I've never quite gotten the appeal of the Beastie Boys. After listening to Licensed to Ill all the way through, I...still don't get the appeal. But then I have listened to this album all the way through before. It's interesting, amusing, and am glad to listen to it as a cultural thing, but it's just not that interesting, musically, intellectually, or any other way.

I've never quite gotten the appeal of the Beastie Boys. After listening to Licensed to Ill all the way through, I...still don't get the appeal. But then I have listened to this album all the way through before. It's interesting, amusing, and am glad to listen to it as a cultural thing, but it's just not that interesting, musically, intellectually, or any other way.

Still one of my favorite albums of all time, start to finish. Great stuff.

Liked this way more than I expected. I didn't realize this was considered his first true foray into "fusion," though I think that term is kind of weird and limiting. I'd say this is less fusion and more just jazz but with non-traditional instruments (electric piano, organ, and guitar, basically). But I can see how his style is changing somewhat as well, with different types of chord progressions (less progression or change, for one thing). Definitely a really enjoyable listen.

Love this album. Great stuff. Shows the real power of the blues.

Love this just as much as the first time. Thanks VW for injecting it back into popular culture!

Kind of a mystery to me why this album was included on the list. I love Ray Charles, and there's certainly some country music I love, but this particular album felt like a bust, just taking what makes Ray Charles great and muting it somewhat, and replacing it with not very interesting harmonies and arrangements to represent country music. Still giving it 2 stars because it's Ray Charles, but kind of a disappointment.

Some of the Stones' best work--full of driven, catchy blues riffs. Tight musicianship (for a blues-based rock band anyway), they make blending sounds seem effortless. Great stuff.

It's funny how listening to this right after listening to a Rolling Stones album really highlights, for me anyway, how superior the Stones are to a band like ZZ Top. According to critics (some anyway), this album was the height of ZZ Top's signature style. But it's so much less interesting than the music of the Stones. The Stones blend all kinds of sounds seamlessly--rhythm guitar, lead guitar, slide guitar, piano, sometimes electric organ, bass, and drums (sometimes two drummers)--in a way that makes the sounds blend together to produce a rich, textured sound. ZZ Top, by contrast, is pretty much just a drummer who doesn't vary much from a particular rhythm, a bass player who plays pretty predictable lines that vary little within a song or from song to song (often just one note), and guitar riffs that mostly all sound the same, with some occasional breaks for some lead guitar. Pretty disappointing overall.

Very enjoyable jangly pop. I hadn't even heard about this band before it popped up on my list. I guess it came out during the time I was dealing with little kids and didn't have the time and energy to notice new music. But definitely reminiscent of psychedelic-inspired rock/pop.

Really enjoyed this. Super weird, as a rock opera, and not sure if I think it works in that respect, but purely as a theme album, it was compelling.

Perfectly enjoyable R&B. Didn't really rock my world.

Great stuff! I can see the appeal of Knopfler guitar work more after listening to this album.

Just as great as I remembered. Yeah, kind of overdramatic, but what amazing music.

Love this album. Great stuff.

Boring

Not my favorite EC, but still very good stuff. I feel like he hit his stride later, maybe with Imperial Bedroom.

It's Ella, so great stuff. Though I like her albums that have straight up jazz bands backing her. This particular album has arrangements and a backing band that were a little more pop. But still great stuff.

Did not enjoy.

Hadn't even heard of this, but really enjoyed it.

Enjoyed it but didn't love it.