Very theatrical and idiosyncratic. Seems like they inspired a lot of bands to follow.
Fave tracks: Headmaster Ritual That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore Barbarianism Begins at Home - that bassline Meat is Murder - cow go moo
This could be the school of rock soundtrack I wouldn’t know Fave tracks: Hells Bells Shoot to Thrill Back in black - absolute classic, first riff I ever learnt on guitar Let Me Put My Love Into You made me feel a bit sick
Good vibe for walking to work on a sunny morning slightly hungover Fave tracks: Where the Streets have no name I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For Exit - unexpectedly rips A bit front-loaded
Back to back u2 albums - not complaining though Fave tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday - narrowly beats Zombie by the Cranberries as my favorite song from the fairly niche genre of ‘songs about the troubles’ New Year’s Day - sounds like The Cure The Drowning Man A more interesting album than Joshua Tree but maybe less consistent
Not sure this is the genre for me 1h20 of jam session over the same 3 chord progressions Nice vibe I guess Actually second half was better
Could it really be a hard rock album from the 80s if the only 2 lyrical themes weren’t: a) rock b) sex That said, this album is a least more instrumentally interesting than Back In Black Fave tracks: Photograph Foolin’
Had no idea what to expect with this Did not expect some pop punk tho lol (title track) Range of genres on this Fave tracks: Lazy Day Angels - actually can’t unhear the big ange version anymore South of the Border Let Me entertain you
Never actually listened to a queen album in full but was exactly as I’d hoped, fun and theatrical Fave tracks: Killer Queen Tenement Funster>Flick Of The Wrist>Lily of the Valley - absolutely love when songs seamlessly transition to the next on an album so this 3 song run is amazing In the lap of the gods (+ revisited)
One of those bands/albums I’m very surprised not to have ever listened to considering they sound like a mix of 90s artists/bands that I love (PJ Harvey, smashing pumpkins, portishead, the breeders) Vocals are great Some very cool riffs
Scarborough fair takes me back to group singing in music class at secondary school Snoozefest Really don’t have much else to say about the album
When you start an album with a song as strong as respect it’s inevitable that the songs after won’t reach the same heights. That said, enjoyable album with amazing vocals.
I’ve been meaning to listen to another album by Wilco ever since I discovered their 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which I absolutely love. So I had high hopes for this. Safe to say it didn’t live up to my expectations, sounded like YHF in parts but a lot simpler and even more of an alt-country sound, which can get tiring. It also did not need to be 80 mins long. Without comparing to YHF though, it was a fun album with a good mix of slow and fast pacing and loud and quiet within songs. Highlights: Misunderstood Hotel Arizona Sunken Treasure
Absolutely love the album cover, the crab is me listening to this album. I haven’t listened to many albums that match the energy of this album. It also feels so much more intricately produced than I expected and there were so many moments and sounds where I was like whoa (the singing in the middle of Smack My Bitch Up, sword fighting sound effects in Breathe) Fave tracks: Smack My Bitch Up Breathe Firestarter Climbatize
Amazing jazzy prog rock. I guess it’s not surprising as the genre is progressive rock but this album really sounds ahead of its time to me. Such varied songs and structures. Album cover is iconic too. Maybe I just don’t get it, but that middle section of moonchild kinda just sounded like a bunch of toddlers hitting random instruments for a bit. That is really one of the only negatives of the album for me.
When the album started I my initial thought was: oh no not another 80s hard rock album. But actually after the first 3/4 tracks this was so much more than that, infusing funk into the mix and having more interesting lyrical themes. Was NOT expecting a talking heads cover which was very cool. However I’m giving only a 3 because it was a little bit bland
Nice bit of medieval folk but whilst I appreciate the commitment to the bit, it can get a bit too much at times (on Knight-Errant for example). Overall the album has quite a lot of filler, whilst certain tracks such as Pleasant street are really really good. If all the album was that good it would easily be a 4 and possibly a 5/5. Also want to mention Goodbye and Hello, which has an amazing brass section. Based on this album I have to say Jeff is the better Buckley
Some alright songs but I found it a bit boring to listen to tbh. Never been much into punk though.
*disclaimer - multiple listen bias as I already knew this album* Whilst not my favourite talking heads album it has some of their best songs on (cities, memories can’t wait, heaven) and it’s really cool to hear as a transitional album between first 2 more straightforward post punk/art rock albums and the experimental and very hard to define Remain In Light. As with most talking heads albums it is really not much like anything else. My one critism is that slightly trails of in quality right at the end.
Pleasant bit of scouse britpop. Some more standout songs - due to quality or being different from the standard britpop formula - but generally quite a background album Not quite sure why this is one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die
Going into this I really thought stone roses were a britpop band similar to oasis or something. But I was very much proven wrong. The album is an amazing fusion of sixties pop and eighties jangle pop with shoegaze and britpop - genres that would become a lot bigger in the 90s. The percussion on some songs is so amazing, and that extended outro to I am the resurrection is sick. The album starts and ends really strong but sags a bit in the middle.
So this is the best album of all time according to the users of rateyourmusic.com and albumoftheyear.com (2 popular music rating sites). As you can imagine this album would have to be very very very good for me to not think it’s overrated. After this single listen, I am not convinced, but it definitely seems like an album worthy of multiple focused listens. I found quite a few songs didn’t really stand out but the others were really cool. The jazz influenced instrumentation is very nice and some of the bass playing is ridiculously good. I found his vocals a little bit annoying sometimes. Overall, although I’m not that into hip hop or rap, I can completely understand the hype this album gets and I definitely want to get into it more through repeated listens.
Nothing less than the best album ever recorded. And yes, I have listened to every album ever recorded.
Pretty nice bluesy rock - their next album El Camino is much better and more consistent. This was quite front-loaded.
The issue with folk music for me is that I nearly always prefer it with more instruments/layers. The singer has to have amazing vocals and guitar playing for me to really like it stripped back (Elliott Smith for example). This album is a great example of that problem, his vocals are pretty good, guitar playing okay, but when there’s some backing vocals or more instruments involved it is really good. Therefore certain songs did stand out to me, e.g. So Long, Marianne. However the rest I found quite boring and repetitive at times.
😬 not for me
Perfect example of an album that was probably pretty revolutionary at the time (I think it was one of the first true punk albums) but has not aged well at all. There is so much post punk music that is miles ahead of this nowadays. It would be cool to be able to erase all memory of any music newer than an album to be able listen to older albums as if they were new
Yeah I don’t really get this at all. Supposedly one of the most influential albums ever and I just thought it was boring, incohesive and kind of annoying at times. Also, not sure you should have equal credit on an album in which you sung 3 songs (referring to Nico ofc). I did find some tracks quite pleasant (Sunday morning, Venus in Furs) but overall this is pretty damn overrated.
I had this cd when I was younger so know it quite well but definitely had not listened in a long time. It’s probably the worst of the smiths 4 albums, but is by no means bad. You can tell it was later in their career by the variety of instrumentation and song types, which works well on certain songs but makes some songs sound a bit silly.
Couldn’t be bothered with this album, first song was good to run to but then listening to the rest got boring very quickly. It’s nearly 2hr long wtf
Mostly solo electric guitar, not the best vocals with quite political sounding lyrics. Nothing special
Strongest album opener ever? Gimme Shelter is one of the most powerful songs, with lyrics that are unfortunately just as relevant 55 years later. The guest vocals by Merry Clayton (I had to look that up) are absolutely insane and really the song would not be nearly as amazing without them. The rest of the album is pretty decent but it would be impossible to keep up the quality after that opener. You can’t always get what you want is a very strong closing song. Overall this album suffers a little from a lack of consistency but the highs outweigh the lows.
A very enjoyable prog/folk album. Felt like it was transported to a fantasy world. Flute playing was killer. Some of the longer heavier songs like Aqualung and My God are top-tier prog songs.
Enjoyable hip hop album, cool instrumentals and sampling. I just can’t get into the genre enough.
Better than Nevermind. Feels like they did what they wanted to do on this album, when they could have easily followed up nevermind with an even more accessible album to appeal to the masses. Instead they created a very raw and actually quite disturbing album.
Was listening thinking: this sounds kinda unfinished? Then I read the book entry that says it’s literally demos so makes sense
UCL represent! Wtf Coldplay actually used to be really good. To me this sounds like an alternative reality where after releasing The Bends Radiohead decided - instead of getting all weird - to go really accessible and try to get chart success. It may be a really safe album but there’s some really great songwriting on here.
Some nice songwriting but not that exciting
🥱
Pretty nice, but the fact that only 2 songs are original takes away from it a bit.
Really nice mix of prog and pop. Fun and engaging listen! Will definitely be returning to this in the future
Really like the sound of this. Like a British Elliott Smith. Quite long but I like the lo-fi collage of different styles.
Pleasant album, good songwriting and singing. But just didn’t engage me that much :/
One of the better albums by Taylor Swift that I’ve heard. You have to admire the ability to write essentially an albums worth of singles. But there is some quite uninspired instrumentals and cringy lyrics in there too.
Very theatrical and idiosyncratic. Seems like they inspired a lot of bands to follow.
Ngl I just thought this was kinda bad
It’s so Irish
I like the instrumentals and his flow, but I found the songs blended into one a little bit. Also that skit in the middle was unbearable.
Starts off with some amazing songs (otherside in particular) but the second half is a bit hit and miss. Overall though, I think they have quite a recognisable and addictive sound on this album. And of course, top notch bass playing by flea.
Nice jazzy folk, some really nice and unusual chord progressions. However, it is a bit too easy-listening at times and just breezes by.
That album cover lol In all fairness this is not the kind of music I’ve ever been into but still, could not listen to over an hour of this. Does every song have the same beat?
Really don’t have much to say about this album. Pleasant listen but pretty boring.
I appreciate it but just not my thing
A fun listen. She sure can sing
I’m sure it’s very culturally significant but it just didn’t really grab my attention for much of the fairly long runtime. The first song was great though.
Considering I don’t really like jazz this was pretty nice. Especially liked the end of track C and the repeated motifs throughout the album.
This was really quite bland and too long.
If there’s anything I’ve learnt from listening to this record, it’s that I must never stop chooglin’.
WOW. This is great. Perfect for a Monday morning walk to work cos of the feel good vibes and perfect brisk walking speed tempo. Maybe lags slightly at the end if I had to find a negative.
I found this slightly annoying. And as with other punk records I’m sure it was so cool at the time but just feels dated now. Pretty good songwriting in general though. ‘Identity’ in particular is a great song. I also appreciate the use of saxophone throughout.
I really assumed Buffalo Springfield was a country singer for so long. This album does a lot in its short runtime. Whilst it is a bit of a mixed bag, there are some great songs (expecting to fly, hung upside down)
The production on this is immense. Also there are surely very few people as good at both rapping and singing. This album earns its long runtime more than some previous albums on this list but still drags a bit. The first 4-5 songs were absolutely flawless though, especially Ex-factor, that might be the best r&b song I’ve ever heard.
fuck yeah. The pure aggression of this record is unmatched.
Pretty good. Felt a bit repetitive at times though. Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams is an all-timer
Great bit of early 80s new wave. Title track was a standout. Not much more to say.
Listening to this album feels very sophisticated. But also really fun. I like it.
Glad that’s both the AC/DC albums out of the way now. To be honest I did prefer this slightly to Back in Black, probably because Brian Johnson’s vocals just sound like a bad impersonation of Bon Scott. I also thought Walk All Over You was a pretty good track.
Found this kinda boring tbf
My guy could fuckin sing Also some really inventive guitar playing All the instruments just sound so perfect on this Can only imagine how good a follow up album could have been RIP
Cool album cover Really don’t understand why Movin On Up is on this, it sounds nothing like the rest of the album That said, it is by far my favourite song and made this generally quite boring album a decent amount better.
Dunno what exactly it is about this album but really enjoyed it. I think it’s their unique brand of Britpop that mixes in a bit of punk and grunge but also string sections. I especially enjoyed the last song. Another band I had heard of but never knew what their music was like until now.
First half: 🥱 Second half: kinda cool, why wasn’t the whole album like this ??
Too simplistic at times
Entertaining album! A genre I need to listen to more
I think this is my favourite hip hop album
Really nice bit of jangly post punk. The sound is pretty ahead of its time too. Let down a bit by songwriting.
cool sound, a genre I should listen to more
I’m sure this is the exact intention but this album sounds like it was written for a musical and I don’t like that.
No necessarily a bad album, but it left no lasting impression at all
Absolutely GOATED album. Such a vibrant mix of genres and sounds and so many weird but catchy songs. So many standout tracks but have to mention ‘Of Moons, Birds and Monsters’ as they’ve somehow crammed like 5 songs in 5 mins with that one.
Was actually kinda nice but way too long. Definitely the first Algerian artist I’ve ever listened to. I never thought I’d ever get to hear imagine sung in Arabic.
An album of hits and one awful miss (The girl is mine)
The guitar playing on this is so captivating. It’s both intricate and sparse, neat and rough around the edges. Also the use of unorthodox tunings gives it an addictive eerie vibe.
Feel bad giving this a 1/5 but it honestly bored me to death. Maybe would be better if I was high or something.
Just such an iconic sound. No wonder they were my favourite band when I was 10.
Love me some microtones but this is quite repetitive.
Really enjoyed this album, feels like a good mix of many different early 70s sounds. Cosmic Dancer and Monolith were definite standouts for me. Both had some amazing guitar effects. If it was a bit more consistent I would give this a 5/5.
Very fun listen, even better than the last one, it is a bit short thought with only 2 songs on the original release.
How’s your debut album just gonna be a bunch of mid covers. The worst part is that the only original song was my favourite one.
Gonna have to agree with the majority of reviews and say this sounds a lot like stevie wonder. But that’s never a bad thing and I think it’s a much more maximalist approach. Also didgeridoo.
Somehow this album doesn’t really get boring over its 2+ hour runtime. Part of that is the fact it’s actually 2 albums combined, but also it’s just insanely inventive and unique. Speakerboxxx is a really solid hip hop album with some amazing instrumentation. The Love Below is hard to define and kinda fucking weird, but enjoyable. Definitely the less consistent of the 2 but has the best single tracks. Hey Ya is probably up there with my all time fave songs.