Tangled Up in Blue is my favorite Bob Dylan song. I'd give that song a 4/5, but the rest of the album doesn't resonate with me.
It's one of those albums that has so many bangers that it's reminiscent of a Greatest Hits album. I was surprised at how consistently good it was. It's no surprise Sabbath was so influential with works like this.
Portuguese, the devil's tongue! Cursed is that language, and damned are all creations of it.
Every note was a lick of hellfire on my soul. Every screech of the monkey instrument made me scream.
It's too late for me, dear reader, but you can still save yourself. Avoid Portuguese at all costs.
Trippy and experimental. Had some notable highs, but some songs I didn't connect with as well. Definitely interested in giving it another listen sometime.
I liked it well enough. It had that early punk playfulness that I'm always fond of. But though I felt generally positive about the album overall, I can't say I was particularly fond of any individual song.
It certainly wasn't as dynamic of an album as other contemporary ones, like Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
The cover art is cool as hell though, and maybe there's more to dive into with the lyrics.
Really, really atmospheric and beautiful songs. I love her voice.
Rehab was very catchy, albeit tragic in retrospect. The rest of the album was an interesting blend of retro sound design with modern, dumpster fire lyrics. I'm usually a fan of the later, but it mostly didn't click with me here.
Perhaps the problem is, I can't help but compare her to Lana Del Rey. And compared to the often mercurial, vivid lyrics of Lana, Back to Black felt simplistic.
There was an element of rawness that many would likely find appealing, but again, compared to 90's hip hop it wasn't that raw.
Maybe taken in isolation, it's a good enough album. But I can't view it through that untainted lens.
I was really surprised by this one. The album cover looked corny as hell and 80's music is generally not my favorite.
But there wasn't a song on here I didn't enjoy. I generally found the songs to be very dynamic and the album offered a rich soundscape. I don't know that there were any stand out songs, but that's because I liked the whole thing pretty well.
Tonight's the Night is an pretty good song. It strikes a note of hopeful desperation that most songs don't explore.
But goodness, I felt myself frequently wondering how much of this album was left. I used to like Neil Young, but now I find his caterwauling and country influences to be grating. He's supposed to be a great lyricist, but I don't see it.
New Mama was also pretty good. Neil does soft sad songs really well. I might be tempted to revisit that one. But most of the album I'll happily leave behind.
I was hoping this album would dispel my notion of Nirvana as teenage edginess, and then I got the the song called "Rape Me."
Still, pretty good album overall, didn't dislike anything on there.
This is the epitome of what I would call "night music." The production was atmospheric, moody, but catchy. Lorde's voice is iconic for a reason, and her singing is great here.
I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, but as it doesn't quite reach the threshold for 5 I'll round down.
Every song was enjoyable, funky and fresh. It was remarkable how quickly the sound of the 90's became defined.
However, each song was internally a bit stagnant, so I can't give it the highest marks.
I didn't fully listen to this one, kind of skimmed through it. I appreciated the proto punk playfulness of it. But it didn't really transcend the 70's mediocre guitar porn that I disfavor.
It was pretty funny. Generally a catchy production as well. Lyrically seemed to dwell heavily in "stay away from my man" territory. Also every song felt a tad on the long and repetitive side. But the sound was different enough from song to song to keep the album fresh.
I own a CD of this album and have listened to it many times. I tried listening to it with a fresh perspective.
I assess albums like this based purely on the appeal of the production and the atmosphere, as there isn't much to dig into lyrically. From that perspective, the album is mostly compelling. It's a bit reminiscent of Kraftwork, but has this mellow, almost moody undercurrent throughout.
I have always enjoyed the first four songs the most, and for me the album reaches it's zenith with "Kelly Watch the Stars." I've always felt this song captures a special feeling of hope and wonder, like looking at the night sky, realizing how small we are, and taking comfort in that fact.
The album lags a bit after that for me. It still works as background music, but it doesn't cause any stirrings in the way that the early album does.
I like this album a lot, but it isn't my favorite.
Solid punk-ish album, never felt bored, was surprised when it was already over. Apparently the songwriter wrote this all when he was 18. That gives it a punk ass youthful energy, but also a bit of immaturity.
I guess this is one of those albums that was really influential in the time and place of it's release. I found it to be thoroughly bland and static. I didn't hate any of it, but it was underwhelming.
Ah, the 90's, when uber offensiveness was an artform. This album is VILE. And it knows it. The second line of the album is "The views and events expressed here are totally fucked." Indeed they are.
Let's address the misogynistic elephant in the room. The lyrics of several songs relish in sexual and physical violence against women. These lyrics were uncomfortable, but also exhilarating in a world where such content is increasingly stigmatized. And for what it's worth, as far as I can tell, it's complete fiction. I'm not aware of any accusations of violence by Kim, and he has moved away from this type of shock content long ago.
I've always heard Eminem described as a great storyteller, but I didn't get it until I listened to this album. He really does know how to spin a lucid narrative in a way that is singular among rappers I've listened to. "Just the Two of Us" and "Guilty Conscience" were both narratively compelling, even if they were both completely fucked.
This one definitely isn't getting added to my regular rotation. It's too visceral for that. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it.
I admittedly didn't listen to this in the best of circumstances. I had it on in the background while playing a board game. However, I've also had many times in my life where I initially fell in love with an album that I was passively listening to.
I listened to this album twice all the way through without even realizing it. Not a single song was remarkable enough to catch my attention such that I would notice it was playing a second time.
That is the epitome of a 3 star album to me. Pleasant enough to listen to twice, but not remarkable enough to leave a distinct impression.
I've listened to this album before, and my initial feeling upon seeing it on here was excitement. Nonetheless, I tried to listen to it with fresh ears.
For Tomorrow is a standout song on this album. It really sounds like something that could've been released in the late 60's. This is a common trend throughout the album, with several of the songs having a similarly retro soundscape.
Yet this album isn't so easily pinned down. There's retro, but there's also plenty of 90's style pop rock to enjoy. It's a dynamic album overall (a trait that is very important for me to truly enjoy an album).
I guess the band faltered in popularity after their first album, so they really poured their soul into making something special with their sophomoric effort. It really shows. There's a lot of heart here.
Short but sweet. Pretty classic Simon & Garfunkel fare, sweet but melancholic lyrics and melodies. It's the soft, gentle side of folk.
There isn't much about this album that seems exceptional among their work, but I suppose that speaks to the consistency of their quality.
This is on the cusp of being a 4 for me, but it was just a little too light. Some of the lyrics were socially conscious, but only one or two of the songs. The beats and raps were all pretty fresh, and it was a positive album overall. Unlike "Raw Like Sushi," there weren't any "stay away from my man" songs. There's something kind of wholesome about this era of rap, and this album exemplifies that.
I'd listen to it again, and I could see my opinion improving over time.
I don't have a lot to say on this one, but I liked it all pretty well. Morrissey really sounds like Kermit sometimes, but it works.
I've tried to get into the Stones before, but they never clicked. Perhaps I ought to have started with their debut album, because I was pleasantly surprised by this. I can understand how a Beatles/Stones fan rivalry started, as the sound of each band is night and day. The blues influenced, rougher style of the stones is reminiscent of other bands of the era like The Animals.
Though it was a pleasant surprise I wouldn't necessarily seek it out in the future.
I listened to this a few days ago and forgot to rate it. The first couple of songs were special, but it was fairly standard late 60's affair after that. Still, being fond of the era, I enjoyed it.
Fucking boomer rock. I can't believe there are two Deep Purple albums on this.
It was okay. I have to give Smoke on the Water some credit. But listening to it again made me like it even less. The lyrics are so damn simplistic. I respect the opening guitar riff, but that's all the song is.
I don't enjoy this era of music, and this album did nothing to change my mind about it.
Norwegian Wood and Girl remain my top two favorite Beatles songs. The rest of the album is also solid, experimenting with different genres. I like the harmonized singing you see in this album, it's a shame that trend faded not too long after.
I own this one on vinyl, and I used to listen to just the first half of the album, "Bookends Theme" through "Bookend." I can't help but wonder, given the name of the album and songs, if this was an intended way to enjoy it.
In any case, this is one of my favorite albums. It's heartfelt, mostly cohesive, and sweet. America is my favorite song from the duo, it always makes me nostalgic for road trips of yesteryear. Simon and Garfunkel were consistently good, but this is their best work in my opinion.
Nice production and harmonizing, could've used more dynamic lyrics. Half the damn songs are about a girl leaving the singer, guy needs to up his game.
I don't usually like 70's rock, but the funk element and experimental opening and closing tracks made me a bit more fond of this one. Pretty fun overall.
Pretty sick beats. Probably worth 4 or 5 stars. But I couldn't stop wondering whether the dude was a kiddy diddler.
