This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The AttractionsUnique vibe, great voice, still fresh after all the years - really fun listen.
Unique vibe, great voice, still fresh after all the years - really fun listen.
Smells of candle wax and bong water. Seminal guitar work and arrangements.
I heard one good guitar riff. The rest is a study of monotony.
Track 2 held a little promise, but all the orchestration, piano and flute couldn't do much for an uninteresting voice and guitar - sweet, though. I kept waiting for Judy Collins to join in.
Simon and Garfunkel made the first music I fell in love with - Sounds of Silence; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.....what's not brilliant about this album? Lyrics, vocals, orchestration, arrangement, command of diverse genres, heart and edge. Has it all.
Ah, Mr. Zimmerman - I was twelve when Rainy Day Women was on the radio and my brothers were changing the channel. My entry to music has always been through lyrics, poetry, and Bob is our laureate. This is a great album, tempestuous, bitter, sweet, angry, soothing storytelling. Brilliant from start to finish. A hurricane with a tear in its eye.
I have owned this album since its release on 8-track, cassette and eventually CD. That the music still holds up says it all. Still relevant, still listenable and exciting, still fun.
I have loved many U2 singles, but this albums is like so many others. A great track or two (Beautiful Day, in this case) and then a lot of filler. So, this album sets the "3-star" standard for me - palatable with a high point or two, but mostly a bill-payer for the band.
Although "Metal" has little appeal for me, I have to say there is some good guitar work on here, some interesting vocals, and a lot more to offer than the angry-white-boy scteaming of bands like Pantera et al.
Never bought a BJ album - never put one on a turntable or in a player. Yet, I know every single song on this album which speaks to the power, origiality and listenable nature of these songs. Great voice, great songwriting, but as evidenced by my lack of ownership, not really my listening wheelhouse.
Love the pace and energy, but there isn't a lot of variation, but really fun. Great work on the bass guitar. Reminded me a lot of The B-52s.
I probably could have died without hearing this one. I always enjoyed Tainted Love; other than that, there is Say Hello, Wave Goodbye which was covered to better effect by David Gray and a cover of the Supremes' Where Did Our Love Go. A couple horn riffs - the rest is inane and annoying. 74 minutes - PLEASE!
I grew up with soul music all about and never really liked it. This is very good soul, Al has a great voice and much skill, the songs are solid - I just would never choose it.
There is a lot of technology involved with this project, but it's not really techno. I saw one band Jane is involved with called "technofolk." Hmmmm.....in any case, I enjoyed a cut - but just one.
This is an album of Sufi (Muslim sect) spiritual music, so instrumentation, vocals, etc. are quite unfamiliar. The music is fun, exciting, varied - I could dance to it. 90 minutes is a bit much, though.
I know the Queen as a pretty good comic actress, not a musician. She has a great voice and is a skilled singer, but as rap/hip-hop goes, this is a lot more Fresh Prince than Public Enemy. Pablum for the most part. If there were such a thing as "Pop" hip-hop, this would be it.
Interesting to listen to these songs without all the context under which they were released. Hardly a dud on here, los of variation - a good listen.
Hyperspeed breakbeats, jungle, house, drum 'n bass -these are not genre words in my vocabulary, but apparently they exist. I listened to all 3 1/2 hours of this, so I'm good for life. It reminded me very much of the muzak played in botiques in London. Meh......
Post -hardcore. Maybe not "post" enough for me. I won't say there weren't pieces of tracks here and there that caught my attention, but I was never entertained. The sound is mostly industrial drone. And angry.
This is a brilliant bit of recording. Great voice, especially good writing, as well as a complete work - 3 hits and not a dead spot on the disc. A very nice listen.
Not a fan of the keyboard/synthesizer, but there's some good guitar work on here, too. Very listenable.
The voice is distinctive, but I never liked the "sad passion and heartbreak" genre - there is some excellent and surprising instrumentation on here. Still, it was a relief to change the channel at last. And what's with that long narrative monologue? If you want to be an actor, try the theatre!
A laid-back, sloppy, funky mashup of multiple genres, the album is a total frat-boy beer delight. Cold Beverage was a massive college radio hit and responsible for the half-million sales. Reminds me a bit of the Beastie Boyz here and there. Not a terrible listen, but I wouldn't choose it.
This is a very significant debut album by a trio that will become even more powerful with the addition of Neil Young. Probably four great songs and some good guitar on here, but some flat spots, too.
The band is from Brazil which contributes some unusual percussion. There is evidence here that someone can actually play the guitar, really well, which is not always the case with shredders, but there is no evidence that vocalization matters to anyone at all. Or writing. Or variation. There is also no evidence why this pissed-off-white-boy sound became popular - I like edge and attitude, but I wouldn't ever choose a full diet of this feeling - maybe a song or two.
I knew Nothing Compares 2 U, the shaved scalp and the torn picture of the pope, the political controversy, so Ms. O'Connor's was a familiar name, but I had never heard the album. She is a skilled singer with a great voice. There's a nice variety of pace, texture and style in these tracks from the nearly choral to rockier electric arrangements. And there's political edge - Black Boys on Mopeds is a scathing condemnation spoken in motherly simplicity. On par with Springsteen's 49 Shots. It's a good album. It's a good listen.
Phunkadelic. Funky. Rap meets Rockin' Soul with Jazz. Fun. Fun to listen to. Not something I'd choose, but entertaining and I will speculate really fun live.
Ummm, no. I like a good concept album and I like Reed, but nothing here caught my attention. Meh. Dull. I didn't even pick up a character. I can understand why it was totally panned, but not why it has since gained favor.
I was sirprised to find myself enjoying this album. Even let some of it repeat. Not my jam, but good within the genre.
1974....3rd album with the hit Killer Queen. Incredible vocals, amazing guitar, but not much music here to love. Unique sound, very theatrical.
Own and enjoy this album - hard to give it a fresh listen, but I managed. A style change for the duo, but White us the master of many genres, styles and instruments. What other artist goes from punk rock to producing grammy winning country albums. He is a master and I really enjoy this stripped down, rocky musicality. Great live show with him and Meg.
Great vocalist and a really hot guitar - exciting, ramped up punk. Listened ti it twice. But not my style, generally.
Wow. Music porn? Murder soundtrack? This is really junk with no redeeming value. I kind of regret listening to it. I usually find something to like or respect - guitar work, vocals, writing - there's just nothing here.
Britpop to Cool Britannia. Mysterious genres - but this is quite innocuous. Very meh - mostly pablum. Disappearing background muzak - that's probably a bit harsh. That's what some people want from music and there's a market. I wouldn't change the station, but I sure wouldn't buy it.
There are a couple good adolescent anthems on here. Alice is at times an interesting vocalist. Some of the instrumentation is pretty good. And there's some real crap on here, too. Funny, that's just how I remember it!
Loud, raucous and frenetic - also surprisingly musical here and there. Enjoyed JANE SAYS and HAD A DAD. Wouldn't buy it.
I am trying to listen to this. It's difficult - I even once enjoyed some of Black Sabbath's stuff, dark and cacophonous as that was. But this is just junk with no redeeming social or musical value - it only has (had) marketability, and that fact is a little disconcerting.
I know Common well as an actor - a good one. This is innocuous, listenable, musical, but if I'm going to listen to rap/hip-hop, I'm more likely to pick Public Enemy or Wyclef Jean. this has a sort of R&B vibe. A Barry White feel here and there.
Peter Gabriel's music has always been uneven for me - huge peaks on a great plain. This eponymous album is his first solo project post Genesis and includes Solsbury Hill, one of those peaks. Caught a bit of great guitar - a lot is over-orchestrated for my taste.
Raucous, loud, rocky, and pretty much fun - great soundtrack for a strenuous bike ride.
High-pitched, reedy, thin vocals, not much instrumentation to get excited about - a channel changer.
The opening felt like a James Bond soundtrack...and then so smooth, soft as a pair of Hush Puppies. Got some SHAFT rhythm guitar sparking there on occasion. Melodic at least. Not my choice, but listenable.
I have never been a fan of Ozzy's vocals, but this album has a bit more. The guitar work is very good and there are some layers and textures - even a very good blues riff, and a variety of sounds and rhythms - much better than most of what follows in the genre.
Nice. Good vocals, some nice bangin' rhythm guitar, a variety of moods, pace, textures - this is pretty good work. I listened to it twice which says a lot.
How many vintage B&W movies do I have to watch to get this? I am an unsophisticated lout and jazz in general bores the 'eff out of me. I did listen to this and I recognize the musicianship - I played a horn myself as a youth - but, I just don't enjoy it. Maybe it's all about instrumentation for me - I enjoyed the Spanish guitar on track 4 very much.
I am a Truckers fan, but have not heard this one. Crowd funded! The discs are full of good Truckers noise, but what's up with the Skynyrd obsession? Truckers' songs are full of great stories - the Skynyrd frame just seems unnecessary.
Ouch. Skip has an interesting voice and it's a mark of his talent that he wrote it all and played all of the instruments, although other artists have done the same with more ability. But this is a demo - if it had been given a full production, it might have hidden the fact that it's mostly drivel and gets worse as it goes on. I couldn't finish it, and I am a bit of a pursuitist.
Very musical, easy listening - nice voice - the album has some variety and nuance, changes of pace and mood, so from that point of view, it's good work.
French rap: if this were in English instead of French, I might have understood more of it, but I probably wouldn't have liked it any better.
The music is mostly pretty good, but the writing is at times a bit insipid and full of forced rhymes. When I think of the songwriters he's contemporary with - Dylan, Seeger (Pete, not Bob), Simon, Lennon/McCartney, soon Taupin, Mitchell, Taylor......many more...mediocre.
Joni has made better stuff, but this is good. Some amazing jazz and blues turns for this remarkably versatile and talented singer/songwriter. But, this sound isn't mine - for me, it's all pretty much - meh.
Gabriel's music is sometimes a flat plain with great peaks - this album is more like a high plateau with peaks on it - I count 5 very good songs on here.
I saw a salsa band (Groupo Fantasmo) live, once. It was great fun and this is fun music, too. But listening without dancing is rather monotonous - I guess my point is that this is LIVE music.
I like his voice and the music is varied and fun. Not going to be a staple in my shuffle, but a decently entertaining listen.
The album consists of 10 radio-ready ditties, mostly sweet and sentimental stories with a wry twist of humor in a few. There are some good studio musicians playng a nice mix of styles - country, gospel, bluegrass and I swear I hear some rock licks bangin' along in there in places. Whether you like the warbly-country vocal style or not (I don't) Ms. Parton is a skilled singer with a great voice. I enjoyed the listen more than I expected.
Good stuff - bangin' rock guitar, good vocals, nice variety of mood and pace - couple very good songs. I liked it.
Never mind the purpled prose and tortured metaphors, this is good stuff. The big guy can really sing, the studio band is terrific, and the wry bit of story is sure to make you smile at yourself. Shades of Queen....
My goodness this is bad. Frequently dissonant music accompanying vocals that range from terrible to truly awful. I'd like to say its creativity and originality kept me listening to the end, but it was my OCD, the basic pursuitist nature of my personality, and my dedication to this project.
One song. Just one song, and that a cult discovery. How do you call youselves The Zombies, and then make music fit for the Cowsills? Most of this is just trite pop.
Psychedelic Folk - now there's a fabricated genre with a mysterious membership! This is folk, but nothing psychedelic about it. The vocals are good and I like the music. Some good guitar work on here, too.
Mostly instrumental and musically mostly robot noise. Death in Vegas is good at what they do, but I don't much like what they do.
I wasn't able to listen to every song on this album, but such was unnecessary as I know them from when they saturated the radio, certain parties and even the juke box at the bowling alley. Ms. Mitchell is a brilliant singer, a superb songsmith, and a master of multiple genres. This is a very good album among her many, but it's not my listening pleasure.
Wow! What a funky mash-up of jazz, blues and a little rock, sung by a superior vocalist with a great set of pipes. This is an unusual work, a unique sound and style. When Ms. Winehouse passed, I had no idea what had been lost.
I actually listened to this twice as it's not a bad soundtrack for an hour on the Pelotón. I have had friends who are big jazz fans, but I'm not.
There is some great rock-a-billy on here, and plenty of tracks to remind me why I was never a fan. I like some songs - this version of Blue Suede Shoes, for example.
This is a brilliant work by one the great writers of his generation. This is the album that made me want to write poetry, that made me question the fictions I was being sold, that showed me music as a serious art form.
I liked a song. Not bad, but never really caught my attention. Mostly - meh.
Odd, dark as midnight macabre - stories of murder and mayhem vocalized with terrific ability by a great voice. Reminded me of Tom Waits, of whom I am a big fan.
I like the Radio Head sound instrumentally, but I have never liked that, wispy, whiney vocalist and this album doesn't do anything to change that.
Emmylou is classified as "country," but I hear a lot of rock, folk and alt-country in there. A skilled singer with a fantastic voice, she also wrote all these tunes which I enjoyed very much.
On a few tracks I felt I knew what he was up to, beyond offending anyone looking to be offended, but no - for me, no.
Great rock sound, fine guitars, real fun.
I am certain there were radio releases by this band that I liked. Apparently none of them were from this album. This is mostly junk.
Pop radio ready, pop choir here and there; other than the covers, there's pretty much just one song here, David Gray-like. Three versions of that sound were big hits. Half a century later, it's still kind of a yawn.
As fresh, original and brilliant as it was upon release a lifetime ago. Many, many really good songs here and massive innovation.
Great voice, great guitar, good writing makes this a very good album. I enjoyed hearing some of those that weren't destroyed by MTV and radio saturation.
Insipid, repetitive, muzak - never caught my attention on a single track.
There are some nice rhythms and vibes on here, but that's not enough for me. Mostly, I was bored.
Hard to judge a concept, story album like this on one listen. I like the Genesis sound in general and both Collins and Gabriel have great voices. Still, pretty meh.
This is actually pretty good stuff, fun and listenable despite the dark themes and attitude. Nice variety of sound and some very good guitar work. A great start for a band, but for Ozzy and the group, it's all downhill from here to the Osbornes.
What, a mashup of Henry Mancini, Marilyn Manson, Barry White monologues and Ye? Soundtrack for an imaginary film - know a dumb idea when you have one - no fun on this one at all.
Ute is a fine vocalist, but I don't like the songs she's singing - the album is a lot like watching a Broadway musical from behind a post. A big post.
Is this one song or four? Live versions of all the best from this one hit wonder. Must say, I love their sound.
I hate the robotic sound of techno and have never liked synthesizers, so this album never had much of a chance with me. Like I said to my brother after trying his homegrown beets - they didn't suck entirely.
Same whiney minor-key junk they fill all their other albums with. Don't know why I thought this one might be different, but I listened to find out - no. To be fair, there are some good sounds here, but I find the voice ruinous.
Very uneven bit of work, from the sublime to the awful. For a moment, I thought Radiohead had broken in on track 3 - generally, I like the Wilco sound.
There is some terrific guitar talent squandered here and a few spots with some musical layering and nuance, but mostly it's the fast loud drone I was expecting. I bet the live show is pretty spectacular - for a bit.
Old school, scratchin' rap. Plenty of toilet humor and cheap double entendre. Rap or not, still .... meh.
Saw this listed as "Alt Rock." Please. Singer songwriter all the way. Pretty good. I enjoyed it, but, given its length, not a great deal of variety.
There's a terrific guitar on here, great songs vocalized with great skill - superb work. Amazing how well a boy from the west coast created that deep south, cajun bayou sound. No really dead spots, either.
I once read GONE WITH THE WIND and thought it must be the origin or reflection of about every rascist trope in the US. In the same vein, I think every mock leveled at country music must be on this album - except she left out her truck and her dog. This set of ditties averages just over 2 minutes - ready made for the Eddy Arnold in your 65 chevy. Mostly, it sounds like an America I was never part of, nor wanted to be.
This is British Invasion, "Beatles Lite" stuff. I like the Kinks' sound and this is not their best work, although I do like some of the writing on here.
It's Bruce - it's the voice, the band, the writing, the whole extraoirdinary package. Not the best of his albums, but, that too would be hard to choose. There's a unity in this work that makes it outstanding - moods, themes, consistent and well executed as a whole.
Unique vibe, great voice, still fresh after all the years - really fun listen.
Never liked the King C - hate synthesizer noise and I finf him frequently cacophonous. But the is better than I expected.
This is early Zappa - the sarcasm is there, but the musical brilliance will develop in grand style as the years roll on. So much better styff coming!
There's enough, bounce, hop and funk on this to make you think they're channeling the Parliaments. Liked a couple songs, but the general sound is all much the same - not a great variety of tones.
Some of this is pretty musical, but very little of it is entertaining. For me, no. Just no.
Highest selling album for all 4 - that's really impressive considering Young's catalog. And understandable - it's a great set of songs that hit the music culture at the perfect time, introducing a unique new sound totally unlike the Beatles et. al.
This is a truly historic album, Bruce taking a big risk introducing a whole new sound without the band, channeling Roy Orbison and American roots (routes) music to great effect for me, at least. Not everyone liked it, but I loved it and still do. They gave another guy a Pulitzer, but for my money, Bruce is as great a writer as any. Not many of the Boss's albums are less than 5-star to me, and this isn't one of them.
Brilliant, so, so fresh at the time, still a fantastic explosion of musical creativity.
I remember that song.
O please, another electronic synth robot album - or wil I be surprised? A little - not robotic, but it's clear why all his previous albums were released as soundtracks. This all sounds like watching a movie, and it's not obnoxious, but why would I pop it into my headphones? My drive to the grocery just isn't that dramatic!
Well, I have to admit I enjoyed this pretty much walking around a major European city with it as my soundtrack. The rhythms and beats are compelling and the attitude is way forward - storytelling seems a bit - what, gotta get some cred so .... but I have to say, if you take this genre far from it's origins (e.g. Queen Latifa) it just falls flat. This is more Public Enemy style and it works.
Tom is an acquired taste and I acquired it on my first listen. This album is an old friend and as good as I remember. I once tried Franks Wild Years as an audition piece.
Another unheard of genre - industrial. And after listening to this loud, fast, French growl, I can agree the appelation is appropriate. Not bad - I didn't hate it. Would not choose to listen, though - could fit in a Peaky Blinders sound track.
Like Nirvana, I'm sure these guys made some songs that really grab me or an overall sound I like, but it's not on this album.
First band among this thousand albums that was new to me that I liked. This is good - nice sounds.
Sorry - I just dislike the Radiohead noise - especialy the vocalist.
Second best selling album of all time! Seriously?! There's some weighty competition out there. #1 is Thriller. Didn't see a Beatles album in the top 10. This is hard slammin', frenetic, noisy fun time, with some really flashy guitar work, sort of like Zeppelin without any nuance or layering. I could see this as one of the roots of Punk Rock.
Well, some surprisingly fun, good-time rhyming, but past a couple tracks there isn't much reason to listen - reminds me of Fresh Prince.
Grace Slick brings her sense of poetry and fantastic voice to a great set of players - greatness will follow and eventually produce Hot Tuna. There are at least five great songs here and hardly a dead spot.
Yawn. Wake me up if my head drops into my soup.
I didn't get real excited about this album when it came out, but listening to it now I hear several very good songs, some fine guitar, and not much filler. Steve definitely upgraded when he joined Crosby, Nash and then Young, but this is good stuff.
Really hard to rate this fairly as it's one of my first listens as a boy and I loved it immediately.
Brilliant, soundtrack of my youth - but that feedback is totally unnecessary - costs a star.
I remember this big sound - great vocals, still kind of 'meh. I can listen to it.
Some really great songs on here, a couple that annoy me, so, a 4!
This album has its momemts - very short ones.
I got a Spotify subscription so I might discover some new bands to enjoy - Arcade Fire is one of a few new discoveries. Enjoy them, and most of the songs I've liked are on this album.
A very skilled vocalist vocalist with a terrific voice singing songs I would never listen to.
Some really great guitar on here - lyrics and vocals are a bit of an after thought. The pretentious Roger Waters has yet to emerge. Real jam band sort of stuff, contemporary with the Dead and pre-Phish.
Really good, fun stuff. Guitar work is good if a little repetitive and the energy level is nice. A good find for me!
There's some really listenable, musical stuff on here - great in doses, say as a soundtrack for a scene in a film - but as the genre demands, a bit repetitive.
Very uneven for me - really liked some tracks, yawned through some, disliked a couple.
Not terrible - fairly pleasant, actually. I could shop to this, or watch a film.
This is really "pop" for me, but there's a few very good tracks and I generally liked it. Good listen!