Decent little Folk Rock/Psychedelic record, nothing spectacular (may not be a big fan of the genre)... Has some good moments, but the songs are too short to grab onto. Orange Skies is alright, but short and lyrically weak. Same comments for !Que Vida! 7 and 7 Is has a cool galloping rhythm but doesn't develop into much else. Stephanie Knows Who is a decent Folk Rock number, but doesn't offer much in general. The final two tracks on side 1 are unremarkable at best. I did not listen to side 2, as it contains one 18 minute piece entitled "Revelation," I will not spend my time doing that lol.
It has elements of the early '90s Grunge/Alt Rock boom, but some songs have an indie rock style that wouldn't be found again until the late '90s/early '00s. Album opener Silence Kid and the mid-album run of Cut Your Hair/Newark Wilder/Unfair/Gold Soundz (tracks 4-7) are the highlights of this album. Issues with vocal performance and lyricism will prevent the rest of the album from being a repeat listen for me (and Unfair has some vocal performance issues as well). Decently innovative work on this album here, 3 stars.
The first album generated that I truly didn't vibe with. Slightly innovative melodic structures, but a truly annoying mix of rock/electronica (similar to ZZ Top's Eliminator 5 years later).
Solid effort... Strong hits backed by decent-solid cuts with only a couple of mediocre efforts.
Fogerty's original songs Lookin' Out My Back Door, Up Around The Bend, and Who'll Stop The Rain are outstanding. Ramble Tamble is intriguing if a bit lyrically uninspiring. Bo Diddley cover Before You Accuse Me and Arthur Crudup cover My Baby Left Me are of particular note. All others aren't noteworthy in my opinion, except for mediocre efforts Ooby Dooby and Little Richard rip-off Travelin' Band. 3 stars.
Did not resonate with this at all. I can admit there's some quality here, but it did not satisfy me in any particular way. I think it's vocal performance/production issues for me. It sounds to me like an album full of Talking Heads' "Swamp." Sad to say it's 1 star.
Um... I'm confused... This album is an overblown mix of CCR, GNR, and Elton John/Queen with rockabilly... I don't like it—utterly stupid record imo.
Before I start, I must say: you can't proclaim you didn't overstay your welcome when you didn't stay in the first place. Now that that's out of the way, review time. The album is 16 really short, simple songs that are focused heavily on one idea, both musically and lyrically. It is clearly catchy but with its' brevity comes a lack of substance. That can be averted with higher-quality songcraft, but that isn't present here. The album does feature some decent production choices, especially for an early punk record from a bunch of young bandmates. Honorable mention to tracks 9/13 Get Over You/(She's A) Runaround, their brevity and simplicity are countered by more balanced structures and better hooks. It's a decent record, but not outstanding. 2 stars.
Good musicianship from an absolute legend. Poor songwriting/production prevents this record from being any masterpiece. 2 stars.
A Delightful Early-Metal/prog-rock record, understandable why it's a seminal record in the history of the genre. Almost every song is a standout performance musically, and lyrics are not necessary to enjoy the album (although the lyricism is fine). Highway Star/Maybe I'm a Leo/Pictures of Home/Lazy are my favorites of the record. A 4-star record for me.
I came in thinking I would like this record, I am sad to say I did not enjoy it... I find it compares unfavorably to other acts in the same scene (namely Nirvana), issues with production (not quality, certain effects choices don't suit my interests) prevent this from being a repeat listen... I can understand what other people would see in this album, just not for me.
I can see, what people enjoy about this album... I don't share those same interests.
I had come into this record having heard their debut, and having come away from that record wanting more complexity/songcraft, I thought their second effort would be much improved. I'm sad to report that I didn't enjoy this record as much as I thought I would. None of this album's 15 tracks offer much to remember it by, and the production is worse than the debut, in my opinion. It's just not a memorable record, 1 star.
