Green River
Creedence Clearwater RevivalSolid front to back with only a couple of bobbles. Great swampy blues groove. Unexpected banger: "Tombstone Shadow."
Solid front to back with only a couple of bobbles. Great swampy blues groove. Unexpected banger: "Tombstone Shadow."
I really enjoyed what would have been the first disc of this album. But the long bluesy jams from "Out of the Blue" to the end of the second disc are all samey. Decent, but samey and not overly interesting. Unexpected banger: Let It Down.
God this is a FUN album if you're really looking to slamdance at the local disco. If the Ramones had gone ska (and Johnny had learned some actual riffs) -- you'd land somewhere in this neighborhood. Unexpected banger: Red Light Indicates Doors are Secured
I can only imagine how different this would have sounded in 1965. All the stomp and storm. It would have been like hearing Nirvana for the first time in the 90's. All in all, a very listenable record. Unexpected banger: La-La-La Lies
I've heard the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the radio for years and I've always liked what I've heard from them. I was excited when this came up, because I've never listened to an entire album from them. Well, now I know why. The first three songs were the ones that got radio play. After that, the formula starts wearing a little thin. It probably gave birth to what the kids are calling DIY. Unexpected banger -- really, none, but Shame and Fortune's probably the best of the rest.
My first experience with this particular Bowie. Don't know why I hadn't listened to it, but heck, this is a good one -- shuffle and psych. Really good stuff. Unexpected banger -- Stay
RIFFAGE! RIFFAGE! RIFFAGE! You can tell why this is the blueprint for so many metal bands. Lotsa tempo and key changes. Sledgehammer rhythm. Awesome solos. Would I want to listen to Mustaine and crew every day? Probably not. Is this classic peel-your-face-off evolution of Iron Maiden? You betcha. Unexpected banger: Poison Was The Cure/Tornado of Souls.
First "French Crooner" (I guess "chanson" is the proper term) album I've come across. I can imagine this as musical theater. The klezmer and big band sound is good fun. I can see why folks went a little crazy for him. Thumbs up. Unexpected banger: Les Timides
This is another fun one. A real window into 60's psychedelia with some of the best guitarists in history. Jeff Beck shows what an absolute monster he is. Just so many good tunes here. And this was all new to me. I basically knew the Yardbirds from "For Your Love" and because they birthed Led Zeppelin and Clapton. This was a whole new trip. Definitely enjoyed! Unexpected banger(s): Over Under Sideways Down, Rack My Mind, Farewell, Jeff's Boogie
What a wonderful album this is. The birth of trip-hop in a tight little 44 minutes. The whole album just whispers "vibes." Basically set the stage for what could be done with beats. Just cover to cover quality, although I think "Hymn of the Big Wheel" kinda bobbles the finish. But by the time you get to that track, whatever substances you may have ingested are fully kicked in, so you can just lay back, take a deep breath, and let the waves crash over you.
I can't hear "Without You" without a mental image of the suicide scene from The Rules of Attraction. Great album here. Bastard child of Randy Newman and the Beatles. Unexpected bangers: Jump Into The Fire, Let the Good Times Roll
I mean, this is *fine* for straightahead rock and roll, but they sound like a tighter version of any number of bands I've seen in bars over the years. Their guitarist does some interesting fingerpicking stuff here and there, but the singer's voice is nothing spectacular and all in all, I'll probably forget about this album in short order. Unexpected banger: Rememo
The wikipedia entry says "reverb heavy." They could have just said "redundant" instead. Vocal-based electronica has never been much of my thing. This would be decent enough background music, I guess -- but I was honestly bored by most of it. Unexpected "banger" -- Lion in a Coma
I've long said that the best job in rock & roll belonged to Malcolm Young (RIP). All he had to do was play three chords, shake that big greasy mop of hair, and occasionally step up to the mic to bellow "Oy!" Pretty much a perfect hard rock album from start to finish. I remember as a kid being actually frightened by AC/DC. There's just so much carefree menace here. Hell, the fact that You Shook Me is on the back half of the album just illustrates how killer this whole thing is. Side 2 of the original album is pretty much flawless. No unexpected banger here. They're all bangers. Well, except for Let Me Put My Love Into You -- which is the weakest entry. And even that's better than 90% of rock and roll.
Hip hop has never really been my consistent jam -- but I really enjoyed this. Common's got bars, as the kids say. Really enjoy his voice, his flow. While it's not something I'd want to pull out on a regular basis, I'm glad to get it into the rotation. Unexpected banger: GO!, Chi-City.
Classic proggy stuff here. I never got into Yes until I heard 90125 as a teen. When I went back through their catalog, this was the one with which I connected best. Just good vibes all around here. Fun to revisit it, since it's not really in my wheelhouse these days. Not "unexpected" bangers, since I was familiar with this. But you can't go wrong with "All Good People."
Damn. Just makes me want to get in my car and break several local ordinances. Blackmore is riffs to the max. And Gillan set the vocal stylings for so many that followed -- especially Dio (which makes sense cuz Rainbow). I'd give it five stars, but that damn organ sets my teeth on edge every other song.
Wow. That was a truly unpleasant listen. Atonal spoken/screaming word, nothing interesting musically. This is supposed to be an "influential" album -- like the old saying about White Light/White Heat spawning countless bands even without commercial success. This spawns feelings of contemplating suicide, wishing for it to be over. At least King Missile has a sense of humor. Unexpected bangers: none.
I never "got" Dylan when I was younger. Just never had the occasion to listen to him much. Didn't appeal. When I was learning about music, I knew who he was, of course -- but he was just some folk singer to me. I knew people loved him, but that whiny voice and what I found to be uninteresting music (since at the time I was way into stuff like Queensryche) -- just never figured it out. Well, I grew up and I started to understand. And listening to him now as an adult is a new experience. This is spellcasting as much as it is songwriting. Going to have to do some revisiting. Thumbs way up. Unexpected banger: Talkin' World War III Blues
Mid 90's Brit rock. I can see where these guys gave birth to the Arctic Monkeys, Radio 4, and the like. Not exactly my cup of tea, as it gets kinda noisy and samey by the end of the album. But it's a solid enough rocker. Unexpected banger: Sofa (Of My Lethargy)
Fascinating that this came up the day after social media is all atwitter at Chapman's performance with Luke Combs at the Grammys. Wonder if that's intentional? Even so, I'd never heard anything from this outside of Fast Car and Talkin Bout a Revolution. It's a lovely album. Straightforward and poignant. Like that it's getting revisited by a new generation. Unexpected bangers: Mountains O'Things, For You.
A really fascinating listen. Great jangly sound. Probably the most humor you'll hear in a Who album. Also fascinating to hear the seeds of Tommy being sown throughout. While I'm not rapturous about it, any album with "I Can See For Miles" is going to be worth a listen. Unexpected banger: Glittering Girl.
Sophomore year in college when this came out, and it kicks as much ass now as then. Those first riffs of Jealous Again are just about as perfect as anything Mick, Keith, and the boys have ever played. For a straight-ahead rock, blues, and boogie album -- this is the finest from the Crowes. I lean towards Southern Harmony as an all-around album. But this just straight fucks.
A pleasant enough listen with plenty of politics women throughout. This is one of the few Kinks albums I've listened to straight through -- and it's certainly inferior to Village Green, in my estimation. That's not to say it's bad. It's just not great. Unexpected banger: Brainwashed, I guess...
What's to say? There's really nothing not to like here if you're into rock & roll or blues at all. Ol' Muddy's a monster -- without him, basically the entire Stones/Yardbirds side of the British Invasion never happens. Surprised a little at how mellow a lot of it sounds. But it's straight pure blues. Find a chair, pour a drink, and let Muddy shuffle your sads away. Unexpected banger: Tiger in Your Tank
So gorgeous. Even more so when I discovered that the whole thing is improvised. What an incredible talent! You can just lay back and let the whole thing wash over you. Exceptional.
Better than I expected. Never been a band I was into, although I know how influential they are. (I thought "Smash It Up" was an Offspring song before I listened to this.) It would have been great scare your parents music. Enjoyed it. Unexpected bangers: Anti-pope, Noise Noise Noise.
Interesting. It's proto-Duran Duran. (I mean, the synth in the first song is basically "Hold Back the Rain.") I imagine everyone who's sequences beats has this album tucked away somewhere. Some pretty interesting tracks on here. Unexpected bangers: In Vogue, Quiet Life, All Tomorrow's Parties
One of the things I enjoy about this little project is getting these out of the blue genres that I'd never have picked on my own. Cabaret singer doing Nick Cave and Tom Waits? Heck sure, why not. It's pretty good! I don't know if I'll ever have the desire to listen to it again -- but if one of these tunes comes up on shuffle, I'm not hitting FF. Unexpected bangers: Tango Ballad, Split
OK -- this was an inescapable album when I was in high school. Just hit after hit for the masters of Texas Boogie. But I'd basically put about a third of the album completely out of my mind. And hearing it again, I understand why. Side 2 gets very samey (except for the slap bass on "Thug.") Fun to revisit, because Side 1 is all aces. So, stick to the Greatest Hits... Unexpected bangers: I Got the Six, Thug
I listened to this while I was working -- I've heard it so many times. I love this album, but listening to it on headphones while tapping away at the very machines that cause the ennui was a little jarring. I have to unironically use the word "synergies" in my work. If you want to listen to this, let it be central to your attention. No unexpected bangers. Idioteque is brilliant.
Egads. This is a rough one. If you are subject to migraines, I'd seriously suggest skipping this one. I get that free jazz is supposed to be out there -- but this just doesn't work for me. I can't imagine putting something like this on just to listen to, or even try to appreciate. But if you like the idea of thrash metal saxophone, well, this is your huckleberry. Unexpected bangers: none. Ecars and Feet Music are at least listenable. The second half of the album is somewhat less screechy. If you do get through this, it's worth listening to this playlist to see what they were drawing from. So much better. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3giq4xcBIglHlE5suAQShL?si=ca98a0fbb10d4970
Loud and jangly. Answers the question, "Mommy, where does Sleater-Kinney come from?" For me, pretty unpleasant. Unexpected bangers: Since it's not on Spotify, I don't have tracks and sounds lined up, I guess America or Fear.
OK, so straightforward garage band stuff. Now, it's good garage band stuff if you're into the screamy. There's the one big hit that leads it off that's been in car commercial after car commercial. After that, it just gets repetitive to my ears. Same three chords, same tempo, same blarg blarg. Unexpected bangers: Untutored Youth, Here We Go Again.
In the Bon Scott vs. Brian Johnson competition, I've long been firmly on Team Scott. Brian Johnson's a solid vocalist, but Bon Scott had that edge of menace and humor to him that I never get from Johnson. And he's at the peak of his powers here. Thing is, this album was actually much better front to back then I remembered. Aside from "Love Hungry Man" (which Angus Young himself hates) -- it's just straight fire from cover to cover. Of course, if Scott doesn't drink himself to death, there's no Back in Black, which is a slightly better overall album. But still, can't deny greatness.
Hadn't listened to this in ages. They were always adjacent to the grunge scene, and they were on the Singles soundtrack -- so I knew them from there. Then came "Mellon Collie" and I wrote them off. Revisiting was...much as I remember. Several bangers (Cherub Rock, Disarm, Rocket, Mayonaise), but then a whole lot of fuzz. I mean, no one needs 8 1/2 minutes of "Silverfuck" unless you're feeling nostalgic for Metal Machine Music or something. Anyway, some good, some bad.
I wasn't familiar with Roxy pre-Avalon, so this was the first time I got to hear the Ferry/Eno duo -- and I admittedly love Eno as a solo artist. Was very interesting to hear his elements of weirdness reflected in a straight rock album. Ferry, of course, has those gorgeous pipes. Really nice stuff. Not a perfect album, but certainly worth a relisten. Unexpected Banger: Chance Meeting.
When I was a young whippersnapper, my buddy Deen from Nigeria turned me on to Femi's dad Fela Kuti. My first exposure to Afrobeat. Fast forward a few decades and here's his kid -- who may be a better musician than his father was. This is just a fun album...about revolution! Play it loud! Unexpected bangers: Wonder Wonder, Plenty Nonsense, Stubbor Problems
A late friend of mine was super into the Gang of Four. Talked about how awesome they were anytime you asked them about music. Is it better than most 70's punk, musically? Sure. Is it whiny? Absolutely. And there's only so much whiny I can take. Unexpected banger: Return the Gift, I guess.
When it all came together for R.E.M. Just a great disc from front to back. Fabulous harmonies, great addled songwriting, and just musically solid. Nothing unexpected, but Turn You Inside-Out still rips.
Classic live album -- what can I say that hasn't been said a million times. It's the Man in Black doing Johnny Cash stuff. If you can't find something that resonates here, you're not looking. Unexpected bangers: Orange Blossom Special, Long Black Veil
OK. Well, if you're into ambient jazz, this is a decent listen. Clearly talented players keeping it smooth. I guess you could call it somewhat experimental, and it's easy enough to give a spin to. But hardly earth changing stuff.
The "Dylan goes electric" moment -- or at least the one that folks point to. I've only recently started listening to Dylan on a semi-regular basis, but it's fascinating to hear the contrast between disc 1 and disc 2. And it's pretty damned killer all the way through. Nice Jewish boy makes good.,
Completely unaware of Sonic Youth in my uncool younger days. Thought this was a pretty interesting listen, but it's pretty noisy. Centainly had wide ranging influences on all sorts of alt and grunge. Can see why folks reference it. Unexpected bangers: Green Light, Marilyn Moore, Starpower
Ah, the sweet riffhammer of James Hetfield's right hand is on full display here. This never quite rose to the level of Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning, but it's still pretty good for what it is. I listened to the "remastered" version -- Jason Newstead is still nowhere to be found in the mix. Someone once did a parody of "Blackened" about cooking fish. I wish I could remember it better. Anyway, solid four stars.
Never been much of a Zappa guy, despite several of my friends' best attempts. Just could never get into the whole weirdness of it. This one, being mostly instrumental, was easier to digest. Unexpected banger: The Gumbo Variations
I had a friend, now deceased, who spent a year studying abroad in Scotland during college around 1979. During that time, he picked up basically all of his musical interests -- which honestly became frozen in time. All of his favorite bands and performers were from that era. One of those bands was The Jam. I first heard the album when I was visiting him in San Francisco -- and I didn't get it at all. Fast forward a bunch of years -- I haven't listened to this since then and only had fleeting memories of Down in The Tube Station at Midnight. You know what? This is a damned fine album -- and it clearly bridged the punk and new wave eras. You can hear the Jam in just about every other rock band popular in the 80's...regardless of specific genre. Unexpected bangers: Billy Hunt, English Rose, A Bomb in Wardour Street
Really quite a listen. Old timey country that's metal as all hell. Knoxville Girl, My Brother's Will, In The Pines -- just powerful story songs. Great harmonies. Listening to this, and then hearing the bro-country that they're pumping out at a local restaurants, makes me realize that modern country is music for people who hate music. Anyway, definitely worth a listen.
Reminiscent of 80's New Wave -- it's pleasant enough for background music, but doesn't really push any boundaries for me. Unexpected banger: Flutes, I guess.
If you want the best song ever written about fingering a woman while she's on her period, you've come to the right place. They get John Fruschante back for this album -- to little effect. Sure, you've got Flea's bouncy bass and songs about how great California is and how sex is awesome, and look at us we used to wear socks on our cocks but now we're grown up and do deep songs like "Get on Top." The hits are all frontloaded here. I forgot how ubiquitous the Peppers were there for awhile -- but if they're going to feed us a RHCP album, why not at least Blood Sugar Sex Magik instead of this overproduced mess. Scar Tissue is still one of the best songs they've written, tho.
I liked this a lot. I didn't think I would. Loud drums mixed to be quiet. Some genuine love in the lyrics. Still weird and not to everyone's taste -- but it hit me nicely. Unexpected bangers: Waiting for a Superman, A Spoonful Weighs a Ton
Getting an album like this is great. Aside from the big names, the less heavy psychedelic rock stuff has been a black box for me. This is a damned good album. And when the album finished and the algo started feeding related stuff -- you know, it was pretty cool. A lot of good groovy background music in there. Kudos, Brummels! Kudos.
So I liked this a lot. The back half gets a little rambly. Bowie needs to remind us that he is an Artiste. But it's still some kickass rock and roll for the most part. A couple of his vocal stylings (like "Boss of Me") get a little overwrought and detract from what would ordinarily be great songs. And his antiwar "How does the Grass Grow" is a bit cringeworthy. Unexpected bangers: If You Can See Me, The Next Day, Where Are We Now?
This is just a gorgeous Bluegrass-ish album. Welch's voice is incredible -- and I love the arrangements here. Just quiet, pensive, and beautiful. Unexpected bangers: I Dream A Highway, Dear Someone, Red Clay Halo
It's fine. Kinda generic Brit rock. Not as interesting as Gomez or some their contemporaries. But certainly listenable. Unexpected bangers: Pressure Point, Nightmare Part II
Come on. It's Bob. It's classic stuff. Pure reggae. Even so, hadn't often heard a lot of the songs on this disc not on the Greatest Hits. Guiltiness and So Much Things to Say. *chef's kiss*
So damned brilliant from cover to cover. Bowie at his absolute peak. No skips, just apocalyptic joy and reality. Unexpected bangers: none, but if you can't get into the Lady Stardust groove, you can't be my friend.
"Hi, I'm John Lennon. I feel things very deeply. I get angry a lot. So I wrote some songs about it. Like to hear it? Here it goes." Not entranced by this. Some good grooves. Some misses. Don't mind hearing this. But I probably won't revisit too often. Unexpected banger: Jealous Guy.
A late friend of mine absolutely *loved* Ian Dury and the Blockheads. He described himself as a punk rocker -- although his life was in constant pursuit of stock options in Silicon Valley. He died waiting for a kidney transplant. Anyway, hearing this makes me a little wistful. Not my cup of tea, really. Unexpected bangers: Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, I guess.
If you can't hear Buddy Holly, you don't deserve rock and roll.
I really enjoyed this one. Can see where Amy Winehouse got her inspiration. Just some wonderful soul. Big thumbs up. Unexpected bangers: Summer is Over, 24 Hours from Tulsa, Do Re Mi
Got more hits than Sadaharu Oh. God this is just wonderful, wonderful stuff. Just listening to B-Boy Bouillabaisse again just slaps such a bigass smile on my face. No unexpected bangers. Just sheer genius and flow. Shake your rump-a!
Funky, jazzy, bluesy. Broad array of influences. All the players can get it. Loved the funked-up version of Watermelon Man. Vein Melter is an underrated classic. Nice.
A fascinating piece of avant-garde jazz. As I'm listening to this, I keep hearing snippets of tunes that I could swear I've heard before, even though I've never heard this disc at all. Then I saw that it was produced by Brian Eno and it all made sense. His atmospherics are all over this album. Some very nice playing -- quite approachable for jazz heads and newbies alike. I give it a thumbs up.
The Robbie Williams phemomenon largely missed the States. I remember hearing about him during my time down in Florida, which I would prefer to largely forget -- but I'd never heard a single one of his songs that I could remember. I missed out on this for 25 years? If you're looking for pop-rock done well and cheekily, this is for you. Now, I don't quite get how this collection of songs would sell out three days as Knebworth, but then, beans from a can is not my first choice for breakfast. Anyway, plenty of catchy tracks for you to nod along to. "Let Me Entertain You" is certified killer -- and even the ballads are decent, although they're my least favorite points on this album. Unexpected banger: South of the Border
Dude! What a great soundtrack for a smoke sesh! I'm convinced that it was sequenced so that if you start hitting the bong when the album begins, you'll get through the initial giggles and such by the time you're through with "Mr. Spaceman." I See You and What's Happening build you up, and then the horrific subject matter of I Come and Stand at Every Door gives you a quick tether to reality before Eight Miles High kicks in and you get into some good floaty tunes on the back half of the album. Probably would have been better had I lit up first, but it's a decent listen regardless. Unexpected banger: Captain Soul
High quality quiet folk. Just largely Nick and his guitar. Super poignant and lovely. Good kickback album. Hard to believe he was largely discovered posthumously. Unexpected bangers: Things Behind the Sun, Parasite
Ah, Freddie -- I think this is the album where you truly became a rock star. His range of vocal talent's on full display here. The playing, as always, has that "Queen sound" with the overdubbed guitars and vocal harmonies. Stone Cold Crazy remains the seed crystal for the existence of thrash metal. Things is, I've seen video so many of these songs live but haven't heard the studio versions. The live versions of these songs are at another level. (Seriously, pull the YouTube for "Queen Live at the Rainbow" and compare the versions of "Now I'm Here." Still, such good shit here. Enjoy.
Now this is the good shit. Being an old head, I am now being exposed to actual modern shit and it gives me hope. Because this is just downright righteous. Play on, player. I like this a ton.
Had never heard anything from this (other than Can I Kick It). Such a vibe. Got just an amazing flow. Smart lyrics, rump shaking rhythms. I like. Unexpected bangers: I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Mr. Muhammed, Ham 'n' Eggs.
I mean, when you're starting out with Sympathy for the Devil, you've got to have a great collection of songs to follow -- and the Stones certainly didn't miss here. Almost no skips -- just Dear Doctor, really. But otherwise a stone classic. "Unexpected" bangers -- Factory Girl, Jig-Saw Puzzle.
One of those "All 30,000 people who bought the Velvet Underground's first album went on to start their own bands" kinda deals, I guess. I didn't find anything overly interesting here, and I actually *like* some of the Pixies stuff. My old college roommate was super into this and I'm just like, "Huh?" Nothing here that I'd want to revisit. Unexpectedly bangerish? Ana.
"Hi. I'm white but I'm cool. Isn't this great background music. So cool, right? just have a drink or get high or whatevr. Each song has at least a minute where you can just vibe, y'know. Just lots of beats to talk about how rejection is hard. Wait, did you not notice the music? So edgy, right? Wait, where are you going...?" Just the same, All My Friends is a bop and New York I Love You is awesome.
Torch songs are not usually my cup of tea. When I started playing this album, I was quite dubious. But it grew on me as we went. Really lovely musically and the lyrics can be downright clever, if not chuckle-worthy. By the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the cheekiness. A nice surprise. Unexpected bangers: In and Out of Paris and London, Middle Class Heroes, A Woman of the World.
Note: Had to go to YouTube for this one -- not available on Spotify or Amazon. Not quite sure what differentiates this from a lot of other Americana-ish rock bands. Now they're certainly a *solid* band, and they've got some pretty good tunes, but there's a band like this in almost every major city that swears they could have been the next Gin Blossoms. Middle-aged sounding white guys with a musical ear, some decent songwriting, and a couple of good hooks. But ultimately background music. This is one of the few where I can't say, "I see why you included this, for better or worse." Unexpected bangers: Pale and Skinny Girl, Western Sky