Absolute rubbish! John Lydon’s vocals are excruciatingly bad. The backing music might actually be good for all I know, but John’s incessant caterwauling drowns it all out. Never heard a worse album in my life, and I’ve listened to Duck Stab.
To review this album for its musical merit would make about as much intellectual sense as appraising the aftermath of a bloody and horrific car crash for its colour scheme or aesthetic. It would be an insult to all involved. Instead, I will evaluate this album for the only purpose it can possible be useful for; a method of torture during interrogation: “Highly effective! If I was subjected to it once more, I would gladly rat out everyone I’ve ever known and loved, just to switch it off - 5 stars”
Really not sure what to make of the Beastie Boys; they’re objectively bad, but they don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. Or at least I hope they don’t! Wouldn’t choose to listen to any of these apart from No Sleep Till Brooklyn.
This wasn’t for me at all. I felt nothing while listening except boredom, and disappointment when it failed to end, until I finally felt relief when it was all over. Even a song about Forrest Gump couldn’t take this to 2 stars.
Not something I would normally listen to, and with good reason because it was rubbish. Only song that got anywhere near grabbing my attention was The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts, and even then it was not because it was actually any good but because it was the only track that didn’t sound identical to the others. Everything from the track names, to the songs, to the album itself is boring, too long, overly complicated, and trying too hard to be clever (haha Illinoise - do you get it?). This gets a 2 only because it’s not quite as terrible as some others on this list.
I didn’t mind this at first, but the 8 minute intro to 19 minute track lost me
The Black Keys have a distinctive sound; you instantly know it’s a Black Keys song when one comes on. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to tell which Black Keys song is playing as they all sound identical, which tends to make their albums drag. I was also disappointed to discover Never Gonna Give You Up wasn’t a cover of the Rick Astley classic.
Didn’t mind this, but the album is too long
It’s comforting to know that even a legend like Bowie had his off-days, most of them while making this album.
A pleasant listen, if a bit dreary.
Changes and Life On Mars? are great and are the standout songs for me, but I also quite enjoyed Oh! You Pretty Things, Kooks, and Andy Warhol. The rest of the album can be a bit hit and miss.
Just finished listening and I can’t remember a single track
Having previously listened to Metal Box, I came into this fully expecting to hate every second of it, but it wasn’t quite as terrible as I feared, mostly because John spends much more time chanting/speaking than trying to sing. But what is the point of speaking a poem, a bad poem at that, and then immediately speaking that exact same poem again but over drums and a guitar riff? Also, I know this probably came across as more profound in 1978, but listening to the religion criticisms in 2024 all I could think of was that “Who’s an edgy boy” meme.
Wordy Rappinghood and Genius of Love are great, but the rest of the tracks go on a bit too long for me
Before listening to this album, I didn’t really get the hype about Prince. And I still don’t.
Too long, and most of it was uninteresting
Pleasant listen, but not much variety and nothing outstandingly good
Good tone and feel to this, but no stand-out tracks for me
Someday and Last Nite are good, the others are all varying degrees of ok
The vocals are great and most of the songs are decent individually, but 58 minutes without much change of tempo or tone left me bored; the end couldn’t come soon enough. Pass in Time, much like the album as a whole, goes on far too long without justification.
We’ve Only Just Begun is a great opening track and (They Long To Be) Close To You is a banger, but the Help cover doesn’t add anything to the original and the rest are just ok at best
Pretty disappointed in this one as I like some of their later stuff
It’s never a good sign when you think you’re starting to enjoy the album only to find it has stopped and Spotify is recommending you better music. This mostly just sounded like noise to me, but Come See, Come Saw was something approaching the vague notion of a decent song.
Quite enjoyed this. It’s not like any other music I know from the 70s
Just awful. Couldn’t end soon enough
Excellent cure for insomnia, but a rubbish album
Before this, the only Alice Cooper songs that I’d heard were School’s Out and Poison, so I was surprised to find this album sounded very different to those. Some interesting elements like the sound of the dentist drill in Unfinished Sweet, and while I quite liked I Love the Dead, there was nothing that I loved.
Meh
Fairly pleasant and relaxing listen, Frank had a lovely voice. Though a lot of the tracks are very similar and it gets a little boring
What a terrible opening track! Just open with Le Freak! If even half true songs were as good as Le Freak this would be 5 stars
A lot of albums on this list manage to be this weird. I wish more managed to be this good.
Money for Nothing has on of the greatest intros of all time, but I prefer the shorter version. 8 minutes is too long. Brothers in Arms, Walk of Life, and So Far Away are all decent too
Every Breath You Take is great of course, but I really didn’t care for Mother and the rest were just ok
Quite enjoyed Cars, could take or leave the rest
Didn’t hate this, but I’m very far from loving it
Great vocals and the songs don’t over stay their welcome
This is, without a doubt, one of the best Country albums I’ve ever listened to. It’s awful. But it’s still one of the best.
Felt like a solid 4 for most of the album, but American Girl pops up as a late banger to take all 5
I would not recommend listening to this in March, as I did, but the Xmas songs are decent versions of classics. Not sure I needed to listen to this before dying though
The Monkees are just a shallow imitation of the Beatles and that’s all they’ll ever be
Not a fan of this kind of metal that just sounds like angry noise. Give me some melody too, you can do both
Not unpleasant, but instantly forgettable
Californication (song) is ok, but the rest is just meh.
Scarborough Fair is good, but nothing else jumped out at me
The Beatles were far from their best here. Norwegian Wood is a personal favourite, but the rest aren’t great.
Blue Suede Shoes is good, but the rest of the album dragged, which is impressive for a 28 minute album
Awful.
Take It Easy is an amazing opening track, but unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to this standard
Not bad
Blessedly short.
I was on the fence about this one. I could appreciate the craftsmanship of the songs, the technicality of the drums, the cleverness of the riffs, but it felt like the end products were all less than the sum of their parts. Then Witch Hunt came on, and for 4 minutes and 45 seconds, I was no longer driving home on a dreary motorway. I was racing against time, against fate, against the forces of evil on a noble and righteous quest. Even the grim dullness of Birmingham could not undo that magic.
Not my cup of tea, but didn’t hate it
If the album had simply been Personal Jesus on repeat for 43 mins, I might have been tempted to give it 4 stars, but the rest of the songs are too repetitive and too long to earn anything above a 2 from me.
To review this album for its musical merit would make about as much intellectual sense as appraising the aftermath of a bloody and horrific car crash for its colour scheme or aesthetic. It would be an insult to all involved. Instead, I will evaluate this album for the only purpose it can possible be useful for; a method of torture during interrogation: “Highly effective! If I was subjected to it once more, I would gladly rat out everyone I’ve ever known and loved, just to switch it off - 5 stars”
Pleasant and almost-perfectly listenable; ideal for relaxing to. However, Black Mountain Breakdown feels out of place, adds nothing, and abruptly ends. This, coupled with the fact there are no real stand-out songs on the album, takes it down to a 3.
I do enjoy some kinks from time to time… … and I’m also a fan of the band! Having said that, most of their songs that I like are not on this album. It’s a solid concept album with a consistent tone/feel all the way through and there was nothing that stuck out as particularly bad. Sunny Afternoon is a great song and almost takes it to 5 stars. Almost.
Surprised how much I liked this one; no single song stands out, but consistently good all the way through. 4 stars.
This wasn’t for me at all. I felt nothing while listening except boredom, and disappointment when it failed to end, until I finally felt relief when it was all over. Even a song about Forrest Gump couldn’t take this to 2 stars.
Absolute rubbish! John Lydon’s vocals are excruciatingly bad. The backing music might actually be good for all I know, but John’s incessant caterwauling drowns it all out. Never heard a worse album in my life, and I’ve listened to Duck Stab.
Boring and repetitive. I felt only relief that is was over.
Maggie May is great, the rest aren’t bad.
Not my favourite genre, but I didn’t mind this. Started out quite enjoying it, but I was a little bored by the end. Didn’t care for Night and Day.
Not bad. There was nothing in this that I hated, but nothing that I loved either. Definitely my second favourite Elvis!
Not a huge fan of Van Halen, but I am a big fan of Jump. Nothing special or terrible about the rest; standard 80s rock.
I always get the Smashing Pumpkins and Scouting for Girls mixed up even though they sound nothing alike. After listening to this album, it’s no longer a mystery; they’re utterly forgettable!
Something a bit different, without being offensive. Consistent without being too repetitive. I think the vocals lets the rest of the music down, but isn’t too bad. I had to google who Cassavetes is to see what my take is; I don’t have one.
Not my go-to genre, but a few good songs on this album
I really liked this, particularly I’ve Been Dazed and Hero. The whole things works really well as a whole; the tracks fit together seamlessly. This almost got my first 5.
Superstition is a great song, but I wasn’t fussed with the rest.
Country is not a favourite genre of mine, but this wasn’t too bad to listen to. It helps that both the songs and the album are short, but even then I got a little bored after 12 songs that sounded almost identical to one another. I think I’d enjoy listening to this while driving a combine harvester round the rural bits of GTA:San Andreas, but that’s the only time.
Jazz is a genre of music which peaked at a time when large swathes of its audience, and in all likelihood the musicians themselves, were regularly getting hammered on liquor distilled in bathtubs, and it really shows. Having said that, I quite enjoyed this, but mainly as background noise. The more I focused on it, the less I liked it. This is music meant to be heard while doing the Charleston in a speak-easy with some flapper girls, not listened to while sat working at a computer.
First Impressions was a funny bit, and while I didn’t really enjoy this for the music, it was definitely entertaining
Imagine is a good song, even if it has been ruined for me somewhat by those celebrities singing it at the start of the pandemic. The rest of the album is ok, but doesn’t measure up to the Beatles.
I really enjoyed I Can’t Stop Loving You, Hey Good Lookin’, and the cover of You Are My Sunshine, which is pretty good version. Generally, the music was fairly listenable, but Jesus cheer up, Ray! Maybe if you sing about something other than women leaving you or wanting to fuck other guys, they might stick around a bit longer! Good album to listen to if you’re struggling with a breakup, I guess. Or terrible maybe.
We Will Fall is way too long and goes nowhere for 10 minutes; completely uninteresting. Most of the songs fail to justify their length, just repeating the same 4 bars, the same riff, and the same vocals. Even the shorter songs like Ann are boring. I Wanna Be Your Dog is by far the best, and it isn’t great! 1969 isn’t even the best song about that year!
I was pleasantly surprised by this and particularly enjoyed Drop the Pressure and In My Arms. While nothing was too offensive, I didn’t care for Destroy Rock & Roll (the track); spoken word in music can be ok, but this was too repetitive and continuous.
If you need to do an intro and frequent interruptions justifying and explaining your album, it’s probably rubbish. If you don’t believe enough in your own art to let it speak for itself, I’m not going to take it seriously. Also, what’s with the “this is a Missy Elliot exclusive” intro on every song? It’s your album! We know whose fucking song it is! PS - I agree, fuck Bill O’Reilly
There’s a reason the whole world was totally and completely on the Beatles’ collective dick during the 60s, to borrow a phrase from Ice Tea. There are more good songs on this one album than most bands manage in their entire careers! Come Together, Something, Octopus’s Garden, and Here Comes The Sun are all great stand-alone tracks. Some of the shorter tracks like Golden Slumbers and Polythene Pam left me wanting me more. I think the rest of the tracks need to be listened to all together as an album rather than individually because together they’re greater than the sum of their parts!
In the 2000s you could add “z” to the end of a word instead of “s” and this would instantly make it the coolest thing ever! It was a truly cursed time to be alive
Now I know why they call him Skip, because that’s what I’ll be doing if his “music” ever comes up on Spotify again
I prefer long-haired studio Beatles to mop-top touring Beatles, but their early stuff is still pretty good!
A little surreal, but not completely unlistenable. I started off liking it but it felt at times like I was listening to the soundtrack of a slow paced story-driven exploration game, but with none of the enjoyment of the actual gameplay, like this was meant to compliment something else from the background instead of being the focus of attention. Or maybe that’s just a way of saying it felt boring and incomplete.
I quite enjoyed this. Not enough to listen to it a second time, but it was at least interesting and original.
Metal Guru is a personal favourite of mine, but the only other song on the album I’d listened to previously was Telegram Sam. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t enjoy any of it quite as much as Metal Guru, but there wasn’t a single track that I wanted to skip and the whole thing kept my interest until the end.
Every track is enjoyable (apart from maybe All By Myself which didn’t feel in keeping with the rest of the album) but Basket Case and When I Come Around are my favourites. I don’t think I fully appreciated Green Day back in the day, but I will do so going forward.
I’ve heard Two Weeks before somewhere, which is no surprise as it’s the best song on the album. I really didn’t care for Dory and most of the rest were either meh or bad.
Oh boy, water album! The name may sound like a cough sweet, but it’s my ears that were soothed! I’ll definitely be listening again, but probably not to the somewhat problematic “And a Bang on the Ear”
A little hit and miss for me but I enjoyed North American Scum and All My Friends
This wasn’t bad as an album and actually sounds pretty good for a live performance, but most of the songs sound too similar to each other. Jerry is a machine that can takes any song and make it sound like Great Balls of Fire. While there are some covers of good songs, the covers aren’t anywhere near as good as the originals. Also, the whooping growling gets old very fast, but fortunately the album is a short one!
I really wanted to like this album and tried to find a reason to give it a higher rating, but just couldn’t. It’s pleasant enough, but it’s not Springsteen at his best.
Solid rock album and a great live performance, but every song sounds just like Ace of Spades, so it did get a little boring towards the end.
Quite a lot of variety in this, which at least kept it interesting. Generally enjoyed it, and while it is a Christmas song, Fairytale of New York is genuinely one of the best songs ever in my opinion.
I wish I could say Banga was a banger, but it’s just ok! Savane and N’Jarou were the tracks I enjoyed the most. Nothing was bad, but nothing was fantastic either.
Liked this much more than I expected, but that was a low bar to clear. It had a enough variety to keep my interest and prevent me from getting bored, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I was glad when it ended.
Really enjoyed this. Stand out tracks for me are Moonage Daydream, Suffragette City, Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide, and of course Starman. The intro the Ziggy Stardust is great but the rest of the song doesn’t hold up in my opinion.
Most of this just sounded like noise, with no comprehensible rhythm or melody
Maybe this stuff was interesting or innovative in the cultural and artistic hellscape that was the 90s. Here in 2024, it’s just boring noises.
This album made me want to end it all, but in a good way somehow.
Highway to Hell was the only song on the album that I’d heard before and it is such a strong opener that I expected the album to peak too soon. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the rest of the tracks are all just as good, if not even better, and I’ve gained some new favourites in Touch Too Much and Beating Around the Bush
Welcome to the Jungle Paradise City Sweet Child O’Mine Rocket Queen What more needs to be said?
Not the sort of thing I’d normally listen to, but I found it surprisingly enjoyable
This album starts with two of my favourite songs of all time in Band On The Run and Jet. Unfortunately, the rest of the songs fail to live up to this promising start; if they had, this would have been an undisputed 5.
Something a bit different. Not good. But different.
Not too long and quite enjoyable, if nothing to write home about. I appreciate that they didn’t feel the need to name the different instrumental pieces anything other than parts 1, 2, etc.
Not something I would normally listen to, and with good reason because it was rubbish. Only song that got anywhere near grabbing my attention was The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts, and even then it was not because it was actually any good but because it was the only track that didn’t sound identical to the others. Everything from the track names, to the songs, to the album itself is boring, too long, overly complicated, and trying too hard to be clever (haha Illinoise - do you get it?). This gets a 2 only because it’s not quite as terrible as some others on this list.
Nice and concise album! Time of the Season is pretty good (which is probably why it’s the only one I’ve heard before) and the rest are ok, but not good enough to earn a 4.
“You wouldn’t steal a car…”
Jean Genie saves this from being a 2. Most of the songs felt incoherent and roughly patched together from the discarded riffs and lyrics of other better songs
The only way to make this album enjoyable is to play a game I call “Which better song is this sampling?” Slapping someone else’s music over your bad poetry doesn’t make you a musician.
Generally enjoyed the overall vibe, but I can’t think of a standout track.
Take Me Out was the only song on this album that I had heard before, and no wonder as none of the others match its quality or come anywhere close to doing so. If they had, this might have been a 4.
This left no impression on me at all.
Short album and even shorter when you consider how much is Johnny Cash working the crowd between songs. I Walk the Line and A Boy Named Sue are the only ones I properly enjoyed, but the others are ok. I would’ve enjoyed Fulsom Prison Blues if he’d done more of it.
Terrible. Just awful. Bravely plumbing new depths of what it means to be really really bad. I mean, at a certain point, you have to hand it to them because you don’t get to sound this bad without trying really hard, so congrats I guess? But I don’t know, maybe next time, and hear me out, you try being deliberately good instead? Just a thought. PS - well done Johnny Cash for taking this album’s one good song and making it a hundred times better
The original songs aren’t great and there are much better versions of all the covers
Tempted to give this a 5 because Starlight, Supermassive Blackhole, and Knights of Cydonia are all bangers, but the rest of the album falls a little flat for me
Had no preconceptions going into this, so was pleasantly surprised. Nothing that I didn’t enjoy, but Show Me The Way and Baby, I Love Your Way were particularly good.
Christina Aguilera is unquestionably a talented singer with a fantastic voice. I can only begin to imagine how amazing it would be to hear her sing a good song.
The trouble with concept albums is that they’re only ever as good as the concept, and this one was a dud from the very start. Soundtracks are made to enhance the experience of watching a film, to aid in the storytelling. With no visuals to accompany and no story to tell, it is just a series of sounds and noises. Listening to this was like eating a three course meal comprised entirely of seasoning. Unpleasant and unsatisfying.
Not usually a fan of jazz, but this was actually quite good. Probably won’t listen to it again though
I cannot begin to imagine what was going through the minds of the people who made this. Who were they making it for? Who wants to listen to some German guy screaming and moaning for an hour?
Actually quite enjoyed this, more than I expected to anyway
This is the second A Tribe Called Quest album I’ve listened to, and this one is just as boring and as formulaic as the first. Nothing sounded terrible, but there was nothing of interest either. Every track sounds almost identical to next. An hour of whale song would’ve been less of a sedative.
I like Black Sabbath the band. I like Black Sabbath the album. I do NOT like Black Sabbath the song; if you’re going to spend 4 minutes on the intro, you better be building to something really good! Thankfully, after that bad start, the album gets going with The Wizard and never looks back. The songs feels really consistent, like chapters of the same book (which may explain the long intro song), without getting boring or too repetitive. Though some of the guitar solos could’ve been shorter, or just better. Can’t say I enjoyed it as some of their later stuff, but a great listen if you skip the first song.
I often criticise albums for being too boring, for the tracks being too similar. This album is a good example of how interesting and varied doesn’t necessarily make something good. Lots of variety of bad here.
I really enjoyed Bombs Over Baghdad, We Luv Deez Hoez, and of course Ms. Jackson. Who can resist saying “ooooh” after “I’m sorry Ms. Jackson”? Having said that, the album is too long. Cut out 20 minutes of the filler and this would be a 4.
Nothing to say except that I’m thankful it’s over.
Disappointed to find that the rest of the album is nowhere near as good as American Pie and Vincent, but those two are good enough to earn this a 4
Some very good covers and the theme of death feels very poignant given it is Cash’s last album.
Not unpleasant to listen to, but boring and uninteresting background noise. There are 4 hour long YouTube videos of logs burning which evoke a stronger emotional reaction.
Not bad exactly, but I couldn’t find anything that interests me even after multiple listens.
Initially felt like a 1, but this scrapes a 2
Didn’t mind this, relaxing without being boring, which is a tricky line to walk
Every song on this album goes something like: - Drums start - Keyboard adds ambience - sick guitar comes in - I start thinking “oh this gonna be good” - awful, excruciating, out of key vocals totally ruin it. - and repeat This is a 5 star instrumental album ruined by the bad singing. I know it’s probably a deliberate artistic decision, but it’s still a bad decision.
The Time I spent listening to this certainly was A Wasted
A lot to like in this, but a lot that is just filler. Too long by about 20 minutes
I liked the general feel of this without anything standing out
Cult of Personality is a great opening track, but sadly the rest of the album fails to live up to this early promise.
I’d previously heard the Hallelujah cover (the cover that all other Hallelujah covers wish they could be), but the rest was completely new to me. I particularly enjoyed Eternal Life, but everything was pleasant to listen to
I started off really enjoying this - Gimme All Your Lovin’ and Sharp Dressed Man are both in multiple playlists of mine - but I quite quickly lost interest and enthusiasm; a lot of the songs are very similar and there is little variation of style, sound, or feel. For a relatively short album, this really dragged by the end.
Really enjoyed this
Not unpleasant, but not enjoyable either
Take some punk songs, add some synthesisers, and what do you know you’ve got yourself a post-punk album. In all seriousness, I feel like I must have sustained some sort of recent head injury that I don’t remember, because not only is this the best post-punk album I ever heard (low bar) but I actually enjoyed it.
Going into this, I thought I was a Hendrix fan. I’d listened to his most famous songs and I knew from personal experience how difficult it is to replicate his guitar playing. However, despite listening to this in less-than-ideal circumstances (this album was not created to be listened to while working at on a dreary Monday morning - few albums are I suppose), this album made me realise I had previously only touched the surface of the ocean that is Hendrix; that I was not really a fan, but merely a filthy casual. Well now I’m putting on my Hendrix top hat and my Hendrix tailcoat and beginning my formal Hendrix education.
Ok, but a little boring
I really enjoyed The Ox and My Generation of course. I don’t recommend listening to all bonus tracks that are on the album on Spotify; I accidentally listened to them all because I was driving alone, so didn’t realise it had tripled the length of the original album.
This was a solid 4 all the way through, but Free Bird clinches the 5th star. “Lie-Nye-Ard Sky-Nye-Ard” know how to finish an album!
Didn’t mind this
Fine. War Pigs cover was decent, but not as good as the original.
Far too long, unpleasant to listen to and not in a way that’s interesting
Nothing to write home about
I started really enjoying this around minute 40.
Not too long, nothing bad, a lot that is good, not enough for a 5.
I liked the piano. I liked the drums. I really didn’t like the double bass, especially when the solos trying to hit the high notes.
Layla is a banger obviously and the rest of the album is decent, but too long and not consistent enough for top marks
Sounds the kind of thing they’d have playing in the background of a Hollywood movie as the main character enters a truck stop or something.
Really enjoyed Plainsong, Pictures of You, and Closedown. If the rest of the album was good as those, this review would be 5 stars. The album is too long and really drags by the end. Having said that, it has made me want to listen to more of The Cure
Disappointing. I expected to enjoy this a lot more than I did. Perhaps I prefer their later stuff, or maybe I’ve just never listened to a whole album, so never realised how similar all their songs are, but either way this album did little for me
If the world is sound, please god let it not be these sounds.
I was not aware of this band, but I think I’ve heard Blister In The Sun before somewhere. Really liked the album, especially Add It Up, but the better songs are all in the first half in my opinion.
I generally enjoy Van Morrison, and enjoyed this too, but nothing really grabbed my attention; just pleasant background music.
I owe you an apology, Jazz, I wasn’t really familiar with your game.
Good music can take you on a journey. This just walks round the same block over and over.
I get the impression that this album, like a lot of Marvin Gaye’s music, is not intended to be focused on. It’s not designed for that purpose. Instead, it is intended to be background music for a very specific set of activities that are a lot more fun than listening to Marvin Gaye music. It can certainly contribute to a 5 star experience, but not on its own
When that first piano chord hits in the Baba O’Riley intro, my soul is rejuvenated, my will to live is renewed, and for one brief moment I am truly content.
I really like the Darkness. Are they making groundbreaking leaps in musical advancement, pushing the frontiers of human sonic exploration? No. Are they a novelty band parodying a genre of music that went out of fashion decades ago? Yes. Are they a lot of fun? Yes! I Believe in a Thing Called Love is the standout song and it’s clear why everyone thinks it’s the One Hit by these absolute Wonders, but Love Is Only a Feeling is also a really good power ballad and I love the riff in Black Shuck. Love on the Rocks with No Ice is good, but it doesn’t need to be 6 minutes long, and Holding My Own also over stays its welcome.
I’m not sure I own enough turtlenecks to like this enough to give it a five, but Mrs Robinson is an all time great and the rest of the album is fairly inoffensive and blessedly short so it snatches a four from the jaws of three.
I wanted to dislike this because a bad review for Garbage by Garbage writes itself. Unfortunately, I didn’t mind it. A little repetitive; not a lot of variety of tone or feel, but they do miserable and dreary very well.
I’d only heard Summer Breeze and That Lady before, and I was pleased to find that all the songs matched both their quality and their feel. The whole Album is pleasant and relaxing. I imagine some people would find the guitar solos too long, but I’m not those people
Started off really enjoying Smells Like Teen Spirit and Cone As You Are, but he album quickly goes downhill from there
No idea why this album by a British rapper is called Konnichiwa, and when the title song began with the sound of a gong and what could be either knives or swords I was worried where this was going. Overall, I didn’t mind this.
Not something I would normally listen to, but very enjoyable especially on a sunny day like today
I know live albums aren’t necessarily the best showcase for an artist’s music, but I didn’t enjoy this at all
Much better than the name suggests, but nothing amazing. I probably didn’t take enough drugs to fully appreciate it though.
One of my personal beliefs when it comes to albums is that the music should sound good. Some might disagree, and those people probably enjoyed Iggy Pop yelling and screeching for 36 minutes, but it’s really not for me.
Nothing on here as good as The Weight
Not really sure what they were going for with this; seemed like a lot of different styles mashed together badly
I liked The Seed (2.0) and Break You Off (the tracks with singing) and there did seem to be a good level of variation across the entire album, but there’s just too much filler and the album is too long! Water is just noise for about 6 of its 10 minutes to give the most egregious of multiple examples of a song overstaying its welcome.
Moondance and Into the Mystic are great, the rest are decent
Not terrible for a post-punk album
Felt like I was listening to a musical at times, but the overall experience was pleasant and I liked how each song told a story. I’m not sure when or where I would ever listen to this again, but as a piece of art I have no real criticisms.
Very good all the way through, I just didn’t quite love it enough to give it a 5
I liked a lot of the songs on this album, particularly Little Wing and Castles Made of Sand, but I didn’t love anything enough to justify a 5
Not terrible enough for a 1, but not enjoyable enough for a 3. What do post punk artists have against good vocals?
I quite liked Through The Wire and Biko, but not enough for a 4
Lovely voice, nice vibes, pleasantly short
Take the soundtrack to a 70s porno, add a little distortion, and rap over it like an edgy 14 year old bragging about all the sex and drugs he does to his fellow virgins, and, hey presto, you’ve got a Kid Rock song. Ok, maybe that was a little harsh. He can also auto-tune his way through a generic pickup-truck Country song as well as imitate a pound shop Rage Against the Machine; imagine Killing in the Name, but the bassist has had a stroke and it’s about smoking weed instead of racist cops. TL:DR: it’s very important to Kid Rock that you know that he: - smokes weed - has fucked your mom - could kick your ass if he wanted to - has a girlfriend; she just goes to a different school
Can’t say this held my attention, but it made very pleasant background music
I was new to most of this, having only heard Holiday in Cambodia before. Theres some interesting political satire on this album and a couple of catchy tunes, particularly Kill the Poor, but I can’t say I loved any of it. I am not the biggest fan of punk though
If you’re already a big Metallica fan, this album is probably great, but I’m not sure it’s the best introduction to them. As someone who just quite likes them, I was initially put off by how long the album is and I was also disappointed to find that Ecstasy of Gold wasn’t a metal cover version, just the original version. Having said that, I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I had to take a break at the halfway point, but I wasn’t simply enduring the album like I expected. My only real criticism is that the guitars aren’t always as clear as I’d have liked, sometimes being drowned out by the orchestra, but that comes with the territory of recording a live performance. Main takeaway is that I wish I could’ve been there, though I’m not sure 5 year old me was as into metal as I am now
Found the constant use of those shrill squeaky noises in the background and all the record scratches very annoying, and I found it hard to focus on anything else once I noticed them. Sampling songs like Flash just made me wish I was listening to something better, which is not to say that Flash is particularly good. The social commentary is commendable and the album is interesting as a piece of musical history; it’s just wasn’t enjoyable for me.
I’d heard My Best Friend’s Girl and Just What I Needed before. They’re both decent songs, but I wouldn’t say they’re favourites of mine, so I went in expecting this to be in the 3-4 range. I don’t know if it was because I was listening to this on a sunny day while driving along the coast and this just happened to be perfect for that, but this album was great. I’m not sure I’d give any of the songs 5 stars on their own, but the consistency in style and sound while maintaining enough variation to be interesting helped this album to build up to something that was greater than the sun of its parts. My favourite track was Moving In Stereo, but they’re all good and I will be listening to more Cars in future
It’s hard not to enjoy this era of Elvis Presley. Even though it’s not the sort of music I would normally listen to, his voice is too good not to like it.
I can’t speak French, so I’ll let the funky music do the talking. It’s saying: «Arrête de m’écouter! Je suis ennuyeux!»
I don’t understand how multiple human beings with functioning ears could be involved at every level of the production of this album and then just release it out into the world like this. Did they lose a bet or something?
Some funny moments early on, but the jokes got stale really fast. Would not listen again.
A continuation of the 90s trend of quantity not quality when it comes to albums. Boring, dull, dreary. A 2 hour long headache.
A couple of decent songs buried under a tonne of garbage
The music Spotify played after I finished this was so much better than this album
Boring, repetitive, every track sounded identical and none of them were good
Found this surprisingly enjoyable. I liked the nuclear bomb / Oppenheimer theme and the music was relaxing without being boring
Good overall feeling but no standout tracks
Felt very discordant and inconsistent
Not terrible, but didn’t do anything for me
Really liked First We Take Manhattan, but the rest of the album is nowhere near as good
Not sure what it is, but something about Elvis Costello’s voice just grates on me
Didn’t have many of my favourite Metallica songs and it’s a little too long to get a 5
Didn’t mind this, but the either the first half is better than the second or I just got bored
Consistently good the whole way through
A lot of this is painful to listen to. That’s an artistic choice, I know, so congratulations on achieving bad music
This took a while to get going, but the song Wish You Were Here is an all time great and the music was enjoyable the whole way through
Wasn’t awful, but I was counting the seconds until it was over
This left almost no impression on me
Started off really liking this, but it quickly started to sound like a performance intended to be impressive rather than one that sounded good and I was bored by the end of part I.
This only gets a 3 for not understanding what irony is.
Fascinating historical example of what people thought was good music before health and safety culture drastically reduced the number of severe head injuries
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough is a decent opening track, but it goes on a little too long; I got enough after 3 minutes. The album quickly goes down hill from here unfortunately. Nothing was terrible, but nothing was good either. King of Pop? More like King of Flops!
I was initially torn between a 4 and a 5 so broke the album down by track: Born in the U.S.A. - YES Cover Me - ok Darlington Country - ok Working on the Highway - ok Downbound Train - Yes I’m On Fire - YES No Surrender - ok Bobby Jean - Yes I’m Goin’ Down - ok Glory Days - Yes Dancing in the Dark - YES My Hometown - Yes On balance, this is a 5
Hot Love is good, the rest ok
Wild Horses and Brown Sugar are great, the rest not so much
Nothing to write home about
Started off hating this. Then I quite liked the Mango Pickle Down River. Then I continued hating this. The didgeridoo saved this from being a 1.
Really not sure what to make of the Beastie Boys; they’re objectively bad, but they don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. Or at least I hope they don’t! Wouldn’t choose to listen to any of these apart from No Sleep Till Brooklyn.
Not my cup of tea at all! Far too dreary and every track sounded too similar. The sort of music teenagers pretend to be into to be edgy before they grow up enough to admit it’s just bad
Went on a bit loo long, but I generally didn’t mind this. Varied enough to keep my interest for most of the hour, but I probably won’t listen again.
Distinctive sound and some of it is good. Far too long and in no way justifies its length.
Varied, not too long, nothing unpleasant, but I wouldn’t listen again
Almost enjoyed this enough to give it a 5, but it just fell short. I knew Sultans of Swing was a great track going in, but I also liked Wild West End
Smooth Operator is a great opening track, but it didn’t really go anywhere from there. Nice and relaxing, but felt like I was listening to multiple versions of the same song over and over.
I liked the general vibe, but nothing stood out and I won’t listen again
Didn’t mind this, but nothing special
He’s the Greatest Dancer and We Are Family are good, the rest are ok.
This was alright. I think I’d have liked it more if I hadn’t already listened to a different prison album from Cash.
I think if I took enough drugs I would love this, but I didn’t and I don’t
Not really my cup of tea, but it wasn’t terrible
I didn’t really get this. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it just seemed off. During Signourney Weaver I keep expecting him to start singing Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, they’re so similar. I liked the song Queen of Denmark, but it’s a bit late at 50 minutes to start being good.
Bit weird, but generally didn’t mind this
I did not care for this one bit. This sounds like it was made on one of those keyboards they give to children that make animal noises
Not the biggest fan of jazz, but this was very enjoyable. Not sure if that means it’s good jazz or not.
Even when listening to the better Beach Boys songs, it’s hard to get over the feeling that you’re listening to what conservative parents in the 50s hoped their children would be into. And this album didn’t contain the better Beach Boys songs
This made no impression on me at all. Boring.
Sometimes a great album can sound generic and unoriginal because of how much music since has been influenced by it. This sounded generic and unoriginal in 2014.
Same dreary whaling and gloomy riffs over and over. This isn’t edgy, it’s just boring.
I enjoyed this. No tracks stand out in particular, but all were very listenable and each was unique enough to be interesting without seeming out of place. Probably one of the few albums/artists that I would listen to again having never listened to them before.
Creepy and bad lyrics, awful vocals, annoying attitude / outlook. The best emotion I felt listening to this was relief when I realised the opening track wasn’t about raping someone while they slept.
This made me want to listen to more Radiohead. It’s difficult to be this consistently gloomy without being boring
Very disappointed in this. Only song I liked was the title track, which saves it from being a 2. Tracks like Dense of Doubt and Moss Garden really slowed it down and felt out of place
Quite enjoyed this
Good all the way through; will definitely listen again
This was pretty good to begin with, but dragged a little by the end.
Sweet Love is a good opener, but the rest of the album is an excellent cure for insomnia
Blitzkrieg Bop is decent, but I didn’t to hear it on repeat for 29 minutes
Not unpleasant, but nothing stood out other than Pale Blue Eyes, which was pretty good.
I was surprised to find this is much heavier and more fantasy themed than some of Queen’s later stuff that I’m more familiar with. Each track follows on nicely from the one before and, while none of the songs are amazing, the album as a whole feels greater than the sum of its parts. Though, I particularly liked Nevermore, White Queen (As It Began), and The March Of The Black Queen.
This was not my kind of weird, but I like the concept and can appreciate the artistry in the execution; wouldn’t listen again though
Didn’t hate this, but too long and repetitive to be good. It looks like they had fun making the music video to Frontier Psychiatrist. I wish I could say I had fun listening to it
I hadn’t heard of these before, and with good reason, because none of them are great
Some interesting things in here, but nothing that justifies Revelation. 18 minutes is too long for any song, but this one just doesn’t seem to go anywhere
Never really been into Van Halen and I don’t know why because it seems right up my street. I can see why Eruption is considered one of the greatest guitar solos of all time, though I personally prefer solos with more melody than speed/technical difficulty. Ice Cream Man and Little Dreamer were my favourites, but enjoyed every song on the album.
Last time I reviewed a Radiohead album, I said it made me want to listen to more of their music. This album has cured me of that affliction. I have had all the Radiohead I need in my life and more.
I liked Remember Me and a couple of others almost enough to give this a 4.
I liked the other worldly feel of this, but could have used a little more variety
Nice short album with good vibes all the way through
Progressive Rock suggests it’s Rock that is better than the Rock that came before, and that is clearly not the case with this album. Progress is an admirable goal, but they fell short here. This is the musical equivalent of Musk trying to build something better than an underground train and ending up with an inefficient taxi service that can only drive one route very slowly. It’s stupid enough trying to reinvent the wheel, but you should at least arrive at something that functions as, you know, a wheel!
I’m more familiar with the Jam, but still enjoyed this. Favourite track was All The Pictures On The Wall, but none were bad and most were good.
Fairly standard Elvis. Not bad, but not his best.
Golden Years and Stay were good, everything else was alright.
48 minutes of ear ache. Too many elements that added nothing to each other. The only vocals were whiny and annoying. This wasn’t even an original way of making bad music.
Far too long, far too much filler. They took about 10 minutes of good music and then stretched it to over an hour by just messing around with guitar and drum solos, none of which sounded any good. A hard rock album shouldn’t put me to sleep like this one did.
A little boring, but generally listenable
I started off really enjoying this, but there was so little variation between songs that I was bored by the end of what is a fairly short album
Never really listened to Manic Street Preachers before, but I will listen to more after this
Not my cup of tea and the album was a bit too long, but Praise You, Right Here Right Now, and Rockafeller Skank we’re pretty good which is probably why I’ve heard them a million times before
So tempted to give this a 5 as Bat Out Of Hell is one of my favourite songs of all time, but the rest of the album just doesn’t quite live up to it. I liked parts of some of the other songs, but none came together as perfectly as the title track does. Also, the bells in You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth make it sound like a Christmas song.
Nothing terrible in here, but nothing good apart from Talihina Sky either
Listening to this while driving on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I was enjoying it so much I was tempted to give it a 5. But it just didn’t quite hit the same when I re listened while working on the Monday. Fools Gold and Waterfall secure the 4 though.
I liked Man On The Moon, but little else
I can see why the record label didn’t bother to promote this. I have to assume (I do not care enough to actually read the book to find out) that this on the list because sometimes you need to experience the bad to fully appreciate the good.
Too weird for me, to be honest. Can’t say I enjoyed myself, but I didn’t get bored so there’s that.
Soul Auctioneer sounds like a bad Gorillaz song (so, a Gorillaz song), but the rest are just boring
Nothing stood out good or bad
Far too long, far too boring. The interference on my car radio was more pleasant to listen to
Liked a lot of this, but didn’t love anything
One good song is more than most bands manage, and that’s exactly how many Cream made. Sunshine Of Your Love earns this a 3.
Look, I love random noises as much as the next guy…. Ok maybe not as much as Fatboy Slim… but an hour of them is too much
Thought I might enjoy this initially, but the music never went anywhere and stayed in first gear the whole way through. It got very boring very fast.
Why would anyone think this rubbish is worth performing let alone recording is beyond me. Sounding this bad isn’t edgy, or artistic, or meaningful; it’s what you get when a bunch of deluded losers convince themselves their lack of talent is actually something to be proud of.
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and With Or Without You are the only decent songs on here and they’re very early on. The whole album could have been about 15 minutes shorter
Not interesting and way too pleased with itself
Listened to all 20 minutes of the first track. I am not listening to another 80 minutes of this shit
Quite enjoyed this even though it heavily reminds me of the 2000s and I hate the 2000s
There are no lows and highs to this, just flat, boring, overly distorted riffs and screaming that surely only appeals to edgy teenagers. Distortion is great when used right, but when over used like this it just becomes white noise.
I’d really enjoy a story-driven single player rpg with this as a soundtrack, but only because I really like story-driven single player rpgs. I wouldn’t listen to it again otherwise.
Couldn’t stand this guy’s voice by the third or fourth track. The album really dragged and I lost count of how many times I hopefully check whether or not I was on the last track only to find the end was nowhere in sight
Enjoyed every song, especially Wild World and Father And Son. A well needed break from slogging through the cesspit of mediocrity that is this list
Pretty standard blues rock for the most part. Didn’t love or hate anything, but I liked the Greensleeves cover.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. More interesting than a lot of singer songwriter stuff. On another day, I might have found the pace a bit boring and the tracks too long, but for whatever reason, this just hit right today
No stand out tracks, but I like the Stones and I like this more bluesy sound. Didn’t need to be an hour long though.
I already knew and liked Three Little Bords and Jamming, but Natural Mystic and The Heathen are new favourites. All of the tracks were decent, but those were standouts for me.
Started off finding this weird, but fun, however the novelty quickly wore off and then it was just weird
I liked People Ain’t No Good, mainly because I recognised it from Shrek 2, but overall this was just boring, boring, boring, with an extra helping of boring on the side. It just drones on and on and on. Each song would be ok on its own, but 50 minutes of them back to back is coma inducing.
I liked My Doorbell, but nothing else stood out as either good or unpleasant
More of a Jurassic 3 for me
This is an odd one to score. The intention of the album is so different to any others it’s hard to compare; I found it boring, but I guess that’s the point. Also, since this was released, ambient music has become so much more prevalent because of stuff like video games and YouTube that this just seems basic and in no way noteworthy. I don’t know whether to give it credit for helping to define the genre or mark it down for being easily reproducible, so I’m hedging my bets
I liked One I Love and End of the World, but the rest either didn’t make an impression on me or were annoying
A couple of decent tracks on here, but most left no impression at all
It took a couple of listens, but I ended up really liking this album, especially The Concept, Star Sign, and Is This Music? I’d never heard of Teenage Fanclub before, but I’ll definitely give more of their stuff a listen after this.
Helplessly Hoping was my favourite. I liked elements of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, but it’s too long. Everything else was ok, but it feels like this kind of music has been done better by other artists.
I don’t think it’s possible to make an album more forgettable than this. Music For Airports was more attention grabbing. Listening to this at times felt like listening to a bad Bruce Springsteen tribute act who for some reason refused to play any of the hits. The sound quality on this was also awful for an album recorded in the 2000s. Perhaps there’s a reason albums are generally recorded in studios and not churches. Honestly, literally nothing about this was interesting; It’s not even bad enough to merit a 1.
Listened to this in my partner’s car and it left no impression. Listened to it again using my speakers just to be sure and I enjoyed it way more. Maybe her car’s speakers are shit or maybe I was in a different mood, but it hit completely differently. Every Night and Maybe I’m Amazed were my favourites. Docking a point for the heavy breathing on Kreene-Akrore; that was just unnecessary and unpleasant.
Boring, dull, uninteresting, etc.
Well at least this was short
Rolling in the Deep and Someone Like You are decent, but I did not need to listen to over 40 minutes of break-up music today. She’s got an incredible voice; it’s a shame the music isn’t of the same quality.
Jesus this was a long 37 minutes. I mean, what exactly is supposed to be good or interesting about this? This just sounds like every other guy with an acoustic guitar who can’t sing (I should know, I am one). No wonder Pink Floyd didn’t become successful until after this guy left.
Didn’t mind this at all. Added some of these to my driving playlist
Fascination and Fame were my favourites, but I also enjoyed Somebody up There Likes Me probably in large part due to the fact that it was on KDST radio in GTA: San Andreas
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but that was a low bar. This is definitely the best kind of anthrax to be subjected to though.
Too long, too bad. Almost earned a 2 at times, but I’m not feeling generous.
This was ok, but the last song just sounded farts
Better than the first song suggested it would be, but too long not to be a slog
I was going to give this a 3 because it’s short and not terrible, but then that last song, Starship, sucked so much I haven’t give more than a 2
A two star album, but Thelonious Monk is a five star name
I was almost willing to give this a 3, but the last three songs all sucked so much it earned a 2
There worse ways to spend almost an hour, I suppose, but you at least get paid for most of them. I listened to this for free and Hegel nothing but regret
Wasn’t sure first time, but on a second listen I quite enjoyed this, especially and Three Hours and Day Is Done. Might be a bit generous, but this gets a 4,
Walk On The Wild Side is enough to earn this a 4, but nothing else on the album struck me as great
This peaked early with Tiny Dancer, but what a peak! I liked the title track and a couple of others, but I’m not sure what Indian Sunset is trying to say; I suspect nothing, which one of the worst things it could say given the subject matter. Apart from that, good album
My my, three good albums in a row! Favourite track was Born Under A Bad Sign, but everything was pleasant enough
There’s a famous quote from Thomas Edison about not failing 10,000 times, but instead finding 10,000 ways of not making a lightbulb. In that light, I’d like to thank Cornershop for adding to the very long list of ways to not make an album. Brimful of Asha and the Norwegian Wood cover are ok, but not worth slogging through the rest of the album
In The End is good, a few of the others are ok, and there’s a couple that miss the mark completely
2 hours is just far too long to listen to same genre and style of music. I broke it down and listened to each disc separately, but still found both a slog. A lot of the tracks are quite good on their own, but the cumulative experience leaves much to be desired. I respect the idea of collaborating with artists from a different era to bridge the gap between generations, but this was just too much be enjoyable.
For the price of an Indian takeaway and a modest number of pints of beer, I could surpass the sonic experience and artistic quality of this album merely by recording the sounds of my sloppy shits splattering across the porcelain walls of my toilet the next day. Yet they spent £250k (in 90s money!) producing something equally crap!
I can see why this album has been used in a lot of films and television because the songs fade easily into the background and are nowhere near interesting enough to draw attention away from a plot or performance.
“Art Rock” is the polite way of saying “rock that’s too shit to be entertaining, but pretentious enough to pretend that’s deliberate”. I try to keep my personal opinions of artists out of these reviews, but it is gratifying to learn that Brian Ferry is as bad a musician as he is a father and husband, with vocals and lyrics as stilted as his politics.
After the first couple of tracks I was thinking “here we go. Another “Art Rock” artist who thinks making music that sounds bad and is unenjoyable to listen to is somehow clever or interesting”. 45 or so minutes later, however, upon reflection I couldn’t help but think that my earlier assessment was 100% spot on. This album was rubbish, saved from being a 1 only by Blues in Bob Minor which I didn’t hate.
The only emotion that this album evoked was a constant and nagging desire to listen to something, anything, else
I wish someone had introduced Led Zeppelin to the concept of editing. Not every song needs to be 8 minutes long, and 45 minutes is a perfectly acceptable length for an album. Sometimes less is more. This felt like a great album stretched to the length of two. Like butter spread over too much bread. Give me less bread, Robert!
Fairly standard Brit pop for the most part. Like listening to Oasis, but without having to hear Liam Gallagher, which is a bonus.
Inoffensive, but uninteresting
My only regret is that I have but 5 stars to give
I hope the musicians had fun making this because I sure as hell didn’t enjoy listening to it
“War! What is good for? Background noise while working.” - Edwin Starr
I enjoyed some of this, but the album and many of the songs overstayed their welcome. This could have been a decent 40 minute album, but the 19 minutes or so of filler ruined the experience.
Acoustic melancholic anthem may be all Oasis can do, but they do it really well. Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger, Champagne Supernova are enough to earn this top marks. They may be overplayed, but there’s a reason they’re overplayed.
I’ve listened to this album twice now and each time I’ve completely forgotten to write a review. I seem to remember the music being relaxing and pleasant enough, especially while driving at night, but I couldn’t for the life of me name one of the songs or hum even a few notes of one of the melodies. This album slipped off my consciousness like water off a duck’s back, so I can’t give more than a 2.
I am not a big fan of live recordings. They tend to be overly long and the performances they capture, intended as they are for the enjoyment of those in the room, are rarely as good to listen back to as those perfected in a studio. You have to already be a big fan of the band to even have a chance of liking them. Luckily, I already like Thin Lizzy and their cheesy bombastic sound is captured excellently on this album. For the reasons above, I can’t give a live album a 5, so this gets 4/4.
Oxford English Dictionary defines “album” as “a collection of recordings issued as a single…” - ok, I don’t have anything to say about this one. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it
Hosting a dinner party with people you absolutely hate and want to get rid of as soon as possible? Put this album on and watch them scramble for the door. Oh good they actually like it? Run! For the love of god just run! Forget about your belongings, get of there before they turn you into one of them!
Paint It Black is a great start, but Stupid Girl is bit shit. If you’re going to make a misogynistic song, at least make it a banger! Speaking of, I often song along to Under My Thumb while shaking my head and frowning to show I disagree with it.
I did not get this at all. The random noises, sound effects, and the incessant whoops were just annoying. Every time I started to enjoy a song (which was rare), it would be drowned out by the noises, or a completely different song would suddenly interrupt for a few seconds. Songs that I particularly hated include Barnyard and Vega-Tables. Contrary to the title, this overly long and irritating album did not in fact make me smile
Didn’t really enjoy the last Arcade Fire album on this list, IIRC, but this was alright. Wouldn’t listen to any of the songs again though, apart from Wake Up, which is a banger (also the only one I’d heard before)
Look, I’m all for musicians be innovative and inventive, but only when they invent music I like. Luckily, once I got over the weirdness, I actually really liked some of these songs, particularly Help Me Somebody. They weren’t all great, but enough for a 4.
I liked Big Poppa, I did not like listening to that sloppy blow job
This was ok, but the best songs on the album, Please Mister Postman and Money (That’s What I Want), are both covers that, while good, are no better than the originals. Maybe a necessary stepping stone to greatness, but on its own merits this is just a 3
Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World are good, the rest was a bit dull.
Not got long to live and want to make what little time is left to you feel much longer? Then boy do I have the album for you! This short album will make 28 minutes seem like over an hour with this one neat trick: playing the same song over and over and over again. Your early death will seem like a blessing after subjecting yourself to this.
Previously only given 1s to the Fall because … well… they’re dog shit, but this was a little better; I might have even given this a 3 if it hadn’t ended on that Light/Fireworks crap. I suppose liking the sound of your own voice is a prerequisite of becoming a lead vocalist (couldn’t call him a singer), but Jesus does Mark E Smith take that to new levels
This was fine, but it made me want to go to sleep.
100% genuine dialogue from the studio during this album: “Dan, we’ve only come up with 14 minutes of music! How are we going to fill an entire full length album?” “No need to worry, John. Let’s just repeat what little we have over and over until it’s long enough” “But won’t that make it boring and repetitive?” “Not if we just tweak small elements every now and then” “Couldn’t that still render the album dull and repetitious?” “Perhaps we could make little changes here and there” “Doesn’t that risk our music being tedious and monotonous?” “…”
This album seems to have really influenced someone at Sony because I kept hearing the PS2 start up noise. Unfortunately that’s the only interesting thing about this album
This was pretty good. Strong start with Highway Star and Smoke On The Water seals the 4th star, but there’s not enough for 5. However, this begs the question, why on earth is Made in Japan on this list when Machine Head is essentially a better, shorter version of the same album?
I think you’d have to tie me up and gag me to stop me singing along with You Can Call Me Al. If that was the only good song on the album, I think I’d still have to give it a 4. However, every track is decent, several are great, and despite the variety of styles and genres, it does not feel disjointed; each song feels part of a greater whole.
Breaking the Law is a great anthem to play when committing minor crimes, like going out for a second walk during the Covid lockdowns Can’t say I loved any particular song, but everything was consistent and the album as whole came together nicely; good drums, decent riffs, nothing overstayed it’s welcome, can’t complain.
This was fine. A bit dull at times, but generally ok. I liked the hidden bonus track idea even though it doesn’t work for streaming. I imagine that would’ve been cool to discover back in the day
I like Creedence and this was pretty good, but I’m knocking a point off for the cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Nowhere near as good as Marvin Gaye’s
Nope, not for me. This punk tendency to emphasise the last syllable of every line is really grating once you notice they all do it
No thanks, found this very boring and repetitive; not enough variation to justify 1hr 12.
This was ok, but not for me
More like No, amirite guys?
Too depressing for me! Cheer up, Beck, it wouldn’t kill you to sing a song with some tempo you know!
“We’re edgy! We’re different! Our band name is all lowercase!” Soft As Snow has to be one of the worst songs I’ve ever listened to, possibly ever made. Their ability to plumb new depths of awful music that only the most contemptible twats imaginable could possibly like is the only noteworthy thing about My Bloody Valentine! I think there’s a phenomenon where some people fool themselves into thinking that because something is difficult to listen to, they must be achieving something by doing so, that it must be worth doing, that it must make them a special little bean who is better than all the people who “just don’t get it”, otherwise what was the fucking point? They just can’t accept that it sounds shit because it is shit and they’ve wasted their time/money. Anyway, bands like My Bloody Valentine survive by feeding off morons like that.
This is fine, but nowhere near interesting enough to justify being over an hour and I think I could have happily died without hearing it. Another example of CD era quantity over quality. I was just thinking it sounds like the sort of music you’d hear on Scrubs, and Wikipedia has confirmed my suspicions.
12 songs, 34 minutes, yes please! 11 of those 12 are not bad, but California Dreamin’ is great and earns this a 4 all on its own
Not for me. I suspect there’s a reason no one outside of the UK gives a shit about grime. At least bonkers wasn’t on this one
This was alright, but I didn’t like the style of the vocals; something about it was quite grating. I liked a lot of the backing music, but that was in spite of the singing for the most part.
This was enjoyable, but I’ve previously docked Creedence Clearwater Revival a point for a Grapevine cover that’s nowhere near as good as Marvin Gaye’s, so for consistency this is a 3
If I had a nickel for every song on this album explicitly about “getting it on” I’d have two nickels, which is not a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice
Firstly, it’s deeply fucking weird to write a love song about any country, let alone the genocidal ethno-state that is Israel. That is enough to earn 1 star all by itself, but every single song without exception is a slow dreary ballad with inane lyrics like “Where there’s sand, where there’s beautiful sand yeah”. Somebody Stop The Music - please.
I didn’t know Bowie wrote some of the songs on this album, no wonder I liked it more than the Stooges stuff. Iggy Pop is still a bit annoying at times, but this is good for the most part.
This made a long drive on a rainy and windy December day a little more pleasant, but I’m not sure there was anything to gain from the second or third hour that you couldn’t get from the first
Ok not as bad as I thought it would be, but Autobahn didn’t need to be over 20 minutes
Surprised to find I really liked this
All good, but Green River and Bad Moon Rising are personal favourites of mine
Knew I’d like this going in, as I already love Master of Puppets the song, and I was not disappointed. Favourite song that u hadn’t heard before was Orion
This was alright, reminded me of driving around Los Santos shooting Ballas when I was way too young to be playing GTA
I’m all in favour of artists using their art to broach difficult and dark subjects, but the opening song about child abuse didn’t feel like they had anything interesting to say on the matter; it felt like an edge lord using the subject to be provocative merely for the sake of it. The rest of the lyrics on the album did nothing to dissuade me of that notion. I found it interesting that they used notched guitar picks though. Well, “interesting” might be too strong a word.