A pleasant album (and my first on this journey) whose earnestness is refreshing given the changes to adult contemporary music in the past 50-odd years. Very much rooted in its time and scene, which isn't a bad thing.
Definitely in that 3-3.5 star range for the first half but Miles from Nowhere, On The Road To Find Out elevated it beyond that for me.
Longer Boats is a standout, with fun instrumentation.
Pared-back instrumentation but super-duper effective. Shows how far a thoughtful mix of electronic and an live instruments can go, particularly the bass.
Surprisingly jazzy; helped by the great vocal harmonisation
Islands, Shelter and Basic Space are perfect examples of the latter.
Straightforward, four-to-the-floor, groove rock. A Cadillac going 90.
Sharp Dressed Man
This album is held up by its singles. Bitter Sweet Symphony is a fantastic single and a staple of Britpop. The Drugs Don't Work is also a masterpiece in its sadness. Lucky Man's tune and lyrics make it stand out among the rest of the psychadelic-leaning songs.
Speaking of which, the psychedelic remainders are not bad, with more dynamic production than Oasis. However, it gets repetitive, with the rock-y bombast for most tracks letting them down after 3-4 minutes.
The exception is Space And Time, which earns the noodling at the end.
This is a lesson in why \"Oasis' \"BE Here Now\" was doomed to failure - psychadelic-inspired hard rock songs should be way shorter to start with, let alone wall-of-sound for 7 minutes.
Overall, great sound and vibes overall but the lack of re-listenability means it loses stars.
The generator gave me this and the Folsom album to listen to back-to-back. What a coincidence :P
This is an interesting contrast to the Folsom album, a little less jubilant in some way?
The title song is at the core, a much sadder affair than Folsom Prison Blues but A Boy Named Sue is its heart. Classic Johnny.
Part of the magic here is those backing singers. That unmistakable voice contrasting with the higher voices is marvellous! And his duet with June in Walk the Line is fantastic as always.
Part two of a back-to-back:
Now this is more raucous! Carl Perkins is the king of Rockabilly.
No spirituals like Peace in the Valley that made At San Quentin a sadder affair. The chuckles during "Dark as a Dungeon" sum that up perfectly.
I loved Mark Lanegan (RIP) already for his contributions in Queens of the Stone Age, so I was excited to start this.
His vocals soar more than I expected and are a high point in this record.
And my, do these songs _soar_. "Sworn and Broken" was my favourite
I do _love_ metal and try to give Iron Maiden a fair shake.
I can see why this is a popular metal album with crossover appeal - Bruce Dickinson' lung-busting vocals are an endurance feat. The bass pops more than modern metal and the instrumentation is tight.
Worth a listen but not something I would go back to personally.
I was surprised to see Thin Lizzy on this list - and what a joy to get a slice of their live set!
There are songs, and there is Emerald. A swashbuckling ride from start-to-finish.
Southbound has great vocal harmonies
Contrasting some other live albums on this list, I like the song-to-song nature, with only a smattering of mic talk. The seamless movements from song to song is brilliant.
In general, I am open experimental and outsider music - Daniel Johnston has some magnificent work, for example.
I can’t get into this at all. Barrett has a fascinating life story and this album does have its in the rock pantheon but it’s not my vibe.
_sigh_
The big hits from this assaulted my teenage years, so I need to work hard to overcome my preconceived opinions
"All These Things That I've Done" is the one hit I really like.
I couldn't get into the latter half of this.
Well, this starts off unexpectedly. Space pop-rock in my ABBA?! Somehow my disco boots still suit the vibe of the opening track. Great start!
I was genuinely expecting a lot of slop intertwined with the classics but this is a delight! _looks at release year...._ 1981, that explains it!
As I progress through this generator journey, I am surprised at how much tight vocals and harmonisation matter to me in a pop context (the stabs of "For the Price of One" is a hook). This is a group who know who they are and who find wonder in intermingling. Reminds me of Fleetwood Mac around that era but with better self-editing.
"I Let The Music Speak" is definitely a precursor to Benny and Björn's musicals.
"Two For The Price Of Video Killed the Radio Star"
I'm surprised how many influences they wear on their sleeves. 5 stars!
This is so very very 60s with a lovely orchestral punch!
The guitar work is intricate and the whole vibe is airy. I like it but don't love it
For such a "Classic" album, the Spotify listens are surprisingly low.
As I listen, I can kinda see why - this is a rock opera, and a good one at that. It's not _really_ full of single-like material. Makes for a good single-run-through listen.
In fact, this seems to be the album that popularised the term. There are definitely better examples (Ziggy Stardust) but I am giving it a bump for the sheer audacity only the Who could pull off.
_Flashback to teenage years_
I was a 90s grunge fan stuck in the early/late 2000s as a teenager. Alice scratched to young + angry itch.
That aspect has aged poorly. But the desperation and inner fear from a struggling addict leaves this a more haunted experience.
Very interesting. Full punk energy with cool sounds.
Wait a minute, I recognise those drums at the start of Stinking Drunk...
A shockingly interesting album, advancing the psychedelic sound to a proto-punk, proto-news-wave place.
You Need Your Head and Rock & Roll Pussy are face melters!
I love the tracks blending together.
Like a lot of albums I've reviewed, I _get it_ but it's just not for me. Meddle and DSOTM are still Floyd at their peak
Rock Me My Baby is my favourite from this.
The drums are very floor and tom heavy, giving an interesting tension in places
And again, the vocal harmonisations are locked-in. Something that is really missing from modern pop and rock genres
Ooh, this reminds me of the Republic of Loose!
Family Tree is such a beautiful teardrop of a song
Bono is a prick. Larry Mullen is sound. I'm Irish; I'm allowed to make those claims.
This album is great precisely because the more of a self-indulgent prick Bono is, the better the music is.
Why does "Where The Streets Have No Name" make me cry?
Why am I transported from Dublin's Docklands to the middle of the Mojave?
This album definitely _has_ filler. I am normally harsh on filler but the whole being-a-prick epicness thing overcomes this.
This is a victory over any haters Bono had at the time, or any haters he could have in the future. Fucking prick.
Larry is still sound.
So folky and a lot more whimsical and fun than what I expected!
I hear Beatles all over this record
I definitely go easier on more mellow material but this is a head above the likes of Cat Stephens
The laid-back funk of Be Thankful For What You've Got is the absolute highlight of this for me!
Dancing around the Maypole to piccolos is not my thing.
This album took me to a fancy seafood dinner, then never called me again.
An interesting and fun mix of pop and punk.
Don't we all have a perfect cousin?
Was probably revolutionary for the time but it's dull to me. Reminds me of The Wall in a weird way.
A fantastic 3-song-run to start with but just loses momentum toward the end. A rounded-up 4
This might be quintessential Pitchforkbait and Fantanobait
But damn, it's great bait
Interesting early new-wave and punky fun
I do like Yacht Rock and this kind of soul but not my cup of tea
Tectonic. Nobody hits shuffles this _hard_
A little dated but still wonderfully calm and beautiful and stripped-back
Never has such a horrific album been so delightful
A little too repetitive for my liking but it achieves what it sets out to do
Way baggier and way, way better than I expected.
Every Day Should Be a Holiday is supreme pop.
I'm sure Tony Wilson was proud
_review rendered inaudible by wall of guitars_
This music puts a smile on my face :)
What an incredible three-song start!
