Step In The Arena
Gang StarrThis was pretty fun. Nice to be exposed to classics from genres that I didn't grow up with. 3/5. Bonus points for train representation in the album art.
This was pretty fun. Nice to be exposed to classics from genres that I didn't grow up with. 3/5. Bonus points for train representation in the album art.
Didn't we all Alex. The Strokes get credited for saving rock from the Smash Mouths of this world. While I'm sure that's hyperbole, they did define what a rock band would sound like for my entire childhood. On a related side note, I'm old. 4/5.
I had way more fun with this than I expected. Apparently Iron Maiden hated punk but you wouldn't know by listening to this. Oddly, the prog rock sections were the weakest on the album for me. 3/5. Perhaps I judged medieval torture methods too harshly.
Roger Daltry is a massive wet wipe but this was actually pretty fun. Apparently this was the hardest rock album ever when it was released which was a bit odd to read, but the last few tracks did give me some idea of where the reviewers were coming from. 7/10. This amp goes all the way to 11.
Nothing reminds me of my own mortality more than indie folk because my patience for it is so finite. Having said that, 45 minutes on a Saturday afternoon is probably just about the right amount of time, and this album is a pretty perfect example of the genre so it gets some love. I did catch myself thinking I was near the end and finding out that I was halfway through so... There's that. 3/5. Indie has already died, and you will too. 4/5 if it's on so quietly that you can't really hear it.
Prince Charles just told me about orgasms. Perfect score, no notes. 5/5. Someone tell my parents that raising me on 80s music has broken my brain.
I've finally learned why there are so many ZZ Top tribute bands. Because every rock band is a ZZ Top tribute band, some people are just more honest about it than others. This includes ZZ Top, who seemed to just parody themselves in the second half of the album. I was actually having a blast with this until the line "She has legs and she knows how to use them" made me fall out of my chair laughing and it was all downhill from there. 2/5. They had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
This is the first album where I didn't have a clue what I was in for, but reading about the band this morning, I was excited. It had all the ingredients I like. It didn't work for me though, I have to give it some love because I can hear how much they inspired bands that I love. But those bands did it better. 1/5. At least ZZ Top made me laugh.
Oh boy here I go getting radicalised again. I was ready for this to be a 5/5 but sadly not, my love for a few tracks did a lot of heavy lifting for the rest of the album. A lot of the songs sounded very similar, and I get that the lyricism is meant to be incredible but that only works if I can understand what the lyrics are. 3/5. All crimes are paid, including insane vocal performances.
The sheers audacity to ironically name one of the songs Pop Song 89 and then have the rest of the album be completely middle of the road pop deserves praise. But other than that, I didn't find much here worth coming back to, very inoffensive. 2/5. The Fleet Foxes of the 80s.
It's folky which isn't usually my jam, but there's enough jazzy stuff going on for me to forgive it. What a lovely listen. Now I feel bad that my first experience with his music was Fontaines DC covering Cello Song. 4/5. Looking forward to the rest of his stuff.
That's two 80s albums now that have decided to invent a whole new fantasy world rather than be annoyed at this one. Can someone who knows about music history explain why they stopped? Anyway, decent fun but it did get a bit samey until the end. 3/5.
I made sure I just listened to the 22 minute release of this album because I really don't like grunge. My prejudices remain intact. One or two tracks had me nodding along, the rest had me nodding off. 2/5. All grunge singers just remind me of the "Fight and win" guy, funnily enough he was from Seattle too... Is this just what they do up there?
As quite a keen urbanist I can't help but feel like most of Bob's issues with roads could have been solved with a decent rail network. The parts of this that were a protest album were pretty good, but it was brought down by the bits that were a love letter to a vision of a country that I think sounds like hell. 2/5. Needs more harmonica.
This was pretty fun. Nice to be exposed to classics from genres that I didn't grow up with. 3/5. Bonus points for train representation in the album art.
Not her best, but better than most anyway. Anyone who makes FM radio sound cool deserves a 4. 4/5. Only because I have to leave room for introvert to be better.
I associate this so deeply with my Dad I thought this album was from the 80s for my whole childhood. Does it deserve a 5? No, but, it's getting one. 5/5. Dark of the Matinee is the only reason I have social skills.
A lockdown favourite of mine. I aspire to be as cool as the bassline on Money. 4/5. And that's unheard of.
Big fan of a blend of musical styles, and this did it very well. I do wish that the lyrics didn't lean on hooks so much, quite a lot of the songs started to feel quite repetitive. 3/5. My name is MIA and Young Fathers was my idea.