the artist who she covered, I can see the beauty in it, but it feels like a cold war level of importance which doesn’t resonate so much with me.
I’m not sure if this guy has sex…. Other than that great music!
I refuse. I literally do not give a shit about these guys anymore
Nice album! I wish these came with some color commentary providing the context of the album itself. Like listening to this it feels standard, but I’m sure its because it defined a sub genre of music when it was released, so that would be nice.
Super cool! I really liked it - what a versatile band! It felt like the band had a blast making this music & that makes the music itself so much more fun.
I rate a lot of these albums on the order of 4 or 5 stars because they are really great! However, I think the real measure of an album quality to me is the review length itself. Personally the truly great albums weave a beautiful text that strike at some essential being in humanity. Cash does this in spades throughout his career, but especially in this album I feel like he epitomizes the Masculine in America: vibrant and flawed with morals only driven by terror of a higher power. In this album, of course the two leading songs are incredible, but the standout songs to me were the ones that told stories ("Give my Love to Rose", "I hung my head", "Sam Hall"). His covers of Desperado and Personal Jesus made me literally stop and sit down. The muted church organs of Danny Boy brought me back to my youth in my local Methodist church and invoked images of polyester church pews, repurposed-office room chapels, and sliding dividers. Similar to how Method Man's Tical imprinted a picture of NYC in the 90s, this album paints a picture of the American West in all of its Christian, agrarian glory punctuated by bursts of violence and redemption. That tapestry is so compelling that I'll be thinking of this album for a week if not more.
Wow so cool! Great big brass jazz! Saved the album
Good listening dad rock. Will likely revisit at some point
I really liked the dead in undergrad, but man I really did not enjoy this album. Either I was listening to quite not dead stuff back then or I’ve changed. Either way, blegh
It’s pretty classic beastie boys! I like the stuff they make so I can’t complain
I can understand the musicality, and I’m sure the speak singing was chic and refreshing at the time, but in the current context it feels lazy and unfortunately reminds me of Coleen Ballinger/millenial women with Ukuleles. Was not a fan
Super cool and slightly genre defying! I wish I had more time to listen to it, but the 1/2 I did was killer. Will listen on my moto ride 2morrow!
Wow nice! I really wish I hadn’t been so turned off by early aughts pop b/c I’ve deffos missed some gems!
Super cool! Didn’t realize how many cool songs came off of this album!
I usually use my motorcycle rides out to and back from my partner's place on the weekends to catch up on albums, and this morning was no different. However, that fact made this album the first album that has actually posed a threat to my life. Throughout the album I was easily doing 10-15 over the speed limit, and it took deep breathing exercises to keep my decision making reasonable. My safety aside it's incredible how well this album has aged (or how poorly the USA has aged). Landlords and greedy businessmen are still ruining things with literal rent seeking behavior (having capital isn't providing labor), the government is an economic imperial engine, and the American dream is still a MLM pitch to get the internationally destitute to do the labor that no one else does. The ending of "Know Your Enemy" still resounds today, and "Township Rebellion"'s lyrics "Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the war, fuck the norm!" echos in the discourse around the 2020 BLM movement. Musically this album is a total banger - goddamn these guys go so hard and its incredible to hear. I makes me sad that we don't have punk like this today. Of course with all things punk comes with the conspiratorial undertones, but I'll take a bit of coordinated gov't conspiracy as long as it's shouted at me with a killer soundtrack. Also I see where the 90s rap rock originates.
I hate acapella. My friends know this, and I'll even give unsolicited advice to undergrads to never do acapella. That being said, the compositions in this album are incredible, and innovative. The killer motif developed in "Heroes and Villains" introduces so much tension, and only resolves with a simple key (mode? chord?) change. Brian brings that motif right back in Plymouth Rock, but follows the resolution with blaring Bah's, which is such a cool way to interrupt the sense of calm from the resolution. Here are some other unorganized notes, I also like the pairing of Song For Children and Child is the Father of the Man. Our Prayer is absolutely beautiful, and a really nice call back to standard Beach Boys (or my idea of standard Beach Boys at least). Brian keeps pulling back that motif from Heros and Villains throughout the album, which would feel tired if it wasn't so goddamn compelling. My last applause from Brian comes from the fact that Smile has currently dethroned both Bat Out of Hell and Rage Against the Machine as the album I'm listening to this week, no mean feat given both my dislike of acapella, and my longstanding love of Meatloaf. 6/5 stars if I could.
I’m sure it was quite raw and heavy at its time, but this album doesn’t feel memorable. Like when I think of heavy moments from classic rock, I think of the exit of the solo in Heartbreaker, Comfortably Numb, or any of the black sabbath songs. This feels dull, homogenous, and a bit of a hot mess to be honest. Not a fan
I'm really amazed at how modern this album sounds. This wouldn't sound outta place with any of the 2010s dream indie rock (esp thinking Alvvays). There are moments where I get the real 90s feel off of it, but overall a great album. Wish it had more of an impact on me, but it has been an absolutely stellar week from 1001albums, so its a bit hard to standout.
Wow a second one ahead of its time! Has alot of the trappings of the metal I listen to now (came out in the 2010s), but is from 1994. Overall a great listen, but probably won’t stick b/c it has been so imitated
Hilarious that a Jazz show in Rhode Island resulted in a riot, but the show was an absolute banger. I really loved the start where some guy from Providence RI was shitting on the rest of the country, because he's provincial and likes his Boston folk. Either way great show, and the closer was a ton of fun. I already mentioned the riot, but I think it bears mentioning again - there was no call for an encore, no dopey shuffling around while the lights came on, just pure boos and chaos when the set ended and the house tried to get everyone to leave. Amazing - the crowd at a death grips concert didn't even have the balls to riot when the show ended, so it shows how nuts it was.
As I get older, the messages in Tommy pretentious and less true in my esteem. In many ways, its similar to how I look at some of the more "long form" that The Youth are calling profound and I cringe. Like, the abused kid leading a cult via his pinball playing is so goofy it could only come out of the (near) 70s. That being said, I do appreciate the labor Pete Townshend put into making the Rock Opera a thing. The existence of narrative albums has made the world a better place, and I guess by merging Rock and Opera, you were due to get some silliness. Either way, I'd definitely listen to this again (unlike their live album that was recommended).
Super great jazz. I wish I could dedicate more time thinking about this album, but I guess I just vibed with it. I'm not normally a super big soulful slow jazz person because it typically comes off cheesy, but this seems okay. I also love the hints of Reggae, and blues in the music. I guess these romantic albums never really resonated with me, because I tend to disengage from romantically unsure situations, and it seems like there's this whole class of people who really love reveling in it and all of its drama. I don't but I appreciate the music nonetheless.
Holy crap this is good! And contemporary! I can’t believe this came out in 2004! Destroy Rock & Roll followed by Rikki is a killer combo. Maybe I’m just a sucker for bands spoken in a pretentious music head way, but the song just slaps. Thinking back to 2004, I’m sure this was insanely refreshing, paving the way for LCD Soundsystem, and the other 2010s “idm” (ugh) acts. Super killer and the whole album has been added to my list.
Like I had said on the other funk/soul/etc. album, I've never really been a fan of this type of music. I see that Prince is a great musician, and I appreciate the quality, but I just can't get into it. I've also been really busy and only half listening.
Good - been feeling burnt out so I can't really connect with the music, but beyond Running up that hill, it felt fine. Like its a nice album and reminds me like a precursor to Florence and the Machine, but I didn't really engage with it like I did a lot of other albums. Some other ideas: This album felt very 1980s - I could sense the massive shoulder pads in the music, and the composition in Watching You Without Me feels like a product of its time. Maybe its a sign that I don't resonate with either of the other big female pop artist that have came up (Sinead O'Conner or Joni Mitchell), but I definitely liked this album more than their work.
This almost makes early 2000s country appealing.... There are hints of the bro country 'murica music in this album, but otherwise feels like a standard American rock album. But it is far more deep than that. The Urban Centrism with country touches feels like a premonition of the de-population of the American country. Also unexpected Elton John is always welcome. I'll revisit it when I have more time to commit to it.
As an avowed straight man (TM), I saved this album for the one time where Taylor was less painful than listening to nothing at all. Which is to say I listened to it while taking the arduous train ride from the Upper West Side to Brooklyn. My difficulty with Taylor comes from the fact that she's seemingly girlboss chameleon'd her way to superstardom. I would laud her versitility if it wasn't soley in service of making more milquetoast pop-generic music. Ultimately, I think my dislike of her is multi-faceted - I don't resonate with her musical themes, I really dislike pop and I hate the impact that "Big Music" has had on homogenizing and shrinking music into bite sound blips. So this isn't a fair review. Musically, the album is great - it's produced with the best of the best, and the collabs should be pure crack for me (HAIM, The National, and Bon Iver on an album - holy fucking shit!). If I am honest, the album nearly lulled me into it. no body, no crime is killer (see my previous comments about songs that tell a story), ivy, marjorie, and dorothea were great tracks, with a special note for dorothea actually transporting me out of the 7 train. However, cowboy like me was a massive thorn in my side - like you? Like the person who dumped their accent between two albums because it was most convenient to selling songs? The person who released folklore and evermore because she got criticized for not being country enough? The person who's currently going on tours so massive that it actually drives inflation in Iceland? That doesn't seem very country to me. Maybe this album is a last grasp at what she has sacrificed on the altar of double platinum rated albums? Because "cowboy like me" felt like such a tone def song that I don't know if she believes it.
Wow this album slaps at 53 years old. I mean it is expected given that it is an absolute supergroup. It really makes me think of the impact classic rock has had on the American Soundscape. Being from one of the oldest parts of The States and realizing how young the culture is compared to almost every other country, so the creation of "culture" is something I'm quite interested in. In my estimation, the songs and stories that make it into the larger national myth are the ones that resonate with some essential quality of the nation as a whole. Given the massive wide expanses of the US and its insistent push towards individualism it makes sense that the 70s rock focused on the signifiers of being your own person. I'm specifically thinking of Almost Cut my Hair which resembles so many pieces of the the Action Bronson ~2014 song Easy Rider. Bronson's song (obviously about the motorcycle riding heroes) derives so many of it's musical themes from songs like Almost Cut My Hair in an attempt to clothe itself in the symbolism of the American West and motorcycle culture. And its the fact that a modern song uses musical motifs from songs like Almost Cut My Hair to indicate a culture is a huge sign to me that this album was participating in pretty significant culture making. Which is to say, the reason we're hearing hints of this album to this day is not only because the music is excellent, but because it spoke to an essential American idea which still resonates in some way today. Lyrically, the album feels like a standard hippie rock album with the standard trip inspired lyrics (Deja Vu, Woodstock), songs about non-conformity (Almost Cut my Hair, Helpless), and songs about the single man's experience on the road (4 + 20, Our House, Country Girl).
Very cool! This album feels super interesting, because it has the over the top ostentatiousness of a hair metal rock opera, but is edgy and forward looking like an art-house album. I find the way he plays with sounds and voices to be quite intersting. For example in, "Baby's On Fire", Brian takes on this weird nasally voice which slides between notes before abruptly stopping on sharp words. Similarly, Driving Me Backwards sounds like a drunk parlor son with the detuned pianos, yowling echoed vocals, and distorted guitars. The tonal range is quite incredible. I think what I love most about the album is the hints of sounds-to-come in every song. Here Come the Warm Jets reminds me of the feel good nostalgic trip 00's alt-rock, while Dead Finks Don't Talk sounds like Yeasayer decades before they even came on the scene. This is so cool as an album, and I love how every song is an evolutionary journey. Nice!
I really liked this album - such a cool vibe which really brings me back to the early 2000s vibe in indie music. The Yoshimi battles songs are, of course, the star tracks here, but I also really enjoy Are You A Hypnotist for it's Pond-esque bridges. It's Summertime really calls to Beatles style, bright guitars, and I found Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon to be a really great way to close out the album. I caught hints of melancholy underlying the album, but I didn't really engage with it enough to parse apart the lyrics, but from what I read on the side, I think the themes of love in a brutal cold future is a nice idea, but I really didn't personally have a very strong reaction for or against it.
Wow! What an incredible album! Barry apparently wrote this album to be a business card for anyone looking for movie scores, and boy did he succeed. I can easily imagine the movie this goes to, and the baseline under the tracks are absolute bangers. I didn't expect to have a faux-movie soundtrack be a workout power song, but The Swinging Detective really brings it. Same with The Man with the golden arm. Auto Destruction and Suck On the Honey of Love are incredibly evocative songs for me. My music tastes are driven by a search for novelty, and that's what has drawn me to electronic music in the past. I did not expect a movie score album featuring standard instruments to scratch that itch so well, but it did. I said it before, but man what a cool album - from start to finish I feel like I experienced a murder mystery and I'm glad I heard this album.
So so so good. I can see why people lauded David Bowie. I feel like even today the sound on this album feels innovative and unique. Since I never grew up listening to Bowie, I hear snippets of other bands in this album instead of labeling it all as quintessentially Bowie. For example, Joe the Lion has a clear Beatles feel to it, especially with the banging pianos in the back, Heros has calls to Joshua Tree era U2, and V2 Schneider give me Peter Gabriel (ugh) vibes. Of course two of these three references post date this album, so the relationship is likely reversed (if at all extant). It took me getting to the middle section of the album before I hit the songs that felt uniquely Bowie, such as Sons of the Silent Age and Blackout. I think what I liked was that it felt so distinct from other classic rock from that age (which I have heard much of), so finding a unique vibe from an era that I've largely explored is super cool! I also really liked the last three songs which felt like an art-house movie in its presentations of motifs and vibes over concrete settings and lyrics! Overall very enjoyable and a surprise find!
Man this album brings me back! I first heard it while on a 4 month solo trip in Brazil. I was (at the time) staying in a hostel perched high above the bay in Rio with a view down Ipanema. I was a journalist at the time, so I would sit on the roof deck writing articles while this album came heavily on rotation. Needless to say this isn't a pure review of the album, but the life I lived when I first heard it, because I have barely revisited this album since being back in the states. Overall such a wonderful flow and tons of fun! Bongo Boy is, ofc, the standout, but I really loved how much this album blends languages, music types and themes to pain this picture of hispanic culture. Outside the album, I decided to visit his Wiki page (as I do with all the artists), and was extremely surprised to find his beliefs to be both refreshing and non-ludicrous. I feel like its worth people reading themselves , but I'd recommend a read - just an all round brilliant dude who makes banging music! Nice!
I came into this album wanting to hate its guts. 1001 albums threw 4 Beatles albums and 1 George Harrison at me in the first two weeks, and I'm really not a big fan of theirs. So I gritted my teeth and figured I'd be in for another snooze fest. Fortunately, that wasn't the case at all - this album was innovative, drew from numerous musical styles and ideas and really broke out of the mold of the standard Beatles sound! I know that Yoko and John had a strained relationship, but her contribution to the artistic works is massive. Overall fan of this album. I wish I could rate it higher, but hints of the Beatles snuck in on almost every song, reminding me who wrote this and pulled me out of it.
This was one of the first albums on my iPod Nano in middle school, but it was also one of the ones that fell off of my radar as I got sick of the crudeness of peak classic rock. Adam's Apple, Big Ten Inch Record are among the ones I remember from my childhood for being gratuitiously lewd (others being from AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, etc.). And I don't mean to be prude, but just kinda burnt out on it. When every album has a meme track about sex, it gets a bit old. That said, I have forgotten how deep this album is. No more No more feels moderately overlooked, but is great, I forgot that Sweet Emotion was even on this disc, and the titular Toys in the Attic is an absolute banger. I overall liked this trip down memory road, even with steven tyler's memable "yowling on you seem me crying" (which is a hilarious prelude to the already-a-meme "I don't want to miss a thing"). Its a good album, but I can't give a fair review when I'm burnt out on generic classic rock guys doing guy things. Maybe this is me getting old and lame.
Man the name PJ harvey really undersells this album. I wasn't expecting a punk rock in your face album. I can really see the influence from the Monkeys, which is one of my favorite bands, so I really had a wonderful time with this album. Sheela-Na-Gig feels like it was part of laying the groundwork for the Alt-Rock sounds in the early 00s. Of course this all could be reinterpreted as a Nirvana-alike, but I think this is less Stone Temple Pilots v Pearl Jam and more two artists pulling from the collective unconscious that was vibing on the same level at the time.
Didn't expect something as conceptual, sparse and quiet from a band called My Bloody Valentine, but it was nice. This album was a bit of a block for me b/c I didn't really have much to say, so I guess this is my review to just get to the next album.
I mean it's the doors - what can I say? From Break on Through to The End the album is an absolute banger. This is one of the first albums that I really got into, so I've been listening to it for a bit over a decade. I think what I like is how the album changes for me over time. "Break on Through", "Soul Kitchen", "Light my Fire" are all perennial favs, but other songs wax and wane with time. When I was younger and struggling with Dating, I really loved "The Crystal Ship", especially for its idealistic love vibes, but now as someone who is actually in an a relationship, I find the romantic highs of the song unrealistic. In contrast, I used to struggle with "The End", but the song has evolved for me - especially the lyric "My only friend The end". Previously I used to hear it as if Jim was singing to a dying friend, but now I hear it as if he is addressing The End as his friend. I remember hearing that that this song was composed in a crazed fit of music composition, so to have wordplay this cool to come out of a burst of musical passion is kinda cool. Or maybe I'm holding the band on a pedestal a bit too much. Idk and Idc - its a great album.
Great live album - would revisit again, but honestly I'm a little tired of classic rock. Maybe because it is such a well established genre, the novelty factor is quite limited. Even stuff like The Doors (which holds a very close place in my heart) wouldn't grab my ear now like it did when I was young, so I guess good, but wouldn't probably revisit. Fingers crossed for a more recent album today.
Short, chaotic, and soulful. I really struggled with the first half of the album, but by the last couple songs it resolved into a mournful goodbye. Its fitting for the end of one of our great musical geniuses.
Damn - what an album. I remember when it came out in 2015, I never went out of my way to listen to it because it was everywhere on my campus and I figured I'd hear in totality via osmosis. I was quite wrong. Listening to it in full now I'm impressed how prescient the album is - he captures this undercurrent that ultimately erupts in the 2020 BLM protests in an album that is full of bangers. That said, the showstopper was the the final eponymous track - the monologue he has with his father is brilliant and somehow has a new perspective on the current day discourse (nearly 9 years later (also oof that this album is nearly 9 years old)). Even if you're not keen on rap, I'd recommend taking a few min out of your day to listen to that last track a couple times over.
When I was young I played violin at a decent enough level to compete. Ofc as an Orchestra nerd who did pit, I knew many of the theater kids, and one of their biggest complaints about the competitions was the exclusion of theater pieces. Unfortunately, I never could sympathize with them, because the talk-singing endemic to musical theater physically pained me (I did pit for the socialization). This huge digression is all a intro to contextualize why I don't like Morrissey - he talk sings like a musical theater kid, and his long sonorous portamentos induce the same pain that I felt decades ago. Some songs (Now My Heart is Full, Why Don't You Find out for Yourself, Used to be a Sweet Boy) suffer from it less than others, allowing his nice music to stand out a bit more. However, the biggest hit from this album (The More you Ignore me, the Closer I Get) is a quintessential example of this and was an instant skip for me (creepy lyrics aside). Listening to this album didn't change my mind about Morrissey, but it has clarified why I don't like him, which I appreciate.
So fucking good. I listened to this first several months ago, and didn't write a review, but I still find myself coming back to this album. Of course the first two tracks with the audio from the kung-fu albums are stand out, but for me, the standouts are Shadowboxin' (killer sample), Gold (production gives a real authentic amateur feel), B.I.B.L.E (I love a self-aware closing track on an album). If there's any criticism, I'd say they rely a bit too much on overlaid voice tracks (from the news/movies/whatever), but that's a quibble.
Its funny listening to this after I just tore Morrissey apart for poor singing. Idk why - the scrappy garage feel to Elvis Costello works well here. I think the difference is that Elvis isn't trying to sing great ballads - he's a scrappy guy and owns it. Other than that, I have my standard love-ambivalence relationship with Elvis Costello: I dig him for the first 30 odd min of listening, and then I fall off a bit. I'm a fan of Welcome to the Working Week, Alison, Sneaky Feelings, and Waiting for the end of the World. In another contrast to Morrissey, Alison is a refreshingly honest tale about the heartbreak of seeing an ex with another man, but handles its emotions like an adult (as opposed to Morrissey's The More you Ignore me the Closer I Get).
When I was young I never understood why Johnny Cash kept singing to these prisons. As someone born in the mid 90s, lacking the context, it always felt like a nice old time grandpa singing to a bizarre crowd of misfits. What I never realized is that Cash singing to a prison is less an artist doing charity, and more a community member preaching freedom and hope to his congregation (See the San Quentin track with all the howling jeers, cheers and boos from the crowd). It almost feels like Cash is more at home in this prison than on a big stage in a city. Both the prisoners and Cash are this cohort of maladjusted, angry, selfish, men who represent the rowdy, untamed, base components of the American West in all their bravado, masculinity, pain, and fear. As for the tracks - I've heard the Cash catalog up and down, so I love this stuff, so its less of a musical critique and more of a cultural one. As always a great album.
Wow so cool! I had never really explored afrobeat, but what an introduction to it! I was working while listening to the album, so I ended up zoning out a little and was amazed pop up 1 hour later with only 5 tracks past. Each song is such a jam, and I love picking up notes of the many musical styles blended in. Black Man's cry is a stand out ofc, but the Tony Allen Drum Solo is killer and it blew my mind that a 17 minute track was devoted to that solo. I'm super glad I listened to this album - it's been added to my favorites.
Man what a riot. All round fun album - the sketch in Fuck Tha Police killed me, and Parental Discretion Iz Advised is another standout for me. I liked it, just don't have much to comment.
V cool! Amazing singing. I knew of Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday, but never Sarah Vaughn. This music helped get me through 2 weeks of graveyard shifts in the lab, and I'm eternally grateful for that.
Pretty great late 90s rock run through pedals till it melts into fuzzy soundscapes. It gives me shoegazey vibes, especially The Funny Bird. Reading about the band it seems like they've changed their music a bunch over the years, and both influences from their previous and future album comes through in this album which is nice. Top songs for me are Holes, The Happy End, Goddess on a Hiway, The Funny Bird, and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. Unfortuantely, it feels a little forgettable, so sadly only 3 stars - (I'm trying to be a bit more critical here - I have too many 4s and 5s y'kno)
Super surprised about how 90s this is and how forward looking it feels. Some of the choruses are quintessential 90s grunge, but the eponymous song (Celebrity Skin) feels very 2000s alt-rock. The final bridge in Awful is a hilarious angsty teen surprise, and Petals gives (oddly enough) real Monkeys energy with the brooding baseline. I'm sure in the context of today, most might find this album boring, but as a big alt-rock/grunge junkie, I was really surprised how much this album touched upon the various motifs in the genre.
I enjoyed a few of the songs, but by the end of the album, I was really getting tired of the shouting. He makes me think of Florence and the Machine; a talented vocalist with a unique energy, but trapped because that energy is so unique. I don't think I'll revisit this album sadly.
Good album - very dad rock and a bit silly at times, but nice overall
I’m a millenial who dug deep into the hipster aesthetic. I can’t be unbiased. 5/5
Maybe I'm a grumpy asshole, or maybe I'm having a bad week, but jfc I cannot with this slow ass cheesy lovey dovey shit. Yea Stevie Wonder is a great artist, but the most perfectly crafted pile of crap is still a pile of crap.
So much has been said about Eminem's misogyny, rage and homophobia, so I'm not sure what much more this will add, but here is: My first roommate out of college was a gay man raised in the Midwest, who was bullied throughout high school for his orientation. His time as a kid gave him an almost pathological aversion to standard straight guy activities, which was a point of discussion every time I had friends over to play games. I never really emotionally understood how pervasive homophobia was in the early 2000s until listening to this album - the fact that one of the best rappers in the world at the time poured so much of his talent into dumping on gay men and women is such a marker of the cultural landscape (see Ken Kaniff for the best example). This makes me feel really conflicted about this album. For straight musicality, Stan, The Real Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers, Amityville, Kim, Criminal by themselves are absolute standouts in the overall rap landscape. Massive cultural impact aside, I first listened to Stan in high school, and despite being a huge Dido fan, it was the first song which made me realize that sampling wasn't just "stealing" music from other artists. Kim was so visceral that it nullifies the criticism of it promoting domestic violence - the way he captured the blinding rage in the moment is spine chilling, and you would have to be pathologically messed up to want to imitate that. But at the same time, I think about my roommate and how bad things were for him as a kid (egged on in part by stuff like this), and it makes it tough for me to enjoy listening to it. I'm giving it a 4/5 because some tracks really sagged (Kill You, Who Knew, The Way I Am, Drug Ballad) in my estimation, but I honestly wonder how my roommate or girlfriend would rate this - prob significantly lower because the rage hits closer to home.
Didn't expect country, but overall was nice. Mercedes Benz was a standout treat.