Was surprised how much of this album I recognized. It evokes a time and place only still available to us in the year 2025 on reality TV. Take from that what you will, but it's solid from start to finish.
Fantastic beats! Certainly foundational to East Coast hip-hop.
Nifty riffs, I can appreciate that as a guitarist, even though I'm not the biggest Metallica fan. All-time tone on songs like One, despite the relatively thin percussion sound. Songs could be, um, shorter. By more than half in some cases. As a result, by "The Shortest Straw", I begin getting what doctors might label "Metallica fatigue". Also, not sure why they decided not to fix the mixing on the remaster, perhaps sentiment? Lyrically a touch angsty for my tastes (also, "doth" on "The Shortest Straw"?? Maybe that's a bit of a nitpick) -- had I found this album years ago, perhaps I'd appreciate it a bit better. Regardless, I find at least one thing to like about most every piece on this album.
Sorry, not a big fan, unfortunately. Perhaps I need to spend more time with it?
Good stuff! Could have done without the graphic hanky-panky bits.
Wow. I just... really did not like this. Made me feel not good.
Was surprised how much of this album I recognized. It evokes a time and place only still available to us in the year 2025 on reality TV. Take from that what you will, but it's solid from start to finish.
WOW. Excellent stuff.
I think England should probably settle down in general. Regardless, several decent bops off this one, has a good run from tracks 2 to 7.
Holy moly!
Better-than-average Doors album.
Beats were ridonkulous, each member had a very distinct style. The feel seems to me to be quite characteristic of a time and place with which I am unfamiliar, yet I recognize it all the same.
Harpsichord, innit?
Magnum opus territory.
Wonderful double album with an interesting backstory. Long, but packed full of personality. Marlene raises some eyebrows lyrically.
Just kinda... cool. I'm not sure what that says about me. Would be a nice repeat listen if I'm not in the mood for lyrics.
Unfortunately slow start to the album, tracks 9-17 are a solid run. Hot take, not a fan of Clint Eastwood.
Not a skip to be found on this one. Suave, soulful and folksy. Just a few g-words shy of the ideal afternoon listen. Strangely festive? Probably best left to the autumn and winter months despite its summery strumming and springtime brass sections.
Novocaine For The Soul - I do not like the melancholic music-box in the intro. Still, this does have the energy of a radio single that would do well in the 90s, and at no other time. Haha oh I get it he says "before I sputter out" and then the song goes quiet for a few beats! Don't get me wrong, it's a good song, but it sounds like jangle pop meets Radiohead Susan's House - This is my favorite off of this album, though the cliche of EQ'd spoken vocals is not lost on me. The pacing is perfect for this song's purpose. The crowd "hooray" and "wow" samples are an interesting and funny choice. Storytelling? Sure. Rags To Rags - I'm sure I'm missing something deeper with the juxtaposition of a crowd cheering and the description of a decrepit living situation. Beautiful Freak - kinda dragged on, the sonic textures were interesting. rather melancholic Not Ready Yet - I like the guitar work and the mixing, soft-loud dynamic. Can relate to lyrics now and again. Noise outro My Beloved Monster - basic, almost infuriating 90s guitar riff. Lyrics have a nostalgic quality but taps into raw emotion. noisy, halfway minimalist solo outro Flower - ghostly backup vocals, can't tell if it's synth or not; main lyrics in the form of a desperate prayer. judging by album's context i can see why these lyrics are so downtrodden. still, almost seems teenage angsty? Guest List - wonderful instrumental section, jazzy rhythm and subdued guitar riff to match. lyrics seem to be a dollar store version of Creep by Radiohead Mental - I like the bassline driving it in the beginning, soft-loud dynamic returns. Nirvana-esque lyrically and chorus-ly, that is to say, angsty Spunky - starts off on the WRONG FOOT with the piano. Cheapens the story the song tells. I do not like this song as of 40 seconds in Your Lucky Day In Hell - What the heck... James Bond chord progression with the synth lol. Winston Churchill in drag. One of the stronger cuts from this album Manchild - Phone call intro with woodwind section. The Wall-esque guitar arpeggio ONLY in the right channel (cue eye twitch). Lyrically, title suits it. "And then the album will end with me going back and forth between these two chords on the synth and guitar! Yeah yeah and then I'll add in phone chatter. It'll be awesome." The album was listenable.
1. Soul And Fire: Nice tinny guitar tone. Lyrically not what I need right now. 2. Two Years Two Days: Same guitar tone continues. A bit more of a gruff tone to this one than its predecessor. Again, lyrically not what I need right now. 3. Telecosmic Alechemy: Desperate and angsty, driving rhythm. Even more gruff than track 2. Might find a home on Nirvana's "Incesticide". At times the guitar verges on no wave technique. This one made the playlist. 4. Fantastic Disaster: Nick at Nite vocals. Not going to elaborate. Song is named appropriately. About a minute and a half too long. Outro is cool, however. 5. Happily Divided: Acoustic waltz. Here the vocal harmonies mostly work (*cough* track 4 looking at you *cough*). Tasteful blending of noisy electric guitar, well, noises. 6. Sister: Sounds like something off Bleach out of the gate. Obnoxious pre-chorus, but I'm being picky. Nonetheless, it made the playlist. But my goodness that pickup switching in the outro nearly ruined it. 7. Cliche: My immediate instinct was "oh brother", but I'm glad I kept listening. Genuine question, who hurt these guys? 8. Sacred Attention: High school guitar riff. It's overall fine. 9. Elixir Is Zog: Hmm... that name... this song again recalls no wave in my mind, at least during the soft bits of the soft-loud dynamic. The back half's instrumentation is remarkable, breaking into almost robotic wails. It makes the playlist. 10. Emma Get Wild: And wild she gets on this one. A frenzied dance-y track. Perfectly short. Thus... it makes the playlist. 11. Sixteen: Am I the dumb one for not knowing "paregoric"? Or, more likely, did they just crack open a thesaurus and look up "painkiller" to be more grunge? Again, the rhythm guitar is a *touch* sophomoric. 12. Homemade: Well, this one has themes. The soft-loud is tasteful with this one, and the 5 minute length is *almost* unnoticeable. *Almost*. 13. Forced Love: At a certain point, we all need to take a step back and tune our guitars. This one felt like 5 minutes but wasn't. 14. No Way Out: AHHHHhhhh!!!!! Monkey in rage!!!! Tasteful chorus/tremolo on the guitar. Completely devolves after that. The back half is very interesting, me likey. 15. Bouquet For A Siren: This reminds me of something, not sure what. Fun light punk bop. Congratulations, you've made the playlist. Lovely, if abrupt, ending. 16. Think (Let Tomorrow Bee): I'm told this is a collab. The writing style shifts a touch from prior sadder tracks, and Seana Carmody's backing vocals are used tastefully. 17. Flood: Okayyyy! Gettin' after it! This song is about the creatures from Halo. That's my retconned belief. You've made the playlist. This album is spiritually from the Olympia Peninsula.