It gets three stars because I enjoyed the entire album, but I probably wouldn’t seek it out to play. Nilsson has a great voice and it was fun to sing along with the hits I remembered from my childhood
This gets one star because I could barely get through one listening of the album and hope I never have to again. With the exception of “Time” every song pretty much sounded the same. I think that is because they are not very good on their selected instruments. Even their lead singer was lame. He has about a five note range and mostly yells into the mic. Terrible
I give this album two stars because I can enjoy the content of the album in small doses. I am very impressed with Frank Ocean’s creative integration of many sound elements, and he has an extremely versatile voice. However, for the arrangements and production of the songs on this album, which are so heavily dominated by the drum tracks, a little bit goes a long way for me.
I’ve enjoyed listening to this album. The diversity of styles and musical elements kept it interesting throughout the album. I would definitely give it another listen if the opportunity arose, but I likely wouldn’t seek it out
Barely got through listening to the album and wouldn’t bother ever trying again. “The culmination of all the musical direction…” led to a very narrow course. Every song sounds exactly the same. Boring. Robert Smith’s droning voice does the songs no favors either
Truly a quirky album, but a heck of a lot of fun. David Byrne is not a stellar singer, but the crafting of these songs use his voice to good effect. That, along with a production that incorporates a diverse mix of excellent musicians, results in a very entertaining collection. This is an album that I, in the right mood, will pull out and play again
This was fun to listen to, after so many years. I was never a big fan of Van Halen but there’s no denying that Eddie was a heck of a good guitarist. The thing that struck me as I listened this time was the good vocal harmonies in most of the songs’ choruses. I enjoyed listening to the album, but I’m not likely to seek it out to listen again.
Although I’ve listened to a fair amount of Frank Zappa over the years, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to Hot Rats before. However, I did recognize “Peaches En Regalia.” Even if I hadn’t heard that song, I could never have mistaken the tracks on this album for anybody other than Zappa. His highly technical, yet not always aesthetically pleasing, guitar playing is easily recognizable. I have always admired his guitar playing and the dark humor that characterizes his song writing, but I could only take him in small doses. This album is no exception.
This was an OK album to listen to. The songs were fairly simple but the orchestration and production made it more interesting. The lyrics were also fairly interesting, but the lead singer’s voice was mediocre at best. If I had to listen to it again, I’d prefer it in small doses
I’ve known Dusty Springfield’s name and many of the songs on this album, but I never put the two together. Although the lyrics on a few of the songs are a bit dated, many of them are true classics. The nasal quality of Dusty’s voice is not my favorite, but she has great control and delivers the songs well. I would certainly enjoy another listen but I probably wouldn’t seek it out
An interesting cycle of jams, which I enjoyed, but I get why many people would consider it annoying. As I listened, I was more focused on the piano and bass, which really revealed the unique chord progressions they employed. If any of these tracks came up in a random jazz playlist I would definitely listen again, but I likely wouldn’t seek out the album to listen to it in its entirety again.
I recognized Bill Evans as a great jazz pianist and had heard random tracks that featured him but this is the first time I listened to a full set. I really enjoyed this album. The interaction between the players was great. This album is being added to my library so I can listen to it again, when the mood strikes me.
I have to own that I’m not a big fan of country music, but even by country standards I did not like this album. I found it very boring. With very few exceptions, every song sounded the same. I also found her vocals to be very annoying. It sounded more like whining than singing. I would choose to not ever listen to this album again.
Every song does the same: sets up an interesting groove but then doesn’t go anywhere. I could listen to these grooves but only in small doses.
Who told this woman she could sing? Apparently, Nico was not happy that the producer added some orchestration to the arrangements. Those arrangements are the only saving grace to this album. Without them the album would be entirely unlistenable. I could maybe listen again but only in very small doses.
Quintessential Motown. I love their vocal harmonies. Will definitely listen again when the mood strikes me
Awful!! The grooves were inane and painfully redundant, and the lyrics were worse. I could barely get through the album. If I never hear the album again, it will be too soon
This album was kind of interesting. The instrumentation and arrangements gave the rather simple songs a real spacey vibe. The vocal harmonies were kind of weird but they worked. I could listen to this again, but I probably wouldn’t ever seek it out
I enjoyed listening to this album well enough. Typical of the Talking Heads, it provides a solid and catchy set of arrangements to support David Byrne’s quirky vocals. I could listen to this again, but if I was in the mood for hearing the Talking Heads, I would likely pull out “Remain in Light,” or “Stop Making Sense.”
I like a good reggae album, and this is one. At the forefront is Marley’s unmistakable chanting style of singing, but what stands out to me is the solid group of musicians that surround him. I particularly enjoy the harmonic and rhythmic foundation that Aston “Family Man” Barrett lays down with his bass. I would definitely pull this album out to listen again when a reggae mood strikes me.
This band was brand new to me. Not bad, but it didn’t wow me by any means. The simple instrumental lines that were layered with heavy orchestration, along with the whining vocals, made them sound like a U2 wannabe. I could listen again, but I wouldn’t seek this album out
I understand that Randy Newman is critically acclaimed as one of the great American songwriters. As a songwriter, I can admire his ability to craft a clever story. As a white American male, listening to this collection of songs is downright depressing. My only consolation is that I don’t live in the south. From a musical composition perspective, listening to the complete album all at once can put me to sleep. In summary, I could listen to the album again, but only in small doses.
I understand why this is a critically acclaimed heavy metal album. The lyrical themes and complexity of song structures are a cut above what most heavy metal bands of the time were producing. I also really liked a lot of the lead guitar solos. However, the predominant chopped chords on rhythm guitar paired with the snare drum became a little incessant for me. I also have to say I prefer a vocalist who actually sings, rather than shouts. I wouldn’t want to listen to this album in its entirety again but I could enjoy a track or two in small does.
I’d never heard of this band before. I thought they set up a variety of interesting grooves, demonstrating varied musical influences. Unfortunately, their lead singer was awful. Initially, I thought he was trying to emulate Lou Reed (not a high aspiration), but eventually I decided he simply was tone deaf. I don’t need to ever hear this album again.
An album I’m very familiar with, but it’s been a while since I’ve listened to it in its entirety. I’m yet again blown away by the craftsmanship demonstrated by this collection of songs. All the musicians are skilled on their instruments, but Ian Anderson’s song writing truly stands out. There’s an interesting variety of song constructions, including some rather complex arrangements, and the lyrics are thought provoking, ranging from character studies of pathetic individuals to scathing commentary on institutionalized religion. An added benefit is that Anderson can actually sing. This is an album I could listen to again and again.
I saw David Bowie in concert the year this album came out, so listening to the “Young Americans” and “Fame” tracks brought back fond memories. However, I don’t think I ever listened to this album in its entirety, because there are a lot of songs I didn’t recognize. I know Bowie is better known for his glam rock, but I really liked this album. Daryl Hall certainly is a better singer, but Bowie pulls off the blue eyed soul vibe very well. I will listen to this album again.
Just like “More Songs about Buildings and Food,” I liked the album well enough, but if I was in the mood for the Talking Heads, I would pull out “Remain in Light,” of “Stop Making Sense.”
This album was actually kind of fun to listen to, as it brought back memories of watching their silly show when I was a kid. The members of the band certainly weren’t stellar musicians, but they weren’t bad either. Peter Tork was actually quite good on the bass. Many of the songs were pretty dorky, but album’s closer, “No Time,” was an enjoyable boogie-woogie romp. I could listen to this again, but it’s unlikely I would ever seek it out.
I have to own that I prefer classic R&B over the more contemporary examples, because, in general, it tends to be more harmonically interesting. With that said, I was impressed by this album. It has the sparse instrumentation, driven predominantly by the drum machine and bass, that usually bores me after a while. However, there was a nice variety of grooves established for each track, which set the stage for Jazmine Sullivan’s excellent vocal performance. She demonstrates great versatility with her voice. The lyrics were pretty crass, but the delivery felt honest to me. I will definitely listen to this again when the mood strikes me.
Although I never owned this album, I was VERY familiar with it, because of its heavy rotation on the radio when it came out…VERY heavy rotation. So much so, I learned to hate the album and switched off the radio whenever a song from the album came on. Fast forward a couple decades, having not heard anything from it in quite a while, I still cringed when it came up as my suggestion for today. I decided to suck it up and give it a serious listen. There is a reason it became so popular. It’s actually really good. The song construction, vocals and instrumental solos are all very well crafted. When I learned from Wikipedia that it was pretty much produced by two guys, with Tom Scholz playing most of the instruments, I was really impressed. I will definitely listen to this album again…just not too often
I remembered many of these songs from my childhood. They did not age well. I’ll admit their voices harmonize well. However, their original songs were all pretty whiny about how miserable their life and loves are, and their covers of songs like “Do You Want to Dance,” and “Spanish Harlem” are downright lethargic. Muzak would do a better job. I could listen to a song or two again, but not more without falling asleep.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the American folk music of the 60s, which Simon & Garfunkel have been associated with. However, this is anything but your standard folk album. Their harmonies are classic, but there are so many other musical influences permeating the composition of these songs. Really enjoyable. I would gladly listen to any of the songs on this album anytime.
I’ve never been a big fan of country music, so I never paid much attention to Taylor Swift. I knew that this was her crossover album but didn’t know what to expect. The first song gave me a bad impression of a teeny bopper trying to be a hip hop artist. However, as the album continued I was impressed by the variety of grooves she established, sounding more rock and roll than hip hop. I also liked the harmonic progressions in the songs. Her voice can sound overly nasal at times, but she has good command of her voice. I would definitely listen to this again.
Not unlike most rap/hip-hop, I get bored with it quickly. I understand how this album brought rap into the mainstream and the clever streams they integrated into the tracks is very creative but I really can only listen to this in small doses.
This album wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good either. They produced a variety of interesting ambient sounds mixed together well, but they didn’t take the mixes anywhere. I was bored after about five minutes. This would probably work well as the sound track for an astronomy documentary. I don’t see myself ever seeking this out to listen again…not unless I’m smoking a joint and looking at the stars.
As a rock music artist, Peter Gabriel is one of the true master craftsmen. This album demonstrates the range of his creativity. The compositions and arrangements are so diverse while retaining a clearly recognizable sound that is all his own. A warning to those unfamiliar with this album, the lyrics can be a bit disturbing, as he delves in to the darker side of the human condition. Despite that, I could listen to this album again and again.
I liked the album well enough. Grant has a very good voice and the arrangements are well polished. Nothing stood out to me though. I would listen to this again but I probably wouldn’t seek it out.
I know most of the songs on this album. I was never a huge fan of CCR, but I liked their music well enough. Years later, I can say their songs have aged very well. To me they are the definition of classic southern rock, with their roots firmly planted in the blues tradition. I could definitely see myself pulling this album out again when the mood strikes me.
I have to admit, I didn’t expect to like this album. I was afraid it was going to be really redundant and boring. However, I actually found it quite interesting. Justice layered so many elements, between the samples, drum tracks, harmonic progressions and vocals, that I found myself staying engaged throughout most of the tracks. It’s clearly designed for the dance floor, so I don’t see myself ever cueing up this album on my stereo…unless I host a dance party (not likely), but I’d enjoy hearing it if and when I make it to the dance club.
