Rainy day music. This album is very, very special to me. I can pinpoint when first heard it, and times it's kept me company. :) the music is so complicated at times, but dressed up so it's never too much. I love this album and I'm sleepy.

As someone who supposedly doesn't care for Oasis... I enjoyed this a great deal more than I could have expected! :) I appreciate them more as a group now I've heard more than the singles. :)

Aw man I already listened to this lol. But it is good, so I shall revisit!

Very bland 80s stuff, throwing in some questionable 80s glam lyrics... I would give 1.5 if I could, but Dead or Alive is a great song so I feel okay with giving it a 2. Definitely not without merit, but not a great album in my mind.

Utterly tremendous - it had that "live" feel of people having fun and being ruddy great at their instruments. Any criticism I might have about it being 4 songs over the best part of an hour are offset by the fun I had listening to it. It's zany, out there, and this is the third time I'll say it, fun! :) This one goes firmly up at the top for me so far, because it sounds like they really nailed what they were going for, and it managed to surprise me in a few spots, which was really cool! :)

Really, really enjoyed this! Brilliant musicianship, awesome songs, themes... just top notch for me. I love that they put 2 of the huge singles halfway in, just the sheer confidence in the rest of the album is brilliant.

Excellent! It would have been 4.5 I wish it was less darn long, but it was so good! Musicianship was great, and it made me happy to listen to such a happy bunch of songs. I liked how the drums sounded too.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YES

I have been spoiled by CSNY and Buffalo Springfield

Not my favourite Tom Waits album, but damn do I love Tom Waits! :)

Oh my god the musicianship! :) It feels ungodly to listen to. Probably my favourite Smith album.

Fudge yeah!

Utterly great. Really enjoyed the unique sounds and songwriting.

Oh boy, this was hard going. It was sad, and painted pictures in my brain. I love Johnny Cash, and these songs reminded me why. Also holy covers! :)

Very good! :) Really good vibe :)

Mellow and comfy...too comfy...

A very fine punk album! surprised I've not dived in before, and fully will do now!

Erm.... Were we meant to listen to all 3 hours? I got to 2 hours, and thought I'd extracted everything I could. Very nice voice, well crafted comfy songs... could not do three hours. If reviewed as a brief album, I'd probably say "yeah brilliant!" but it outstayed its welcome by the second "disc"... Tricky to rate, as that was kind of the point of a box set, and it's a great archive of american songbook stuff too, amazing voice etc... something historical more than something to enjoy for me. Nutritional.

Really brilliant musicianship - I'll average it out as 5* because it is really impressive. I think I preferred meat is murder, but that's a taste thing. Also There is a Light That Never Goes Out is worth a star by itself lol.

Surprised this is in here - a more obscure Sonic Youth pick than say Daydream Nation, Goo, Sister, or Dirty, but I can see that it is a great snapshot of all the elements that make them so special. EVOL is such a nice intersection between noisy and songsy, and has a lot of things I love on it. I'm a massively biased lover of Sonic Youth.

Really good bass and all in all a solid album!

Very enjoyable and a great voice. Glad I've finally heard it.

Not my favourite stooges album (funhouse), but a really solid album!

Really enjoyed this!

Honesty is important. I wasn't blown away by this. His voice grated on me, and I wound up trying to like it because the lyrics were at times really interesting. It felt quite tame?

I rather enjoyed this! I will say at points, it felt like it would be better at a venue hearing it, as the repetition got a bit much at times, but good stuff! Would listen again.

Complicated feelings - it was one of the better r&b albums I've heard in terms of having something to say and a unique sound. That said I wasn't entirely gripped by it. Despite being adamant it had a message, it sure was vague about what it was. I will go 3* as there's merit, but I didn't think "wow I'll listen again" and it didn't feel 1001-worthy

Didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did! When the album ended I started it again reflexively! :)

when I was a young fellow, I remember fondly listening to a tape cassette called "Beatles Ballads". I was always going to add a star purely for Till there was you, great song with nice memories attached. This feels like it's essential listening as the "before" photo for the band, and as a good example of the sound of bands around this era. I love what they did later on, but lots here felt ...unessential? It was good, but not great. :)

Oh I did love this! Not heard this album specifically until now, and really enjoyed it! Musically brilliant, pointed in themes and... everything I loved Toxicity and Steal This Album for. :)

I am going to say it, for me on a personal level this was less enjoyable than Bon Jovi very long, overly complicated songs (in a way that I can hear my music lecturers going "oh but it's great they do 6/4 then 12/8 and the harmony modulates into a fancy mode scale"), which is neat... but it wasn't saying anything from that other than "ooh aren't we clever" - I like prog, but when I am bored at surface level and have to exercise my brain and explore the meta of music making to enjoy it... I start to think I could just listen to something else. - It felt like a very confused pop/punk emo group, and not in a "ooh fun experimental prog-rock crossover" - The crossing between songs works better if all the songs don't end up sounding the same, otherwise it feels like a slog. Please don't hurt me! I was really looking forward to this album because I'd heard so many good things about it. The musicianship is impeccable!

Must... Seperate the art from the artist...

I remember my brother having this on, and liking it, but not loving it... It turns out I do in fact love it!

Really enjoyable, fun album! I'd listen again merrily. :)

Often excellent, but definitely not my favourite of his in terms of songwriting, but brilliant for textures and sounds. I loved the sounds and synths, but I enjoyed Heroes more.

Jeez... that bass though! :)

First album I tapped out and didn't finish. I don't think it's aged very well.

Rainy day music. This album is very, very special to me. I can pinpoint when first heard it, and times it's kept me company. :) the music is so complicated at times, but dressed up so it's never too much. I love this album and I'm sleepy.

Very cool and fun music. Not something I'm itching to return to, but I appreciate the craft! :)

dubs

Glad to have fixed the fact I only heard Paranoid and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. This was brilliant! It had range, and was a really fun listen.

Amaaaaazing!

I flicked between 5 and 2, so am averaging out at a 3 - to me, it feels very smug and like it's too busy trying to be clever that it forgot what it was trying to say. It does have a vibe, but it's one that rubs me the wrong way.

Never heard this before, and want to re-listen!

Never heard this before, and want to re-listen!

Vastly more enjoyable than expected! :)

Great

One of my favourite albums, sludgy petty noises.

It was very good, if a little... well samey if I'm honest

It was fine - I have no burning desire to re-listen, but I liked the instrumental side of things, and can see why it would be seen as someone's favourite :)

Enjoyed this waaay more than I expected!

I thought I'd like this - I didn't expect to love it! Will definitely be re-listening!

I kept being told to listen to Nick Cave! I see why! I mega-enjoyed this and will be back to hear more!

Now this one was great!

Totally unexpected and fantastic! Really fun and creative :) made me miss making this kind of music

I was really taken aback by his guitar playing! Really good stuff, though I couldn't pinpoint one song from another, it was all things I'd go back to. :)

Utterly excellent! Not a 5/5 goosebump inducing thing, but very fun and I enjoyed waaaay more than expected!

Oh yes oh yes! Ooh a talking heads cover oh my this is good. Oh it's over. This album made day go faster by being really fun! I will return for this album! I fully like this album a lot!

Good rocky stuffs!

Yes

Really enjoyable, Rocking Chair stood out in terms of goosebumpery! Great musicianship, I'd go 4.5 if I could just because it felt a bit bloated

Insultingly bland

Another one that's really good, very musically solid (bass and guitar especially!) - might not be a life changing experience, but very good

Glorious. 10/10 top quality wackiness. I will be returning to this zany madness again voluntarily and merrily. It started and I was a little miffed it sounded conventional... then... it got weird and I was happy.

All over the place in the best way!

Oh my word this was great! Almost sad or uncomfortable at points, yet always felt brilliant and deliberate :)

Love this album :)

beautiful and sad

It was... fine... it seemed like a bit of a random pick instead of a must-listen. Of all the albums, it was definitely one of them.

I made it to the end of this album. Couldn't tell you anything about it other than "insipid waitrose music". Not 1* on an objective basis, but a personal one definitely.

It was sad man songs but good!

It was sad man songs but good!

Fonky

Very very enjoyable vibesy music! Really enjoyed this one

I really enjoyed this, it was more adventurous than I expected

That was legitimately painful.

Might have been 5 if not for me failing to separate art from artist - fun music

I did rather like this! :) Musicianship was top-notch, and I think I preferred it to the other album - this felt a bit more "focused" and it didn't feel quite so sprawling.

One of my favourites

Loved it, it felt like hearing someone wield their voice like a guitar and solo with it - that and just very pleasant listening with a great energy. Will happily listen again! :)

A fantastical flurry of energy. Minus one star for creepy train man song.

It was one of the albums! Inoffensive, comfortable, sleepy...

Nah. This isn't it for me. I like hip-hop and rap, but I made the mistake of listening to the words and realising it was just not it. A lot of "if you're offended by me saying this you're a moron who doesn't get it"... I think the issue was I understood it, but it just didn't have a lot more to say beyond "ooh aren't a scary tough homophobe". Production was good, but it genuinely bothered me enough that it's the second album I've tapped out of, should be a 1 if this wasn't so subjective.

Solid.

Smooth but unpredictable in the nice ways that make my brain smile. Made me happy and didn't outstay its welcome. Also the history of his music is cool.

Utterly brilliant and made me happy.

Really don't rate this - repetitive, vain and dated

17 stars if I could - utterly chaotic fun magic

Was fully not expecting to love this! Thought it wouldn't be such a fun album to listen to, and am really happy to be wrong.

Musically interesting and creative! :)

Alright it were! Felt a bit same ish, but that's also consistent? Hmm It was interesting, not sure I'd seek it out again, but glad I've heard it! :)

I could not wait for this to be over. Musicianship in buckets, but also the worst parts of pop and it felt barely like jazz. Bland, predictable, dry, and ultimately pointless to my ears.

Didn't expect to enjoy this, it was good!

Absolutely wonderful crafted chaos of magic and justice. I will accept no less than 5 stars. The goal is weird, and they crushed it.

The great outweigh the meh!

often brilliant... not sure it's life changing for me, but I enjoyed it a great deal!

Ah so this is what the fuss was about! :)

I really did not rate this. Some of the last few songs were interesting, but...wow I did not feel like it was a good use of my ears. Tight band, but... not for me, samey.

I love this album, but I can't say it's 5* :) Very interesting enjoyable and vibey, but not the bestest Pulp album and a bit patchy