Love the bass on the first track. I feel like this track has a fun psychedelic vibe, musically as well as lyrically.
Track 2: I know this riff! :D This track has got me bobbing my head; it has a good beat. I feel like this track has great vibes for lazing around stoned on the grass on a sunny day.
3: The vocals on this give me Beatles vibes. Not my fave so far but still a good beat and intriguing mysterious lyrics.
4: Love the opening riff, really enjoy the syncopation. A bit slow, but interesting lyrics again.
5. This gives me Beatles vibes too a little bit. I could see this track pairing well with some psychedelic visuals.
6: This track reminds me of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. I like it a lot; it’s sexy! I wonder if Led Zeppelin were inspired by Cream? Their track was released 4 years later than this.
7: I like the guitar on this song. Don’t particularly care for the vocals.
8: Great guitar riff. Meh vocals again.
9: Looove the opening riff and drums! This song makes me think of Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple a little bit. This also came later in the early 70s! I wonder if Cream inspired them too?
10. I like this one, it’s fun! All the elements work well together, and I like that it’s a little faster-paced. I like the slightly country vibe too. The rhythm is great. I think it doesn’t all quite coalesce fully for me, but it is fun.
11. Flanders and Swann vibes hahaha! This feels so English and I love it. This song is funny and I love it. I wonder if they were inspired by Flanders and Swann? I also LOVE that the album ends with the spoken words “do ya wanna do it agin?” XD
Ramble tamble: love the opening! Love the beat and the instrumentation. This track is fun! Defo reminding me of a few other songs but I can’t put my finger on what they are right now. The instrumental break is maybe giving me stairway to heaven again? Which came out a year after this - more inspo for led zeppelin maybe? Went on longer than I was expecting, but I’m not mad at it. That said, I wouldn’t be mad if they released a much shorter version without the instrumental break either.
Before you accuse me: this is fun, it’s giving old school 50s rock & roll vibes, a la Elvis Presley.
Travelin’ Band: this rules, very rock & roll! Short & sweet.
Ooby Dooby - ditto! The opening reminds me of Black Dog by Led Zeppelin.
Lookin’ out my back door: welcome to the country! This is giving me homesteading in the hills. I like it. All the elements are working well together.
Run through the jungle: I enjoy the dramatic opening! I don’t have much to say about this song, but I enjoy it and would happily listen to it again.
Up around the bend: I like this song. I like the guitar, the drums, the harmonising vocals.. I like it :P I like that I feel like I could sing along to the chorus of this song.
My baby left me: this is giving me rock & roll again, leaning slightly more rock this time. I think it’s a good song but I don’t find it very exciting. I wouldn’t mind this song coming on but probably wouldn’t seek it out - it feels a little filler-y.
I like the vocals on Who’ll stop the rain! The guitar and drums too. I’m a sucker for vocal harmonies. This song is a bit slow for me but overall I like it. I like the instrumental break!
I heard it through the grapevine feels like more straight-up rock to me. I like this song! I think it’s well-done and all the elements marry together well. There’s some great guitar on this song. Another longer song - did they put the long songs at the beginning and end like a sandwich? …I just checked and this song is 10 minutes long. That’s pretty self-indulgent, but I respect that haha. Leaves room for a tasty guitar solo or two. I like the way it slowly fades out.
I enjoy the instrumentals on Long as I can see the light a lot. I like the melody and lyrics of the vocals as well but wish the voice was a little smoother. This is a nice way to end the album, it’s like they’re celebrating and saying goodbye lol
Overall I feel like a little bit of a traitor to my country cos I think I like this album better than the Cream album we listened to yesterday.
Burnout: This sound is very nostalgic for me. It’s the kind of music alt kids listened to when I was a teen :) I can see the influence of these guys on artists like Avril Lavigne who was big when I was an adolescent.
Having a Blast: I can see this song playing in a teen movie montage!
Chump: Love the opening lyrics haha, what a mood. Looove the drums on this track. The last few days of albums have made me think we don’t have enough instrumental breaks in music any more. I don’t particularly love the break in this track, but I do respect it :P
Longview: Love how the last track rolled so smoothly into this one. The middle reminds me a little of Parklife by Blur, which came out the same year!
Welcome to Paradise: LOVE the opening. I really like the pace on this song and how all the elements work together! I love this track; I would definitely seek this song out to listen to it again! This track also gives me Blur vibes a little bit.
Pulling Teeth: Not my favourite but the chorus is catchy.
Basket Case: Ohhh I remember this one! I see why it was so popular, it’s rad.
She: I like the drums and guitar. Overall a pretty good song that I wouldn’t seek out but wouldn’t mind listening to again.
Sassafras Roots: Ditto! I like it better than She.
When I Come Around: I like this song, feels like a good driving song. Will definitely be listening to this one again.
Coming Clean: This one’s going on the driving playlist too lol
Emenius Sleepus: This one too!
In the End: I’m gonna listen to this again too. I like the pace, the guitar, the drums, the vocals… I like it!
F.O.D.: What a banger. This one gets a “fuck yeah!” from me!
All by Myself: Another fun way to end an album haha. I enjoy a cheeky ending song.
Overall, it started a bit slow for me, but once we got to Welcome to Paradise this album really picked up for me and I really enjoyed it! The penultimate 5 tracks have all gone on my liked playlist, plus Welcome to Paradise and Basket Case. I wouldn’t be averse to listening to this album back-to-back again, and I will definitely listen to my favourite individual tracks again. This album was a win for me!
Them Bones: Not my kind of music, but I can’t fault it.
Rain When I Die: I can hear the connections between rock and metal. I see how this album fits together with the rock albums we’ve listened to.
Down in a Hole: I like the chill, soft start to this one. It has a ballad-y vibe. I think I like this track best from the album so far. It’s got some catchy refrains.
Sickman: It’s well-made, but I’m just really not a metal guy. The break is cool. I continue to think more songs today should have more fun with breaks.
Rooster: Oh, I LIKE this one. The slow, smooth start makes the drop so much more satisfying. I wouldn’t mind hearing this one again.
Junkhead: …I’m not sure how I feel about this one :P It feels like a great anthem for getting lost in a drugs hole XD
Dirt: I like that the title track is in the middle of the album. It feels like a statement. I vibe with this one, big abuse survivor vibes.
God Smack: interesting lyrics, not my fave.
Hate to Feel: I’m starting to see a storyline emerging in this album. I like that! I also like that it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics - in this one I see the cycle of abuse.
Angry Chair: Lordt, this song is long. I like the refrain though. But yeah, I think it could’ve been tightened up.
Would?: A solidly good song. I think it makes a good end to the album.
Overall, this album still isn’t my bag, but I respect it. It has a good flow through the album and is well-made and performed. I like that it tackles hard-hitting topics.
I don’t have a lot to say about this album. It was fine, but not my fave. It’s interesting in the context of this being a response to his mainstream success.
Really like the use of stereo sound in Pendulum.
This is good music to vibe to.
So far, 2 tracks in, I am ???? about this album.
The Good Thing has got me bobbing my head.
Same with Warning Sign, and I love the walking bass! I liked it better before the vocals came in tho
Same with The Girl Wants to be with the Girls - I like the instrumentals but not the vocals
Ditto for Found A Job. I really like the guitar and bass on this one. This is probably my fave song on the album so far, although it is dragging on a bit.
I like Artists Only! It’s got a good beat!
I like the opening of I’m Not in Love. New fave of the album so far! I really enjoy the chorus too.
I like the instrumentation on Stay Hungry
I like Take Me to the River!
The Big Country is fine, I don’t love it or hate it.
This album wasn’t really my thing, but it was alright
This first track is alright but why is it SO LONG? It feels very self-indulgent :P Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think that I would enjoy it better if it was tightened up significantly.
I like the 2nd track a lot better. It’s still long but it feels like it has more structure and direction. All the elements work well together - the drums, bass, vocals, keys - it’s good!
I say again, more songs these days should have fun with instrumental breaks!
I have mixed feelings about One Woman - the melody and instrumentation read very romantic but the lyrics are pretty skeezy :P
Again, I like By the Time I Get to Phoenix but it is SO LONG. I really didn’t need almost 10 mins of intro :P
The single version of Walk On By works a lot better in my opinion. But it does ALSO read kinda skeezy to me - it feels like fuckboy music? Idk.
I like the single version of By the Time I Get to Phoenix better too. I like how it feels like it closes out earlier than expected too - it fits nicely with the story.
I don’t really like Young Americans. It falls pretty flat as a soul-type song.
Win is also pretty meh to me.
I like Fascination a little more, but not by much. I’m not sure Bowie is really suited to this genre - I like his rock a lot better.
Right is a little better again, and again with Somebody Up There Likes Me. But I can’t help but feel that these songs would be better with a big bombastic soul vocalist instead of Bowie.
Across the Universe is meh to me but I can see people having fun singing along to it. It really drags on for me, I don’t think it needed to be 4+ mins long.
I can see Can You Hear Me as a soundtrack song in a sad romantic scene in an old movie. I think it works in that context but still doesn’t fully stand on its own for me. That said, I do think it’s the best song of the album so far.
Fame - oh!! I actually know this one! This feels more Bowie to me; I think on a different album I would enjoy it well enough. I like the funky guitar riff and syncopated bass + drums. I wouldn’t seek it out but it’s easily the best song on the album.
Who Can I Be Now? is okay but I don’t really vibe with it. It’s a pretty fun ending song for the album.
I like the kind of 80s futuristic vibe of the first half of Blackstar - it’s very smooth. The break is cool, and I don’t understand what this song is about but I enjoy the sound.
I wasn’t really listening to the lyrics of Tis A Pity She Was A Whore but the vibes felt pretty rancid.
I like Lazarus, and love the riff at the end.
Sue is dark and weird in the best way. I love the drums and guitar.
Girl Loves Me is so creepy and I’m into it.
Dollar Days feels like a swan song, and that makes it very powerful and affecting. It’s very striking.
And I think that I Can’t Give Everything Away was a cool final song!
Overall, I liked this album and can see myself listening to it again!!
I like the.. I don’t know what to call it other than breath work? In Tame.
I also like that these songs are short and sweet and to the point - they don’t overstay their welcome.
The female vocal hook in I Bleed reminds me of the female vocal hook in the Sex Bob-omb song in Scott Pilgrim! I wonder if that was inspired by this?
I like the slightly 50s rock and roll vibe of Here Comes Your Man.
Mr Grieves has an interesting off-kilter vibe.
I like no 13 baby.
Not a big fan of Hey.
I liked this album! It was very chill vibes, and I love that the tracks tell a story. I really enjoyed the laid back nature-y vibes.
This album wasn’t really my thing, but I can see how it probably spoke to a lot of people and was pretty influential. I liked that it was short and sweet and to the point; it said what it wanted to say without wasting your time.
I quite enjoyed the dark, moody vibe of this album. I liked it!
