May 21 2024
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Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Little Richard was probably the most influential artist in early Rock n' Roll. Yes, Elvis Presley was bigger and brought the genre to the mainstream but no one of that era of rock has influenced as many people as Richard did. Without Tutti Frutti we would not have Bowie who was simply amazed by the sound of that song. Other artists like Prince, Freddy Mercury, the more recent Janelle Monáe and the Stones were all influenced massively by Little Richard.
But let's talk about the album: Most of the songs were written or co-written by him which at that time was still a rarity, considering artists like Sinatra were still mainly doing standards. And unlike Sinatra nearly all songs are upbeat and energetic. The album is, to say it in a single word, FUN! You can, even must, groove to it and Little Richard does bring in some very nice vocal delivery on top of the very R&B-sounding instrumentation. And while songs like Tutti Frutti, Slippin' and Slidin', Long Tall Sally or Rip It Up are absolute classics you do have some slightly less entertaining pieces like Oh Why? or Miss Ann that ultimatly do not destroy the album's flow.
To sum it up: Here's Little Richard is a landmark in early rock music and one of my favourite album of the 1950's.
favourites: Tutti Frutti, Slippin' and Slidin', Long Tall Sally, Rip It Up
least favourites: Jenny Jenny, Oh Why?, Miss Ann, Baby
Rating: light to decent 9/10
5
May 22 2024
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
1969 was arguably the greatest year for music ever and this album is definitely one of the main reasons. Frank Zappa's Fusion of Jazz with Psychedelic Rock stands still today as one of the greatest albums in either genre.
The album itself is very complex in its structure without being too weird or Avant-Garde. Zappa shines not only as an incredible guitar player but as a true composer. The arrangements outside of the typical Rock instruments like the flutes on Little Umbrellas work perfectly within the songs context and do not feel like they were put in for the sake of it. Additionally, the album is mostly instrumental with only Willie the Pimp featuring vocals in the first half and these vocals done by Zappa's longtime friend Captain Beefheart work perfectly in the songs context although the song looses a lot of what made it so great at first in the second half.
Even the lengthy Gumbo Variations has enough variation to still be entertaining the whole way through. Hot Rats is one of the most diverse and fun albums ever created and is one of my favourite albums EVER.
favourites: Peaches on Regalia, Son of Mr. Green Genes, The Gumbo Variations
least favourites: Willie the Pimp (second half), Little Umbrellas
Rating: a strong 9 to a *10*
5
Jul 04 2024
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Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
While I don't know what he talks about... I can FEEL it.
Jorge Ben (or Jorge Ben Jor (since 1989)) has been a major figure in Samba and its poularity in the early to mid 1960's. And with the popularity of his debut album "Samba esquema novo" he had the name and ressources to let Samba evolve in the prime-time of his music: the 1970's.
I think it is a bit short thought to make this the only inclusion he gets on this list as at least 2 more albums of the same decade have been as important to Samba and music in general as this album. But to be fair, this is the album in which he added Funk to his arsenal, which until now mainly consisted of Samba-Rock and MPB (popular brasilian music) as well as some influence from Psychedelic Soul.
There are some things that are great all throughout the album especially the percussion with hand claps, bongo-type drums as well as a genrally diverse instrumentation with Jorge's guitar, trumpets, typical South American instruments and more that are all used to create a lush and warm sound. And of course Jorge Ben's vocals are another highlight.
There are also some elements throughout that I at first thought were synthesizer but they happen to be the Cuíca, a typical brazilian instrument that creates a sound that the "northern" ear isn't used to. For me that sometimes works well in the background but can annoy a little bit.
Of course I don't know what he actually talks about but I hope it is not something controversial because he sings it with so much soul and emotion that you don't need to understand the text, you simply "feel" it.
But with music like this, the lyrics generally don't matter that much. It is all about the presentation and the groove it envokes.
The albums opening track is arguably its greatest. 'Ponta de lança africano' is simply a bop. It is groovy musically, has a hook that can even be sung along by someone that isn't capable of understanding the portugese language (like me) and makes one simply happy.
Following up that masterpiece we get some more groovy songs like 'Hermes Trismegisto escreveu' with it's energetic and funky bass line and 'O filósofo' which is I think is the weakest song on the album together with the later 'Camisa 10 da Gávea' on Side 2. This song uses the Cuíca (or Monkey Drum) and although it does add an interesting sound, it does annoy after a little while.
After that short little slump we do get another perfect song in the form of 'Meus filhos, meu tesouro'. All good things said about the first track applies here as well. The guitar solo at the beginning and the drums make this a definitive highlight.
'O plebeu' and 'Taj Mahal' again work perfectly in the albums context but don't stick out as much as other songs. Former has a nice "La,La,La-La" chorus and the latter has a melody that has been stolen by Rod Stewart as well, which is why some might have "heard" that song before.
Side 2 opens with two incredible songs back to back: 'Xica da Silva' and 'A história de Jorge'. Both incredibly catchy and funky and just incredible. The vocal performance on both is outstanding and another peak in Jorge Ben's songwriting.
As already mentioned, the next song is a little dip down because he seems to focus this song on the lyrics what ultimatly removes from the musical enjoyment of the listener although I still prefer 'Camisa 10 da Gávea' over 'O filósofo'.
It does get back on track with 'Cavaleiro do cavalo imaculado' with its super energetic and funky bass solo as well as the wild percussion.
The album closes with the title track 'África Brasil (Zumbi)'. That song closes the album perfectly as it is a bit more on the "melancholic" side of songs in comparison to the rest although that has to be taken very, very, very lightly because you can still dance yourself to exhaustion with it.
It's fun, very fun!
favourites: Ponta de lança africano (Umbabarauma); Meus filhos, meu tesouro; Xica da Silva; A história de Jorge
least favourites: O filósofo, Camisa 10 da Gávea
Rating: decent to strong 9
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5
Jul 05 2024
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
Complex Without Emotion
At this point I have already heard a couple Thelonious Monk albums including this one and it seems as though the music community really loves this guy and his music but to me his music has never really stuck with me. I do like it but in terms of Jazz I have heard much better albums.
Of course it is very complex and features incredible musicians like Sonny Rollins (I recommand "Saxophone Colossus") and this complexity is what mainly makes this album so important but to me it kind of removes a lot of the emotional depth that makes Jazz such a great genre to me. Of course Jazz is a genre build on complexity and the mastery of your instrument but when that means that all the emotional depth is taken away, it looses a lot of what makes music music in the first place.
I'm not saying there is nothing of emotional value to get out of here but to my liking it falls short.
The title track, that is also the opener of the album does feature a very interesting piano playing by Thelonius which is then replaced by Rollins saxophone part that smoothly goes into a drum solo of high technical caliber. Overall a very nice song that pushes the boundaries of "Bebop" in a way that it is known today as "Hard Bop". Some repeating themes with slightly dissonant piano notes add to the enjoyment a lot.
The following song that is the 13-minute beast of 'Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are' with a very lasting piano playing. I do enjoy the song but I do not care for it THAT much. It very much feels like the complexity is the only thing to get out of; no emotional value at all which I at least had with the title track before. The final rhythm solo that smoothly goes into the main theme again is very enjoyable though.
Side B opens with 'Pannonica' which has a very laid-back and nearly dreamy vibe to it especially with the very high piano notes that make it sound like a Glockenspiel or other high-pitched instrument.
'I Surrender, Dear' is another nice song but again I don't care for it outside of being pleasent to listen to while writing reviews. Other Jazz has me bawling my eyes out, dancing in ecstacy, groovin' or rethinking my life while laying in bed. This is just there and sounds nice and sometimes really complex.
'Bemsha Swing' is the final track on the album and for me my favourite song on this second half of the album. It is very groovy and has a nice flair although I kind of loose interest after the first 4.5 minutes.
Overall, my highlights are: The drum solos, the title track, the "background" piano playing and some of Rollins parts.
I respect this man, his music and what he did for Jazz a lot but it seems as he just isn't for me.
favourites: Brilliant Corners, Bemsha Swing
least favourites: I Surrender Dear
Rating: very strong 6/10
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3
Jul 06 2024
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Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
Stan Getz was the one that brought Samba in the form of Bossa Nova and Samba-Jazz to America and together with Jorge Ben popularized the genre there.
And while this record is so important because it was the first that really stuck with the American audience, it isn't my favourite Samba/Bossa Nova album of that time even with my high praise for 'Jazz Samba'.
That title goes to Getz' major follow up "Getz/Gilberto" which featured João Gilberto instead of Charlie Byrd. But without "Jazz Samba" and its popularity we would not have gotten that follow up so I absolutely get the decision to include this as well, also because it still is an incredible record.
Very pleasent to the ears with a lot of Cool Jazz influence and a wide usage of Byrd's very technical guitar playing as well as the tenor sax from Stan Getz. The rythm section is also very clear and doesn't get drowned out by the melodies.
The first track is 'Desafinado' which already showcases a lot of what makes this album good. The smooth transition from the saxophone into the guitar and the salient drums all add to the mix of Cool Jazz and slow dancable Samba. This is in short an incredible song.
Following that we get the faster-paced 'Samba Dees Days' that features a vibrant and dreamy sax part as well as a nice change in percussion. Considering that Charlie Byrd was the one that wrote this one, it is interesting that the guitar doesn't really stick out that much. It's still there and works incredibly well but mainly in the background.
'O pato' follows as a nice but not very memorable piece. It is also the shortest song that the album has to offer. It feels way to standard compared to the rest.
The album closes its first half with 'Samba triste' and as the title suggests, this is a much slower paced and nearly melancholic song. The guitar part in the middle as well as the outro are absolute highlights. This is such a mellow and warm track to close off the first half.
On Side B we are met with 'Samba de uma nota só', the third track with Samba in its name and although it is on the lengthier half of tracks, it is one of the best executed as it slowly builds up with fast paced rythm section, the saxophone that goes into a fast-paced guitar highlight and then slowly fades into a section that only features bass and drums and relieves the slight tension that was build. In the end the saxophone comes back in a very bluesy style.
'É luxo só' follows up with a very mellow duo-dynamic of both main artists. This harmonic interaction makes this arguably the best song on the album. It just flows and makes one of the most enjoyable moments on this whole album.
The album closes with 'Baia' the longest song on the album. It feels like a nice "summary" of the album featuring some significant change in the rhythm section, a very impressive guitar part and a slight "echo-y" saxophone.
(When I first heard the album I thought it was simply "okay" and gave it a 6/10 on my RYM but with this relisten... damn! this is really great and I have to give 'Getz/Gilberto' a relisten as well to see if it still holds up.)
favourites: É luxo só, Desafinado, Baia, Samba triste, Samba de uma nota só
least favourites: O pato
Rating: light 9
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5
Jul 07 2024
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Liquid Swords
GZA
I'm a huge fan of 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'. It is one of my favourite albums ever and without a doubt my favourite Hip-Hop album of the 90's. I therefore have a lot of respect for the solo works of the Wu-Tang members although this is the only other "Wu-Tang album" that I have already heard outside of 36 Chambers (as of right now) and while it is not on a level with THAT album, 'Liquid Swords' is still an incredible album even outside of the Hip-Hop world.
GZA is seen as the spiritual head of the group bringing razor-sharp rhyme schemes and often philosphical topics into his raps making him the possibly deadliest member on a lyrical level. That strenth in lyrics is very present on this album, in pretty much every verse he delivers.
The main producer here is RZA, who already produced most of Enter the Wu-Tang, so we get some classic Wu-Tang beats with a lot of Soul, Funk & Kung-Fu movie samples.
And because it's mainly these two artists, a lot argue that the album feels much more conceptually focused then Enter the Wu-Tang. While that is subjective, this album is without a doubt much darker and unsettling.
The title track opens the album with a pretty long intro from a Kung-Fu movie that sets the themes of crime, night, death and general darkness. After that GZA delivers with some killer verses and although I do not like the chorus much, the verses itself are among the best of the record.
With 'Duel of the Iron Mic' we get features from three Wu-Tang members including ODB on the chorus as well as some verses by Inspektah Deck & Masta Killa which do actually live up to GZA's.
'Living in the World Today' isn't as strong as the songs before although some bars were really great. I also really liked the production as well as Method Man on the chrous. It's mainly the delivery that isn't on point like before. The chorus outshines his verses, which isn't what I want in an album likes this.
And while talking about great production: 'Gold' has an incredible beat, flow and verses that all make it the, in my opinion, most unsettling and greatest so far. This is definitely in conversation of being my favourite song on the album.
'Cold World' easily has the best chorus so far, sung by the artist Life. There is also a "breeze" in the beat making this really a "cold world". I do think the beat lingers on for a little bit to long at the end but still, a masterful and atmospheric song.
'Lables' is one of the weakest songs on the album. There just isn't much to it except a really nice beat. The lyrics and the performance are good but not really more. And for being not even 3 minutes long, the fact that I think the outro is to long isn't a good sign. Still enjoyable, just less.
Halftime and the second half gets opened by '4th Chamber' aka. the best song on the album. Many great features with verses and performances that stand on a level with GZA, a truely perfect beat with incredible production and a song that truely shows the "Wu-Tang spirit".
And if that wasn't enough, it is followed up by the arguably second best track 'Shadowboxin'.' GZA drops killer bar after killer bar without sacrificing any lyrical greatness. This is a song that makes you realize that if you would start a rap beef he would massacre you with his bars. The song doesn't even need a chorus and lucky that it doesn't have one.
'Hell's Wind Staff / Killah Hills 10304' is another kinda weak track. The skit, that is the first part, just isn't really interesting, or at least not as much as some other and sampled skits. The actual song is pretty good though even if it's a little bit long and the beat gets kind of annoying.
'Investigative Reports' pretty much features all the rest Wu-Tang members that weren't already featured and like the others before on Track 2, 7 & 8, they absolutley kill all of their performances.
'Swordsman' has some really nice drums that aren't really typical but apart from that I don't care to much for this song. Especially the chorus is pretty weak.
Like its predecessor, 'I Gotcha Back' is in comparison a weaker track. I like some moments but overall don't care. It's way to long and the sample outro doesn't make up for the build up tension. Easily the worst track.
The album closes with 'B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)' which is technically a Killah Priest song (at least acc. to RYM) probably because GZA doesn't even rap on it. It's still a great song although the production doesn't come close to the meal that RZA put on our tables before.
I will need to relisten some more to appreachiate this album more than I do now but as of right now: a Genius album!
favourites: 4th Chamber, Gold, Shadowboxin'
least favourites: I Gotcha Back, Swordsman, Labels
Rating: decent 8
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4
Jul 09 2024
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Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
I have already heard some Wilco albums and did absolutely not enjoy them even a single full song. So my hopes for this album were not really high but when listened to it, I was surprised!
These songs were written by American Folk legend Woody Guthrie, known for albums like Dust Bowl Ballads. He died in 1967 and his daughter Nora decided to start multiple projects in which artists record previously unheard lyrics. And this is the approach by Wilco together with british singer Billy Bragg. The songs feel honest and warm, something I didn't often feel when listening to Wilco. I think it's mainly the "simplicity" of the lyrics that do not Try to be good, they just Are by touching you emotionally. From the first song on I knew that this album had the potential to change my opinion on Wilco.
'Walt Whitman's Niece' is a nice, up beat country piece that puts you in the mood for the album. It works really well as the opening track.
Followed up is that by the lead single 'California Stars', which is arguably the best song on this album. The sentimental and introspective lyrics work perfectly with the multiple instruments used and create a song that sounds like the song title reads.
'Way Over in the Minor Key' is instrumentally very stripped down, compared to the previous two songs but due to the usage of an accordion that doesn't fell too much out of place. The harmonies in the chrous also add a lot to the enjoyment of this one.
Although it gets a lot of love and praise 'Birds and Ships' is not a song I am very fond of. Songs like this have to be done right but this is not how I like to hear a song like this.
'Hoodoo Voodoo' not only sounds like a silly song, it is silly. But in a good way. It is fun and the voice that genuinely sounds like he should better take some cough syrup than sing, adds a lot in my opinion.
'She Came Along to Me' is a very standard country rock song but I like it because of that. Again the music feels genuine and honest, not like what a lot of Wilco felt to me before.
The first half ends with 'At My Window Sad and Lonely'. A beautiful and very sentimental song that is easily another highlight of this album although it is probably not as good as 'California Stars'. Very emotional lyrics that are sung ontop of a beautiful and mellow Folk Rock song.
The second half meets us with the very short but interesting 'Ingrid Bergman' that sounds like a classic country song from the early to mid 50's. A bit like if there was only one of the Louvin Brothers there. Still nothing too crazy.
'Christ for President' follows with interesting Alt-Country instrumentals that all together kind of fall short from a mediocre performance both vocally and instrumentally after a while.
The following song 'I Guess I Planted' suffers from a similar fate although it can hold itself much better and remains much more enjoyable through out. I actually really like this one for its hitting drums and bass work.
'One by One' starts by slowly fading in and the moment that it is there it just feels like a normal Wilco song. This is the moment where the album slowly fades into the worse parts. Although this song is still fairly enjoyable it does mark the point of where the album looses a lot of what it made for me in the first place.
And it wouldn't take long because 'Eisler on the Go' is the first song I actually don't like at all. The start sounds very promising but after a little while you realize that more doesn't happen. It stretches with not even three minutes of playtime and when a song feels tiring for someone who's favourite songs are pretty much all 10min+, it's not a good sign.
'Hesitating Beauty' is much better. It's a classic country sounding song with a nice text and structure. Just fun country that isn't too crazy or too annoying.
But the last two songs are at the level 'Eisler on the Go' was. 'Another Man's Done Gone' is pretty much that but piano only. You'd be better off listening to what ever there is on the charts right now, as there is probably more "geniune emotional value" in there than in this song.
The closing track 'The Unwelcome Guest' feels like an average Wilco song but without any risk and any enjoyment. It is streched and annoying to get through.
But with so much negativity it is important to remember how strong the start was and that just three out of the last four songs put this album down. Overall I gave 6 songs a rating of 6 or lower which explains why I'm still liking this album. If I listen to a Wilco album in the future there is a chance that my opinion on them has changed for the better.
favourites: California Stars, At My Window Sad and Lonely, Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key, I Guess I Planted, Walt Whitman's Niece
least favourites: Another Man's Done Gone, The Unwelcome Guest, Eisler on the Go
Rating: light to decent 7
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4
Jul 10 2024
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GREY Area
Little Simz
Little Simz is easily one of the greatest modern Hip-Hop artists even outside the UK. Her passionate and interesting lyrics work perfectly on the different beats that range from Jazz Rap to Neo-Soul.
The album begins with 'Offence' that not only features a great chorus, very funny production choices but also an on-point introduction into a lot of themes the album gets into later. She couldn't have chosen a better opening track.
'Boss' shows her ability to not only write typical pop oriented songs but also Hardcore Hip Hop with a little experimental note. This song really differs from the opening track and even more from the next song.
'Selfish' is not the average Hip-Hop song. It's Neo-Soul, meaning Soul music with the usage of Hip-Hop beats and less focus on raps. The very emotional singing, the short but nice Rap verse and the very memorable chorus make this a highlight of this project.
The next song 'Wounds' has a chorus that brings in a Reggae perfomance onto a Trip Hop inspired beat. Something that sounds like it shouldn't work but it does! I only think that it goes on for a little bit too long.
Now to the song that everyone knows: 'Venom' has become a short but wide spread internet phenomenon due to the subject matter of this song being female empowerment and with the incredible hook it became a standard in the feminism Tik Tok.
For me that kind of destroyed the song as a lot of women used the song in a very cringe way and in the end did the exact opposite of what Simz intended. Still, a genius song!
The second half starts with another big highlight: '101 FM'. Bringing in elements of classic chinese music and an incredible flow from Simz, the song is without a doubt one of the best in her whole catalogoue.
'Pressure' starts with a nice Jazz piano and keeps a low pace, contradicting the very fast-paced rapping. In the second half of the song is a more upbeat beat, still slower than Simz rapping. The feature is also really nicely worked into the song. In the end, the piano returns to slowly end the song.
With the next song 'Therapy' Little Simz gets into some great storytelling that goes in depth on her own problems (hence the name). A deep song supported by a great produced beat.
'Sherbet Sunset' for some reason feels like a Kendrick Lamar song to me. But because I'm an absolute Kendrick glazer (except DAMN. that is a mediocre album) that only makes this song better. I love the chorus, it just feels so warm and soulful.
This incredible album closes with 'Flowers' which is my least favourite song but still I like the build-up on the beat with the trumpets and the choral singing in the background of it.
Overall an incredible Hip-Hop album, pretty much as good as it gets. And tbh I was really close to giving this album a 10.
favourites: Offence, Selfish, 101 FM, Venom
least favourites: Flowers, Wounds (both still great)
Rating: decent to strong 9
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5
Jul 12 2024
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Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd. (or PiL with this release) have been a major figure in Post-Punk although their commercial success wasn't as strong as Joy Division or Television. Like the Velvet Underground & Nico and Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones, the design of the packaging was something really special. Unlike the ones I've mentioned this wasn't designed by Andy Warhol and not even released as a standard 33rpm 12' LP. Instead the songs were printed on 3 12' 45rpm LPs. Freaky, I know. Sadly this design was UK only. Other issues in other countries were simply called 'Second Edition'. (Booooring!)
The album slickly combines Post-Punk, Punk, Experimental Rock as well as some Noise Rock, Disco and Dub. This combination might sound and feel weird but that is exactly what they were going for as it was pushing the sound of Punk even further.
The album starts with the 10 minute monster 'Albatross' with its repetetive riff and the abstract and ominous lyrics and distant vocal style that together make this an atmospheric and anxious listen. A perfect opener for such an experimental and dark album. In the end of that song the vocalist switches the style he used as the lead vocalist in the Sex Pistols, contradicting the dark and echoey vocal style from before. It is, in my opinion, the best song on this album and there is a case to be made that this is pretty close to the greatness of 'Marquee Moon'.
That vocal style gets used again for 'Memories'. I have to say that I am not the biggest fan of that vocal style, mainly because it feels so alike to the Sex Pistols and I feel that vocal style works only with Punk Rock and not so much with their Post-Punk style. Still, the song is fantastic instrumentally especially the high pitched guitar.
'Swan Lake' pushes the energy even further. I prefer a lot over 'Memories' because this is much more focused on the rythmn section and the bass sticking out even more. A perfect example of Dance-Punk and Mutant Disco (yes this genre actually exists).
The second LP opens with 'Poptones'. A very hypnotic song that even features a tiny little bit of Post-Rock. It is noisy and builds up a suspenful tension with the listener over the 7 minutes of playtime. It's really good especially because the build tension gets really anxious half-way through, a point where you'd expect it to loose the listeners interest but no it keeps it perfectly. I'm just not the biggest fan of all the things "around" of it although the chorus is pretty funny.
'Careering' has a lot of groove and the added synthesizer, the abstract drums and the final build-up make this a great tune. Especially the misanthropic vocals really add a layer of emotional depth to this very suspenful track.
'No Birds' is much less "noisy" than the other songs. The melody is also much more conventional? It's not really but compared to the rest... This feels very emotionally empty but in a good way. I don't mean that there is not emotion in there, more like the that someone's lost all their emotion and that it's empty now... No birds that fly around. And that is undermined by another very dark sounding song.
With 'Graveyard' the noise returns already with the guitar that stings you with its first notes. The abrasiveness and the groovy instrumental nature of this really make this stand out to me.
The last disc opens with 'The Suit', a much slower song that because of that looses my interest very fast. It's not bad at all and I love the bass but there isn't anything other to catch on for me. But I do have to appreciate the dark lyrics that with a bit more enthusiasm would make this song much more interesting. I also like the "thrown-in" avant-garde piano that plays for just a couple of notes and then disappears. Funny thing.
'Bad Baby' is better by a bit. The weird vocals that sound like they were sung drugged up as well as lots of ominous sounds both do a slighty better job in achieving what the album intends with its chaotic songs although it isn't anything too special compared to the rest of the album.
The albums finale is a 12 minute song split into three parts. The streaming releases do split the song into each part but 'Socialist / Chant / Radio 4' was intended as one piece. 'Socialist' starts fast-paced with synthesizers that make the sound you would expect in a sience-fiction spacecraft. The drums are also really interesting as the sometimes feel "edited"? As if someone put them into a synthesizer itself and then sometimes changed the sound a little bit. It kinda freaks me out. 'Chant' is the one with vocals but to be honest, they get annoying very fast. I would've prefered it to be instrumental with that awesome guitar and just the ad-libs sometimes in the background. But the build-up to the repeating "Chant, Chant, Chant" is worth it. 'Radio 4' is a mix between their typical style (mainly bass and noise at the end) but added classical instruments and a kind of ambient sound. It sounds like the outro to a majestic movie and in a way this album is.
There is a lot to get out of the album and it obviously was very influential but I think I have to give this album some time until I can really appreciate it but for now: Great but not perfect.
favourites: Albatross, Swan Lake, Graveyard, Poptones
least favourites: The Suit, Bad Baby, Socialist / Chant / Radio 4
Rating: decent 8
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4
Jul 14 2024
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Synchronicity
The Police
Many hail this as the best album The Police have released in their career and it also happens to be their final release. While this isn't an entire retirement from their Reggae influence on earlier records, it is much less present.
Although this album would still be important without it, 'Every Breath You Take' really cemented this album as a classic in the world of 80's New Wave and Pop music. The album is really diverse, both with the influences but also with its quality that ranges from some of the best songs of the decade to some of the most average and mediocre recordings in that style.
The albums starts off with a typical up-beat and dancey New Wave song which happens to be the first of two title tracks. 'Synchronicity I' features a very fast keyboard loop done by Sting and a very groovy chorus. An incredible intro song to this one of a kind album.
It is followed up by 'Walking in Your Footsteps' a song focused on the rhytmic drums with a few guitar and keyboard moments in the background. It takes influence from typical West African music to create a song that "screams" Savannah. I like the approach but there should've more to this in terms of lyrical and vocal performance as well as maybe some drummers who were born into this type of music and not a white guy doing an imitation. I still like it quite much as it still has an incredible groove even with its a more "slow" performance approach.
'O My God' feels way to average. It is just a standard 80's New Wave Pop song with not much to it except a nice performance. The only way I can describe the song is average with a little to much influences that don't really work or add and make the song feel very stale.
The next song 'Mother' gets a lot of hate. Why? I don't know. The song is incredible; it doesn't really fit on the album, it is the only one not song by Sting, it is much more Punk then the rest and weirdly experimental. This is closer to No Wave than New Wave. It's so abrasive and dark, the lashing drums, the manic vocals, the ominous sound it creates! This is the best song on the album and you are all sleeping on it!!!
In contrast, 'Miss Gradenko' does the same thing that 'O My God' did only that I like the chorus much more. It is short and sweet but very nice.
The first half closes with 'Synchronicity II', a very, again, standard 80's sounding track but it works much more this time. The build up works and is worthy, the chorus is done very nice and the melodies are great. While I prefer Version I, I get why this was one of the many singles they released as album promotion.
The second half starts with the song everybody knows. 'Every Breath You Take' is a stalker song disguised as a love song. It might be that I'm just so familiar with the song but this is an incredible track and easily my second favourite on the album.
Followed up by 'King of Pain' which gets a lot of love but to be honest, I do not care for it much. I like the bridge but it feels very overblown once it reaches the actual chorus.
Same thing with 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' which does feel less overblown and I welcome its presence more, I am not a fan of how Sting tries to impersonate a Raggae vocalist. It feels not really fitting (I do not want to use 'appropriated' but I gets close). Still, it has some really nice moments even with my criticism.
The final song 'Tea in the Sahara' has to be my least favourite on the album. It just feels way to long, while being not even that long. It takes the two things that didn't work on Track 2&3 and combines them. The song is just boring! Only the somewhat passable atmosphere and chorus save this from being a "bad" song.
favourites: Mother, Every Breath You Take, Synchronicity I & II
least favourites: Tea in the Sahara, O My God
Rating: strong 7
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4
Jul 17 2024
View Album
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
When it comes to this album one thing is certain: the influence this had is imense. Like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa was a cornerstone in early to mid-60's Hip-Hop. Instead of sampling old Soul and Funk records he used Electronic records from artists like Kraftwerk to create a mix of Electronic music, Hip-Hop and Funk that pushed the sound of especially Hip-Hop like no other album in that time.
Does that mean that it is a good album and important to understand todays music? Yes! Is it holding up to what it maybe once was? No, absolutely not!
The album opens with the title track: 'Planet Rock'. Already you are hit with a very recognisible sound that in the lead synth that has been used and sample from this many times. The "instrumental chorus" is taken from 'Trans Europa Express' by Kraftwerk. It is a very funky intro to the album and it already shows that the focus isn't lyrical rapping but more the Electro beats that are topped off with a rhytmic vocal structure. And the cover also looks exactly like the album sounds even from this first track. I just feel like, and this is my main criticism with the album, the song is too long. After a while the instrumental just cannot carry the whole thing, I would've needed some actually working verses with substance.
Follow up song 'Looking for the Perfect Beat' has a similar problem. It should've been cut down to the half. You do not have that much important stuff to say to stretch the song to 7 minutes, if 3 or 4 would've been enough. I do like the goofy ad-libs in the middle that go: "doodle-doo-doo" or something and the chorus, as well as the overall Funk of this song. And while they might not have found the perfect beat, they at least found the best one on the album.
Side A closes with 'Renegades of Funk' that most know because of the Rage Against the Machine cover. It has a nice variety of influences and sound all throughout the song. I think this is the most forward-thinking and influential song on the album although it lacks on certain parts that don't make it entertaining and consistent the whole way through.
'Frantic Situation' opens the second side is the shortest song on the album. The problem is that if the good songs are made over 6 minutes long, the 3 minute songs will likely not have the impact or strength the longer ones have. The song just flies over you without anything really sticking with you. It is pretty much very boring and basic in both beat and rapping.
In comparison 'Who You Funkin' With' is a much stronger song. But it sadly cannot live up to anything on Side A.
'Go Go Pop' is probably my favourite on this second half. It is groovy and the beat is really nice although it doesn't achieve the highs from the start.
The closing track 'They Made a Mistake' sadly cannot do much either. It gets annoying very fast and even the parts that are interesting do not hold that for long.
favourites: Planet Rock, Looking for the Perfect Beat
least favourites: Frantic Situation, They Made a Mistake, Who You Funkin' With
Rating: light 6
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3
Jul 19 2024
View Album
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Most of the songs here are either standards turned into country songs, country covers or some covers outside of country origin. But that does not mean her versions are bad. Quite the opposite actually as her voice is absolutely gorgeous and multiple renditions are improved versions of the originals.
The album features lush arrangements and instruments that take inspiration from all around the country world (USA).
One thing is certain though: Some songs are absolutely incredible and top-tier country song while others are very lackluster and boring.
The album opens with 'Bluebird Wine', a very nice up-beat Bluegrass song that showcases her voice and ability to perform. I think you could not have choosen a better intro for this album as it really puts you in a mood for some country. The instruments also work great, especially the banjo.
The follow up 'Too Far Gone' is much calmer and laid back, mainly focusing on a sentimental piano and guitar playing. It stands in big contrast to the opener without leaving you desiring more of what made Track 1. Another big highlight on the album.
'If I Could Only Win Your Love' is a duet with Herb Pedersen who complements Emmylou's vocals very well. The harmonies just work and his voice is perfect for the song. I also really enjoy the acoustic guitar solo.
The only song she wrote herself was 'Boulder to Birmingham' and it's kind of sad that she didn't write more as this is without a doubt a great country song. Her vocal performance is incredible, as is the build-up tension and the chorus.
Side A closes with 'Before Believing' and this is kind of the point where the album slowly looses its greatness. The song feels much less genuine or forced and it is also way to long. It does end the first half pretty fittingly but it does it in a way where you miss the greatness of the start very fast. It is not a bad song... it's just that I don't care for it at all as it isn't carrying a lot of emotional weight or interest with it.
'Bottle Let Me Down' is opening the second half with a very Honky Tonk sounding instrumental and I mean the subject matter is alcohol... which is as Honky Tonk as it gets. It's an alright song, nothing too crazy but a little bit more interesting than the song before.
A similar problem has 'Sleepless Nights': not bad, it just doesn't matter much. Neither to me nor the structure of the album.
The greatness of the start does return with the next two songs. 'Coat of Many Colors', which was a legendary Dolly Parton song, is a really good rendition of that song and a much more contemporary piece than its predecessors.
The Beatles cover 'For No One', originally off of Revolver, is much different in its structure than the original classic but she delivers it in a beautiful and outstanding way. While it does not get close to the original, it is one of the best songs on this album. Especially the strings add so much to this one.
The closing track 'Queen of the Silver Dollar' is much less perfect. Way too long, the build-up is weird and doesn't really work. The chorus is groovy though but that makes the rest feel very weak and uninteresting. It's better than some of the rest on here but it isn't in the stronger half.
favourites: Bluebird Wine, Boulder to Birmingham, For No One, Too Far Gone, If I Could Only Win Your Love
least favourites: Sleepless Nights, Before Believing, Queen of the Silver Dollar
Rating: light to decent 8
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4
Jul 22 2024
View Album
The Bends
Radiohead
While Radiohead (in retrospect) had very humble beginnings with their debut, the following album 'The Bends' was not only more ambitious but even better recieved by the public and also the critics. Of course their extreme critical acclaim wouldn't come until 'OK Computer' but 'The Bends' showed the potential they had.
By blending a more timeless Alternative Rock style with elements of Post-Britpop, they created a cohesive album with highlights that tower above nearly everything they created at that point.
Compared to their later albums, this is much more conventional and not as artistic and experimental as for example 'Kid A' or 'In Rainbows'.
And while I do love some radiohead albums a lot (In Rainbows stands as one of my all time favourites ever and is a 10 for me) 'The Bends' is in my eyes very overrated. It has its moments but it hasn't aged as well as their later albums.
The album opens with 'Planet Telex', one of the few songs to use a synthesizer, here mainly present in the intro and outro. I think it's a pretty good song: I like the structure and the chorus but for my personal enjoyment it doesn't have a real highlight that makes it stick out among other alt-rock songs. It feels a little too basic to be a truely great song.
The following title track 'The Bends' is compared worse. I'm not sure why they named the album after that song as it isn't really a highlight or important to the album. Thom Yorke's sometimes very unclear vocals that sound like they were recorded throw a wall seem very unfitting and weird without adding. The song isn't bad, mainly because of the instrumentation but even that lacks any sort of hook.
'High and Dry' is a really good song and one of my favourites of the album. It feels much more focused and thought out. The chorus is incredible and builds up in very little time which makes it really rewarding. My main criticism with this track is mainly Thom's lyricism which I really don't care for on the album in general and combined with the performance he puts on, it just feels like trying but not being able to fulfill that to the full potential.
'Fake Plastic Trees' is loved among the Radiohead fans but it does click with me as much. I like how its structured and it builds up with more and more instruments but it does not give anything rewarding except being the song with the best lyricism on the album. It's just there and I don't care for it much. It is also way too long.
The next song 'Bones' does pick it up with a much louder sound and a surprising chorus that kind of comes out of nowhere. And that very noisy part is actually really good. I actually might prefer this song over FPT.
The first half closes with '(Nice Dream)' which has some really nice strings that add a lot to the more melancholic and lonely sounding song. A very beautiful but sad song to end that first bunch of tracks off with.
Unlike the last track, 'Just', which starts the first half, is much more up-beat and easily my favourite song here (I know that that's a basic take). A great intro, bridge and chorus all with some very nice songwriting and lyrics. It's the best song on the album although it is not a perfect song in my opinion.
'My Iron Lung' is really chaotic at times and then slows for the hook and I do enjoy both of these parts on their own, I am just not really a fan of how they're connected. It's still a nice song but nothing more than that.
A very strong contrast gives 'Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was' which has more acoustic guitar and clean sound but it also lacks the highlight. It moves past me in a way that some moments actually become a little bit annoying.
'Black Star' is a much better song. It has a great and emotional high but outside of the very good chorus, the song does not interest me much.
'Sulk' also isn't as strong as other songs. The intro is good with the very weird and fast guitar that nearly sounds like a synth but I do not care much about this song. I think I just like Radiohead more when they experiment and try more interesting things.
The album closes with one of its best songs: 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)' has a very emotional build up and I love the performance Thom gives. The lead guitar is also very adding to the emotional weight of this track. Easily one of my favourites.
favourites: Just, Street Spirit (Fade Out), High and Dry, (Nice Dream)
least favourites: Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was, Sulk, The Bends
Rating: very strong 6
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3
Jul 23 2024
View Album
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Heavy Metal in 1970 is mainly known for Black Sabbath and while they invented and popularized the genre and still to this day are seen as the epitome of 70's metal, it is important to not forget that Deep Purple was in 1970 equally as important to the genre and on some points pushed the sound and genre even further than Black Sabbath.
This is album is pretty much the only instance of them really going into Metal but I think that by doing that they created their arguably greatest album.
'Speed King' opens the album with loud, noisy and distorted guitars that slowly fade into an organ of which the other instruments come together to create some of the heaviest moments of that early Metal era. The organ returns for a solo and like in the beginning it creates a tension for when the heaviness returns. The whole song is full of sometimes complex dynamic changes and virtuos playing by all members. There is even a Little Richard reference! But I do think that some of the instrumental and solo parts can get a little lost in itself without vocals breaking through.
With 'Bloodsucker' the distortion on the guitar weakens and a clearer and bassier sound with more comprehensible vocals comes through. While not being as crazy or catchy as the song before, this piece still shows some very nice playing and songwriting.
The lengthy and legendary 'Child in Time' is an undisputed classic and without a doubt the best song on this album. The ten minutes just fly by as if the song was half its actual length. The fact that they can web their influental Heavy Metal sound with more Blues, Psych and Progressive Rock than other bands with a similar sound of that time just shows that Deep Purple was together with Black Sabbath at the top of early Metal music. The artistic approach this song has is never seen again on the album and I am kind of sad that they didn't really meddle with that sound more on here and later records. A song this incredible shouldn't stand alone in an artists discography. And yes!, this is the best Deep Purple song ever.
The second half starts with the more Punk induced 'Flight of the Rat' that really highlights a more simplistic but hitting approach with more raw and agressive instead of mystical and anthemic vocals as well as more casual chorus. Near the end of the middle section it climaxes into a nearly "Funk"-like style before returning to the chorus and the drum highlighted outro.
'Into the Fire' is another one of my personal highlights but it also stands as one of the album. It's a very catchy and rythmic song with a great structure and the chorus is easily recognisable and has a great vocal performance that sticks out a lot.
Next song 'Living Wreck' is another great addition. The animal like scream (I'm not even sure if it's a scream or a guitar) is really scary and adds but the rest doesn't really hold much momentum with the chorus. And apart from build-up -> chorus -> screeching sound, the song doesn't interest me much...
The closing track 'Hard Lovin' Man' goes with a more Hard Rock approach at the start that kind of sounds as if it could've been on 'Machine Head' but once it gets into the instrumental part it features a very dissonant and noisy play that also shows parts of what could be heard as Speed Metal. A really great song that kind of encapsulates a lot of the album.
I'd also advise anyone who likes the album to listen to the single-only release 'Black Night' that whilst not being an actual part of album is still a great song.
favourites: Child in Time, Into the Fire, Speed King, Flight of the Rat
least favourites: Bloodsucker, Hard Lovin' Man
Rating: light 9
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5
Jul 24 2024
View Album
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
The Byrds started their career with 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and became over the next few years one of the most important bands to come out of the first major Folk Rock scene. They, over the time, combined their Folk sytle with many genres including Psychedelic Rock or even bits of Jangle Pop.
But after they pretty much did all that was possible with that genre they had to move on somehow. And they did by inventing a new genre: Country Rock.
It seems pretty weird that it took more than three years for Country Rock to fully emerge from of Folk Rock but The Byrds gave it life with this album. And multiple songs on the album are hardly even considered Country Rock but just plain Country.
And although this album was very influential, it isn't The Byrds best or even most influential work. It is an alright standout in their catalogue but they have made better albums before.
The album starts with the Bob Dylan song 'You Ain't Going Nowhere' that already includes the classic Country guitar sound as well as typical stacked vocal harmonies in the chorus. It's a nice song but nothing too crazy but they do make the lyrics justice with the chorus.
'I Am a Pilgrim' sounds even more country with the addition of a very present banjo. Because the song is a traditional folk song, they added Mandolin and general style do make it feel like pilgrim song. Again, it's quite but doesn't knock your socks off.
The next song 'The Christian Life' is a song the Louvin Brothers made me hate with their album 'Satan is Real' but this version is much better and is listenable but I have some personal problems with the lyrical content but the instrumentation does make up for that.
'You Don't Miss Your Water' is great in both vocal and instrumental regard. I love the chorus and the harmonies as well as the piano in there. Easily one my favourite songs on the album.
In comparison 'You're Still on My Mind' feels like just another standard country song that doesn't really get me excited although that definitely was the intent with this one. I just don't really think that it's a very interesting song.
The closing track of Side 1 'Pretty Boy Floyd' has much more Bluegrass influence than other songs and it does honestly work with their style but overall a kind of forgettable piece.
'Hickory Wind' opens the second half as one of the two songs on which a member of the band as written (or co-written in this instance) the lyrics for the song. It is an alright song that does loose itself very fast and feels kind of messy.
They return to a much more rock sounding approach on 'One Hundred Years From Now' that does greatly benefit from that and is one of the better songs on Side 2. This is the other song written by one of the band members.
The momentum that was build isn't really build on as 'Blue Canadian Rockies' is again very basic. Not enough rock for the song to work with them behind the instruments.
Similar with 'Life in Prison' although this comes off way more genuine than the song before. Still it isn't the kind of country song that really strikes with great songwriting.
The closing track 'Nothing Was Delivered' does safe the album a little bit as this is a really nice addition to the album and closes it off with another well made piece with great harmonies and instrumentals.
favourites: One Hundred Years From Now, You Don't Miss Your Water, You Ain't Going Nowhere, Nothing Was Delivered
least favourites: Hickory Wind, Blue Canadian Rockies, Life in Prison, You're Still on My Mind
Rating: strong 5
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3
Jul 26 2024
View Album
Garbage
Garbage
Rarely have I heard an album that blends similar genres in a way that the feel seamless as they intertwine. The influences of Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Industrial, Grunge and mainly Alternative Dance with Alternative Rock as the main genre creates a sound that makes you wonder if the description one person gives will be same the next will give it. Either way, this album is great introduction to a more hazy and noisy sound that, while not being as great as let's say "loveless" by mbv, has a much lower entry bar that might help people understand the greatness of said record when they haven't really set foot into mbv's extremely shoegazey and noisy sound sound.
The opening track 'Supervixen' already gets you into the hazy and sometimes dreamy mood that still shares a lot of elements with Dance music that make you feel like you've been put on both ecstasy and LSD on the same time. I especially like the very shoegazey moments that explode out of thin air all over the song.
With 'Queer' a slightly Trip Hop inspired sound appears and the shoegaze vanishes. But that allows the song to have a very strong chorus that shares some industrial elements as well. The guitar after the second chorus comes out of nothing and really makes this song a highlight on the album.
'Only Happy When It Rains' is one of the best known songs on the album and I do really like the grunge inspired crunchy guitar that really drives the song through out and the chorus is also really catchy but the longer the song goes on the more uninteresting it becomes after a while.
The song 'As Heaven Is Wide' goes a very different direction with a more electronic and sample style sound that still works as a very dancey song with a lot of focus on drums and bass. While the sound they create might be something really different and forward thinking, it isn't as interesting as previous songs.
'Not My Idea' is one of the noisiest songs on the album and they perform that really well. The jarring guitar that appears throughout the song really sets a tone that is alternated with a more casual chorus. The song generally has a lot of dynamic and melodic changes that make it sound very special although like songs before, looses its interest after a while.
A more psychedelic approach has 'A Stroke of Luck' that combines sounds from Trip Hop and Dream Pop with Grunge and Industrial parts to create a very mysterious and nocturnal sound.
The second half of the album starts with 'Vow', a return to the Noise Pop and Shoegaze style that although I like the sound of the instrumental, gets ruined for me as I really do not like the vocal performance on this song. But as much as I do not like the vocals, the better is the guitar bridge which makes me really conflicted on this one.
'Stupid Girl' is another highlight of the album for many. Although the structure is something heard a million times before, the chorus is incredible once it starts. The continuing build-up really works to make the song feel organic and different for the most but not all the way.
I like the electronic moments on 'Dog New Tricks' but I feel like the song had much more potential that wasn't build on enough. The hazy sound is done very well and it's much more dynamic than 'Stupid Girl' and I prefer it too but I still feel like they could've done more with the song than they ended up doing.
'My Lover's Box' might be interesting to some but it is not to me. The song just flows past my ears without sticking. The chorus is quite nice but that makes up a total of like 45 seconds in the whole song so I am not very fond of this one.
A similar problem has 'Fix Me Now' although I like the chorus much more once it's actually there but considering it takes half the song the make it remotely interesting, the song just isn't as great as a lot of other songs even if the chorus is one of my favourites on here. It's the rest that makes it uninteresting.
Closing track 'Milk' is the only song that is fundamentally different as it takes a very ethereal wave and electronic sound with typical Trip Hop drums. But all that makes it for me the best song on the album. It is just so beautifully dark and well... ethereal. The (I think) mellotron sample that reminds me a bit of Strawberry Fields Forever just adds to that.
favourites: Milk, Queer, Supervixen, Only Happy When It Rains
least favourites: My Lover's Box, Vow, Fix Me Now
Rating: decent 7
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4
Jul 28 2024
View Album
Abraxas
Santana
Santana has been a major figure in psychedelic and Latin Rock since their self-titled debut album in 1969. And after having big success because of the Woodstock appearance, the follow up album was only more spectacular and even better.
'Abraxas' shines with the sprawling guitar work by Carlos Santana as well as the overall warmth the album gives out.
I think it's a bit sad that this is the only Santana inclusion in the 1001 albums list, as at least one or two more would be more deserving for such a guitar legend. But at least they chose the right one to include here.
'Singing Winds, Crying Beasts' opens the album with ominous and nocturnal sounds made by piano and some sort of wind chimes. The guitar enters like a beast and from then on the song blends Latin Rock with Jazz Fusion elements and keeps the ominous and spiritual vibe from the beginning. A great instrumental intro track that really stands apart from most other songs on here.
The following 'Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen' is the first song to really show the incredible guitar ability that Santana can offer. The song goes a much blues-ier way and the vocals just emphasize that, mainly because they feel like something you'd hear on a Cream record if they were doing Latin Rock. The fast outro just ends the song perfectly. An incredible song and easily one of the best ones in the entire Santana catalogue.
In my opinion even better is 'Oye como va', just because the chorus is what comes to my ears every time I think about Santana. It is burned into my brain like only a few other things. The drive of the song, the bridge, the guitar, the extra tropical feeling because of the Spanish vocals and slight Salsa influence... It just flows like honey except the honey as a little bit of LSD added.
The first half ends with 'Incident at Neshabur' that goes into more Jazz influence again and it works perfectly. While the song might not be as great as the song before, it is without a doubt one of the best ones on this album. Especially with that piano/guitar duo near the end.
'Se a cabo' opens the second side with a loud and rambling sound that climaxes into a stunning amalgamation of all instruments before turning quieter for a moment just to comes back as loud as before to throw you from your socks once again.
More lyrics and vocals return with 'Mother's Daughter' and like before this feels very much like Cream only better and more diverse. The guitar really works as the chorus-like peak everytime it appears.
Another highlight is the Samba inspired 'Samba pa ti' that features a very emotional and deeply connecting guitar solo that hooks you the moment it first comes to ear. It is my favourite song on the album, simply because I rarely hear a guitar solo that makes me as emotional as this.
To compensate the very sentimental track from before 'Hope You're Feeling Better' is much more up-lifting and hard hitting including characteristics from Acid Rock and Heavy Psych as well as some Funk. It is incredibely groovy and full of delicous highlights.
The album closes with Conga music which means it's the only song that isn't rock music at all and while it does close the album pretty nicely, I think the song just isn't as interesting compared to the incredible rest.
favourites: Samba pa ti, Oye como va, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Hope You're Feeling Better, Se a cabo
least favourites: El nicoya
Rating: decent to strong 9
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5
Jul 29 2024
View Album
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Back before I seriously got into all of music, I was fascinated by Prog Rock. This album was one of my favourites back then, mainly because of the title track that I still think remains one of the greatest musical achievements ever.
The album is very different depending on what half you listen to. The first half, made up of Tarkus, is perfect. The other half isn't. And I am not the only one with that opinion as this is pretty much what everyone, even hardcore fans say about this album.
The album starts with 'Tarkus', the 20 minute epic that is made up of 7 parts. The first part 'Eruption' starts the album with a rumble and then explodes into a keyboard/organ driven and very up-beat part with a very symphonic feeling that moves into the slower but equally interesting 'Stones of Years' that brings in the vocals. The philospophical nature of the lyrics adds to the epicness of the whole peace. 'Iconoclast' follows with more rumbling drums and a stinging guitar that moves into 'Mass' that adds to the overall operatic and symphonic feel with the layered vocals and guitar solo. Around the 10-minute mark 'Manticore' introduces the enemy of Tarkus that climaxes into 'Battlefield' that probably feels the most like an Opera or Symphony with the horn inspired sound, probably done by the moog. The last part of the song is 'Aquatarkus' and it closes this incredible epic of a song perfectly with the marching sounding drums and wah-wah sounding organs that all slowly fade into a final blow of the theme from the beginning.
This is one of the greatest songs ever and I am reminded of its greatness everytime I listen to it. One of the most perfect songs ever created.
Side two opens with 'Jeremy Bender' and it already shows that this half cannot compete with the title track. It's a nice song but after listening to a 20-minute symphonic epic, this just sounds silly and useless. The piano, the claps and the cowbell are all quite nice but the lyrics are... not as philosophical and though provoking as they were on 'Tarkus'.
A bit better is 'Bitches Crystal' which I think is a pretty good song with its synthesizer, Jazz piano and fast tempo. Still not close to Tarkus but substantially closer.
'The Only Way (Hymn)' is similarly symphonic as 'Tarkus' but just does not achieve the greatness. It's nice but just not incredible.
The same can be said about the follow up 'Infinite Space (Conclusion)' although it looses some points from me because it is mainly a piano solo and although it's not a bad piano solo, it bores me.
I do quite like the more rock sounding 'A Time and a Place' although it again isn't as special as 'Tarkus'.
Final song 'Are You Ready Eddy?' is very R&B sounding Rock n' Roll song that very much sounds like a Little Richard if he was Prog song and I do think this is the best song after Tarkus although it still is far behind that one.
favourites: Tarkus, Tarkus, Tarkus & Tarkus
least favourites: Jeremy Bender, Infinite Space (Conclusion)
Rating: decent 8 (10 if it was Tarkus twice)
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4
Jul 30 2024
View Album
Ten
Pearl Jam
Undoubtedly one of the most overrated albums ever. Don't get me wrong, it is a good album with a lot of influence that it had on Grunge but the praise it still gets more than 30 years later while having aged not really well nor bad baffles me as a lot of the songs are very average and just even out due a couple of really great songs.
'Once' opens the album with a somber guitar that transitions into a very Hard Rock instrumental and like most of the album you understand a bit of what is sung but ultimately have no clue of what's going on. And I don't think that it's a bad thing. It adds a uniqueness to it that makes Pearl Jam a very differentiable act. The song itself is pretty good and the chorus is pretty nice although the work around the chorus is improvable.
The legendary 'Even Flow' follows and is without a doubt one of the best songs on here. For me the song just has a very even flow (sry) as it keeps steady and keeps me interested even when the chorus isn't there. My only criticism is that the guitar solo and the bridge at the halfway mark weren't really needed and just streches the song unnecessarily.
The greatness stays with 'Alive', another very widely known track that brings in much more emotional depth instead of having the classic "rock to it" attitude. And while that makes it one of the most interesting and gripping moments on the album, I do think that they could've done a little bit more in terms of making it a more emotional listen than it already is. But the final guitar solo is one of if not the best on the album.
'Why Go' follows with a very overblown vocal delivery that just does not work in the way it is mostly performed. I do not care for it most of the time although the chorus is pretty neat once it starts.
While it also feels a little overblown at the start, once 'Black' reaches the climax with the piano it does make a pretty deeply touching song and the guitar solo the second time just adds even more. I just think that another band could've made the song into MUCH more than it came out here. Still a great piece.
'Jeremy' is another one of the widely known songs this album offers. And it is in my opinion the worst one so far. It isn't a bad song but it fails to hook with the hook, to make me emotional with the performance or interested in anything they do on here. It's there and has some neat moments but ultimately fails to make anything noteworthy.
The second half starts with 'Oceans' and it has a similar problem to 'Jeremy' as the song does not appeal to me in any way. Only that I here feel like they had a much bigger intention and ambition that in the end couldn't be fully implemented.
'Porch' is much better but I still don't care much for it. I don't have much to say about it except that I do not mind the song but it isn't as interesting as most previous stuff.
The next song 'Garden' is much better though. The early appearing chorus and the the strong difference between the loud and noisy chorus and the slower and quieter verses work really well and make this another more emotional cut on the album and easily my favourite on this half of the album and the album in general.
But the momentum isn't held as 'Deep' is another rather forgettable song. The vocal performance on the chorus is pretty strong though.
'Release' is conceptually a very different song as the song itself is with over 6 minutes the longest but includes a "hidden track" at the end called 'Master / Slave'. 'Release itself is actually pretty good in the way it adds a lot of characteristics of Post-Punk and builds up pretty nicely. It's just that the tension build doesn't release into anything worthy. The chorus is very basic and the way it vocally goes into that is even more average. Having just the influences from another genre and a bigger length doesn't make it as great as it could've been. The ominous ending that is 'Master / Slave' is pretty great in comparison and makes it ultimately a track worthy of being here.
favourites: Garden, Alive, Even Flow, Black
least favourites: Oceans, Porch, Deep
Rating: decent 7
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4
Jul 31 2024
View Album
Smile
Brian Wilson
I'm just saying: If you want to hear the best version of the Smile album, listen to the 2011 released original 1967 album. Not that this album is bad and it definitely was better than 'Smiley Smile' but 'The Smile Sessions (2011)' is just the proper way to enjoy these tracks best.
Anyway, if you are not familiar with what this album is: basically Brian Wilson (from the Beach Boys) had a project planned after 'Pet Sounds' but had to scrap that after the were more and more disagreements within the band. The songs were stripped down into 'Smiley Smile' (1967) and Wilson did not touch the album due to the formation of a trauma as he began to drift into schizophrenia and depression. In 2003 he made a live version of the album with new overworked melodies/structures and decided to make that into a studio album a year later.
Movement One:
The albums beginns with the vocal-only intro of 'Our Prayer / Gee' that turns halfway through into a piano driven and typical Beach Boys vocal harmony. I don't mind the song but I am not much interested in it either.
The end of that song announces the next 'Heroes and Villains' a song filled with a lot of vocal harmonies and (considering 1967) experimental pop takes that in 2003 were simply artistic choices rather than "weird". Still, the song is very memorable and moves through different stages and has a couple of "false" endings where you think the song is over for a second but then it comes right back with more vocal harmonies. My only real criticism is that it feels a bit streched halfway through. Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were great in making short but effective pop songs but at nearly 5 minutes it does get a bit ponderous.
A song that might not be as strong in terms of being as instantly recognisable and catchy, 'Roll Plymouth Rock' still has a lot of great moments and I think it doesn't loose its momentum as much as 'Heroes and Villans'. The Hawaiian part is also really catchy and I at first thought he sang "Hallelujah" but no, it's Hawaiian.
'Barnyard' is a pretty short but cute interlude between the songs. I like the animal sounds and all around. It's cute, that's it.
'Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine' is another "interlude" type song but instead of being pretty cute, it's rather boring. I feel it only deserves to be here as a bridge between 'Barnyard' and the next song.
And speaking of the next song, 'Cabin Essence' is a pretty good song. It has a nice transition between cowbells, violins and harmonica that make the song just flow in between its parts.
Movement Two:
The second half beginns with 'Wonderful' a pretty nice song that has a very lush warmth to it. It isn't anything crazy but it works and that is what counts.
That song transitions into 'Song for Children' that works a lot with multiple transitional harmonies in the chorus that switch between the singers with Wilson taking the main presence. A really neat song that adds another memorable piece to the album.
'Child Is Father of the Man' takes a darker approach to the same song that was 'Song for Children' and it surprisingly works. The duality that are both songs make it a great transition without even having one noticable. A great idea with a great execution.
The song 'Surf's Up' became the title track for the Beach Boys 1971 album. Nontheless, it was a part of the Smile Sessions and I'm happy they included it here as it is one of the best tracks on the album. It has a somber start that works while taking most of the song but when the chorus starts, the song is elevated even more. It is one of my favourite moments and near the end the "Father of the Child" motive is repeated once more closing of this second half perfectly.
Movement Three:
The last part starts with the short medley of 'I'm in Great Shape / I Wanna Be Around / Workshop' that works much better compared to 'Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine'. It's transitions are noticable but not disruptive and the workshop part is really funny.
A much weirder song is 'Vega-Tables' that actually features much less vegetables than the original version and as I am not a big fan of the vegetables, I actually prefer this version although I still don't like it as much as other tracks. The vocal harmonies are pretty good though.
Another repetion of an earlier motive has 'On a Holiday' that has the 'Roll Plymouth Rock' chorus integrated.
That transitions into 'Wind Chimes' another more laid-back but effective song that strips down on a lot of the "wall of sound" instrumentation. The result is a cute song in which every detail is noticed. And then out of nowhere comes it all back with loud and dense instruments and as fast as it cames and vanishes before re-appearing to form the songs outro. And although there is a lot of dynamic, I am not the biggest fan.
A pretty weird song 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow' with all the "gnome laughing" and goofy sound effects that actually elevate this song more than one would think. Still a rather forgettable song.
'In Blue Hawaii' is the best one on this part of the album so far. It is catchy, interesting and doesn't disrupt as much as other songs. The vocal effects are also really adding to the experience of the song.
And of course, to close it all off: 'Good Vibrations'. The legendary and incredible song that is good in every version that the Beach Boys or BW recorded. And while I prefer the original, this is still the best song on the album. A worthy and perfect closing track.
If I had to rank all three movements it would be:
1. Movement 2 (Wonderful -> Surf's Up)
2. Movement 1 (Our Prayers / Gee -> Cabin Essence)
3. Movement 2 (I'm in Great Shape / IWBA / WS -> Good Vibrations)
favourites: Good Vibrations, Surf's Up, Song for Children + Child Is Father of the Man
least favourites: Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine, Our Prayer / Gee, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vega-Tables
Rating: strong 7
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4
Aug 01 2024
View Album
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
Before this album, Dylan was known as THE modern songwriter and folk artist, being named the voice of his generation and a major part of early 60's counter- and youth culture. He introduced thousands of people into Folk music and made the genre pretty much his own.
But when this album released with the electric guitar and rock music influences, people were disappointed in him and his way of changing his sound. Looking back, that was stupid as he pretty much made his best albums with that sound. But he didn't go Folk Rock right away as only the first half of the album is the typical Folk Rock fashion.
'Subterranean Homesick Blues' opens the album with fast lyrics and dense instruments that can only make one interested in this album. The lyrics are weird but incredible (like most of Dylans) and there is an argument to be made that this is one of his best songs. I just wished the song was a little longer with a more extended harmonica solo.
A change of pace is 'She Belongs to Me' with a more sombre but still interesting approach that buts the electric guitar more into the background and let the acoustic work shine a bit more. It's a great song and the electric guitar adds a lot even if not that present.
Another big highlight is the countlessly covered 'Maggie's Farm'. Dylan's voice gets a bit weirder again and I have to say that I absolutely love it even if I had my struggles the first times listening to his music. The little bits of Country and Rockabilly sprinkled throughout are gorgeous and the chorus is incredibly catchy.
With 'Love Minus Zero / No Limit' we get a hint of what some songs on his future albums will mostly sound like and while he definitely hasn't perfected the sound yet, it is still great. For me this song just screams 'Blonde on Blonde' Side 3. The song is still incredible and I absolutely love his delivery of the lyrics. But, like 'Subterranean Homesick Blues', he should've made it longer.
'Outlaw Blues' goes a lot more into the fast paced Blues influence from the first track and while it isn't as incredible as that one, this is still catchy and groovy. Just a prefect blend of his styles and influences.
In comparison 'On the Road Again' falls a little short. Still a great song, it's just not as dynamic with its sounds as most other songs so far. Although I love it still, this is the "worst" song on the first half.
The funny false start intro of 'Bob Dylan's 115th Dream' might sound weird at the beginning but once the song does start, it is really solid. More than solid actually. The song is the second longest on the album but feels not that much longer compared to the mostly 3 minute rest. The build-up is done fabulous. My only slight criticism is that around the halfway mark, the song gets a little unfocused which does slightly harm its consistency and overall flow.
The non-rock influenced Folk side starts with the legendary 'Mr. Tambourine Man' that mainly earned that title with "The Byrds" cover version released only a couple months later. And I do think that this original version feels less spot on. The start is great and so is the lyricism throughout but I just get uninterested after a while with the repeating chorus and verses that don't feel like they are going anywhere. He should've cut the song after 4 minutes. That may all sound negative but I think its still a really good song all throughout.
'Gates of Eden' is what an acoustic Dylan is supposed to be: more ominous performance performance, familiar yet weird lyricism and a slight anger in the quirky vocal performance. Oh, and a randomly appearing harmonica. I absolutely adore this song and Dylan's performance and I wish that this is what he would've done with 'Mr. Tambourine Man' but like that song, this song is also a little bit too long although I don't mind it as much.
I'm a little conflicted on 'It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)'. It is in the eyes of a lot of Dylan fans one of his best songs of all time. It is really innovated with the Beat Poetry style vocal delivery and the lyrics are among his best on the album. The slight Blues influences on the guitar work are catchy and drive the song throughout with a kind of flow that is really one of a kind. But all through the whole song, I don't really fall in love with it. It's great, perfect even if viewed on a pure songwriting and skill level but it doesn't really light the spark that other of his songs did.
The album closes on 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' that I think is the best song on this half of the album. It's a very emotional outro to the album that is very memorable with the chorus. I absolutely love this song. It is so gorgeous.
favourites: It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, Subterranean Homesick Blues, Maggie's Farm, Outlaw Blues, Love Minus Zero / No Limit, She Belongs to Me
least favourites: Mr. Tambourine Man
Rating: strong 9
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5
Aug 03 2024
View Album
White Ladder
David Gray
With albums like this I am stunned that some people find them exceptional or still relevant when all this is is bland and uninteresting mid-90's Pop Rock with a mellow undertone that fails to deliver.
This is just a dreadfully boring release with nearly no redeeming quality.
'Please Forgive Me' opens the album with a looping keyboard and a atmospheric and quiet Drum and Bass rhytmn section. While that sounds interesting, the execution is very average and boring. The songwriting aims to be introspective and deep but just does not get anything across. And that is already one of the better songs on the album.
A similar approach goes with 'Babylon' and like before, the concept is not bad but the execution destroys whatever he wanted to achieve. It is only the Folktronica approach that makes this somewhat interesting throughout. The chorus is quite nice but is way to short and vanishes too fast.
What follows is the on one hand dreadfully boring on the other annoying 'My Oh My' that is just bad. It has no redeeming quality, does the one thing music should not do (be boring) and becomes annoying with the performance. The only thing not making this simply horrendous is the fact that it still is somewhat listenable just with a lot of (not good) pain.
The distorted drums of 'We're Not Right' with the somewhat interesting performance make this a more listenable and "standout" track even if it's still dreadfully boring.
'Nightblindness' which isn't even on the original Irish release of the album is so boring that there isn't even a bad thing that stands out. The only bad thing about this song is the song itself.
The second half of the album starts with 'Silver Lining' that is slightly more listenable even if "boring" is still the main descriptor of this track. The guitar in the background and a couple of moments save this from being totally bad. It is also way too long.
The title track 'White Ladder' is actually a quite nice song. Still not much interesting stuff that goes on but the things that are are pretty decent. I still think this is a very average song compared to most music but it's one of the better songs on the album.
'This Years Love' is another one of those "wannabe" introspective tracks that pretty much fail to execute all of what they try to be. The lyrics are meh, as is the piano playing and general structure of the song. This is just a 90's Ed Sheeran typical song. And after a while he repeats himself so much that I had to skip the last minute on all plays I've given this album.
There is only one song that I actually slightly like and that is 'Sail Away'. It's got a nice structure and the lyrics are more what they try to be. But it's mainly the chorus that makes this an okay song. It's nothing special but compared to most of the stuff you find on the album this just feels way less obnoxious. Does that make it an album worth listening? No.
The album (finally) closes on 'Say Hello Wave Goodbye' a nine minute song. I normally do not have a problem with songs that play a little longer, some of my all time favourites are in the 10+ minute range with a couple ranging into the 20 minute mark but in the context of this album it's just tiring. There is just no need for this cover song that didn't have really much lyrical content to begin with to be turned into a singer-songwriter piece. It does not work and it will never.
favourites: Sail Away, White Ladder
least favourites: Nightblindness, My Oh My, This Years Love
Rating: decent 4
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2
Aug 06 2024
View Album
Superunknown
Soundgarden
The album in which the Grunge took so much of a presence that some consider this to not even be Alt-Metal & Grunge but only Grunge even when a huge majority of the songs show to be some sort of Alt-Metal. Still, Grunge is the main genre of the album and should therefore be the main focus point.
Soundgarden had easily the best studio Grunge album. Sadly, or luckily (depending on how you view it), Nirvana had their legendary MTV Unplugged album released the same year. But the achievements that this album brought to the table make this an essential album even 30 years later.
The album opens on 'Let Me Drown', a perfect example of the heavy and Stoner Rock inspired metal sound the band is so good at creating. It starts with loud and catchy layered guitar riffs and an incredible vocal delivery. The song just makes you want to headbang. It's an energetic and sonically perfect intro into the album.
The next song 'My Wave' is much less Metal, even if it's still a very heavy song. Interestingly is this a much more psychedelic sound and I think the guitar pedal effects that is sometimes sprinkled throughout makes this really interesting. The chorus also works really well, it's just that I think that the song streches a bit too much near the end. It should've been cut to 4 minutes max as the last minute doesn't really add more to the song.
'Fell on Black Days' is one of the best known songs here and it most resembles the Grunge sound most people are familiar with through Nirvana. It's a really good songs but it doesn't really reach the edge that I loved so much with the opener. Compared to most of the album, this seems much more conventional and basic and I personally am not greatly interested with most of what the song does.
With 'Mailman' they get back to the heavier sound and there is a lot of heavy and "sludgey" guitar on here. In return the song comes out much more interesting and formed than its predecessor but unlike that, this is feels a little stretched towards the end of it and there isn't much of a catchy "something" that makes the song stick.
The title track 'Superunknown' follows with a very Hard Rock and Blues Rock inspired instrumentation that really drives the song and works much better as a point of focus. The vocals are killer and the chorus is simply epic. I absolutely see why this was chosen as the song to name the album after as it does summarize the album pretty neatly.
'Head Down' removes a lot of the heaviness and replaces it with a more psychedelic approach that works within the context of the time. The dreamy vocals and the washy guitars make this a noisy and dense but lovely and dreamy song that flows within itself. Even if I mainly prefer the more metal sounding songs on the album, this is easily one of the best they ever put out.
The song that everyone knows, 'Black Hole Sun', shows an even more Neo-Psychdelia rooted sound than before and like before it works perfectly. It starts with the legendary and dreamy guitars and the melodic and surprisingly clear vocals that seamlessly blend into the chorus that is even better. Even if it's a basic opinion, this is the best song on the album or at least in the Top 3. The whole song works and feels much less streched than most songs here. I absolutely adore every second from the guitar solo, the slightly changed chorus in the second half, the background vocals and the general structure.
The albums second half starts with 'Spoonman', a song that is much more complex in comparison to most of stuff you find on here. It has multiple, seemingly random, additions thrown in that make this together with the abstract lyrics a very weird but great listen.
'Limo Wreck' sounds like a very early Doom Metal song with the thick, slow and atmospheric guitar riff that goes the whole way through the song. It's dark, unsetteling and really feels like something Black Sabbath could've cooked up if they had Grunge back then. But the song suffers a little bit from a lack of focus near the end.
With 'The Day I Tried to Live' was the albums lead single and is therefore another pretty well known song. And although I prefer it over 'Fell on Black Days', I have similar criticisms towards it. It doesn't interest me for the most part and feels too basic and average. Of course it has some great moments but they are not worthy. It's a good song but just nothing more.
The short and not even 2 minute long 'Kickstand' is one of the few instances of a Punk sound that gets through. And although Punk isn't what they are used to do, it is a very solid song and is actually really interesting and does not feel like an Interlude at all.
'Fresh Tendrils' keeps a small amount of the Punk energy from before but turns it into a more Metal sounding track again. And unlike before, this doesn't work really well. It is still a good song but it feels very unfocused and unsure about itself. To my ears the song is either uninteresting or a little bit annoying.
A really underrated song is '4th of July'. It is easily the most Doom Metal the album gets. It is heavy and dark and the slight hints of Psychedelia make this an even more atmospheric and anxious listen. A perfect blend of all genres they are capable of using.
The short 'Half' that is another left-turn with the introduction of Raga-Rock (Indian Classical music inspired Rock) and hints of experimental parts. And although that might sound like it would derail the whole album, I think it works pretty good right before closing the album.
And the album closes with the dark and depressive 'Like Suicide'. The title pretty much says what the song is about and it gets the anxious and suicidal feeling very intensely across and closes the album with another perfect song even if it is the longest one but this time it definitely needed that length.
favourites: Black Hole Sun, Head Down, Like Suicide, Let Me Drown, Superunknown, 4th of July
least favourites: Fresh Tendrils, Mailman, Fell on Black Days, The Day I Tried to Live
Rating: light 9
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5
Aug 08 2024
View Album
A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
UK Hip Hop always stood in the shadow of its US origins and it mostly does not get close to it. Of course there are exceptions like Little Simz who is one of the best modern Rap artists. Ms. Dynamite in the eyes of some does recieve a similar credit especially with this album that blends Neo-Soul, R&B & Hip Hop into a diverse and interesting album although it is really inconsistent and sometimes all over the place with the ideas and influences.
It starts with the short but actually really good 'Natural High (Interlude)' that works as a intro and I really like the low-paced, mainly Synth & Bass background beat that makes you interested with what else the album is going to feature.
'Dy-Na-Mi-Tee' seems to be loved by many but I just think it's annoying. The "e-hee" part in the chorus makes my ears bleed. Just let MJ do a "Hee-Hee" part because this just destroys a theoretically solid song with that god awful chorus. It is even more embarrassing considering this is HER song with it pretty much being an introduction into her persona.
Much better is 'Anyway U Want It' that features a typical 90's R&B chorus by a featured singer and a Hip Hop Soul beat. It's pretty solid but nothing crazily interesting.
The arguably one of the best songs on here is 'Put Him Out'. It's a fast and slightly angry song that has a great rhythm and a pretty diverse beat. It isn't a perfect song but gets close with a couple of parts including the Jazz piano that starts shortly before the chorus.
The more sentimental 'Brother' features a nice melody and great vocal harmonies. It is a nice blend between R&B beat, Soul singing and a few Rap bars. Ulimately a decent song that doesn't really get the edge it should maybe have.
The sample heavy 'It Takes More' follows with another great song and definitely a top-tier song compared to most the album offers. It's a more hard-hitting beat that strangely works really well with the more laid-back and singing provided rapping.
The greatness of before is a bit lost with 'Sick 'n' Tired' that just isn't as interesting as a lot of that we already heard. It's mainly boring especially with the lackluster performance and the bars that just don't really have a lot of lyrical or emotional depth to it. Just a very "meh" song; It's "ok".
'Afraid 2 Fly' has a really interesting beat that isn't really your average track because it features a lot of different samples that range from bells over water or rain to some really weird synths. That beat gives a great base to work on but she sadly didn't do that. The performance is way to basic for such a crazy beat. It feels contradictory and that in a bad way.
The albums second half starts with 'Watch Over Them' a short and acapella intro to that half that only features her rapping without a beat. She's just not good enough of an MC for that to work but nice try.
'Seed Will Grow' has some influence from Reggae, mainly with the featured vocals that are pretty much just Reggae but the beat also takes a couple of elements but in the end stay true to the Hip Hop Soul sound. It's alright but isn't really interesting outside of being pretty nice background music.
The more electronic based 'Krazy Krush' makes a slightly glitchy appearence but it does not really get to a point in which I like the sound that is created as the duality of beat and vocals don't fit. Like with many tracks: great idea and concept but she just isn't the right person to perform that. She would be a better artist as an album/song conceptualist for other artists than performing herself.
'Now U Want My Love' is another average R&B song that might have worked back in 2002 or as background music but in an active listen it's pretty boring.
The song 'Too Experienced' isn't available on streaming but was a part of the original album. I am not interested enough to check it out but I want to mention it for the albums wholeness.
'Gotta Let U Know' is another song that I am going to same thing about I said already a couple of times: average R&B song that didn't age well and is really uninteresting but still ok for the most.
An let's do it again for 'All I Ever' which is a, can you guess?, pretty average R&B song that has a couple of neat ideas but in the end comes of as, ..., just ok and mostly boring.
The albums title track and final song 'Little Deeper' had a little secret on the original CD. Because it if you did not stop the album after finishing it and just waited a hidden track called 'Get Up Stand Up' would play. And while that might have worked as a cool easter egg on CDs, it does not work with streaming and it's therefore really stupid to add just 4 minutes of silence in between the two songs... Anyway, the actual song is really boring but the hidden song is actually really good and I am surprised it isn't on the actual track list. It has a solid beat and great featured rapping. This is what the whole album should've been like. This is great!!! One of the best moments on the album and it isn't even an "offical" song. WHY??? WHY???
favourites: It Takes More, Get Up Stand Up, Put Him Out, Anyway U Want It
least favourites: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, Krazy Krush, Watch Over Them, Afraid 2 Fly, Gotta Let U Know, Little Deeper
Rating decent to strong 5
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3
Aug 09 2024
View Album
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
Miles Davis was already one of the biggest Jazz artist in the late 50's, being named the creator of Cool Jazz but even outside of that he made great albums in genres like Hard Bop and Bebop. But in 1959 he decided to get together with other artists like John Coltrance, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans to create an album that pushed the sound and possibilities of Jazz like few did before with all orignal compostions and improvs. Since then 'Kind of Blue' became the best selling Jazz album ever and it deserves that.
Is it my favourite Jazz album? No. Is it my favourite Miles Davis album? No, it's Nr.3.
Is it my favourite 50's album? No, because of "Somethin' Else" by Cannonball Adderley. But it is second place and one of only 4 albums from the 50's that I think are a 10/10 (as of right now).
The album opens on 'So What' that introduces the relaxed and cool but interesting and diverse approach this album goes. After a little piano intro it starts the theme that repeats through the song and that is played and improvised around with all the instruments. Every musician has his own parts to showcase their own virtuose playing, being the incredible drums, the complementary piano, the bass, both saxophones and how can you forget Miles Davis on the trumpet. This is a perfect song, a Jazz masterpiece, a piece of art that aged like or even better than wine. Depending on the day, this is my favourites track that the album offers.
'Freddie Freeloader' has a similar but not identical theme at the start of it but once it evolves from that it explodes into another masterpiece of song. It is the only song that does not feature Bill Evans on piano and Wynton Kelly proves that the song does not need him here as he takes full presence in the early parts of the track. From that it goes further in typical Jazz fashion. I love this one a lot but I feel that at a couple of moments it doesn't really hold the tention and interest in the way 'So What' did but even if, it is still magnificent.
The albums shortest and probably most famous song 'Blue in Green' that was co-composed by Bill Evans shines even with a shorter length with incredible musicianship and sprawling moments especially with the piano. My "problem" with the song is mainly that due to it being less than 6 minutes long, it can't really achieve the heights and moments of tension that make the songs here so incredibly important and good, even if it has the most emotional and sentimental trumpet solo on the whole album. Miles nailed it perfectly.
Side 2 opens with 'All Blues', the albums longest song. Right of the bat, this is my favourite song on the album. The theme at the start is so catchy and throughout the song, every performance works so well and is executed perfectly. I'm not even going to write much because I just want to enjoy the beauty of what is playing right now (this song). But I have to say that I absolutely love the way the theme comes back with the piano and then goes away to give more room for the sax and comes back the moment the sax goes. It's smooth and it's cool and it's just fabolous.
The album closes on 'Flamenco Sketches' and the title suggests that Miles has some sort of interest in Flamenco and Sketches... I know that seems a little redundant but one year later he released the album 'Sketches of Spain' in which he combines his Jazz with Classical Spanish Music to create a musical sketch of Spain and in doing so he did dabble into a bit of Flamenco. But that was already in the 60's and here there isn't really anything musically that hints towards that as it isn't much of a Flamenco Jazz piece even if you look deep. This is also the other song co-composed by Bill Evans and in this song one thing is clear: they both work together like Milk and Honey. I do not know how they do it but what they create here is full of moments that work so good together that the moment a sax starts to play, you kind of miss the trumpet. At least that is what I am feeling with the song. But do you know what else I am feeling?, another incredible song.
favourites: All Blues, So What, Blue in Green, Freddie Freeloader
least favourites: Flamenco Sketches if I HAD to pick
Rating: light to decent 10
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5
Aug 10 2024
View Album
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
The Zombies' whole musical status is 100% because of this record. All the other albums and projects they released could not create the magic and sparkle that this particular album had when it released. It was a beautiful blend of influences with own artistic twists and often very forward thinking songwriting and production choices that influenced a new wave of artists.
The album starts with one of its biggest songs. 'Care of Cell 44' features a great mix between Psychedelic and Baroque Pop and it instantly feels like the band took the best things from the Beach Boys, the best from the Beatles and added their own style of songwriting and lyricism. It is beautifully written and every part with the harmonies and breaks and build-ups work incredibly well. The chorus and its variants is always a worthy highlight.
'A Rose for Emily' starts as a piano driven ballad that slowly adds harmony and builds a beautiful story around it. A short but very sweet and delightful moment that shows not only an incredible vocalist in a much cleener form but also a simplistic but effective approach to songwriting.
The double influence is even more present on 'Maybe After He's Gone' that features harmonies that at some points feel like the Beach Βοys and the next moment like classic Beatles vocals. It is crazy how they can blend both of these styles into such a coherent and interesting sound while still feeling orignial and bringing own ideas and creative parts to it. I love the chorus and bridge but the instruments in the verses do feel a bit short thought. It is a brilliant song but in my eyes with possible improvements.
With 'Beechwood Park' we get very present organ and mellotron works that are made really lovely and add a kind of experimental but still comercial twist to their music. This might be one of the most influential moments in their whole career. The chorus is incredible and hypnotic and all the little details throughout just create one of the most psychedelic songs on the album and in the whole movement of the late 60's.
The in duet sung 'Brief Candles' is another magical song with very great moments and although having piano & vocal only verses can go very wrong, it's pretty good implemented and the denser chorus is very worth the wait. It's mainly the tension that makes this such a great listen even if it is a "weaker" song when compared to most of the album. The highs are some of the highest but the lows do fall a little too low to be considered a perfect song even if it'S really close.
One of the albums best songs is the legendary 'Hung Up on a Dream' that puts the psychedelia of previous tracks with more Rock influence into centre and features an incredible guitar solo. A masterful song to end the albums first half with as it features dreamy and hypnotic vocals that remind me a bit of 'I'm only Sleeping' by the Beatles and of course the guitar solo to complete the already perfect song.
'Changes' does start with the psychedelic organ that we are already used to but it does change its influences as this really seems to be inspired by early Pink Floyd with the "silly" lyrics and dreamy vocal performance. The song is really good but falls a little short in comparison to what already featured in this album.
Although I don't really like the mixing of 'I Want Her She Wants Me' as it does give me a little headache with how the vocals are so left panned, the song itself is really good. The chorus is catchy, the verses are interesting and beautiful and if the mixing was done properly, this would've been one of the albums best songs.
The very Beatles inspired 'This Will Be Our Year' really stands out with the use of piano as the main instrumental driving force that really complements the vocals and lyrics with a pretty simple but effective structure in the verses and a more complex sound in the bridge.
The very ominous and anxious intro of 'Butchers Tale' introduces one of the albums most interesting and experimental moments. This is such a different and ethereal song that really flows from verse to chorus and bridge that I am stunned on how they could work all that so well into one song. I absolutely love this track and I think this is easily the best one on the whole album. It's just so beautifully anxious.
'Friends of Mine' has a great chorus that is full of vocal harmonies and the dense arrangements full of different instruments that play together makes this a very bright and romantic part in the album that really makes you relax and happy with your own surroundings while still having a slightly hypnotic feeling to it.
The albums closing track 'Time of the Season' feels like the grand and nearly symphonic final moment for this album with all the interesting little details and instruments and weird "breath" groove as well as a brilliant chorus and mellotron solo. A perfect outro.
favourites: Butchers Tale, Beechwood Park, Time of the Season, Care of Cell 44, Hung Up on a Dream
least favourites: Changes, This Will Be Our Year
Rating: strong 9
5
Aug 12 2024
View Album
Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
This album is what happens when the on first impact forward thinking Synthpop is abused into dull and one dimensional "wannabe" music that lacks both delivery and writing. The songs try to be "special" and "interesting" but end up beeing repetetive and dull after a couple of minutes. Most of it tries to throw in as much 80's synth work and "experimental" bits that then turn into an incoherent mess of slightly below average 80's pop tunes that aged like raw milk. While, yes, this is a pretty good description on how most songs of that era and within the R&B and Soul realm sounded, the result we get is very, very boring. All the work was put into the actually really good sounding production but once it came to deliver or just put in some emotion... well that's the part they stopped.
'The Word Girl' opens the album with a Raggae influenced beat and mindnumbing average lyrics about... well, a girl. The idea that they were going for is very present but what came out is pretty much the defenition of average. They were going for a very synthy Soul sounding song but what lacks is the soul in here. It's a shell, like most the album presents.
The following 'Small Talk' might be a little more annoying at points but that makes it a "much" more interesting listen, even if I do not want to have any of this put near my ears anytime soon because it's definitely worse.
One of the better songs here is 'Absolute' that goes a more Funk and R&B approach opposed to the very Pop start. It is pretty decent but still nothing I will come back to on my own decision. It's listenable, it's got some groove and isn't as dreadfully boring. Just your slightly below average song with average sound and average performance. Not the best sign if that is the description for the arguably best song on the album.
The longest song here is 'A Little Knowledge', a track that sounds so fake and sterile that it made me feel ill. It is such a bad rip-off of Soul that I feel that they could've said the n-word and it would sound less racist. I'm normally all for sharing culture and don't really see cultural appropriation as a big problem but this?... oh god it's so bad. And let's not talk about the lyrics, they could've been written by 12 yr old girl that just startet writing "poetry".
'Don't Work That Hard' is just annoying. It might be even worse with the very annoying vocals and instruments that at one point seem to just repeat forever and loose even the little groove they had.
The albums second half opens with 'Perfect Way' that continues what was already here. Songs that are so boring that they become annoying and even when they aren't boring, they're annoying on their own. And both of that is mixed together so well (or bad) that everytime you hear any sound start, you already want it to end because you heard what the song can offer. The slight seconds of nothing at the start.
'Lover to Fall' is just cringe and it is so bad that the moment the mf that put his voice on here stops to sing, a relief starts to flow into your body and makes you even enjoy the bridge after the chorus.
With 'Wood Beez' we get a song that in comparison seems to be "good" but once you let the first few seconds of hope wear off, you find a song that sounds exactly like the rest with nothing that sounds good or original or interesting.
This dreadful piece of "music" ends with 'Hypnotize' and I am so happy that that song title is mainly connected to Biggie and NOT Scritti Politti because the song is, again, pretty bad. The vocals are annoying, the instruments feel sooo arrogant and I just want to hear this album end.
favourites: Absolute
least favourites: Don't Work That Hard, A Little Knowledge, Lover to Fall, Perfect Way, Hypnotize, Wood Beez
Rating: strong 2/10
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1
Aug 13 2024
View Album
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens or Yusuf, his now adapted stage name, had already a couple of projects released when this dropped but this hit like a bomb. Especially 'Wild World' was and still is a huge success. The album is full of peacefull and soft Folk Pop tunes that are all really cute and interesting.
'Where Do the Children Play?' opens the album with soft guitar notes and slowly builds up into more and more but not anxious tension that releases into a final vocal climax. A beautiful song with a great structure and sound that keeps you interested throughout. This is an incredible song with many great moments both lyrically and instrumentally.
The following 'Hard Headed Woman' is a much softer approach with the strings that at one point take most of the attention before the vocals explode out of nothing and completley contradict the start. It is a lovely song but I feel that at times it is a little streched rather than needed especially near the end.
The already mentioned 'Wild World' follows and I do think that it's the best song on the album. The chorus is super catchy and the structure is a great mix between conventional and special. The same can be said about the tension that it creates and releases perfectly for the chorus to start again. A perfect song with perfect execution. This is how a Folk Pop song should be done.
The more sentimental 'Sad Lisa' switches the guitar with a piano and creates a very sad sounding and emotionally dense track that is amplified even more with the mourning strings that let the song flow through the bridge.
'Miles From Nowhere' closes the albums first half with another great song that really shows the more fast-paced side of the album. It is a really great blend between the Folk Pop of before with more Rock influence. The only thing that I criticise about this song is that the verse can feel a little bland compared to chorus and bridge.
The short but sweet 'But I Might Die Tonight' starts the second side with another really good song that again has a little bit of Rock sprinkled in. The "ah-ah-ah" part is really good and for being so short, the song has quite the moments.
'Longer Boats' starts by sounding a lot like a Beach Boys inspired song and that typical vocal harmony style is kept throughout even if it is much less present than what is standard with the Beach Boys. But overall the song is much more average and isn't all that interesting compared to most this project offers.
The much more classic Folk inspired 'Into White' is a similar case of being not bad but much more average than most other songs. It's really cute and all but a very peaceful guitar and vocal sound but I'm just not widely interested with what is going on.
The by far longest song is 'On the Road to Find Out' is again a rather uninteresting song with the few moments that are being pretty overshadowed. But the length doesn't really matter here which is a pretty good sign because it doesn't get super tiring.
Just before the album finishes we get another classic. This time 'Father and Son' is a really simple but hypnotising song that shows the lyrical and songwriting abillity Cat Stevens has in the fullest potential. It's a really lovely song that really sticks out in this second half. This is a really emotional and deeply connecting song.
The one minute long title track 'Tea for the Tillerman' closes the album as a kind of outro that mainly plays with piano to create a song that sounds like a final symphonic end to this album.
favourites: Wild World, Where Do the Children Play?, Father and Son
least favourites: On the Road to Find Out, Into White
Rating: decent 8
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4
Aug 14 2024
View Album
Dog Man Star
Suede
I hate Britpop with every bone in my body and most of it is annoying and very underwhelming like Oasis, Supergrass or Blur which I all dislike to the point that I'd rather listen to Harsh Noise (shoutout to Merzbow) for the same duration. But this album's actually quite alright. It is darker and more introspective than most Britpop and what I like most about it, it isn't as arrogant as some Damon Albarn twat. Another thing that I think is brilliant is the mix between the slightly psychedelic Britpop approach with obvious 70's Glam Rock nuances that really speaks to my David Bowie loving heart, even if I do prefer his experimental period from '76 - '79.
'Introducing the Band' not only introduces the band but also the album with some really Neo-Psychedelia sounding Rock that starts with some noisy and washed instruments that even take some sitar and Raga into the sound. The vocals enter with a layered and echoey sound that are sometimes pretty hard to understand but that just enhances the psychedelic sound that they obviously try to create. The song is beautiful and interesting even if it is pretty short. The vocal performance also reminds at points of 80's goth rock which I also very welcome.
The following 'We Are the Pigs' is not only one of the albums biggest songs but also one of its best. It is full of noisy instruments that still leave enough room for vocals and guitar to shine in full clearness. The slightly symphonic approach to the chorus and vocals in general really shows the Glam they were going for. It's an incredible and emotional song with a really beautiful delivery all throughout.
The melancholic sound is kept with the intense 'Heroine' that really puts most of the emotional intensity into the chorus that really makes you feel the pain even when the delivery seems rather dreamy. It feels so weird with how the song is made up but weird in a good way. The whole song through I am not sure what exactly I am supposed to feel and that results in a mix of so many emotions that are both clear and washed. I absolutely love the song and especially the clear lead guitar that plays so beautifully.
The trilogy of possibly the best songs on the album ends with 'The Wild Ones'. Its vocals are much more present but still with the strong psychedelic sound and an incredible vocal performance and possibly the strongest showcase of the Bowie influence because you cannot tell me the chorus isn't straight up a Bowie song. It is a great song and although I don't love it as much as the previous two, it's still one of my favourites on the entire album especially with the climactic chorus and strings.
'Daddy's Speeding' does have some nice moments with the spacey guitar, the ethereal sounds and vocals but overall I am not really interested in the song. It feels much more "boring" than what already featured on the album. There are some moments that build beautiful tension, the release of that is pretty lackluster and the overall enjoyment is very lowerd by the fact that it's one of the albums longer songs.
With 'The Power' they return to the theatrical sound from before and the song is pretty good. It has some nice strings added, the vocals are great, the lyrics and the other instruments are really good. There isn't much bad things that I can say about it but somehow the song isn't as interesting as I would've hoped. It's good but doesn't get much higher than that.
'New Generation' is a song that mainly works because of the chorus and luckily the chorus is both long and really great. It's full of great vocals and lyrics as well as some nice brass instruments that were thrown in pretty fittingly. The lead guitar that switches channels at some points is really adding to the overall sound as well with some really nice playing. A really great song but I do think that they could've done slight changes. Still, a pretty much perfect one.
The albums second half starts with 'This Hollywood Life' and some saxophones that fade into a really noisy and bluesy guitar riff that is the main driving force of the song. I just think the song is a little to average in both delivery and structure. I am not really interested in it much but I do appreaciate some ideas and moments.
The Piano Rock beauty that is 'The 2 of Us' is the albums most underrated track. The best ones are those that everyone loves and knows but this is a song that isn't talked about much although I think that it's beautifully written and has a really great performed chorus as well as the piano that is just perfect for this song. The slow build-up towards the end adds some really needed diversity and when the flute enters, it gets even better. I don't think it's any type of masterpiece but should be talked about more in conversation around this album.
'Black or Blue' is similar to 'The 2 of Us' except that the verses surrounding the chorus aren't as interesting and the song just doesn't flow as great. The chorus is great, no question, but the song as a whole lacks a lot that I need to love it at its fullest.
The nearly 10 minute long 'The Asphalt World' isn't just one of the best songs on the album. It has a lot of influence from Prog Rock and it doesn't feel as long as it actually is. It is beautifully dark and full of incredible moments in both the verses and the chorus that builds more and more tension until it releases for short and goes again into more and more tension before abruptly fading into a quieter bridge. The guitar that drives the whole thing just works so perfectly with how it builds up. A gorgeous track that really is the climax of the album.
The album closes on the more laid back and slow 'Still Life'. It really feels like the end credits to a movie you just watched. It has something final and finished about it that just feels like the optimal closing track which it is. It closes the album in the way it should but the song itself isn't one of my particular favourites. It's not as interesting throughout or simply as emotional as other songs have been. It's just a great and symphonic closer.
Although it isn't part of the actual album and just became a single-only release, 'Stay Together' is too great not to at least mention. Be sure to listen to that one as well. It's incredible.
favourites: We Are the Pigs, Heroine, The Asphalt World, New Generation
least favourites: Daddy's Speeding, This Hollywood Life, Black or Blue
Rating: strong 8
4
Aug 15 2024
View Album
Rubber Soul
Beatles
The Beatles were already the best known band in the world but their critical acclaim at that point came from similar reasons that Taylor Swift today is getting decent ratings from the music critcs. But as they worked on "Rubber Soul" they added more "experimental" ideas and played with their music more which then resulted in an album that was so cohesive that the Beach Boys created Pet Sound just to not fall behind the futuristic way that this album sounded.
'Drive My Car' opens the album already with a great one. The song really gets you into the typical Beatles Rock n' Roll and Pop Rock sound that we and the people back then knew and loved. The song has a driving piano and cowbell that both add to a sound that feels very Blues Rock similar to the Stones. It's really solid track but nothing that would've completely f-ed your mind back when it released.
The weird stuff already gets present with the next song 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)' that not only isn't really Rock but more Folk Pop and it also features an instrument that back then, no one heard of but now is really connected to the Bealtes. This is the first Beatles song to feature a Sitar and Raga Rock, both being mainly inspired by Indian Classical Music. The song therefore has a certain "drone" to it. It's a great song but I personally don't love it as much as many others do although it is really well written both in a lyrical, songwriting and overall structure way.
The again more Rock sounding 'You Won't See Me' has some nice influences from Soul and R&B with their typical Pop Rock style. It's a pretty nice track but I am not crazy for it as there isn't much crazy things happening except the harmonies and a few moments in the chorus.
The Folk Pop returns on 'Nowhere Man' and in the same breath some great things return. This feels really reminiscent of the Byrds with the way it's structured and song and it pretty much has similar influences as it also has some moments you might already call "Jangle Pop".
'Think for Yourself' gets into more of the earlier terretory the Beatles worked in with a lot of Merseybeat and Pop influence. It's a pretty solid track but mainly shines with the chorus.
Same story with 'The Word': pretty good song with a great chorus and nice Mod and Beat influence but without anything that would make it REALLY special.
With the Folk Pop, the great songs return as 'Michelle' not only has a great chorus with cure French added but the whole song is beautifully written and cohesive with how its structured. The first song that I would call "incredible" as it aged very, very good.
The albums second half starts with a RINGO SUNG SONG!!! 'What Goes On' wan't written by him but his voice fits the song so well. I know not many will agree but this is another incredible song and one of the best ones on the album. It's just so cute and the way Ringo keeps the shuffle steady while singing is really crazy.
Lennon returns with lead vocals on 'Girl' which is another pretty solid song and the songwriting is really great as are the vocal harmonies in the chorus. It's a really well put together song that has some really nice moments all the way through but I'm not crazy about it.
'I'm Looking Through You' is a really underrated track. It is a great mix between most sounds and influences that were present thus far and the chorus is incredibly catchy and energetic which complements the rest of song very well.
There isn't much to say about 'In My Life' except that it's without a doubt the best song on the album. Everything about it is perfect: the verses, the lyrics, the songwriting, the chorus, the instruments, build-up, and everything else in there. It's also the best Beatles song before Revolver.
With 'Wait', I feel like they try to recreate something they already did over and over. It's a kind of annoying song although some parts are quite alright but that doesn't change the fact that it's the worst song on the album.
While 'If I Needed Someone' is significantly better, I still think that it's a pretty weak song in comparison. It's written in a very solid way but lacks any kind of interesting part that might hook me apart from it being somewhat pleasant to listen to.
The closing track 'Run for Your Life' gets a lot of hate and I get it. It is pretty... controversial in lyrical matter when looked at with todays standards but still, it is groovy as f*ck and it is detached enough from reality that I can enjoy the song regardless of what is sung about. And I have to say that I really like the song. It's really good.
favourites: In My Life, What Goes On, I'm Looking Through You, Michelle
least favourites: Wait, If I Needed Someone
Rating: strong 7 to light 8
4
Aug 16 2024
View Album
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
Siouxsie Sioux and her band the Banshees are considered to be one of the first Goth Rock bands together with Bauhaus. They released their debut in 1978 and build a solid career start with the following albums but as they released Juju, Goth Rock became a much more comercial genre but became as experimental as ever, slowly drifting from the very strong Punk roots. Juju was a success and is seen as one of the best Goth albums of all time with a mix between Post-Punk, Goth as well of hints from Psychedelia.
The albums opening track 'Spellbound' already is easily the best song on the album. It's incredibly catchy and full of energetic and groovy delivery. It's so fun while still holding the obvious dark tones that they and Goth Rock are known for. It already shows the mystical and magical sound a lot of the album shares as well as some clear psychedelic influence and is without a doubt the most consistently enjoyable song on the album and also one of the best songs they ever made.
Following that is another incredible song, 'Into the Light' is a more openly dark and introspective track that has echoey verses that build up into more and more instrumentation that release into a great chorus full of emotional singing and dark sounding effects around it. It is a beautiful song that shares so much with what Goth Rock was at that point in its evolution and saying this song pushed it even further is not to overlook. And while I love so many moments, there are others that I kind of feel aren't as interesting as they should've been for the song to work perfectly.
'Arabian Knights' completes the incredible trilogy that are the first tracks. It adds much more cryptic themes in the lyrics that are portraied with such perfection that the song sounds as ominous as it could possibly have been. A wonderful showcase of what she and her band was able to create as the song is both full of dancable, rhythmic and melodic playing but still shows the clear dark themes and soul that is so present with the genre.
The very anxious guitar playing at the start of 'Halloween' really gets you into a state full of nightmarish magic that is broken up by Siouxsie's vocals that build up and finalise in a similar anxious playing that just adds to the overall build-up of the song. I think it's a gorgeous song with so much Post-Punk energy all throughout.
The albums first half closes with the noisy and hardcore sounding 'Monitor' that is another definitive album highlight. It perfectly blends the sounds of early Hardcore Punk with the atomspheric and dark sounds of Goth Rock to create a song that is so interesting with everything that happens at all time that it's pretty much impossible to not be interested with what is happening. Especially the bridge is done so well that I think it actually makes the whole song even better.
Side B starts with 'Night Shift', a dark and, compared to most songs here, long song at 6 minutes of runtime. But it works that way. The guitar that builds tension the whole way really makes this an anxious and surreal song that gives out a lot of unease as it both feels like being hunted at night and being locked up in a dark room. It is a perfect mix of emotions that result in a song so gripping that I think that this is the albums emotional highlight.
The following 'Sin in My Heart' is plays with even more tension and unease starting right at the start with dissonant guitar playing that slowly adds more and more until Siouxsie comes with energetic and raw vocals that are some of the punkiest on the entire record. The song keeps the dissonance but doesn't get to weird or avant-garde and keeps it just at the level of giving a feeling of discomfort. Another incredible song the whole way through.
'Head Cut' keeps the energy of before but doesn't really give the weird feelings of before. That doesn't mean that it isn't interesting as there are a couple of moments her vocals turn into something you'd probably hear at an exorcism ritual. It is probably the "least interesting" right of the bat but the song still is an incredible throughout with many great moments that still make this a one of a kind listen and another perfect song.
The album closes on the longest one it has to offer as 'Voodoo Dolly' is 7 whole minutes long. It starts slow and quiet but builds over the span of multiple minutes into a louder and with more and more tension provided song that builds up into a superb final moment. But the some moments that got the song where it ended do feel a little bit "left aside", if that makes sense. It's still a great song but when held side to side with the rest of the album it does pale a little bit.
favourites: Spellbound, Night Shift, Sin in My Heart, Monitor, Halloween, Arabian Knights, Head Cut
least favourites: Voodoo Dolly (if I HAD to pick one)
Rating: light to decent 10
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5
Aug 17 2024
View Album
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
The Beatles split, released an album called "Let It Be" with pretty much two good songs that became instant hits and started own careers with solo projects that gave us albums like "All Things Must Pass", "Imagine" or "McCartney". Ringo also did some stuff but that wasn't as groundbreaking. But after some years Paul got bored and wanted some guys arround him that weren't called "Lennon" so he made the band "Wings" and had some decent success but in '73 that changed as "Red Rose Speedway" and this album were both released and had major mainstream success. And "Band on the Run" became a classic with many widely kown songs such as the title track.
To the album itself, it's a pretty cute Pop Rock album with great songwriting and sometimes great performances. It's diverse in its sound and enjoyable throughout but it's not really one of the greatest albums ever.
The title track 'Band on the Run' opens the album with soft and playful guitars that have a significant country influence and are kept pretty much the whole way through. There is also keyboard and of course Paul himself on the vocals and a lot of other stuff. The song is really nice but I think that some parts just weren't needed and feel pretty redundant but to be fair, the chorus is amazing and carries the song.
The title track is the best known song but I think 'Jet' would be much more deserving of that title. It's got some slightly noisy synths and great orchestration and the powerful expression in the chorus that just yells at you is amazing. I also think that it's much more consistent than its predecessor. But it is a bit to long and streches towards the end, something that BOTR did better. So overall... they're pretty equally great.
The more laid-back and Folk inspired 'Bluebird' follows with some influences from Smooth Jazz and Bossanova behind the obvious Pop song. It's a really cute song with a great melody and songwriting. I found myself really enjoying the arrangements outside of the typical instruments with the cowbell, the saxophone and other weird things that add a slight tropcial feel to the song. It's very beautiful and gorgeous the whole way through even when there isn't anything that makes the song "stick out" in a particular way.
The very silly chorus of 'Mrs. Vandebilt' really sets the song apart from most of what the album featured so far and I think that the whole song is really incredible. It flows with great structure and I love the bass on this one. I think, this is the first song with the potential of being perfect but again after a while it looses me and turns a little dull and even annoying with the chorus that repeats so much.
'Let Me Roll It' goes a much more bluesy way and in return it's one of the better songs so far... at least for many people. I personally just don't see the greatness that many portrait into this. I like it but it isn't anything of so much greatness that I'd call it one of the albums best songs. The chorus is pretty good but the verses and the bridge are not interesting to me at all.
The second side starts with 'Mamunia' that features soft and folky guitar playing and a chorus that is pretty annoying after a while, something many songs share on this album. The song is pretty boring and dull with the only thing that saves it for me at least a little bit being the percussion that sometimes features something bongo-like but as it isn't there most of the time, the song falls into something very average and, well, boring.
The short but sweet 'No Words' follows with cute orchestration and nice songwriting but basic performance and delivery that results in it being cute but very forgettable. That's it. Nothing more to say.
'Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)' starts off by sounding awfully lot like a Dylan song but it turns into something very progressive and beautiful and is without a doubt a rise from the slumber that the last couple tracks were. It isn't as great some stuff at the starts but a lot of the weird and experimental combined with the very comerical pop sound makes a cohesive and enjoyable song that even goes back to 'Jet' for a couple of repeated tape choruses that glide into the "Drink to Me" chorus. It has many great moments but some dull ones too that overall make it a little less enjoyable as I would've wished but still... really good.
The albums closing track 'Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five' close the album with a dancey and piano driven track that makes a very enjoyable finale and really lifts up the whole experience. It's symphonic and orchestral but leaves room for ideas and instrument to shine. I think that it's one of the albums best tracks and on a level with BOTR maybe even better.
favourites: Band on the Run, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five, Jet, Bluebird
least favourites: Mamunia, No Words, Let Me Roll It
Rating: decent to strong 7
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4
Aug 18 2024
View Album
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
I am shocked because I thought that this will be one of the worst albums that I will ever listen to but no... it's ok. Yes, it is Teen Pop with lyrics that not only sound but were written by a teenage girl that just found a "love" for songwriting. But there is something very innocent, even with some not so innocent moments, and sweet about it. Like a cringe memory to the teenage years, very dated but with nostaliga. And there are some geniuenly good written tracks on here.
Of course '...Baby One More Time' is a classic song that everyone knows but it probably has the same amount of haters as lovers. I, as a "music critc", feel kind of obligaded to choose the first but I do geniunely like the song. It is banger song and so fun to listen to. It's not a perfect song though. There are a couple of very boring moments that do drag down the overall enjoyment but once that chorus comes I am hooked again. HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!!!!!!!
Even when you'd expect that the album stops with good songs, '(You Drive Me) Crazy' keeps quality even if it is slightly less of a earworm. Again, the hook and chorus are very catchy but the main highlight is probably the production that is actually a really solid New Jack Swing beat. I like this song pretty much on the same level as the title track.
The following 'Sometimes' is a much more basic Teen Pop track that doesn't cut the edge at all neither with lyrics, songwriting, hooks or even production. It is just a slightly below average Pop song that is weirly annoying. I do not like this song... It's too girly teen for me. It sounds like the song played in the end credits of a horse movie. I do not like horses or movies and especially not horse movies.
There is a slight change of genre on 'Soda Pop' with the introduction of Ragga, a Dancehall subgenre that brings in a "deejay" who is similar to an MC as both deliver raps. That makes the song weirdly catchy and different but not necessarily better. I'd argue that it's even more annoying but as there are some catchier hooks and a better production present, I think it's solid but not good.
There is a really lovely production on 'Born to Make You Happy' wasted on an average artist. It's not bad... in fact the song as a whole is quite good. But other artists could've made much more with the beat than Britney did. But, as said, it's a good song just not anything crazy. Its got a nice chorus that really sticks out but the bridge is cringe. The songwriting and the vocal melody is great though. Overall a pretty good song... good but not great.
The slow and mellow 'From the Bottom of My Broken Heart' is just a very average Pop song with not many interesting moments or songwriting. I actually hate it. The melody feels fake and overdone, the production tries more than it actually does and the lyrics are even worse than normally. Nothing about this is worthy listening to exceot maybe the vocals in the chorus? It is also way to long.
The albums second half starts with 'I Will Be There' which features a much more Rock infused sound that makes this not only different but also a little more interesting... at least at the start. The actual song is pretty bad. Not dreadfully annoying but boringly bad. Not much here that really does anything. Meh...
The same thing happens with 'I Will Still Love You', it's too basic with not enough moments to make it at least with one thing interesting. The main difference is that this song has a feature that is really bad. So naturally the whole song sucks. It's not completely bad but it isn't good.
(For those listening on streaming: Deep in My Heart wasn't part of the original US release, only the EU bonus track release, so skip it if you want to)
'Thinkin' About You' is the same thing again. It's boring without many catchy moments. The production is alright which makes it a passable song but far from being good. I absolutely do not care.
The bad aged and bad lyrics of 'E-Mail My Heart' are much less than what they try to be. And considering that it's supposed to focus especially on that aspect on the song... it's not really well executed. But there is one thing that is exectuted pretty great: the songwriting. The song has a really good structure, good vocals, a melody that really sticks and a pretty great chorus. It is a pretty underrated song and I think a good song. Nothing crazy or worthy listening to but it is good.
The most "experimental" (in VERY BIG quotation marks) song 'The Beat Goes On' closes the album in a mix between the usual style combined with Big Beat and Dub. It's pretty interesting even if it feels so weird on the album but it is a really good song. I wish more on the album sounded like this because this is really f-ing good. (not great though)
favourites: ...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Born to Make You Happy, The Beat Goes On, E-Mail My Heart
least favourites: From the Bottom of My Broken Heart, I Will Still Love You, Sometimes, Thinkin' About You
Rating: decent to strong 5
https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
3
Aug 19 2024
View Album
Ctrl
SZA
In 2016 Frank Ocean released 'Blonde' a creative masterpiece that elevated R&B and Soul into a whole new generation of modern artistry and SZA was one of the first to take the blueprint that the album was and add an own spin to it. The result is an album full of great writing, masterful production and great vocals and raps.
The opener 'Supermodel' starts the album with a tape recorder intro that transitions into a guitar driven and smooth playing that feels weirdly hypnotic. This is a perfect example of what I meant with Frank Ocean with her own twists. It feels like something you'd find on a Frank album with the difference that her vocal style complements this instrumental in a whole different way. It's an absolutely gorgeous intro that builds up more and more tension by adding more and more instruments. A wonderful start to a wonderful album.
'Love Galore' features visionary Travis Scott who revolutionized the psychedelic Trap sound and made one of the best albums in that genre with Rodeo. The Trap Soul sound of this song works well with both artists own styles and singing. I really like the styles that are blended here while still sounding true to what the first track introduced. I just personally don't love it as much as others do but I can see the greatness in it even if it doesn't touch me to the core.
With 'Doves in the Wind' the sound changes from Trap Soul into a more Trip Hop sounding beat that really feels Kendrick Lamar inspired and funnily enough he is featured and as always he rocks it. You can hear that he's in his "DAMN. era" which I like the least and I therefore don't love it as much as other Kendrick features but it is great nonetheless as is the whole song especially with the chorus.
In most peoples eyes, 'Drew Barrymore' is the best song on the album. I agree. It is a masterful blend between her immature but great lyrics with the Soul and Hip Hop sound while building up more and more tension into a nearly psychedelic sound while keeping a great delivery throughout. It's lovely and simply beautiful. I love it.
'Prom' goes a more Synthpop style while still having the incorporations with the Neo-Soul style. It has a lovely sound and chorus with all the layered vocals but the highlight is definitely the beat. It's a pretty good song with great moments that overall sadly don't appeal as much as they could have but I still like it a lot.
With 'The Weekend' the Trap returns but much less present than when Travis was featured. It is a a pretty nice and chill song with multiple great moments especially in the detailed production but outside of that it doesn't appeal to me as much as the instrumentals might could've offered. In that way it is pretty much like 'Prom'. The ending is phenomenal though, what a great way to close a song.
'Go Gina' is a much better delivered track that works much better overall even if the details are a bit less present. It's mainly that the way it flows the whole way through while keeping the interest with the listener with the chorus. All that makes it slightly better compared to the two songs before but I missed a lot of the details as mentioned. So in the end... all close by each other.
There is a lot of electronic bass work on 'Garden (Say It Like Dat)' that results in something that shouldn't really work but still does. It is detailed, interesting and most importantly just a great written song. It is a great song to close the first half to.
The albums third and last single 'Broken Clocks' is another great song. The "breathy" beat adds an interesting twist but I am ultimately annoyed by it a bit. SZAs delivery is really great and might be the best on the album in that more Rap inspired style. I think this is a wonderful song and a definitive standout to the album.
'Anything' keeps the great delivery on top of a very nice beat and although I pretty much love everything about the song, the breaks that are all the way throughout the song make it a bit annoying to listen and break the flow that it could've build. Twice and it would've worked but the way it's done is just to much and once it does switch to another beat it ends way to fast. This had so much unused potential.
Although it's just an interlude 'Wavy (Interlude)' is actually a pretty great track. In the short time it plays it actually has a lot going on with the feature and the fast but great deliverd lyrics. I actually wished this wasn't an interlude and extended into a full song.
The very sentimental 'Normal Girl' might be the most emotional cut on the album and it also features an incredible vocal delivery in the chorus. It is weirdly relatable even as a guy. It is so underrated and I wish more people gave it the credit that it rightfully deserves. This is the albums second best song and maybe after listening to the album a little bit more... I might prefer it over 'Drew Barrymore'.
The pretty Wonky and slightly electronic 'Pretty Little Birds' is another decent cut from the album. It is a really solid and diverse track with the added saxophones that randomly appear for a couple of seconds before the song returns to the mix of Hip Hop and detailed R&B. But overall it starts stronger than it ends and the change of it happens pretty much after the first sax appearence. When the return we get a very raw and raspy feature from Isaiah Rashad that works better than it should which results in making the whole song more interesting than it would've been if SZA was going at it solo.
The albums closing track '20 Something' sounds very much like the opener with a strong focus on guitar and vocals that might be enough to call it Singer-Songwriter. I absolutely love the performance and lyrics as well as the chorus. It is such an incredible way to close an album like this and it's easily one of my favourite songs here.
favourites: Drew Barrymore, Normal Girl, 20 Something, Supermodel, Broken Clocks
least favourites: Go Gina, Prom, The Weekend,
Rating: Strong 8
4
Aug 20 2024
View Album
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
There is no need to pretend like Willie Nelson isn't one of the greatest and most influential country artists of all time. There is something very calm and relaxing about his music, perfect for a campfire night out in the American west. And with 'Red Headed Stranger' he not only created an album full of short but sweet and mellow songs with great songwriting but also an album that really cemented him as one of the most forward thinking artists in 70's country scene. At at this point he was well above his contemporaries even Johnny Cash (at that time).
The album opens on the very Outlaw Country 'Time of the Preacher' that puts his songwriting and lyrics into the spotlight while still adding more guitar and effects throughout that add to the sound of a man in the Western-inspired outlaw imagery like most of the albums songs. It is a very sweet but interesting song with well implemented percussion.
The similar 'I Couldn't Believe It Was True' mainly stands out with the country guitar solo in the bridge and the fast paced second half that has a very present bass work. It's a really good song, I like it a lot.
The continuation of 'Time of the Preacher Theme' returns to the first song in a pretty great way. It has some nostaliga to it even if the actual song was less than two minutes before. It's pretty cute.
The 'Medley: Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger' is very simple because it pretty much only has acoustic and bass guitar on it but that results in a pretty emotional story that doesn't take more room than it needs. I like it even if it doesn't really achieve the interesting highs of before.
The albums greatest song, 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' is easily the most sentimental and universally emotional song here with a great depiction of love in a very pure way. It kind of reminds me of "Pale Blue Eyes" by the Velvet Underground for some reason but that only adds to the greatness. A nearly perfect calm Country song.
The title track 'Red Headed Stranger' extends the short intro we got to the song with the medley but this time it can shine much more. The songwriting is phenomenal, it flows and the different instruments that appear only add. Especially the very quiet but sweet piano in the second half makes this even more special than it already was. I think this would've been a perfect song if it was a little rougher around the edges and maybe even a little shorter but still, I love it.
We get another but even shorter version of 'Time of the Preacher Theme' that works as a great interlude and adds in my opinion more to the albums flow than intended.
The piano is much more present on 'Just as I Am' and drives this instrumental outro that closes the albums first half with a great and sentimental melody. This is more genius than others might give credit for. It feels like an outro which it is if you listen to it on vinyl and I love it when artists put certain themes to each half of the album and this is great example as seen by the Time of the Preacher parts.
The second Side opens on 'Denver' which is another song with great songwriting that really flows through the song but I would've wished that it was a little longer because I really like the sound of it. Still, I think this is a great song.
'O'er the Waves' is has a very "Mexican" sound to it, if that makes sense and I do like how it plays and works as an interlude but if the previous track was longer, this would've shined even more.
With 'Down Yonder' we get a little Ragtime piano and a song that sounds much older than it is but that just adds to the Western atmosphere that the album has. It is really fun to listen to like how will you not have the urge to dance to this!
'Can I Sleep in Your Arms' feels like an epic in comparison to the lengths that most songs offer. With over 5 minutes the song is nearly 5 minutes longer than the shortest song. But the song deserves that length as it is a more typical Country song with more musical and songwriting depth that make the whole time enjoyable while keeping the calm and "campfire" sound that is so great about this album.
There is a little Swing and Jazz added on 'Remember Me' which I like a lot in combination with the Outlaw Country sound. It makes this not only a standout track but one of the most interesting songs here as well as one of my favourites. This really shows how he plays with more traditional sounds and genres on this second half of the album.
Another quite "long" one is 'Hands on the Wheel' which is much more Folk inspired than most songs here. It is both structured and performed in a very traditional Folk style but with hints of the Country sound.
The album closes on 'Bandera', a return to the definitve Outlaw Country sound with fewer influences but great songwriting. And even though it is another instrumental song, like on Side 1, it closes this Side and the album as a whole perfectly. This is the outro an album as wild and different needs.
favourites: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Remember Me, Red Headed Stranger, Time of the Preacher
least favourites: O'er the Waves, Time of the Preacher Theme (short version), Bandera
Rating: decent 8
4
Aug 21 2024
View Album
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I love Nick Cave's music. He is one of the most influential artists to me personally and my own poetry. So naturally an album that focuses on his lyrical skills will turn out perfect right? Not really... I like so much this album has to offer but when compared to "Let Love In" or "Murder Ballads" or even his other "love" inspired Piano Rock album "The Good Son"... I am much more uninterested here. I love many songs here and a couple are some of my favourite songs ever but when looking at the album as a whole, I am rather disappointed. But as "bad" as this sounds, it is still a really good release with many great moments that really make me sob.
One of these incredible moments is 'Into My Arms' which also opens the album. It is like most songs here, mainly driven by piano and the incredible lyrics Nick has to offer. In fact this is one of his best love songs ever. It is so beautifully written with a chorus that is simply but so effective and on top of that are the lyrics that have a perfect mix between christian references and universally divinity as well as a sentimental undertone that results into something that I simply call perfection.
With 'Lime Tree Arbour' there is not only some Rock but also some Jazz mixed. The song also names the albums title in its lyrics. It is another beautiful song that blends the melancholic sound with romantic but also magical notes into perfection yet again. I also love the vocal performance a lot.
And yet again, 'People Ain't No Good' is another incredible song that has a very Chamber Pop feel song and is also featured in Shrek!!! It is lovely both in lyrical matter but also in musical. But I do not think that it's perfect. It's a little too long with too many uninteresting moments. The chorus, although great, sadly doesn't save it from being "just" incredible.
'Brompton Oratory' gets weirdly trippy and ambient. It is a much more interesting and magical listen all throughout and the organ keyboard adds the ambience that I was talking about and it adds so much to the experience that this song is. If only this had the lyrics that 'People Ain't No Good' had because than it would've been perfect.
The more uplifting 'There Is a Kingdom' returns to the magical thematic that the was there before but it now features my favourite chorus on the album. It is such a great hook that always returns to my mind when think of the album. It is a pure bliss to listen to this song. There are just a couple of moments that hold me back from giving this a perfect score but it is very close.
Another really catchy song is '(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?' that returns to the sentimental sound from the start but even more heart-wrenching when he sings the chorus. This is another absolute masterpiece with perfect lyrics and instruments all throughout.
'Where Do We Go Now but Nowhere?' starts the albums second half with one of its darkest songs. The mix between Country and Goth Rock together with the Chamber Pop and the dark lyrics make one of the most atmospheric songs on the album. And while I think that if he did this song in his true Punk Blues fashion, it would've been better, this is still a great way to do it even if it looses itself after a while.
The Gothic Country sound is extended even more on 'West Country Girl' and while it is a very interesting but weirly fitting way for Nick Cave to deliver his music, I am not very fond of this song. I just don't really care for it much as it just doesn't really have the edge that I like so much about his darker stuff or the heart-wrenching lyrics that I like about his love poems. It's cute and good but not really more.
Similar fate with 'Black Hair': just not interesting enough even if the accordion does add some nice atmosphere. The folkier approach is quite fitting with the rest of the albums styles but it ultimately fails to project much of what makes Nick Cave great in the first place. It's a solid but boring track and he could've cut it off the album without me missing it.
With 'Idiot Prayer' there is a slight resurrection of the albums greatest moments. It has good lyrics and very solid songwriting but it in the end fails to make another great song, just a really good one.
'Far From Me' is way too long, right of the bat. It feels streched the moment that the chorus ends the first time. There just isn't much stuff here that makes this great. The lyrics... that's it. It's a very average song with an average delivery and a couple of good moments with the instruments. It's an okay song but nothing that elevates the albums quality.
The albums closing track 'Green Eyes' might be a nice ending to the album but not a great song. Again, it is average like most the second half has to offer. It's bluesy, has a nice melody and interesting spoken word additions on top of the vocals. Cute, but not really interesting.
favourites: Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour, (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?, There Is a Kingdom
least favourites: Black Hair, Far From Me, Green Eyes
Rating: light 8
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4
Aug 22 2024
View Album
Technique
New Order
New Order already had established themselves as a band much different than the origins in Joy Division. They were the Dance Pop version of them, the 80's that didn't age well version of them, the... ah, you get what I'm saying. I don't like New Order much. Sumner's vocals and lyrics are alright but nothing to the genius of Ian Curtis. The bass work is pretty much the same greatness as JD. The elctronic aspect is pretty neat but I think most of these artists are better at making darker and more introspective music than Dance music.
The album opens on 'Fine Time' which neatly combines Acid House with Synthpop that starts off very interesting but gets annoying really fast. There is too much going on at times and not enough at other times. It is really diverse mainly with the quality which results in it feeling directionless and without any depth. It's just basic and annoying song that tries so much more than it can achieve.
A much more balanced song is 'All the Way' that also features the best lyrics and songwriting and is easily my favourite song here. It has emotional depth and it feels like this is what New Order is supposed to be all the time. It is such a gorgeous song and the chorus is just the cherry on top. Without a doubt a perfect song and a big step up from the first track. It also much less Electronic and more Jangle Pop which again benefits the song greatly.
'Love Less' keeps the Jangle Pop and adds a little more Punk flavour but still staying true to the Pop sound. It's an alright song that doesn't annoy but it isn't really interesting either. It's just there, flying past you with nearly every second it plays but it isn't a bad "it flys past you".
The fast paced electronic sound returns on 'Round & Round' that feels like a blend of the Pet Shop Boys and The Smiths. The Hi-NRG and Acid Techno influences make this a vibrant and colorful experience, much less annoying than the first song and one of the best songs on the album. Especially the chorus works really well. It isn't a perfect song but without a doubt a great one.
The most Punk the album gets is 'Guilty Partner' and naturally it is one of the better songs here. The mix between the Post-Punk sound with the bass that shines like on Unknown Pleasures with a bit of Goth Rock and Jangle Pop. It is a pretty good song that closes the albums first half in the way it should.
On Side 2 'Run' starts by keeping the Jangle Pop with a couple of synth parts. I do not really care for the song. I just think that it's way to average and boring to be anything that some make it to be. There is neither vocally, lyricially nor instrumentally anything that makes this special. In comparison to 'Love Less', this actually gets a little annoying at one point.
Same thing with 'Mr Disco', it is a basic Synthpop song with a couple of House influences but boring delivery. The parts that make it better are overshadowed by annoying vocal synths that really do not fit here. This song is in itself not fitting.
The House influence is played with in more detail on 'Vanishing Point' which features a pretty decent melody and good delivery. It isn't annoying, has some pretty interesting and great moments. This is a really good song. No doubt there. Good song. Maybe a little too long and maybe they could've done a little more but it's good.
The album closes on 'Dream Attack' which like its predecessor has a great melody and performance but this time it is done so much better all the way through. It's probably my third favourite track here but the difference between 2 & 3 is still pretty signifcant. Anyways, pretty good song. Great closing track.
favourites: All the Way, Round & Round
least favourites: Fine Time, Run, Mr Disco
Rating: strong 6
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3
Aug 23 2024
View Album
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
Tears for Fears, a band that made Pop music that sounded 80's but was much less annoying than most and aged pretty well. Their blend of Synthpop and New Wave with catchy melodies and hooks that created the anthemic and introspective masterpiece titled 'Songs From the Big Chair\". It's one of the best Pop records released in the 80's and maybe of all time. Multiple classic songs are featured here including the generationally known 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World'
'Shout' opens the album in the typical blend of Synthpop, New Wave & Big Music that is present on the pretty much every song here. It also gets a little progressive by bringing in slight notes of Industrial into the production which as weird as it sounds, works really well. And even at its nearly 7 minutes of length it really keeps the attention of the listener with great performances and production. The song is so unbelievably catchy and melodic that I am mad that not every 80's pop band with a smiliar sound turned out like this! The bridge is crazy and the whole way they keep the flow of the song and add more and more detail is phenomenal. It's a hypnotic and atmospheric listen especially in the second half, nearly ethereal. And the way it changes its emotional depth by adding slight changes but keeping the same rhytmn and melody. Yeah, I think you get that I really like this song. It's perfect start to finish.
On 'The Working Hour' they take on a very mature and sophisicated nearly Jazzy sound that stands in complete contrast to the darkness that the first song ended on. It does take time to build up but it's worth the wait. The vocals are really good and the calm sound is very relaxing while keeping the intricate production. Do I love it? No, but it is a great song nonetheless even if it does drag a little and feels streched towards the end.
And to return to the greatness of the start, 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' with the intro that everybody recognizes. What can I say: the song is perfect in every way. It's romantic and full of great lyrics and songwriting. Do I prefer it over 'Shout'? No... that one's got my heart even more than this classic.
'Mothers Talk' gets a little funky and artsy with the influences ranging from Dance-Punk to Industrial Dance. All of it gives a lot of similarities to Depeche Mode's early stuff. It's very groovy and interesting by being kind of weird with the details in the production. I really like it for the raw and energetic performance and chorus. It's really good, like incredibly good and if they would've left the outro away, it might've been perfect.
The albums second half starts with 'I Believe' which returns to the calm and relaxed sound that nearly feels like some Lounge music with the simpler production. Again, I think that makes it a little boring for my liking even if I think they did a great job. It just feels too much like background music and doesn't grab my attention enough for me to genuinely appreaciate the song.
Luckily, 'Broken' returns to the Dance-Punk influences in an even punkier way. That results in one of the most underappreaciated tracks on the album. Just because it's short doesn't mean that's worse. Quite the opposite actually, it's incredibly groovy and energetic and I love it.
The other song that most know is 'Head Over Heels' because it is one of the best songs on the album. The chorus is so intricate and emotional, the vocals are performed to perfection. The production, songwriting and melody are all curated to its greatest possible form. And as if it wasn't enough, they added a little bit of 'Broken' to the end as a kind of continuation of that. Another perfect song.
The album ends with the weirdly ambient 'Listen' that closes the album in a minimal but hypnotizing finale that includes many details from choir to glitchy video game sounds to whips to tribal anthems. It's a magical and atmospheric experience, relaxing and sentimental without being boring. Yes, it's not one of the craziest songs but it has so many incredible moments that I feel like the vocals weren't actually needed at all. This closes the album in the way it should've ended.
favourites: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head Over Heels, Broken
least favourites: I Believe, The Working Hour
Rating: light 9
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5
Aug 24 2024
View Album
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
Elvis wasn't just the 50's Rock n' Roll artist that brought the genre to the masses, he also changed genres as he matured. This album sees him adapt into a Soul stlye featuring much less prominent guitar and much more soulful vocals combined with his usual Rock n' Roll, Country and R&B blend. It stands as a new chapter in his musical career as well as one of his best recieved and best known. The single only 'Suspicious Mind' became a classic single and helped the album (that didn't feature the song) to rise to even more sales.
The album opens with 'Wearin' That Loved on Look' which perfectly showcases the way Elvis mixed the Soul Vocals with Country Pop music especially present with the guitar. The background singers add a theatrical feel and the bass really sticks out at times. It's a really good opening track with a lot of energy that still has a lot of the feeling that made Elvis' so loved in the first place.
'Only the Strong Survive' is a much more relaxed song that seems to convey raw and hurtful emotions in a true Country fashion but with even more Soul influence. It's a lovely track but it does take a little long to get to the point that I like the song which makes the first moments pretty boring even with the spoken word intro.
The tenderness of the vocals is played even more with on 'I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)', a song with a couple of really intricate vocal highlights but I overall don't really care for what is done both lyrically and musically. The songwriting is alright as some moments are really great but a lot of the "in between" feels a little left alone which really lowers the overall enjoyment of the song. It's okay but nothing special and songs in that style can be very effective but also easily f-ed up and turn out boring and uninspired.
With its slow start 'Long Black Limousine' might feel like the last song all over again but as it builds up and adds more organ and backing vocals it gets better. It's not really a great song but it's good. A pretty passable song with a nice horn bridge and a delightful chorus and great ending.
The legendary Country classic of 'It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'' is presented in a pretty good way by Elvis. He definitely does the song justice. His performance and the songwriting are both really great. It's a definite highlight on the album. Just a very well made song.
I think there are still many people that doubt that this is Country but if they still think that after hearing 'I'm Movin' On' I don't know how to help them. This is as Country Pop as Country Pop goes at least in a sound perspective because the song itself is pretty boring and slightly annoying after a while. The lead guitar is great but the rest feels kinda soulless at the start. It does pick up a little towards the end and that makes the song much better but that's mainly the outro, so overall it's still an average track.
The albums second side starts with 'Power of My Love' in a very bluesy fashion. The guitar isn't the only highlight because everything this song does is very well made: the arrangements, the songwriting, the flow of it. It's a pretty great song.
The Country returns with 'Gentle on My Mind' another sweet song that has a really longing and outcast feeling to it which I find very fitting with Country in general. The song feels very honest and pure in Elvis' hands and the strings here add so much. It's a geniuine song that really embodies the greatness of where Elvis was at that time.
'After Loving You' is sadly the opposite of that. It feels forced and not genuine and pure. I think it's jsut a pretty boring song with not much to it. It isn't bad and doesn't drag the album but it's nothing that I enjoy at any moment.
I really like the guitar intro on 'True Love Travels on a Gravel Road' but once Elvis gets to the microphone the magic feels destroyed. And the whole song feels kind of ruined to me for some reason. It feels dull and unfinished. The performance and the songwriting both feel forced and emotionless. I don't like this song at all but it's not awful or anything.
Luckily the album does pick up again with 'Any Day Now'. It's a beautiful song with some great strings and a really good performance on some really good songwriting. The bridge works great and if the song would've been a little rougher and rawer with its emotions it would have the potential to a perfect song. Like this, it's great.
And to close the album, 'In the Ghetto', the albums best known song, closes it with a nocturnal and deeply emotional performance. It's lovely and easily a great song but it's the simplicity that really sets the song apart from the rest. It's different but it needed to be like that to work. It's a really good song but I just don't enjoy every moment of it, sadly.
favourites: Gentle on My Mind, It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin', In the Ghetto, Wearin' That Loved on Look
least favourites: True Love Travels on a Gravel Road, After Loving You, I'll Hold You in My Heart, I'm Movin' On
Rating: light 7
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4
Aug 25 2024
View Album
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
(the website's wrong this was released March 1971 not 1970)
Few people were as influential while being commercially this unsuccessful but Nick Drake's lyricism and the way he wrote his songs influenced many people like Robert Smith from The Cure. This particular album (his 2nd) was a continuation of the Chamber Folk style that his debut started with but adds a more Jazz-inspired sound to the very Folky and Singer-Songwriter style. It also features artists like John Cale from the Velvet Underground and a couple of musicians that worked for Fairport Convention, The Beach Boys or Jethro Tull.
While it isn't his best, it still has a lot of great moments that make this an incredible listen through and through.
A little 'Introduction' introduces the album with a short instrumental Chamber Folk piece that shows the mix between the acoustic guitar with the Baroque Pop inspired strings (or other instruments) to create a warm and pastoral feeling.
The first "actual" song, 'Hazey Jane II' which now adds Nick Drake's vocals and lyrics and of course it makes the whole thing better. It is an upbeat and lovely arranged Folk song with a lush and soft sound. It flows really well and the way it builds up to the guitar bridge in the second half is really great with the dynamics. A great song even if I much prefer what Nick did after this album with a nearly all-acoustic Folk.
His soothing voice works well with the Jazz inspired rhytmn section/saxophone on 'At the Chime of a City Clock'. The whole song simply works. It is a combination of styles that fit not only this song but Nick Drake's whole musical style at that point so well. The slower and more sentimental approach is what he can do best and of course this song does that in a phenomenal way.
'One of These Things First' comes closest to the style that I love with Nick Drake so much. It focuses on his lyrics with not much arrangements arround it except the guitar. This feels much more stripped down from what most the album features. No strings, no horns, no brass, just guitar, drums, piano and bass. It is a perfect song through and through, I absolutely love it. The delivery is just a perfect mix between warm and soothing and sentimental and poetic.
The second, or better first part of 'Hazey Jane'', 'Hazey Jane I' closes the albums first half. It is a more melancholic version of the one at the start with more alienated lyrics and arrangements. Its guitar sticks out much more and the strings move more into the back. I really enjoy the arrangements here more than on 'II' but the song does have some unfitting nuances that slightly harm the enjoyment. I overall think they are pretty equal in how good they are, I personally would prefer this version if I had to choose.
On Side 2 we are met with the title track 'Bryter Layter'. It's an easy listen with a relaxed sound to it that gives off a very Lounge sounding feeling. It's also fully instrumental with just some flutes that break the steady arrangements. It's a cute song but I am not too fond of it or its sound.
The lyrics return on 'Fly' and while it is pretty good, it doesn't feel really fitting here. It isn't really interesting or has anything to kind of grab onto, not even the lyrics or the performance of them. It all just kind of sits there, waiting to be turned into something great but looses me way to fast.
While the Jazz before mainly came from the drums, 'Poor Boy' is a whole Bossa-nova song with some Folk mixed into. It's also the longest song here with over 6 minutes. I really like the style in which it was made. It's so groovy and full of energy but relaxed and laid back at the same time. It fits Nick Drake and the album in a way it shouldn't but ends up still doing. The keys, the backing vocals, the saxophone, it all fits the song and turns it into one of the best songs on the album.
Most people say 'Northern Sky' is the albums true highlight and many people say it's one of the best songs in Nick Drakes whole career. I absolutely understand both opinions. It is a beautiful song that accumulates the influences of what the album had to offer thus far and combines it with melancholic lyrics with very tragic sounding arrangements. It is a perfect song without a doubt and maybe the best song here. And I see this as a Top 15 Nick Drake song but not much higher, if you asked me.
The album ends with the last of the three instrumentals. 'Sunday' is a more lonely and melancholic sounding one compared to most of the instrumentals. The strings add a finishing touch to the finishing song and it is probably also the best of the instrumentals as well as a great closing track to the album.
favourites: One of These Things First, Northern Sky, Poor Boy, Hazey Jane I
least favourites: Bryter Layter, Fly
Rating: light to decent 8
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4
Aug 26 2024
View Album
The Cars
The Cars
The Cars' debut album was one of the first albums to get the "New Wave" genre name. It therefore was incredibly influential as New Wave became one of the biggest and most important genres of 80's. But did it age good if it was so big and "ground breaking" to begin with? No, in fact, it aged horribly. It's a bland and one dimensional listen full of boring moments that leave you more uninterested than before. Even the "good" songs this has to offer are boring to a point of exhaustion that leaves the desire to sleep rather than listen to more.
The album starts with the annoying and downright stupid 'Good Times Roll'. It tries so hard to be Rocky and "cool" but ends up being the same thing that MGK tries with his "Rock" stuff today. It is stupid, useless, annoying and just not a good song. The chorus is weak, the synths annoy the whole time, the verses so bland that boiled chicken reminds you of spicy Mexican food and the songwriting feels so repetitive that some Techno feels like the most dynamic music of all time. It sounds like they took some Billy Joel, some Boston, some Television and some Blondie, mixed it and decided to take the things that didn't work and applied them to the nonsense they made thus far. If you haven't realised it yet, I do not like this song. It's not terrible, it doesn't make my ears bleed but it is so basic in comparison to what similar music from a similar time sounded like. It's just a bad song, that's it.
Hopefully, the second song 'My Best Friend's Girl' does things better, right? No, it's the same thing but with verses that feel forced and weird rather than funny and quirky. It's not as dreadful but it is as bad. Just take the same thing I said for the first song and apply it here. What is different is that the guitar bridge isn't totally bad but the synths in there just destroy the whole thing.
Most people point to 'Just What I Needed' as THE song from the album and I do think that it is a fairly good song in comparison to the rest of the album. In fact, it is the best song. It's quite enjoyable and not as annoying, the verses are passable and the chorus is okay. It's still not good but it's an okay song that I don't mind listening to even if it does strech towards the end which isn't a good thing when the song isn't even 4 minutes.
'I'm in Touch With Your World' goes a little "Experimental" and "Post-Punk" and I do like what they were going for BUT this type of music has to be done right and with enough edge to it. When it's turned overly Pop, it is turned into something that is simply bad and doesn't work. The sound they tried to do here isn't fitting with the style they end up doing. It's like if the Talking Heads decided to go full on Madonna in the middle of Remain in Lights. Not a good idea. If you want an example of a song like this to be done right, go and listen to 'Mother' by The Police.
Luckily, 'Don't Cha Stop' tunes the Post-Punk a little bit more back and lets more of the Power Pop shine through. The result is a fairly okay song, maybe a little over the top and it definitely tries way too hard but it's alright. It's got some nice energy throughout and it isn't annoying except for the hook but you cannot ask for everything, right? An alright ending to the albums first half.
Side 2 is opened with 'You're All I've Got Tonight' which interestingly features some quite "Hard Rock" sounding guitars even if they sometimes sound very, very dissonant and not in a good way. The song is mainly boring with a listenable chorus which overall doesn't really make the song much better. It's just there, a little bit hard to get through because it streches the moment the first chorus ended but alright.
'Bye Bye Love' keeps sonically a lot from the song before and it actually sounds pretty much the exact same. If the chorus was removed you could replace them and noone would notice. The song's boring without anything interesting, not even the chorus, that makes this somewhat listenable. It's just not good, like genuinely terrible, just dreadful.
At least 'Moving in Stereo' is a slight even if its a very slight step up to the previous song. The artistic approach with some Post-Punk elements are done much better than on Track 4 even if it turns out as boring as that. It's a song you don't mind. It's definitely not good but it isn't terrible either. For every moment that is okay to listen to, there is a moment that just sucks but it evens out into a bad but not truely terrible song.
The album closes with 'All Mixed Up' which is quite interesting in comparison. The synths are quite passable and the performances as well are okay. The song is nearly good. It would've needed some added work but it isn't totally off. I am happy that the album at least ended with an okay song and not another downright dreadful piece.
favourites: Just What I Needed, All Mixed Up, Don't Cha Stop
least favourites: Bye Bye Love, I'm in Touch With Your World, Moving in Stereo, Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl
Rating: decent 3
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2
Aug 27 2024
View Album
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nick Cave departed a little from the Singer-Songwriter style he made in the years prior and returned to a little more Art and Alt Rock with a little more experimentation as well as some of his old Punk Blues. The album is incredibly diverse with inspirations and ideas some of which work great while others leave room for improvement. It features some of the best songs that Nick and his band every released as well as a song that became unforgettable by being a part of the seventh Harry Potter movie.
The albums first part: Abattoir Blues opens with 'Get Ready for Love', a noisy and punky introduction with a lot of energy and anxious lyrics that make this not only a theatrical and epic opening but a loud one as well. Many people love this song just for that and I do too... the first half... The song is with 5 minutes not the shortest but the repetition of certain themes and sounds make this a little stagnant after a while which ultimately harms the whole enjoyment. It's still a pretty good song but they should've just cut it after the bridge.
After the epic intro, 'Cannibal's Hymn' takes a more laid back but haunting direction. It's full of weird noises and lyrics that are both incoperated into a great arrangement and a simply perfect chorus. It's an incredible song that shows how Cave can write dark and haunting lyrics but package them in something more melancholic while keeping the ominous atmosphere that the text needs. I love this song but I wish he'd made the verses a little more musically interesting because they feel kind of left over or forgotten. It's a great song nonetheless even if it slightly missed the chance to be incredble or even perfect.
'Hiding All Away' is the definition of Post-Punk. The inclusions of some Noise Rock as well as the Gospel-like vocals really make this an anxious listen full of tension and great performances both musically and vocally. The lyrics are dark and have some "evil" sprinkled in the delivery. The chorus/bridge is a perfect release of the tension that was build and lets the song go on for so long without feeling boring. I love this song so much and I am certain that this is the first perfect song on the album.
The first half of the first part closes with 'Messiah Ward', again, a more relaxed song with some nice influences and mainly great lyrics. The song doesn't start so interesting but the more it builds up the more interesting it gets and the moment the pre-chorus starts the song has a deserved place here. The songwriting is so great and the chorus is simply but effective. It's a great song but like with Track 2, this would've needed a little work on the verses, musically and vocally spoken.
One of the album's biggest highlights, 'There She Goes, My Beautiful World', keeps the Gospel inspired vocals while being a fast and incredibly fun piano driven alt-rock song. The lyrics are such a good mix between funny and loving and the chorus is catchy and just f-ing relatable. The song is just one of the most energetic and passionate songs in Nick's whole discography and having this kind of quality is just amazing. Definitely a perfect song.
The next song 'Nature Boy' is another really well and lovingly made song with a great flow especially in pre-chorus and chorus. The lyrics blend nostalgia, darkness and hope in a pretty motivational way and the verses with the piano are some of the best on the album. An equally as perfect song as its predecessor.
The title track of the first half 'Abattoir Blues' seems to be pretty beloved by many but I never got the song. It feels weaker and pales in comparison to most of the album with the lyrics and especially the way they are presented. It's just a pretty average song with some Trip Hop influence on the drums. The "oh yeah" Gosepl parts are the only thing not making this completely boring.
Luckily, 'Let the Bells Ring' is a slight step up by featuring one of the best choruses on the entire project. It's so raw while keeping a certain ominous and twisted feeling to it. Instrumentally, this is pretty standard but the way it builds the tension towards the chorus and then keeping it dense is just done in the best way possible. I really love this song even if some parts do feel a little bit too rough around the edges and that not in the best way.
'Abattoir Blues' closes with 'Fable of the Brown Ape', easily the worst song on the entire album. It is boring and when it isn't its annoying. Nothing redeeming or interesting or edgy or experimental about it. Just not good. And the "epic" and "grand" chorus doesn't work because it doesn't build up or anything catchy. It is just loud and annoying. Yeah, I might be a little too harsh on this one but to see Nick do something like this is simply disappointing.
The second part: 'The Lyre of Orpheus' opens with its title track. 'The Lyre of Orpheus' is a dark and twisted new interpreted version of the Orpheus tale. This song is dark, ugly and full of bluesy Punk that makes this one of the most Nick Cave moments on the album as well as one of the best. This is a true masterpiece in every sense of the word and my personal favourite song on the album. It's just so damn good.
Following one perfect song, Breathless comes on with a more Pop and Folk inspired sound but Nick and his band are still able to pull it off in the best way possible. The avant-garde flute at the start, the dreamy and nearly children music like sound of the song (watch the music video it literally is about some damn rabbit family) and Nick's lyrics are much less dark and actually pretty soft and cute and full of love.
'Babe, You Turn Me On' continues the incredible run of songs with even more Folk and actually a little Jazz-inspired drums. This style does fit Nick surprisingly well and once the chorus starts the whole thing starts fitting together even better. The lyrics are some of his best on the album especially when it comes to the chorus. It's not as good as the two before but it still is an incredible song.
The rock returns with 'Easy Money'. It's another perfect song. The piano and the vocals fit the sound so well and the way it starts the chorus which is again perfect, is just incredible. It's sentimental and slow like a late night romantic dance but in the best way possible. I love pretty much everything about the song which makes it even crazier that this isn't even a Top 3 song on this part of the album. Wow!
The second half of the second part starts with the fast paced 'Supernaturally' which not only has a great flow and chorus but also some pretty great vocal deliveries and lyrics that fit perfectly. I just think that it might be a little streched towards the end and the chorus and verses just don't work as much anymore but I still love this song a lot even if it's not perfect. "Hey-Ho, oh no no no!" What a great and funny line.
'Spell' on the other hand is pretty boring all throughout. It's not completely uninteresting but it is a significant drop in quality. The lyrics don't work as much, the Gospel chorus isn't as great as it maybe could've turned out and the overall structure of the song doesn't change and stays in the same basic way the whole song. It's an okay song but he could've scrapped it and no one would care.
In comparison, 'Carry Me' is a great song because it is. It's nothing too crazy or incredible but it is a great song. It is does have stylistic smiliarities with the closing track and kind of builds towards that final epic with a lot of tension here but outside of this tension and the Gospel chorus, the song just can't hold what most of this part has on average. But it is pretty much on a level with some of the songs right at the start of the album.
The album closes with 'O Children', a song featured in Harry Potter. But here it closes the album with the most emotional song here. The lyrics are tragic with many possible interpretations. It builds up over the span of five minutes until it releases into a sentimental and emotional height that releases emotions in me that I didn't even knew I had. What a perfect song to end an album with.
The Lyre of Orpheus > Abattoir Blues
favourites: The Lyre of Orpheus, O Children, There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Hiding All Away, Breathless, Nature Boy, Easy Money
least favourites: Fable of the Brown Ape, Spell, Abattoir Blues
Rating: strong 8 to light 9
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5
Aug 28 2024
View Album
Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
This album by the Jungle Brothers is pretty diverse and sets itself apart from the growing trend of Gangsta Rap that started with N.W.A.'s debut. It is playful and conscious and has some nice Jazz inspirations throughout. It was definitely an influential album and I think that this might be the kind of influence that got A Tribe Called Quest to make "The Low End Theory".
The album starts with 'Beyond This World' which combines Hip Hop with some House music and some Jazz inspirations. It feels like the bridge between Planet Rock (which is mentioned here) and The Low End Theory. It's got a pretty interesting beat and the lyrics are quite alright with some mainly funny highlights. It's overall an alright song that does some things but doesn't really end up sticking with me as the performances feel a little unfocused and too much like they try to impress their contemporaries instead of doing their own thing.
That song transitions into 'Feelin' Alright' which removes some of the House and goes more into Jazz Rap and Boom Bap which results in it working much better. It's a pretty great song with some really well done verses and performances. They all just harmonize much better together. The hook is great, the playful and silly details are fun and the beat is simple but oh so effective. The only problem is that it streches a bit too much towards the end.
'Sunshine' adds a little nursery rhyme twist to it and with the whole theme of sun just makes this a really cute song even if there are some deeper topics worked into it. It's a pretty great and catchy song though with the radio interludes and some pretty well made verses.
The slight House grooves come back on 'What "U" Waitin' 4?' but the result is much better as the song is pretty awesome. The beat is phenomenal, the hook is really fun and the verses are performed really great. It's a really incredible song with some of the best arranged and thought through moments on the entire album.
'"U" Make Me Sweat' keeps the things its predecessor did great and adds some more sincerity to it. It works as well with a great beat and performances. It's a really fun listen with a great groove even if the hook is something that I'll not get used too. I just don't like the sound of it much but it doesn't make the whole song unlistenable just that part a little weird.
The track 'Acknowledge Your Own History' talks about how the black community is put down by how their own history is teached and they now try to get the young generations of black kids to learn about their actual own history. It's a lovely song with some pretty funny bars and a great vibe to it. I just feel like they should've done a little more with the beat even if the lyrics and meaning is the main thing that is supposed to shine here. The end also feels a little streched.
'Belly Dancin' Dina' is a pretty horny track but not in a bad way. It doesn't feel like he's about to rip off her clothes and more like just a shy but still pretty horny crush. It's pretty funny and some of the rhymes are pretty good. It just doesn't really achieve the high points that some other songs got to.
The song 'Good Newz Comin'' which closes the albums first half is actually purely instrumental showcasing what they could do with a turntable. Even if there is no Rap to be found here it is still filled to the brim with funny details and added sounds that turn the song into a pretty nice moment on the album. I really enjoy this song all the way through.
Side 2 of the album starts with the title track 'Done by the Forces of Nature' which is a pretty good title, no doubt there, and the song itself has some really nice additions in the beat which is the main thing that I like about this song. The beat is done so well, just phenomenal. The Rap performances are also pretty good especially some of the rhymes and the added sax and flute moments that are tied to with the lyrics. It's just a great and stunning listen especially with the beat. I just love it that much.
In comparison, 'Beeds on a String' is a much more common and standard Hip Hop song. It's pretty good, especially the beat, but it has too many pauses that don't really add that much. The whole Rap performance is pretty average and doesn't really work here. It's an alright song.
The beat of 'Tribe Vibes' feels similar to 'Good Newz Comin'' with some of the vocal chops and the detail work here is pretty well made as are the performances. The songs energy is pretty much unmatched on the album, it feels just very energetic and raw and just like so much fun. The song Is so much fun to listen to.
It transitions into the next song 'J. Beez Comin' Trough' which has a really silly beat at the start but it works actually pretty well. The song is pretty good but they could've turned it into much more as the performances are pretty short and the chorus is just way too long. It feels just a little unfocused with pretty much everything here but there are still some nice moments.
Even if 'Black Woman' might have inspired one of the best moments on To Pimp a Butterfly, the song itself feels forced and ends up being pretty boring instead of being though provoking and conscious. It's just not a good song but it also doesn't annoy, it just moves past me without anything really sticking not even instrumentally.
'In Dayz "2" Come' starts with a snippet from a tv show which reminded me a bit of BLOOD. by Kendrick Lamar (again). The song itself is alright. I think they had something bigger planned with it but the result feels unfocused and with not enough substance. There are still some nice details worked into all of it but it isn't more than just a good song.
Remember how I mentioned A Tribe Called Quest at the start? Well, they are actually featured on this song together with Queen Latifah and De La Soul. Four legendary Hip Hop artists/groups in one song is just a match made in heaven. This is a perfect showcase of what some parts of rap were going to in the years that followed. Anyway, it's funky, has some incredible performances and this is a perfect song... That's it: Perfect!
The albums short outro 'Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother' is alright... Like, they didn't need it but it is kind of silly and kind of puts a nice end to the album in a way that it fits but the track itself doesn't really carry much that would make me return to it.
favourites: Doin' Our Own Dang, What "U" Waitin' 4?, Feelin' Alright, Done by the Forces of Nature, Sunshine
least favourites: Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother, Black Woman, Beeds on a String, Beyond This World
Rating: decent 7
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4
Aug 30 2024
View Album
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
Of course Motörhead is mainly known for the albums "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill" but this live recording just pretty much combines some of the best songs from these albums and also some of the best takes and versions of these songs. The whole album is full of raw and energetic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock and in pretty much the best way you could imagine. It's noisy, aggressive and full of loud and over the top performances.
Of course the album starts with the all known and legendary 'Ace of Spades' and it is without a doubt on one level with the studio recording. In fact, this is an even nastier recording with much more loudness and noise and it's just so grimy. It starts with the short outro from the song played before in the show but quickly turns into the iconic riff and the the raspy vocals of Lemmy which in this version add really much as some parts feel even raspier. A perfect start to the album and also a pretty perfect song as a whole.
Second song 'Stay Clean' captures the essence of Motörhead and the album pretty good. It's really strong Heavy Metal with Hard Rock mixed in as well as some Speed Metal parts. The hook's pretty memorable even if it isn't as crazy as 'Ace of Spades' for example. The riffs and the whole flow of the song is pretty nice although it would've needed some more dynamic or melodic changes throughout but still, it is a really well made and incredible track.
'Metropolis' is introduced by Lemmy and starts with some cymbals and an epic sounding guitar that is quickly turned into the Metal beauty that the track is. The song in general feels epic mainly with how it's structured and how the vocals are delivered. The lead guitar really rips this thing up and the lyrics just add to the atmosphere of the song. It's an incredible song, nearly perfect if it had a little more memorable hooks.
Even if many people really love 'The Hammer', I have a hard time really loving the song. Don't get me wrong, it is incredible but I feel like some people give this track much more credit than I think it deserves. It is pretty well structured and the isntrumentals work really well but for me the song starts to get really good halfway through. The first half just feels a little off even if I can't pin down why I feel that way. But yeah, still a really great track.
The less heavy and less noisy 'Iron Horse' feels like a much more centred and "sentimental" track. It feels not like the standard Motörhead song but it is really great nontheless. The way the guitar adds to the more melancholic feeling by perfectly breaking through the verses is just incredible. If they had shortened it, this would be one of the best songs they ever recorded.
The albums first half ends on 'No Class' which brings the rebellious and heavy sound back with some pretty melodic deliveries and performances. It is a pretty great song although it feels much less incredible when compared to some of the tracks so far. The chorus is fantastic but some parts in verses and bridge are a little bit off and uninteresting which harms the already pretty short song into being a little less memorable.
The legendary 'Overkill' starts the albums second side with fast and rumbling drums and bass that make it feel like a helicopter flys above them when performing. It is an incredible track that even at over 5 minutes never stops to rock even the bridge that at first feels like the song is about to end but then picks it up again with some great guitar work which is repeated multiple times and works every time perfectly. It is one of the most energetic tracks on the album as well as one of the best. Just a pretty perfect song.
'(We Are) The Road Crew' keeps the fast and energetic Speed Metal sound and although it isn't as full on mind blowing like 'Overkill', it is still very memorable and catchy especially with the chorus which is performed really f-ing good. The whole song is performed really f-ing strong and easily one of the best songs on the album.
Up next is 'Capricorn' which is one of the weaker songs even if it still is a great song. It just feels a little less focused and it takes much less of a presence even when some of the details are really great especially the echoing vocals and the guitar riff.
The return to Speed Metal is made with 'Bomber' which is another incredible song. It is fast and energetic and full of great moments and performances both with the instruments but also with the vocals and the chorus. It's pretty much another perfect track.
The song 'Motorhead' which gave the band their name actually brings in some Punk deliveries while still keeping the Heavy Metal & Hard Rock sound. It is a mix of genres that work suprisingly well and this performance is just a great showcase of that. It is raw and full of energy and closes the album with some noisy and rebellious deliveries which is why this is another perfect song.
favourites: Ace of Spades, Overkill, Motorhead, (We Are) The Road Crew, Bomber, Stay Clean, Metropolis
least favourites: Capricorn, No Class
Rating: decent to strong 9
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5
Aug 31 2024
View Album
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Ry Cooder was the one who founded the band to preserve the traditional Cuban music known as Son cubano and Bolero. He took several of the best musicians one could find in Cuba and recorded with them an album that made cultural borders dissapear as pretty much everyone felt and still feels the groove, the energy and the warmth these recordings give out. It is a magical album that no one will be able to replicate. The hour of playtime this album offers is filled to the brim with these special and one of a kind songs that transport you into the tropical streets and beaches of Cuba.
The first track 'Chan Chan' already offers one of the albums most iconic moments. I don't know if it's just me but I feel like I always remember this song the most when I think about the album. The repeating lyrics that make up the hook and most of the song are just so easy on the ears while sticking in your mind for eternity. It is a beautiful song to begin the album with as it perfectly introduces a lot of the sounds and instrumental themes the album expands further on. It's genuinely one of the greatest non-english songs that I know of. Especially the trumpet bridge makes this such a mesmerizing experience.
The next song 'De camino a la vereda' expands on the lush sound that the opener started. It is as memorable but with more happening throughout with more dynamic and melodic changes. the chorus is really great and the vocals are often as beautiful as you could imagine them. It is just such a lovely song to listen to with so many great and wonderful moments in it. I absolutely love it.
'El cuarto de Tula' goes a much jazzier way by not only having a sort of Jam sound to it but also by being pretty long with 7 minutes. But don't be turned away from that as it is another incredible song. It uses the trumpet in a very "Spanish" way, if you know what I mean. It really flows the whole way it plays without once feeling like it gets boring or unfocused. The different vocals that sometimes raise from the repeating chorus. A truely incredible song with many moments that add tons to the album.
The instrumental 'Pueblo nuevo' seems to add a lot from early 20th century Jazz with the piano driven melody and the bass. It does feel a little out of place with the overall dense and lush sounds that the album featured so far but the song isn't bad because of that. It's a pretty good song with some nice moments and a great flow and some of the details are actually done really well, it just didn't NEED to be here.
There is a lot of Bolero on 'Dos gardenias' which is actually a pretty short song when compared to some of the songs here with just a little over 3 minutes but it does get amazing pretty quickly. The vocals and their delivery are on point and the bass is really interesting here, I'm not even sure if it is an actual double bass. The song is really good but it doesn't achieve the catchiness that some of the first had.
'¿Y tú qué has hecho?' keeps the Bolero ballad form while having some pretty decent vocals but the main attraction of this song is the guitar which flows so well throughout the song and when the time arrives to take the main presence, it does it perfectly. It's a great song but it does feel a little rough around the edges and like they could've pulled more out of it than they ended up doing.
A female vocalist joins the established male cast of singers on 'Veinte años'. This song is what the last two did good but makes it better. The two vocal styles work together so perfectly that it keeps enough interesting moments for the song to feel much denser and fuller. It's slightly weird after the bridge but in the best way possible. A great song through and through.
The albums second half starts 'El carretero' which is sonically also pretty different. It's hard to pin down what it is exactly but the drums are much different, the details aren't as all around but they still work and the structure and how the vocals are worked into that is just different. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful song and a lot of the "bird sounds" add much to the overall feeling the song gives off but it's just different. It feels a little like a sitar might pop up out of nowhere even if that doesn't really make sense. Great song... Great song...
'Candela' goes back to the sound that the album right when it started. It's a lush and energetic song with a great performance and incredible moments. This is how the album and the musicians work the best. These types of songs feel the most honest and warm and are simply the best way that Cuban music can sound: lush, dense, warm and full of great energy. It's a perfect song, no discussion.
There is some interesting Blues incorporated in 'Amor de loca juventud' and it works really well. It's a lovely song with some nice performances and guitar work but I overall don't care for the song as much as I do with most of the other songs. But as I said, the guitar is the true highlight here. It's got the playful sound of a warm late night that you enjoy with loved ones on the beach. It's a great song, still.
Similar to before, 'Orgullecida' adds some American touches, this time with Ragtime and some Bluesy nearly "Country"-like guitar. It's a cute song but it doesn't scratch the itch that most songs do here. I still like it especially because the vocals are really lovely but mostly the song moves past me without sticking certainly strong.
'Murmullo' goes back to the Jazz some very Jazz Pop sounding rhytmn sections and piano while still keeping the Afro-Cuban influences and vocal styles. It's a lovely song the feels like a great mix between these two genres but again, I prefer this album with the dense arrangements and less with the laid-back Jazz parts even if they are still great.
The instrumental title track 'Buena Vista Social Club' follows with the same old Jazz sounding boundaries. Even if it lacks the vocals, it is presented in a very well working way by going much more into the Jazz than previous songs did which removes the expectations for the dense Cubano even if that means that it feels a little out of place in the album which does make me a little conflicted. It's a really good song but they could've pulled much more out if it than they did in the end.
The albums closing track 'La Bayamesa' feels even more out of place. It's got neither the Jazz nor the dense Cubano. It feels more like a vocal centred Folk song of Cuba. It isn't a bad song, it's pretty good but it feels aged and like an extra that wasn't really needed. It's good that it's quite short because if it was longer it'd be pretty annoying.
favourites: Chan Chan, De camino a la vereda, Candela, El cuarto de Tula, Veinte años
least favourites: La Bayamesa, Orgullecida, Buena Vista Social Club, Pueblo nuevo
Rating: strong 8
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4
Sep 01 2024
View Album
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
The band that revolutionized Dream Pop with some of the best albums of the 80's and 90's. This album that the Cocteau Twins released 6 years before their most critically acclaimed album was already one of the most forward thinking albums of the first half of the 80's by combining the dreamy sounding guitars with ethereal sounds and some Goth Rock influences to create a dark and mysterious album full of atmosphere and psychedelic parts.
One is thrown into the album with 'Ivo' which is a nice blend of the Dream Pop and Ethereal Wave which makes up most of the album but it also adds some elements from Psychedelic Folk music which is a pretty cool touch especially right at the start. Also, like most of the album, you don't understand a single word that is sung even if it is English but that doesn't matter as it just adds to the dreamy atmosphere. The song feels cryptic and strange and full of mystery which makes it a great intro to the album. The high pitched vocal hook is quite interesting but I wish they added more to it. The song is pretty good but with a lot of room for improvement which still makes it a pretty great song overall.
It gets a little noisy on 'Lorelei' which adds some Shoegaze, Post-Punk and even more Psychedlia into the mix. The result is a mix between dark and dreamy instrumentals combined with vocals that feel surreal and other-wordly, almost like a night creature you find in a nightmare but in the best way possible. This song feels more focused and more like it gets the thing done that it wants to achieve. The result shows that as it is one of the best songs on the album, simply incredible.
'Beatrix' on the other hand adds some Neoclassical tones while being much more openly Pop. It feels anthemic and nearly operatic, full of atmosphere you'd expect to find in a church but more Goth, if you know what I mean. The song is really lovely and weirdly hypnotic and the way builds up in the second half is just amazing. It is a stunning song which is just absolutely incredible.
It gets even more Goth and Post-Punk on 'Persephone' which means it gets even darker and the atmosphere here is unmatched. The vocals are quieter and feel like they come for much further away which gives the song a creepy distance between listener and artist. It is genuinely a great piece of music and easily one of the albums biggest highlights. A truely wonderful song full of psychedelic and stunning moments especially with the vocals.
The albums first half ends with 'Pandora (For Cindy)' is again, very dreamy, very ethereal, very atmospheric but here it feels way more like this would be liked by a bigger sized audience. It isn't as creepy, it has a nice and relaxed melody and is performed like it somehow finalises something (Side 1 in this case). It's a great song but doesn't really reach the heights some other songs here have so far as it is a little longer and looses itself a little.
On the second side, 'Amelia' introduces the themes that were established on the first half and here there is again a little more Goth Rock worked into the song. That results in it being instrumentally darker and more angsty with some of the rhythmn sections feeling very anxious which is only strengthend by some of the vocal parts. The track is simply amazing and just full of hypnotizing moments.
'Aloysius' breaks things a little up by adding some jangly guitars that serve as a little more standard melody but the ethereal drums and bass parts add the deserved atmosphere. It's a pretty decent song with some really good moments but in comparison it just feels like it falls a little short although the drums are really good.
The slight industrial influences on 'Cicely' are pretty well made and do make up the most interesting parts of the song but overall the song just feels a little like it tries too hard which ends up hurting it a bit. It's still a pretty good song but it isn't one of my personal favourites by a long shot. But I do have to give some credit to the organ which is my second favourite thing about the song, sad that it appears only for a short time.
The very Ambient and nearly New Age sounding 'Otterley' adds some very echoey vocals on a mix of laid back instruments and Field Recordings which give the whole thing an own atmospheric touch while still somehow working within the albums context. In fact, they way that it is structured makes it a pretty memorable song and it doesn't get boring at all. I actually think that it is one of the best moments on the entire album.
'Donimo' closes the album with the longest song the tracklist has to offer. It keeps some of the Ambient elements of before but actually adds all of the influences that other songs had as well. There is some Goth Rock, some Art Pop, some Neoclassical Darkwave, some Post-Punk and also some Industrial moments. The result is an amalgamation of what makes the album as a whole which happens to be fantastically enjoyable and one of the albums most diverse and interesting songs.
favourites: Lorelei, Persephone, Beatrix, Amelia, Otterley, Donimo
least favourites: Aloysius, Cicely, Pandora (For Cindy)
Rating: decent to strong 8
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4
Sep 02 2024
View Album
Mott
Mott The Hoople
(if you want a more passable and more influential Mott album go with "All the Young Dudes")
Mott the Hoople had a couple releases so far and if it wasn't for the smash hit 'All the Young Dudes', they would've broke up with today no one knowing who they were. But this single kept them above water for a couple more years until they disbanded in '74. This album is one of the two that most people point to as their biggest achievement album-wise and if you listen to the album, you soon realise that their highest points were pretty average and there isn't much special about the album. It's okay Glam Rock that definitely tries way to hard while succeeding with the fewest moments.
Opening track 'All the Way From Memphis' sounds like Proto-Britpop which already throws me off. The hook's quite nice even if they should've done more and the piano riff is kinda cool but overall the song feels so over the top with what they tried to do that nothing really fits together and I am left wondering how this was extended into 5 minutes of a song. This should've been a two minute intro at max but not the fourth longest song. The bridge, the guitar, the vocals, nothing fits and it feels so... just not good. It's a bad song that could've been saved but wasn't.
There's a little bit of Hard Rock in 'Whizz Kid' and that actually improves the song. It's got a nice theatrical structure with how the verses are presented and how they move into the pre-chorus. The vocals are less annoying, the guitar sounds good and it overall just works better even if it stays pretty boring. The first song was at least memorable for being not good, this is just boring with a couple of nice moments that aren't really extended on.
'Hymn for the Dudes' is dramatic, full of theatrical performance and builds up like some sort of Opera. It is a pretty decent song, I especially like the intro, and it for some reason reminds me of a certain song but I cannot pin down which one. But the song in general is, again, pretty boring. It's got moments that make me hope that it'll turn better but they just build on the basic aspects of the song instead of the good ones. The song's just a full on snoozer until the guitar solo but then it goes right back.
With 'Honaloochie Boogie' we get the first actual good song. It has a nice Pop melody and some weird effects as well as a pretty alright chorus that is weirdly fun to listen to and pretty energetic. The song isn't like perfect or anything but it's alright. It's good. Listenable.
And with 'Violence', the first half already ends. The song's a slight return to the heavier sound from Track 2 but this time with some Proto-Punk style both with the vocal delivery and the guitar riff. For some reason they added strings which doesn't fit at all and makes the song sound really weird and dissonant and not in the way were it's good, no this just makes the song bad. It doesn't work. The whole song feels off and like they can't play any of their instruments. It's just terrible, like actually unpleasant and not in the good way.
'Drivin' Sister' gets things going on the second side with some nice guitar riffs and an okay song arround it. It's got a Rock n' Roll feel to it with a lot of Boogie arround it. It's alright but the bridge doesn't fit at all and makes the whole thing twice as boring. The car sound effect is a nice detail but it doesn't safe the song from falling pretty short in general. It's not good and just boring.
The slight harmonica blues additions on 'Ballad of Mott the Hoople' are quite interesting and the songs structure creates some moments that aren't bad at all. The main problem is just that the song is way to long and for being a ballad about themselves... it's pretty boring which does pretty much summarize them, I guess. Yeah, not a good song.
For some reason they though having a 5 minute snoozer wasn't enough because they added a nearly 8 minute song right after. 'I'm a Cadillac / El camino dolo roso' is made up of two parts but that doesn't really matter as the first part, which is actually quite a good song, gets destroyed by the second half which is just... wait let say it in universal words: "Zzzz Zzzz". After around 3 minutes, the song removes most of the energetic Glam Rock and adds some very present acoustic guitar and turns the whole song into classic British Folk Rock but in bad. These few minutes are dreadfull boring with the few exceptions of a guitar breaking through which awake you from your slumber but as there isn't much more, you fall right back into other worlds that try to avoid whatever hits your ears as much as possible. Ok, that was maybe a bit too harsh but the song gets ruined and ends up being boring. The daring idea of the song is just not converted well at any point.
'I Wish I Was Your Mother' closes the album and the song is like most stuff here, pretty boring and without many interesting things. The only thing that makes the song somewhat cool? is the fact that the vocals for some reason feel a lot like some parts on "Pictures of You" by The Cure. Don't ask me why I think they sound alike but I do know that one of them is much better. This song is pretty boring and why the actual f is there a mandolin here???
favourites: Honaloochie Boogie, Whizz Kid
least favourites: Violence, El camino dolo roso, All the Way From Memphis, I Wish I Was Your Mother
Rating: light to decent 4
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2
Sep 03 2024
View Album
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The cover of the album is so bad that the music feels worse because of it. How was this approved by the band?
But away from badly designed covers and over to the Red Hot Chili Peppers legendary album 'Californication' which features the song of the same name and a couple of others Alt Rock and Funk Rock songs that give off the pure Summer California vibe that we all long for in the winter (well except me because I hate summer but let's ignore that for now). The album is pretty diverse both sonically but also with quality as there are some actual bangers as well as some dozy snoozers.
The very funky 'Around the World' starts things off with one of the best songs on the album. It has a nice groove and the Rap verses just add to the playful and energetic song. It's just a really good song that's super fun to listen to and has a surprisingly good structure and chorus. I really like it and think that it's pretty much the essence of what makes the RHCP for so many people: early Rap Rock with a lot of groovy Funk, great bass lines and overall good made music that's easy to enjoy. And it is a really good song even if I think that some passages might not be the strongest, it still turns out to be a really well made track.
It gets a little heavier and noisier on 'Parallel Universe' which seems to have some big influences of Post-Punk Revival in the chorus. It's a pretty good song but they could've done a little more with the song as it turns out a little bit washed and unfocused. The highlights are definitely there but one or two major problems arise in the verses mainly the vocal delivery which doesn't really fit at some points. But the lead guitar towards the end together with the fast bass is just crazy. Great song overall but with room for improvement.
The heavy and raw energy is tuned back 'Scar Tissue' and replaced with some nice Pop Rock melodies. The detail work here is done really well: The guitars slight build up, the background vocals fit incredibly and the rythmn section's on point. It is a really enjoyable and just great written song which makes it overall just a really great track from start to finish.
'Otherside' keeps the Pop aspect but adds a more sentimental and dark twist to it. The song is just really beautiful in how it's written and performed. The vocals do not collide with the bass or the guitar rather they work together which is quite special on this album with how many raw and loud pieces are found here. It's another great maybe even incredible song and one of my personal favourites from the band.
The Funk and Rap return right away on 'Get on Top' together with some Rap Metal which is really nice to hear right after the last song to get the mood up again. The song is pretty silly but it feels like they try to sound much more genuine then they turn out which does harm the song as this is a goofy song and not a genuine and deep song like how some parts are presented. It's still "good" but I just don't really like the presentation of how this "good" is set infront of you. It turns the song average and even annoying.
'Californication' is legendary and everyone's heard it but every time I hear it now I always think about how this is the same melody that Akira Yamaoka used on Promise for the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack which is like my 5th favourite album ever. But back to the song: You know it, the Psychedelic Pop Rock sound and the cute David Bowie reference, the chorus which everyone had stuck in their ears at least once. And yeah, the song is pretty good. Nothing crazy, nothing incredible. It's good but it should've been a little bolder with what it does.
The little bits of Hard Rock on 'Easily' are quite nice but they don't save the song from being straight up bad. It's boring and when it isn't that boring it's annyoing. This is pretty much the worst thing music can be: forgettable and the things that aren't stuck in your mind as "not good". Straight up terrible music at least gets stuck and leaves with strong emotions of hate and opinions that you'll fight for. This just flows through one ear, scratches a litte, and leaves right through the other.
The albums second half is started with something completely different. 'Porcelain' is dreamy and psychedelic Slowcore which is a pretty interesting touch and they perform this style pretty well considering that they normally are a loud Funk Rock band. It's quite the beautiful song and I really like how the guitar is used here. It's a really good song full of emotional moments and deliveries.
They return to their usual style on 'Emit Remmus' which is pretty energetic and Punky with the chorus and the song is pretty alright as a whole but some of the structured moments do feel a little bit unfinished and not fully fleshed out.
The track 'I Like Dirt' can be summarized with this meme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a02zyht8B0. No but seriously, the song is bad but it knows that and it doesn't try to be good. It just plays with the silly and downright stupid aspect of it and turns out to be much more enjoyable than some other Rap Rock songs on this album. It's genuinely a really funny track to listen to and I absolutely love it, it's really good.
'This Velvet Glove' is maybe quite well made and the background vocals are a nice touch but I am really uninterested by it. Nothing really grabs my attention and it just flies past me with neither positive nor negative thoughts about it. It's just an average and basic song.
The exact same thing is happened with 'Savior', it just flies past me and I do not care for it. It isn't bad but... it isn't good either. Still, the chorus is pretty nice but not enough to make me care for the song especially when the bridge is just that unfocused in how it's presented.
The Rap Rock is continued on 'Purple Stain'. The lyrical reference to their guitarist is hilarious and the chorus is really fun. It isn't the craziest song on this album but it's quite good, I like it even if it looses its focus after a while.
'Right on Time' is short but but energetic with some Dance-Punk influence which happens to work really well with the Funky Rap Rock. It's pretty decent but you can't really f*** up a song this short, so even if I am not overly impressed, I still enjoy it.
The album closes on the more laid-back Acoustic Folk inspired song 'Road Trippin'' which is a nice ending to the album. It is another song with a switch up of genres and again, it works fine. It feels a lot like an Elliott Smith song which is a nice touch but it doesn't feel overly inventive or like they actually know what they are doing as lyrically, this isn't great or fitting and the guitar carries this whole song. It's still pretty enjoyable though.
favourites: Otherside, Scar Tissue, Around the World, Porcelain
least favourites: Easily, Get on Top, This Velvet Glove, Savior
Rating: strong 6
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3
Sep 04 2024
View Album
1999
Prince
Does Prince need an introduction? He is the King of 80's Pop Rock and Synth Funk and pretty much the King of the 80's in general, at least for me. I'm sorry MJ but you don't stand a chance against Purple Rain. But this isn't Purple Rain, so let's get back to talk about 1999. Prince's first double album and easily his most conceptual work yet. It's full of dancy Pop Rock and groovy Synth Funk with many very forward thinking moments and a few Experimental bits sprinkled throughout. It was at that point in his career his best album only surpassed by a handfull later on. It's just such an incredible album that does not feel like it goes on for 70 minutes with some songs being nearly 10 minutes long. It's just THAT good.
The title track '1999' gets the album started with a slightly creepy spoken intro but quickly turns into a mix of Funk, Synthpop and Disco. It's full of incredible production, great vocal performances by both Prince and the background singers and it's just so fun to listen to with so many energetic moments. It's a perfect opening song and a perfect song in general. Hard to get much better than this. This is how you do 80's Dance-Pop!
Second song 'Little Red Corvette' goes more R&B and even a little Pop Rock while keeping a lot of the sonic styles the first song introduced. The build up into the chorus is fast and makes the verses absolutely worth it. It's such a beautiful song with so many dynamic changes and energetic moments. His weird and crazy vocals towards the end are incredible and the details are overall done in very thoughtful way. It's another simply perfect song and one of the albums biggest highlights.
'Delirious' sounds pretty silly at the start but the Rockabilly influence in the delivery is just incredible. I am genuinely amazed by how he came up with that, this is literally the 50's but int the most 80's way possible. And the song is just full on amazing and stays as interesting towards the end as it did at the start. The synths are so cute, the vocals amazing and the lyrics are quite fun. This whole song is fun. I absolutely love it... Perfect song again.
The much more Electronic 'Let's Pretend We're Married' brings in some moments from the Hi-NRG genre which was popular in the gay bars of San Francisco and New York in the early 80's and even if Prince was strictly heterosexual, the mix works quite well as this song is another incredible song even if it takes a bit to get started but that can be excused when THIS is what it turns into. Full of great moments, production, performances and what else there is to mention. Just a pretty much perfect song, again! It's just so much fun.
'D.M.S.R.' gets really funky with a very thick bass line and a very great vibe to it and it's even groovier than most of the stuff that was featured so far. The vocals are absolutely incredible with how they are layered and echoed. I just absolutely love this song from front to back. The instrumental parts that mainly put the synths in the forefront are just perfect with the few but effective melodic changes.
The second half of the album is opened with 'Automatic', the albums longest song running in at nearly 10 minutes. The synths are really carrying this even if Prince is still killing it with his performance and the songwriting. It is a beautiful song through and through and even with the sheer length that this offers, it is really diverse with the sound and structure. I do think that a couple of moments feel a little bit streched but not that it harms the song too much, it is still incredible.
The very New Wave sounding 'Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)' is weirly ethereal and even slightly Industrial while keeping the very clear Art Pop tendency throughout very present. The performance is again killer and Prince really perfects himself in some of the weird ways he is using his vocals to shine. I really love this song for the atmosphere but it just doesn't feel like it was completely thought through and perfected. It is a really great song but a couple moments desire for the song to build more into a final climax rather than just ending slowly. Still, a great song.
The very strong and present Soul on 'Free' is something sonically completely different but of course Prince also makes an incredible song like this. The quieter backing vocals with his very "aching" voice adds a lot of emotional weight to the track which makes it one of the albums most dense tracks in terms of emotional depth but it also very much stands out with all the dancy and energetic tracks which does harm the song. If it was released as a single but was omitted from the album, the track would flourish in another light but here it just feels a little bit off. Or as a break after all the dancing but still... It is a great song but that's it.
Luckily Prince follows it up with the very fitting and dancy 'Lady Cab Driver' which is very funky and I absolutely love the bass on this track. It is a little more Disco and Boogie but groovy. It's a really great song that feels very similar to something you'd maybe find MJ doing on previous records but I don't feel like it needed to be nearly 9 minutes. I know Prince wanted to go all out with this album and it definitely is his best yet but with songs like this I think he should've cut it a little bit. The bridge is nice but goes on for a little too long. 6 to 7 minutes would've done it more justice even if the guitar towards the end really uplifts the song as a whole, it's "just" a great song.
'All the Critics Love U in New York' is another really dancy, Hi-NRG inspired Disco song with some really well made moments especially in the chorus but it feels a little bit bland in comparison with some of the verses and instrumental parts but the strong moments make up for the slightly more average moments to make this at least a really good song but it is one of the albums weakest songs.
The Smooth Soul closing track of 'International Lover' is a beautiful end to the album with a lot of R&B sprinkled into the vocals. It's a great closing track and a lot better than the other Soul song here and I do think that it's the second best song on the second side of the album but it doesn't stand a chance when compared to some of Side 1.
favourites: 1999, Little Red Corvette, D.M.S.R., Delirious, Let's Pretend We're Married
least favourites: All the Critics Love U in New York, Free
Rating: decent 9
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5
Sep 05 2024
View Album
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder had a couple of big hits before and one album which really put him into the conversation of the best current Soul artists but it was THIS album which made him one of the best Soul artists of all time!
It is full of incredible and forward thinking production, beautiful arrangements, incredible songwriting and just magical performances that makes this one of the essential listens for everyone. It is pure magic to the ears and it's even crazier when you realize that this isn't even considered his best album. (It's my favourite but most point ot Songs in the Key of Life)
The Psychedelic Soul and Funk mix of 'Too High' gets the album started with a groovy and beautiful song full of incredible instrumental performances but also gets some of the conceptual ideas started. The song is hypnotic and enjoyable with many great moments and it delivers the whole way. A perfect song to start such an incredible album with.
'Visions' replaces the Funk with Folk and a surprising amount of Folk. This song is just Progressive and Psychedelic Folk with a very Soul-like vocal performance and while that sounds like a strange combination, Stevie pulls it off in the best way possible. It is a beautiful and yeah psychdedelic experience full of beautiful lyrics and ideas that some might even call philosophical. Do I need to say much more? This is perfect even when the placement of the song could've been improved as it is a very hard cut from the Funk, it still is just wonderful.
The albums most forward thinking song is without a doubt 'Living for the City'. It mixes the Funk and Soul like we were used to and it even adds a little Rock into the song and how can you forget the crazy vocal performance that Stevie offers but that isn't necessarily why this song is so good and viewed as so influental. It is the "weird" second half that adds some Spoken Word & Radio Recordings mix that isn't just there as a nice add-on but actually as a conceptual continuation of what the song itself spoke about. It is there to get more people to understand what he wanted to achieve with the song and he absolutely delivered. The "actual" song returns and closes the song properly but still, this idea was a big thing in the way he implemented it.
The slightly Smooth Soul 'Golden Lady' is an absolutely beautiful ending to the albums first half. It flows through the verses and the pre-chorus and the chorus itself is just the cherry on top. It is an absolutely stunning piece of Soul music and easily one of the albums best songs and also one of the best songs in Stevie Wonder's whole career.
The second half is started with 'Higher Ground' which is a very groovy return to the strong Funk sound with the very, well, funky guitar and bass which absolutely drive the song. Stevie is absolutely killing it with these vocals and the whole way that the song is structured is just incredible. It not only flows but I feel like it flows so fast that you feel on some very strong substances that go far outside of LSD. This song makes me want to get so much energy out like I haven't moved in days. Perfect, it's a perfect song!
'Jesus Children of America' is one of the albums "worst" songs which crazy because it still is an absolutely incredible song with great Gospel vocals and some really well made bass and the whole song is just beautiful. It just fails to really take the edge that most songs here did. Incredible song and better than 90% of music ever but it isn't more, at least for me. Christians might go really crazy for this but I don't. I just really like it.
The Smooth Soul returns on 'All in Love Is Fair' which is just a beautiful performance all the way through. I am just stunned by how emotional he sings on this song and it also speaks to me more with the topic. It is just so beautiful and incredibly performed that I am again thinking that this is a perfect song.
The emotional and smooth sound is replaced with the Salsa inspired Latin Soul song 'Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing'. This track just wants to make you dance and groove until you're out of breath. The details with the maraca, the bongos and what else there's on here just gives this a very tropical feeling that adds even more to the dancy and warm song. Absolutely amazing song from start to finish!
The album finishes with 'He's Misstra Know-It-All'. A very Pop Soul finale to the album that isn't overly energetic or overly relaxed. It's a beautiful mix of both that makes it a perfect closing track because no matter which sonic paths that the album took you prefer, you will enjoy this song from start to finish. And it again, is a perfect song like most the album is.
favourites: Higher Ground, Living for the City, Golden Lady, Too High, Visions, Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, He's Misstra Know-It-All, All in Love Is Fair
least favourites: Jesus Children of America (still incredible)
Rating: decent 10
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5
Sep 06 2024
View Album
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen who is one of the greatest poets to ever walk on this earth who mainly started making music because releasing his text on their own wasn't lucrative came to age. His debut in '67 was released when he was 33 and when this album hit the shelfs a couple months after David Bowie passed away, he was 82. And like with Bowies final album, this also talks a lot about his own death as he also died a few days after this album released.
The title track 'You Want It Darker' starts the album off with the best song already. It combines Art Pop, Jewish Music, Gothic Country and many weird and dark references to him and his religion in sometimes a Spoken Word style. The song features organs and very present keyboard bass and it all just feels dark and like he is making his own funerals requiem. It feels like Mozart all over again but instead of writing sheets full of classical music he wrote sheets full of magical and depp poetry. Yeah, the song's perfect and easily one of my all-time favourite Cohen songs.
'Treaty' goes a more Piano Blues way and feels a lot like something you'd hear on a Cohen x Tom Waits x Nick Cave collaboration and as I love all these artists, I love this song. It's very low-key but you can feel how he's not just trying to sing the words, he is adding so much emotional weight into them that the song turns out being very heavy on you. It isn't perfect, sadly, but it is incredible through and through especially the lyrics are just amazing and it mainly comes down to the instrumental side of the song that do harm it a little bit too much to be considered perfect.
The Soft Rock guitar on 'On the Level' adds to the Piano Blues but I am really not a fan of how the backing vocals are used here. They don't fit at all. He should've just hummed them himself as this would've added a darker and more emotional twist. This just makes the song feel basic and uninteresing. It turns it just good and not great or incredible.
Luckily, 'Leaving the Table' saves it a little by mixing his Folk style with a little bit of Country in a very slow and lonely way that turns the song into a very emotional and hard hitting song and one of the saddest songs on the album. This song literally made me cry which already makes it perfect. It's how he should've made most of the album. Just raw and emotional with a very open talk about Death.
The more uplifiting sounding 'If I Didn't Have Your Love' adds a little bit of Soul into the Blues style. It isn't really that interesting when compared to other songs on the album but it's still pretty nice and the chorus is at least one big highlight. I also think that this wasn't the best choice to end the albums first half with as it is a less dark and moody track and it would've worked better at another place.
The few flamenco influences on 'Traveling Light' work weirdly well with the dark themes and I am just surprised of how he came up with this idea of adding flamenco guitar into the mix. The slight Blues parts are also pretty nice in combination and the backing vocals work so well. I absolutely love how this song shapes up and plays with the music in it by adding more and more detail. The lyrics are just absolutely on point, like always and Cohen performs them with a wit that I am not used to but see it working so well. That all combines into just another perfect song.
The Spoken Word aspect of 'It Seemed the Better Way' adds to the atmosphere that this song was going for. It feels nocturnal and full of mystery with the percussion that feels like out of a soundtrack for a jungle at night. The song is fantastic and just incredible even if I would've wished for a little more detail to be added because the organ and string parts aren't doing just enough for me.
The Country influences return on 'Steer Your Way' which features not only a very detailed production and some of Cohens best lyrics but also a beautiful performance from him. It is genuinely a wonderful song in every detail that you could imagine and a real highlight from the album.
'String Reprise / Treaty' ends the album with mainly just strings at the start. They go on in a way that feels like someone's passed away (or is going to hehehe). This feels like it was a melody played on the Titanic as it sunk. After a while it goes back to 'Treaty' from the start with similar lyrics but performed pretty differently on top of the strings. It is the best possible way Cohen could've ended this album and his career. It is a great song even if I would've wished for the strings to go on for a little shorter.
favourites: You Want It Darker, Leaving the Table, Steer Your Way, Traveling Light, Treaty
least favourites: On the Level, If I Didn't Have Your Love
Rating: light 9
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5
Sep 07 2024
View Album
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder's musical Magnum Opus, a double album that adds an extra 7" EP for a total runtime of over 100 minutes. Yet it still is considered to be one of the greatest and most entertaining Soul albums of all time with many even putting it in their number 1 spot. The album features incredible arrangements, talks about deep philosophical topics as well as modern societal problems and simply beautiful songs that switch from up-lifting and fun to introspective and relaxing without feeling off or repetitive. It is a wonderful album and an absolute staple of Soul music in general.
The motivational and smooth Pop Soul opening track 'Love's in Need of Love Today' gets the album started with a lush and passionate groove that features incredible vocals by Stevie Wonder himself but also from the backing vocalists. Even with the 7 minutes of playtime, it flows beautifully within leaving no desires open, it satisfies them all. A beautiful and incredible song to start the album with and without a doubt a perfect song.
It builds up with the slightly electronic 'Have a Talk With God' which can be seen as a Proto-Synth Funk and as cool as that name sounds, the song's even cooler. The instruments are a great mix between groovy and slightly silly and the incredible songwriting on top just perfects this song. I absolutely love this song and it's one of my personal favourite songs on the entire album and in Stevies catalogue in general, i just wished he extended this into 6,7 or even 9 minutes.
'Village Ghetto Land' goes a little bit more poetic and mellow with some very classical strings and a few added electronics, I just think the placement of it destroys the way the album build up so far. I was just dancing and this is too hard of a sonic cut for me to genuinely enjoy the song. It's not bad and I support the message of showing the real world that a lot of black folks used to live in with all my heart but I would've enjoyed it much more as a closing track. It's a good song but I cannot stand the way it ruins an incredible run of songs but that's just my opinion.
The very Jazzy 'Contusion' is actually an instrumental that combines Jazz with the Funk and Soul elements of Stevies other songs and for not even featuring Stevies vocals this surprisingly works really well. The few background singers add a lot and I think the song turns out incredible. Just a very groovy and beautifully optimistic piece.
Stevie returns with the vocals on 'Sir Duke' which most people point to as the albums best song and... yeah I absolutely see why. It's funky, has incredible and very entertaining arrangements and the songwriting is on point. It's just super fun and passionate with everything that it does and it's not hard to call this another perfect song.
For me 'I Wish' is even better as it just feels like everything 'Sir Duke' did right but even catchier and a chorus that is just pure Funk greatness. It's such an eclectic song with so many great moments and songwriting that is just so great with all the added deatils in form of a few thrown in words and the bass here is just absolutely stunning. One of my all time favourite Stevie songs and Soul/Funk songs in general.
'Knocks Me Off My Feet' removes most of the Funk and just shows the beauty of Soul music. It's writing is absoutely amazing and the way it builds up the chorus and builds up from there even further is just incredible. The song is an incredible staple of how Stevie can pretty much try every possible way to make Soul music and succeeds in every one of them.
Most people will know 'Pastime Paradise' for the cover 'Gangsta's Paradise' by Coolio & L.V. which is just an absolute masterpiece of Hip Hop music and in the same way, this song which was the blueprint is also a masterpiece. Its melody is easily memorable and the vocals are absolutely killing it with how they build the tension towards the chorus and slowly release them again. A masterpiece of music from start to finish (both songs).
The great mix of Funk and Soul returns on 'Summer Soft' which has one of the most memorable intros on the entire album. The rest of the song is beautiful as well especially with how it builds up sonically towards the chorus by incorporating more and more Funk elements. The organ near the end also just really adds another layer of greatness.
'Ordinary Pain' closes the albums first half with one of the longer songs at over 6 minutes. The song's first half, while still having obvious Funk influences, is mainly a great Soul song which builds into a beautiful and lush chorus but out of nothing it trancends into pretty much pure Funk with mainly other vocalists shining with the singing. It's a genius way to mix up ideas into two different directions. The first half being more mellow, the second being very energetic and yet they still work perfectly together in one single song.
'Isn't She Lovely' starts the second half with a recording of a crying baby and turns slowly into a very groovy and fun to listen to Pop Soul song which has a total runtime of 6.5 minutes of playtime but it just doesn't feel like that. The song runs past you in the best way possible. Every moment is enjoyable, the chorus is memorable and catchy and the harmonica is a genius addition to the song. The return of the baby and family recordings return towards the end while the song is still playing and as the song fades out, more and more can be heard. It's a beautiful way to start this half of the album with.
The slight psychedelic aspects of 'Joy Inside My Tears' adds to the songs atmosphere. It is genuinely a hypnotic piece the way it spirals to the chorus and continues and adds more and more depth into the song both musically and conceptually. It is an absolute masterpiece and I won't write much more because I want to enjoy the rest of this incredible song...
The longest song 'Black Man' which comes out to nearly 9 minutes of playtime. It's a great mix of Synth Funk and a little bit of Jazz and a really cool "lecture" gimmick of a class being told about which great things were achieved by a black man or a black woman and also about other achievements other "colours" achieved and it feels super motivational to even me who isn't even black but as white as white gets. It's a song about freedom and how all races are a part of this world and how we should just live in peace together and share the achievements and cultures that wo all created in the thousands of years that we've lived here and I am all for it!
Was anyone expecting that Stevie just randomly started to sing Spanish? I wasn't but 'Ngiculela - Es una historia - I Am Singing' is an absolute beast of Latin Soul and even adds some influences of Flamenco which really adds to the song. It's a really good song but I wish he did the whole thing in Spanish because because the second half is significantly more uninteresting. With that I mean that it's still perfect just that I wished that he'd extended the Spanish part.
'If It's Magic' goes very Baroque Pop and even a little bit Chamber Folk and although that style did work really well on 'Visions' on his album Innervisions, this time it's much less interesting. It's not bad, Stevie is still killer with the vocals and the songwriting but I just don't really feel this one to the extend I felt most stuff on the album.
The slight Gospel parts on 'As' just make this Jazz-Funk masterpiece even better. It's groovy, catchy, very memorable, has some of the best background vocals on the entire record and doesn't even feel close to the 7 minutes that it's actually long. It is a masterpiece through and through and one of the best songs here in terms of passion, I mean have you heard the vocals that are on here? Incredible, absolutely incredible.
The albums second half is closed with 'Another Star' but luckily it isn't the end because Stevie decided to add a 7" EP with 4 more songs which aren't just Bonus Tracks, no they are part of the album which extends this album even further. But back to this song. It's over 8 minutes and combines Latin Soul with Disco and some Samba parts to create a one of a kind mix of sounds that just perfectly work with the warm sound of the album. The background vocals are again absolutely incredible and the groove this song has is outstanding. It's a little bit too "heavy" in terms of the length it hits you with but it's still an absolute masterpiece and would've closed the album perfectly, if Stevie didn't want to add even more stuff!
The "A Something's Extra" titled EP starts with 'Saturn' which has the cool addition of a Moog synthesizer which fits in neatly with the Progressive Pop Soul sound this song was going for. It's psychedelic, beautiful and simply incredible. It feels like the Soul version of Space Rock and my god, does this work beautifully. I do think that it isn't perfect, mainly because the second half gets a little bit unappealing when the chorus isn't playing but still, incredible.
'Ebony Eyes' on the other hand adds piano and makes a pretty well made Rhythm & Blues and Soul blend but it feels pretty silly and unfinished compared to the rest of the album. It feels more like they were jamming around a little bit rather than actually recording the song. It's too silly but not in the way where it would add to the song. I also feel like the song goes on for way too long and that all accumulates into easily the albums "worst" song which is still a pretty good song.
The Rock influences on 'All Day Sucker' adds a lot to the Synth Funk style of it. It's genuinely an incredible song with a great melody and well made arrangements arround that. The song could've easily been on the "main" album. It's not a perfect song because it would've needed to go a little more adventurous with the songwriting and the vocals but the synth and the guitar do carry this thing very nicely.
The full album ends with a nice blend of relaxed Soul and Jazz on 'Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)' which is a great song and closes the album in a very soothing and finalizing way. The harmonica adds a nice sound similar to 'Isn't She Lovely' but way slower. The song's good but it would've needed a little more too it, it feels to repetitive and the harmonica isn't really doing it all that much after a while. The song is nice and pretty good but after a while it just doesn't interest you as much anymore even if the final moments are really great for closing this beast of an album.
favourites: I Wish, As, Have a Talk With God, Joy Inside My Tears, Sir Duke, Ordinary Pain, Love's in Need of Love Today, Knocks Me Off My Feet, Another Star, Black Man, Pastime Paradise, Summer Soft, Isn't She Lovely, Ngiculela - Es una historia - I Am Singing (that's a lot!!!)
least favourites: Ebony Eyes, Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call), Village Ghetto Land, If It's Magic
Rating: strong 9
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5