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Fri Dec 01 2023
Mothership Connection
Parliament
My very first review. What intrigues me to this website is getting exposed to albums I wouldn't necessarily choose to listen to. This album is a great example of that. Funk isn't really a genre I would normally seek out even though I enjoy similar types of music like Soul.
Musically I enjoyed this. I was almost instantly tapping my toes & bobbing my head to the grooves. Some of the funky jive-talk stuff was a bit annoying and for this reason I don't think the album has aged that well. Very of it's time. A few songs seemed quite one-dimensional and repetitive. It felt like they were all a couple of minutes too long.
I can see why this album might be deemed a classic though. You can certainly feel it's influence on the future sounds of Hip Hop and House music.
Best song - Mothership Connection (Star Child)
Worst song - P-Funk ( Wants to Get Funked Up)
2
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Great vocal performance as you'd expect. In general I prefer up-tempo Soul songs and this album has some decent ones, namely 'Money Won't Change You' & 'Come Back Baby'. That being said, 'People Get Ready' was probably the highlight of the album for me. The other slower songs were not to my taste. I'd rate this album a solid two & a half but, as I preferred the cover songs over the original songs here, I've rounded it down to a two.
2
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
A good album but I thought I'd enjoy it a bit more than I did. I remember some of the singles when they first came out & 'Disarm' is such a brilliant song. 'Today' & 'Cherub Rock' are also great tracks too. Other than those three, the rest of the album was ok to listen to but nothing special.
3
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Wed Dec 06 2023
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
I was a massive fan of this album, and the whole 'madchester' music scene, growing up in late 80s / early 90s UK. The Stone Roses seemed to ignite a whole movement with this album that spilled over into fashion as well. Much like Nirvana's Nevermind did with Grunge a few years later.
Listening to it now it still sounds great. Reni's drumming is just sublime (what a wasted talent), Squire's guitar work is on another level & with Mani's commanding baselines topped off with Brown just oozing front man charisma this band was the epitome of cool. Taking into consideration the singles they released either side of this LP the Roses were just untouchable.
Bookended by the brilliant 'I Wanna Be Adored' & 'I Am the Resurrection' there really aren't any poor songs on this record. 'Elizabeth My Dear' is the obvious dip in standards but as it's under a minute long it passes by relatively unnoticed. Every other song is 4 or 4.5 minimum. Along with the opening & closing tracks 'She Bangs the Drums', 'Sugar Spun Sister', 'Made of Stone' & 'This Is the One' are the other top-tier tracks here.
To be honest, I should probably be rating this a very solid 4 but sentimental feelings of nostalgia empower me to give it the Full Fathom 5 stars.
5
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
I am very familiar with most of these tracks as I've had to endure awful renditions of them at many a karaoke. The album is like listening to a Bruce Springsteen parody rock opera. It's not something I'm going to listen to ever again but I guess it deserves higher than a 1.
2
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
This album is pleasant enough to listen to. Good for background music but nothing here really grabs my attention.
2
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
Not as Funky a sound as I was expecting, more straight out Rock. I enjoyed the opening track 'Maggot Brain' but didn't enjoy the closing 'Wars of Armageddon'. The songs in between were fine with 'Can You Get To That' be the better of them.
2
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Tue Dec 12 2023
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
I do not understand the appeal of the Foo Fighters, I really don't. They have to be the blandest Rock band on the planet. I listened to this album from start to finish and nothing of note stood out to me at all.
1
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Wed Dec 13 2023
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
I like this album but not quite as much as I thought I would. Probably a bit too experimental for me. I've given it quite a few listens & I am appreciating it more with each play. It's actually quite surprising how critically acclaimed 'Loveless' is but maybe it's one that grows on you.
I found myself enjoying the more structured songs, if you could even call them that. 'When You Sleep', 'What You Want' & 'Soon' are great tracks.
Don't dismiss this album too quickly. After a couple of plays I would've rated it a 3 but now happy to give it 4 stars. I don't think it would ever be a 5 for me though, no matter how many times I hear it.
4
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Out of Step
Minor Threat
Raw and energetic music. I've never even heard of this band before. The album is only 21 minutes long and as it speeds along it's quite hard to distinguish between each track. They are all fast paced punky numbers with shouty singing. Having said that there is nothing unenjoyable about any of the songs and I'm sure with further listening they would each stand out in their own way.
3
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
This is a very interesting record. Quite jazzy in parts, multi-layered production, great bass playing. There are a few annoying instrumentals that break up the flow of the album, as well as the dreaded hidden track at the end. 'Holes' is by far the best song on the album. 'Tonite it Shows', 'Opus 40', Hudson Line' & 'Goddess on a Hiway' are also good.
I enjoyed this enough to make me want to look into the rest of their back catalogue.
3
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
It's easy to forget how good a blues band The Doors were. There is not a bad track on this album.
4
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Wed Jan 03 2024
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
45 years after being released it's hard to imagine what the impact of this album was at the time. Listening to it now, having heard some of these songs all my life, it doesn't blow me away as groundbreaking but I know it would've been in 1977.
Musically it's all very samey. Culturally it is massive though. How many people were inspired to pick up an instrument or start a band after this? It showed people they didn't have to be technically proficient to produce something important. You just needed passion & an idea. Punk reset how music could be produced & a lot of the bands I listen to today were spawned from this approach.
3
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Thu Jan 04 2024
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
I find it very hard to give this album a review so I'm not even going to try. It was pleasant enough to listen to but I wouldn't revisit it again.
2
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Fri Jan 05 2024
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
I was expecting a more punky sound but musically this is all over the place. Very eclectic and disjointed. To me it has vibes of Frank Zappa's music. With over 40 songs it's hard to absorb, evaluate and appreciate in just a few listens. My gut feeling is it's a 3 star album so I'm just gonna go with that. With the further listening that's required it could easily go up or down a notch. It's definitely not 1 or 5 star though.
3
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
This is a great album. The themes of the songs are very political, which I enjoy. Sadly a lot of the issues she sings about are still relevant today, 35 years later. They all have a stripped back acoustic production which works well with her execelent songwriting.
Standout tracks are 'Talkin' 'bout a Revolution', 'Fast Car', 'Mountains o' Things' & 'If Not Now...'
4
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Tue Jan 09 2024
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
First time I've listened to this album. It's actually pretty good which surprised me a bit. I much prefer the harder edged rap tracks like 'Lost Ones' to the sung ballad tracks like 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'. When she sings it's with that typical RnB - showing off their vocal range style - which really grinds my gears. When she raps though it's very good. Other songs of note are 'To Zion', 'Doo Wop (That Thing)', & 'Final Hour'
I wouldn't say this is the iconic album it's held up to be but then again it's not really my kind of music. 3 stars feels about right.
3
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
The only thing of note on this album is the song 'Go Back Home', and that's got more to do with Eric Clapton's guitar work. The rest is either terrible, boring or just a pile of self important pish. After one listen I was going to rate this a very generous 2 stars. I gave it another chance and my generosity quickly vanished. 1 star.
1
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Faust IV
Faust
1. 'Krautrock' - I thought this offwas going to be 12 minutes of drone music. I like repetition as much as the next guy but that would've been too much. Luckily the song picks up halfway through. Pretty good.
2. 'The Sad Skinhead' - Interesting. A more standard guitar, bass, drums & vocals. A jangling punky number. Also good.
3. 'Jennifer' - The first two thirds of the song is really nice. Swirling guitar riff with pulsating bass line & relaxed beats. It then transforms into something completely different.
4. 'Just a Second' - Starts off as a normal song then after about a minute it changes to a long mixture of random field recordings.
...Okay, halfway through this I'm beginning to notice a pattern...
Is there a point where avant-garde experimental music just sounds like people making it up as they go along? Yes & this might be one of those occasions. There are moments when the music here is very enjoyable but after a few minutes the song will jolt away in a completely different direction. Listening to it is not unlike someone continually turning the dial on a car radio. You get short bursts of different musical styles one after the other. It's hard to tell when one track ends and the next one begins.
I'm pretty open minded when it comes music but this makes me realise I do like some sort of structure to be able to enjoy a song on its own merit. Despite of that, this album as a whole listening experience did not offend my senses, I just needed to re-adjust my mindset. 3 stars.
3
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Virgin Suicides
Air
I haven't seen the movie so can only rate this album out of context & purely on the music alone. Unfortunately this leaves me listening to lots of uninteresting short instrumental background music. 'Ghost Song' is the only thing that grabbed my attention. I'm not sure why I had to hear this before I die. I'm not even going to give this a second listen.
1
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Credit where credit is due.
I know all music has it's influences but sometimes it's so just so blatant. Early Stones, early Beatles and half of the songs here owe such a great debt to Chuck Berry, Little Richard and all the old Blues masters. CCR don't try to hide this influence but I find it hard to give those songs any real credit. Tracks 5, 6, 7, 9 & 11 are however what I expect CCR to sound like. Of those, 'Up Around the Bend' & 'Who'll Stop the Rain' are decent songs. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 & 10 just sound like a blues tribute band so I struggle to see the importance of this album, other than it's popularity. 3 stars.
3
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Tue Jan 16 2024
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
Great fun. Great energy. Great performance. Great song choices. Great audience reactions. Loved the random warden messages peppered between some of the songs. One of the best live albums I've heard. From start to finish this is a joy to listen to.
5
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Wed Jan 17 2024
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
After the first 4 songs I was all ready to dismiss this record as 'not for me'. The album then picked up halfway through track 5 'How Do You Sleep?'. 'Call the Police' is the best song here - it sounds a bit like U2 or New Order after Hooky left. 'American Dream' is also decent so now after 8 songs I'm thinking maybe this isn't so bad after all. Cue the level dropping off once again. I guess the final song is ok in parts but overall the album is hit or miss. There's definitely a throwback to 80's electronic music and the singer sounds uncannily like Bono. I was thinking of rating it 2 stars but after a 2nd listen I've bumped it up to 3 stars. There's just enough to like hear to warrant it.
3
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
Wow, this is so Seventies it hurts. I tried to listen to this objectively and with an open mind but the ears like what the ears like. My ears didn't like this very much. I quite enjoyed 'Peg' but I'm not sure how much of that was down to it being a sample source for De La Soul's 'Eye Know'. I don't think that song alone did enough to stop this album for the dreaded 1 star.
1
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Fri Jan 19 2024
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
This is the first Bob Dylan album to be generated for me so far. I do enjoy his earlier material but don't think I've listened to any of his newer stuff (from the last 40 years or so, lol). This 1997 offering is apparently a return to form so god only knows what he was putting out prior to this. There are a few good songs on here and he's obviously still such a brilliant songwriter so deep into his career. That in itself is an impressive feat. I enjoyed 'Standing in the Doorway' & 'Make you Feel My Love' the most.
2
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Parallel Lines
Blondie
Growing up in the 80's I remember a lot of the singles from this album. 'Heart of Glass' & 'Sunday Girl' being particularly good songs. Listening to the full album for the first time I was expecting a little more from the rest of the tracks but to me they all just sound like fillers.
2
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
I don't see the importance of this album. Musically it's ok I guess but very middle-of-the-road, uninspiring and just a bit wishy-washy. I can see why other people might enjoy it but I don't know why it's on this list.
1
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
There is an experimental nativity to the sound on this album and I quite enjoyed Robert Wyatt's unusual vocals. I can see why some people may question it's importance but to me this record definitely belongs on this list for pushing musical boundaries.
'Sea Song' sets the tone nicely. It starts as an unconventional piano ballad before spiralling out of control.
'A Last Straw' I didn't like much.
'Little Red Riding Hood...' is a sprawling fast-paced jazzy number which is reminiscent of a Twin Peaks dream sequence.
'Alifib' & 'Alife' are two sides of the same song with the former being the more enjoyable.
'Little Red Robin Hood...' closes the album to the dulcet tones of Ivor Cutler.
This is another album that needs the right frame of mind to listen to & will benefit from multiple plays.
3
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
This is an album I own and have listened to often, albeit not for quite some time. There are some amazing songs on it but the album just feels too long. They could have cut out about 20 minutes and made it much stronger overall. It just feels a little over indulgent.
That aside it's still a worthy album. Almost hymn-like & gospel in parts and the band's name absolutely fits the music they produce. It does feel very spiritual although with darker undertones. The gods they worship are those of the Blues.
The opening title track is wonderfully symphonic with multi-layered vocals. 'Come Together' almost sounds like a sinister nursery rhyme. 'I Think I'm in Love' is a dreamy hymn with rhythmic chaotic droning repetition. 'All of my Thoughts' is a slow prayer-like song punctuated with frantic instrumental sections. 'Stay with Me' is slow & spacy. 'Electricity' is a fast wall of sound with organ & harmonica. Sounds like The Doors coked-up. 'Home of the Brave' starts out a confessional then descends into a slow feedback droning noise which spills over into the next track too. 'Broken Heart' is beautifully haunting. I wouldn't miss tracks 8, 10 & 11 if they weren't on this record which just leaves the closing 17 minute epic 'Cop Shoot Cop'. It shouldn't really work but after what you heard before it all makes perfect sense.
I'm torn over what to rate this. When it dropped I thought an easy 4 stars but the aforementioned length issues as well as the fact some of the verse structures sound a bit formulaic is swaying me. I do wish you could give half stars. I'm going to stick with 4 though. Rating this 3 star sets the bar too high for everyone else and I already feel like I'm being too mean with my scoring so far.
4
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Fri Jan 26 2024
Solid Air
John Martyn
The only song I've heard from John Martyn is 'May You Never' and I love it. It appears on this album so was keen to hear whether the other songs sounded as good. Sadly they don't but there are some nice moments. 'Over the Hill' & 'The Man In the Station' are the other songs I did enjoy.
Although mainly a Folk album there are plenty of other styles flowing through this album. It's got a Jazzy feel to it but also gets quite Funky in some parts and Bluesy in others. The vocals can get a bit strange & mumbled on a few songs but overall it's a good listen. A solid 3.
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
Is This It
The Strokes
This isn't an overly complex album but I love it for what it is. The Strokes bang out top tune after top tune on this one. Brilliantly simplistic post-punk indie rock. Just your standard guitar, bass, drum & vocals but done so very well. 'Someday', 'Last Nite', 'Hard to Explain' & 'Trying Your Luck' are the highlights here but there aren't any songs that I don't like.
5
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Fri Feb 02 2024
Liquid Swords
GZA
I don't know too much about rap music but this sounds pretty good. I like the simplistic backing tracks but not a big fan of the between-track-skits. Favourite tracks 'Liquid Swords', '4th Chamber' & B.I.B.L.E.
3
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Parklife
Blur
I like the way Blur are always evolving and pushing their sound in new directions. When these songs first dropped it seemed to catch the mood of the times brilliantly. This is very English, very Nineties and can be quite cartoonish at times but there's no denying some of the songs are really good.
The highlights for me are 'Girls & Boys', 'End of a Century', 'Parklife', 'To the End', & 'This is a Low'.
Listening to the album now it does sound a little bit dated but it's still very strong.
4
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Thriller
Michael Jackson
There are a couple of poor tracks on Thriller but mostly this is an excellent Pop album. It's not the sort of music I would choose to sit down & listen to because I tend to not like a lot of the mainstream music. Sometimes I just can't fathom why certain albums or artists sell so many records but with Jackson at his peak it's abundantly clear. 4- Stars.
4
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Moving Pictures
Rush
I don't think I've ever heard Rush before but I was aware of them as a band. The musicianship by the three band members is strong but it kinda feels like the songs are structured so they can show off all their skills. There's a moment halfway through the first song where the bass, drums & guitar seem to be playing 3 different songs. It all sounds a bit self-indulgent but perfectly listenable I guess. I'd imagine their fans are all pretty good at air guitar. I'd rate this 2+ stars. It's not quite a 3-.
2
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
I probably know Bob Dylan's songs more from listening to some of his compilation albums rather than the studio ones so a couple of the tracks hear are familiar to me already. I do like them but hearing the rest of the songs on this LP I'm struck how similar they all sound, especially in vocal delivery. This leads to me zoning out a bit on each play through so it's not fully capturing my attention. Nice enough to listen to but not a brilliant album. Best songs are 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'Highway 61 Revisited', 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues' & 'Desolation Row'. A solid 3 stars.
3
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Teen Dream
Beach House
After the first listen I really didn't like this. I decided to play it again later on & really started to warm to the sound (I was maybe in a better
frame of mind). That just underlines the need to give these albums 2 or 3 listens. It does pay off sometimes (but not always).
It's got a nice mellow vibe right through the record. It doesn't reach any real highs but equally it doesn't hit any lows. Very relaxing and inoffensive. Highlights are 'Zebra', 'Silver Soul', 'Walk in the Park' & '10 Mile Stereo'. 3- stars.
3
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Thu Feb 22 2024
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
'Blowin' in the wind' is a such classic song and this kicks of the album. It's also the high point as the other songs don't quite match it's quality. Overall I find Dylan a bit raw and unpolished here like he is still to fully develop his own unique sound. It's a good insight into his musical development but not exactly what I was expecting to hear when this album dropped for me. 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall' & 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' are my favourites of the other songs. 3- stars.
3
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
I took this project on to get introduced to some great diverse music that has, so far, passed me by. To date, it has delivered on that promise but I wasn't expecting anything like this album. It's great that all genres get covered but I find it hard to believe that this is one of the best country albums on offer. I have to assume it is as it's on this list but to me it sounds very middle-of-the-road. 2- stars.
2
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Fri Mar 01 2024
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
The Pogues are a band that just did their own thing, carved their own path and there's much to be admired about that. I love this album, it's so much fun to listen to. It's a bit of a rollercoaster ride that ebbs & flows between fast paced rowdy numbers and more thoughtful melancholy songs.
'If I Should Fall From Grace With God' starts the album brilliantly. 'Fairytale of New York' hands down the best Christmas song ever. 'Thousands Are Sailing' is an amazingly emotional song filled with happiness, sadness, hope and regret and it's simply just beautiful. 'Streets of Sorrow / Birmingham Six' & 'Lullaby of London' are great tracks too. The album has a few not so strong moments but overall this is a fine record. 4+ stars.
4
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Some albums are a collection of various individual songs & some albums need to be listened to as one entity. Pink Floyd tend to fall into the latter category and this is the case here. It's a good listen but doesn't blow me away. Bookended but 2 long compositions it has a nice flow throughout. The title track stands up on it's own and is excellent but the rest is just a nice listen. I like Pink Floyd but their work seems vastly overrated. This is 3- stars.
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
I always thought Neil Young's work with Crazy Horse was more full-on electric rock than some of the songs here. It's got quite a hippy slightly acoustic vibe on this album. There are some noisier tracks & I must admit I do prefer 'Down By The River' & 'Cowgirl In The Sand' to the rest of them. 2+ stars.
2
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
The Smiths had such a distinct & unique sound. Mainly thanks to Marr's wonderful guitar work & Morrissey's lyrical themes and vocal delivery. Rourke & Joyce's rhythm section helped magically pull it all together. Pop music in the mid 80's was all glamour, big hair & flash expensive music videos and The Smiths were a breath of fresh air as they prided themselves on being very ordinary & working class. 'Well I Wonder' is my favourite tune here. I really like 'Meat is Murder' too but not enough to turn vegetarian, although I'd be surprised if the song hadn't converted a few people. 'The Headmasters Ritual', 'I Want the One I Can't Have' & 'Nowhere Fast' are other notable mentions. 4+ Stars.
4
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Medúlla
Björk
I like some of Bjork's earlier work, including The Sugarcubes, but I don't like this. Medulla is very experimental and, whilst I admire the courage to record something like this, it's an extremely hard listen. A couple of the tracks caught my attention but not so much as I'd add them to any playlists for future enjoyment. 1+ star.
1
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Thu Mar 14 2024
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
I haven't had a good grip on new music since about 2007 (it's an age thing) so a lot of the albums on this list after that point are definitely fresh listens. I've never heard of this artist and didn't even know what type of music to expect so the first play through was completely without prejudice or expectation. To be honest I don't know if you can label this album as it's all other place and not really in a good way. It seems to jump around stylistically but doesn't really connect with anything. Also, if your gonna make an album well over an hour long it needs to be justified. This doesn't do that, its just mediocre song after mediocre song. 2- stars.
2
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
Dull. I like indie / alternative music in general but this is very uninteresting. I'm surprised this even makes the list. It kinda sounds like Sufjan Stevens but nowhere near as good. 'Two Weeks' is an upbeat enough song and I can see some promise in this music but ultimately it's a poor album. 2- Stars.
2
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Mon Mar 18 2024
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Love the music on 'Billy Jack'. It's quite a simple repetitive funky backing track but it definitely grooves. Add in some brilliant horns between the verses and you have one fine fine song. 'So In Love' is great too. Lots of organ, lots of horns, nice bass line. There are moments here where I can pick up on the influence Mayfield has had on other artists I like, most notably The Afghan Whigs.
I haven't really dived into the lyrical content of this album but it's obviously quite political. I was expecting an angrier, more harder edged sound before I played it but actually it's a quite soft and thoughtful record. I will definitely revisit this one as I'm sure it'd be rewarding. 3- stars.
3
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
I've not really heard too much Nick Drake before and certainly never listened to this album. What strikes me the most is how much it reminds me of Belle & Sebastian. Drake was obviously a massive influence on this band almost to the point where I need to reassess my fondness for them. Belle & Sebastian seem to have straight up copied this sound and although I do prefer their songs to Drake's I'm not sure I can listen to them in the same way again. I guess this just highlights the progressive nature of music and it's evolution. Everyone is standing on the shoulders of giants.
This album is pretty good. Acoustic in nature but with lots of orchestral parts and quite jazzy in places. 'Hazey Jane 2', 'One of These Things First' & 'Hazey Jane 1' are my favourite songs but the others are pleasant enough. 3- stars.
3
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
I like that this is on the list. I know it isn't one of the greatest albums ever recorded but that isn't what the book is all about. I'm glad I've listened to it and I might even check out some of their other stuff. This album certainly wakes you up and listening to it seems weirdly energising. I really don't like the sporadic vocals though. They don't add anything to the songs. Favourite song has to be 'Crown of Storms'. 2 stars
2
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Kala
M.I.A.
I had heard 'Paper Planes' before and think it's a great song so when this album appeared I was keen to see what else I'd enjoy from M.I.A. The answer is not very much. The rapping or singing is very flat and uninteresting and needs a good backing track to lift it up but unfortunately this doesn't happen very often.
'Paper Planes' is by far the best thing here and does just enough to save it from 1 star. '20 Dollar's & 'Xr2' have a little something about them but the rest is just bad. 2- stars.
2
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Mon Apr 08 2024
The World is a Ghetto
War
This is quite a slow album and is seems to fall through the cracks a bit. It's funky but not full on funk. It's slightly jazzy, slightly soulful, slightly Latin but doesn't really hit home anywhere stylistically. No songs jump out at you either but there are some nice moments going on. Ultimately it's doesn't have an edge to it and it's just a bit dull. A solid 2 stars.
2
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I found the vocals very annoying. Edgy post Riot-Grrrl nonsense. The music is pretty bad too until towards the end of the album. 'Maps' & 'Y Control' are fairly decent to be fair and helps it to scrape a very low 2 stars. 2- by my ratings.
2
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
This album reminds me of my music buying youth. You hear a couple of good singles from the same band and on the strength of that you decide to buy their album. You'd excitedly rush home to listen to it only to discover that every song, other than the two you already liked, were absolute garbage. This is why I like modern streaming services - you can listen to anything without too much financial risk.
To be fair though this one isn't quite as bad as that but it was an album & band that was on my buying radar back in the 90's. I loved the 'Something 4 the Weekend' single. It's still a great catchy song. 'If You Don't Want Me to Destroy You' was another single of theirs I liked. On the rest of the album they sound too much like they're copying Blur or the Beatles and not really pulling it off. I'd listened to this again though. 3- stars.
3
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
Such a mature sound for a debut album. Ahead of it's time and surely very influential on other bands. The sound here is like a stepping stone from LA metal to alternative rock which the grunge scene would then kick on from, a few years later.
'Jane Says' is just brilliant and I love the inclusion of steel drums. 'Ocean Size', 'Ted Just Admit It', 'Standing in the Shower Thinking', 'Mountain Song', 'Idiots Rule' & 'Pig's in Zen' are also great songs. This album rocks. 4- stars.
4
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
This album is very stripped down, mostly just acoustic guitar & vocals. There are a few moments when the sound is more built up with additional instruments & backing vocals and I feel this elevates her voice somewhat. It's nice enough but nothing on here really excites me. 2+ stars.
(If anyone enjoys this album then you should check out Laura Cantrell's 'Not the Tremblin' Kind'. Similar to this but better IMHO.)
2
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Mon Apr 22 2024
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
I just don't get Steely Dan. This is the 2nd album I've had from them & it's just as bad, if not worse, than the 1st one. Very Seventies, very dated, very dull. It's only 33 minutes long but it felt like a lot more. 1 star.
1
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Mon Apr 29 2024
Transformer
Lou Reed
I've never listened to this album before but had heard 'Perfect Day', 'Walk on the Wild Side' & 'Satellite of Love'. Those 3 are great and by far the standout tracks. Of the others I also liked 'Vicious'. The rest not so much. The music is decent on them but some of the lyrics are really bad. I only tend to pick up on lyrics after quite a few listens but here they do jump out & not in a good way. Overall it's a solid 3 stars.
3
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Tue Apr 30 2024
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Decent album. Not a fan of the 4 slower songs but I do like the other 4, especially the title track 'Lets Get It On'. 3- stars.
3
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Wed May 01 2024
The Who Sell Out
The Who
I'm actually surprised by how psychedelic this album is but the fact it was released in 1967 does explain it. I always think of Sixties The Who with a harder Mod sound. This just sounds quite generic for it's time. All forced weirdness with sprinklings of comic quirkiness. Probably sounds the same as a hundred other late Sixties albums. Quite disappointed as I was expecting much better when this one dropped. 1+ star.
1
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Thu May 02 2024
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
This is not really my thing. It's pleasant enough and fine as background music in a coffee shop but not something I would sit down and 'listen' to. Musically all the songs sound very similar which doesn't help to hold my attention. 2- stars.
2
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Fri May 03 2024
Feast of Wire
Calexico
Great mix of styles running through this album but it still manages to feels cohesive. 'Sunken Waltz' is the best offering but nothing really blows me away. 2+ stars.
2
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Mon May 06 2024
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
Very catchy, very clean sound. Vibes of the late 70's early 80's post punk era. A little bit twee but still very enjoyable. A lot of the songs get you moving & bopping about which is fun. I do feel like they lean too much on the music of the past so need to be downgraded for that. 3+ stars. Best song 'Take Me Out'.
3
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Tue May 07 2024
The Band
The Band
Brilliant album. It seems to capture a moment in time from the deep South USA without ever feeling at all dated. 5 stars.
5
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Wed May 08 2024
NEU! 75
Neu!
Very good, really enjoyed listening to this. Mostly instrumental with rolling melodies & pulsing beats. When there is singing it sounds very Punk-like and this predates that scene so must've been a bit of an influence. Also quite ambient too at times. Of today's bands this reminds me most of 'War On Drugs'. 4- stars.
Favourite track - 'Seeland'
4
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Thu May 09 2024
With The Beatles
Beatles
I definitely prefer the later Beatles sound. This is ok with a few classic tracks on it. It's a mixture of covers and self penned songs. 'All My Loving' is by far the best offering. The rest vary in quality but they all sound really sharp and undeniably iconic for the era. 2+ stars.
2