A few decent songs but pretty meh overall. I know the recording of it was a big breakthrough, but yeah, uninspiring.
*** out of *****
I can appreciate the story behind these musicians and this album, but overall I think the music is kind of forgettable and didn't really engage me.
Obviously the first song is a classic, but the rest of the album is pretty meh. Definitely some good musicianship going on, but honestly nothing too remarkable except for the lyrics in stray cat about banging a 15 year old. Yeech!
Definitely some good songwriting, but didn't engage me. The singing is not great. Probably an album a little ahead of time, but not one I'll listen to again.
I can appreciate the songwriting and musicianship that went into this album, and it's evocative of a time and place in American society and culture.
I am not a fan of Curtis Mayfield as a singer; there's not a ton of range in his voice and it's a little high for my taste.
Solid soundtrack though.
Oh man! One of the formative albums of my youth.
A nice mix of bangers like Swimsuit Issue and more meditative tracks like Theresa's Sound-World.
A couple are kind of cheesy, like Youth Against Fascism, but I guess that was the spirit of the times.
This isn't my favorite Sonic Youth album, but the songwriting is better than I remember, and it's definitely got its place in their discography.
I can respect how different and innovative this album was when it was recorded, and Martina Topley-Bird has an amazing voice, but ultimately this one is just a little too samey for me over the course of the record.
I can imagine being in a club in the early 90s and tripping out while dancing to this music, but it's just not my cup of tea.
The songs are pretty similar and just kind of straight-ahead, but there's no denying Evan Dando's voice, which is very pleasant to the ears. The whole album blurs together, unfortunately.
Bit Part was probably the high point to me, but it's also only 2 minutes long.
I'm not sure how an album this lyrically dark can be so damn sexy. It defies physics somehow. Dummy feels simultaneously retro and ahead of its time. Beth Gibbon's voice is fragile and powerful at the same time. This album is full of contradictions that somehow work perfectly.
What a classic.
Faves: Wandering Star, Numb, Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, Roads
I grew up loving Sonic Youth, and I was in the line to meet them at the Matador 21 shows in Las Vegas and they called it off to watch Pavement's supposedly last show. I was heartbroken.
And the Pavement show was awful too; they started bickering at each other during the set. I've hated Pavement ever since. So, fuck Pavement.
That being said, this album is...alright? Cut Your Hair is a good song, albeit one with some heavy SY influences, and there are a couple of other decent songs as well, despite Stephen Malkmus having a total lack of singing ability. The instrumentation overall is strong, and tracks like 5-4=Unity are just different enough to be interesting.
***, minus one * for these assholes ruining my chance to meet my idols.
Generally enjoyable, with the exception of Moonchild, which is 12+ minutes of random plinking. Parts of it sound like a Western or Sci-Fi movie soundtrack.
Another album where I can appreciate where it's coming from and its influence but it isn't something I'll listen to again.
Okay guys, we know you do heavy drugs.
Even the popular songs are boring. This was music for old people from the minute it was made. I do not get why Rolling Stones are/were popular at all.
I listened to Taylor's Version of this album; I'm not sure what the differences are between it and the initial release.
This is the first TS album I've listened to and it was okay. Most of the songs are blandly anthemic; they're like aural versions of Hollywood biopics that have been focus grouped and cobbled together to within an inch of death.
Shake It Off and Wildest Dreams were probably my faves, but I won't listen to this album again.
It's a Sin is fine, but the rest of the album is pretty forgetful and I'm not fond of the singer's voice at all. The overall sound is pretty dated, which yeah, I know it's from 1987, but still, it hasn't aged well at all.
Surprisingly enjoyable!
The songwriting is nearly immaculate and this is really elevated 70s glam.
Fine for what it is. I'm not familiar with her previous work, so I'm not sure how much of a departure this album was, but it does seem fairly ambitious for teen pop.
I know Dirty was the big hit, but it's probably my least favorite song. There's just too much stuffed into one song.
Parts of it are borderline iconic, but do we really need 18+ minutes of Isaac Hayes droning on and on in By The Time I Make It to Phoenix?
An interesting album in that I can hear a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s influences, which would make sense given how long Dennis Wilson had been in the biz when he recorded this.
I actually like his voice, even if drugs and alcohol supposedly ruined it.
I don't dislike this, but I doubt I'll listen to it again.
I'm not sure how I hadn't heard of this before as someone that reads end of year best of lists religiously, but I did. I guess it speaks to a real blind spot in the music that I consume.
This album truly is a gem; it's raw and emotional, but the music is really well-produced that the songwriting is strong.
I can't relate too much to the subject matter for most of the songs, but I guess that's why it's good to listen to different than normal types of music, right?
There are a few songs on this album that I'd heard before despite not knowing anything at all about Harry Nilsson.
Good listen overall, but I'm not sure the songs add up to a cohesive total due to their variety. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a bit of a headscratcher for this album.
Gotta Get Up is a great song to start the day, and Coconut has some carefully hidden existential dread. Without You might be a little melodramatic for my taste. Let The Good Times Roll might be my favorite.
Definitely an album of a time, both in the songwriting and production but also the alienation of Reagan's America that pummeled the 80s.
The Boss can certainly write lyrics, but overall the songwriting is kind of meh and some of the rhythms wouldn't be out of place on a Raffi album.
Not sure what's particularly psychedelic about this album; I actually think it's pretty bland. My many times taking psychedelics have been anything but.
Another reviewer described this as poppier Joy Division, which I think sums it up perfectly.
Obviously great musicianship, but not my cup of tea.
I looked into the backstory of this album and the bass player died not long after it was recorded, which is a shame; what an amazing talent.
Embarrassingly enough, this is actually the first time I've listened to 2Pac's music.
He was definitely a strong rapper, and I like how the lyrics have some nuance behind them. It seems like 2Pac had a pretty good idea of how he was going to go out and either wouldn't or couldn't do anything about it. Sad!
