Overall... Pretty good. Some of the guitar work was lack luster, but the attitude was brilliant.
It was okay. I suspect, but not sure, that it was an album that burst through into public consciousness of a new style of music. But fifty years later, it seems tired and repetitive.
I found the album to be nothing special relative to the music coming out at the same time.
Hell yeah. The track really makes a strong statement and it continues for much of the album. All the musicians are really well trained and they make a great band. The Motown tracks were less interesting that the funk tracks.
Brilliant. This genre is something I never listen to and have only come across through radio play and elevators. To say the genre is tepid is an understatement.
So I was shocked to find myself bobbing along and surprised by the complexity of the production and aesthetics. This guy knows music.
Pretty much what I expected, though I can't say I've listened the album previous. Individual tracks were wonderful even some I had never heard before. As an album, it never got a sense of cohesion.
Soft confessionals and gentle music make this album ultimately listenable. Nothing stands out as particularly special or weak.
This album is tough. It goes from excellent, to okay, to wtf, to I'm annoyed.
The excellent first. The beats are exceptional. Easily a five. ten out of ten. Possibly in the top 5% of all rap albums.
The rhymes, on the other hand. are just mid. That era of rap left a lot to be desired.
As for the ugly, there's an orgy track. No thanks. Skipped.
Unfortunately, the remain tracks just felt like filler. Kind of annoying.
Oh boy... Dylan. Dylan holds an iconic place in American culture and legendary status for so many whose political, musical, and ethical consciousness formed during an age of personal transformation from innocent to awake. How can someone much later in their lives and far removed from that moment truly receive this without a sense of overwhelm and subsequently fortification against that? I don't know, but I'll try. Here we go.
Solid freshman entry. Especially at s time when rock had faded to the background. A signal for even better things to come.
I'm not too familiar with this genre, but I'd listen to this album again, but it's for a very specific mood. The lyrics are personal and insightful and the production is nuanced and gentle. Dug it.
Aretha is an undeniable America treasure and an undeniable talent. So it's sort of discordant when I find myself swinging between elation for her splendid voice to deep annoyance with the persistent themes of being beholden to a man and their love. This discordance really comes to the fore when listening to Dr. Feelgood. Thankfully, her talent wins. Unfortunately, the battle is real and the winner isn't always as clear. Thankfully, I find myself swaying along to more songs than I cringe to.
Overall, an important album that I really enjoyed. But I suspect that I'd save her work to pepper playlists and not necessarily listen to the whole album. This is one of the hardest albums to rate.
A Change Is Gonna Come just destroyed me. 5 ⭐
I so wanted to love this album.
Probably just wrong day for me to listen, honestly.
I've listened to a handful of conscious rappers in my time, but all are them are form the mid 90s or so. So their style had transformed because of gangsta rap. Plus, thematically, the back to Africa themes are only tangentially interesting to me.
Lyrically, it's for that 80s vibe. Some of the songs on the back half seemed to have potential. Just today wasn't my day for listening to it.
Mediocrity can be so soothing.
Pleasantly enjoyable. Unique tracks with an awareness of different styles. If disc 2 didn't exist, easily a strong 4, maybe a 5. Sadly, there's enough weak tracks to drop this to a weak 4.
Everything I thought it would be.
Brilliant album through and through. Sets a high water mark for a tone of punk that only had been tangentially explored.
An almost good album. Definitely has it's moments, but often interrupted by the magic of the guitar.
This album is so good. Its either a strong 4 or weak 5. It's just missing a small something to make it unforgettable. But it hits so many of the right notes, tones, lyrics, discordances, and so much more. I feel like it is deserving of a 5 and would feel wrong to give it a 4. And yet there is room for improvement.
Very solid album. I wouldn't hesitate to throw it on.
I can accept the angst as part of the project, but the music was lackluster. Combined with uninspired lyrics, I suffered through this album.
So enjoyable. You've gotta have love for some drum solos.
Not too shabby. Avoids the magical guitar motif that progressive rock can fall into. Overall, very enjoyable.
No bad. Some hints of amazing in there, but consistently solid. They did a thing. They did it well. And I enjoyed it.
Surprisingly, didn't hit the mark for me. Seemed so full of potential.
Never heard of them before and was very impressed. This is why I signed up for this service. New music that, while not transcendent, introduced me to a new band that does a thing well.
25 years ago, The Box held epic status in my mind. I never pursued further listening from Orbital.
Finding this on my list yesterday, made me wonder if I made a mistake. I suspect they have some great albums, but this one never really separated itself from other albums from the genre. A little disappointing, but not awful.
If you ever want to understand the grunge movement of the early 90s, this is an important album. It doesn't stand above the rest save for the occasional song pining for the unreachable particularly in "Black" and "Garden". This style allows for Vedder's singing to pop. The energetic songs lack the guitar stying needed for the songs to stand apart.
"Release" is unique in its quiet hopefulness and length. I don't know if it's the best song, but the length allows for some transformations and only dips into soppiness for a moment here and there.
Okay album.
American Idiot is, ultimately, listenable. I definitely found myself bobbing along and enjoying so tracks. The album goes on too long. But it's too important of an album for 90s to ignore. I think the thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth is calling it punk. Maybe they bought a mode of punk into popular consciousness that I just don't like very much. I wonder if it was called something else, I'd be left without that bitter taste.
So few albums lay down the hammer so loudly that it creates a new genre while still being a contender in that genre decades later. An undeniable power house. While not the apogee of hardcore, it's energetic, influential, and hardcore.
Very well developed album. A solid contribution to the genre and worth listening to. Not sure I'd throw it on at any time, but wouldn't balk if someone else did.
I have to be honest, knowing that this album almost faded into obscurity had it not been for the efforts of two radio DJs makes me value it even more.
Haunting, alluring, and resplendent.... What delightful album. Sold 4 almost 5.
Hell yeah. This is a unique medley of music is an inviting experimental flurry of familiar and odd sounds and songs.
Peaches and cream.
Women and wine.
Simon and Garfunkel.
Something's are better together.
That not to say that peaches aren't great by themselves. But sometimes its better with cream. And this Simon would have been better with Art. And thidnt isn't to say Simon isn't great all by himself. Graceland is a great album. But this isn't. The first few songs are tepid at best. Others are good. But many only have glimmers of something interesting. This album is almost good.
Darn good freshman album with a talented singer and musician. Unfortunately, there were too many production elements that resulted in drowning out the delicacy and mastery of Fiona's voice.
Dre really is entering into his mastery period with this album. It's experimental and playful and interesting.
Snoop has some good rhymes, but they are a little raw still and feels very 19 years old.
Brilliant album. It really surprised me how early this is made and the tone of the album.
This was a lot of fun to listen to. Playful and adventurous. Since it progressive rock, it's not for everyone, but I liked it.
A pretty good entry on a genre that I'm not excited about. So much of anything they do exceptionally well was probably missed on me.
Damn good album. Innovate sounds messing rock, punk and more.
I really love this album. Innovative with so many peak moments. Drags a bit in the second half. Surprisingly, a little weird for my tastes.
Nice production value from an interesting artist.
This was a surprisingly fantastic album. A beautiful voice that deserves an orchestral backing and music that holds the two together in simple, but feeling filled songs of love. Definitely a surprise. Definitely recommended.
What a wonderful album. Perhaps his high water mark.
An all around brilliant album brimming with emotion.
Stunningly simple, gentle and at time chaotic, discordant. One of my favorite albums of all time.
