I like how abruptly some of the songs end
Catchy as hell, great production. Am I the only one who thinks these lyrics are abysmal? And the lines that aren't got lucky? Indian Sunset wouldn't get written today and I think that's ok
Damn, I miss the days of good sax solos. The production has aged better than much of the stuff from this era but the remasters were worth doing. Not every song is super exciting, but the melodies have range and sometimes the harmony surprises.
Coming from a jazz background, the interpretations are pretty simple, but it was innovative for Willie and that's what makes it special. Nice arrangements for a country album. Doesn't necessarily warrant regular listens throughout my life, but glad to know it. Booker T. Jones sounds fantastic. Moonlight in Vermont is the winner for me.
Not my fave Stevie record, but a Stevie record nonetheless and therefore timeless and worth endless re-listens. This guy is one of the best to ever write and play. Each phrase, hell each note, holds more interpretation and spontaneity than any entire pop album coming out these days. You know that every time he performs one of his tunes, it is gonna be different. Quintessential "in the moment." Can't fake groove and feel. It just has to be there, and this album has it everywhere. "You Haven't Done Nothin'" is just as relevant now as it ever was.
Not in this world enough to know how influential this album has been, but it was captivating. I feel like an observer rather than a participant, but as a white person, I think that's probably the point. It is still very hard to get past the language, it's just so much all the time
I've "known" this album for a long time, but it's been a while since I've truly listened. The innovation was lost on me as a kid, but I hear it now. Theremin hell yes.
If this had come out in the early 2000s maybe I would have thought it was substantive, but I'm just not getting it. There's one very cool vocal harmony moment in "other voices," but...that's all I got. Do they not get bored playing this music???
So much groove. Catchy and well-sung melodies. A bridge between jazz and blues and rock and roll. You can still dance to this. Definition of timeless!
Herbie is the GOAT. The solos, amazing.
Couple of hits are sentimental just because of where I was in my life when they came out, but otherwise, sadly kind of boring. Nice as background music.
I'd much rather listen to something like this - repetitive, sure, but folk music with amazing grooves and actual heart and soul - than something like LCD Soundsystem. But if you really listen, the minimalistic shifts in the groove are incredible.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Being from Chicago, it filled me with pride.
Incredible songwriting. Incredible album. A voice lost way too soon. I immediately went to re-listen to his other albums and bawled my eyes out.
This is the kind of thing I should like, but I just don't. Maybe I needed to listen first as a teenager? Can't get over the complete lack of control with the vocals. Painfully out of tune, like pretty much all of the time, without any character that can excuse that. Interzone was ok, but you had to wait until the end of the album to get there.
Some of the songs really nice. Moondance the tune has worked its way into the jazz world and I've sung it myself as a "standard," so that gets some credit. Crazy Love and Mystic kinda stand out. But each song makes me think, hmmm I'd enjoy this so much more if someone else was singing. I wonder what this stuff would have sounded like if someone else had produced it.
Also, just noting that this is the 16th album for me on this listening project and, aside from background singers and Carol Kaye on bass, there has been zero female representation.
I did not necessarily expect to like this based on the description, but, I like it! I have a soft spot for weird, when it's done authentically and honestly. It doesn't feel like they are trying to be anything, they are just doing what they want. It's odd and interesting and makes me smile frequently! I especially like when the vocals imitate the sitar.
Nice. Not my fave album of all time, but I enjoyed it.
Catchy, interesting tunes. Burning solos. Sometimes silly. Excellent fun.
I really enjoy more thoughtful pop, which is I guess what this is. Theatrical pop? Some super catchy bits that cut themselves short, but that is probably on purpose. It's all well sung. Sounds like it would do well on Broadway today, there's even a little prog in there. The ballad-y stuff is less impactful, but overall it's good fun.
Fast notes don't necessarily make for interesting solos. Wah wah. Probably good fun to be in the audience, but not as impactful as a listener now. Smoke on the Water is a classic and changed the world for beginning instrumentalists of all kinds, so that deserves some credit. The organ was my favorite part of every track.
Mildly entertaining as a soundtrack. Cool sounds. I'm sure it's much better with the actual film, which I hope to check out soon.
LOVE IT! Had never heard of this album and had a great time listening. I wish I had been the right age when this came out because it would have been the perfect life soundtrack. Some super hip little musical and metric turns. A few killing solos. Kept catching myself bobbing my head. Good fun!
So boring. Not even nostalgic, which is the one thing I thought I could count on. It's creepy how into himself he is/was. Great production, so thanks for that, I guess. Cry Me a River is the most interesting song...but the video is creepy as hell.
I just can't get into this. The Real Slim Shady is catchy and fun in a nostalgic way, but most of the rest is boring and the lyrics are just garbage. Does not need this many tracks. A couple of almost-interesting ones arrive in the 2nd half, but I almost didn't make myself listen that much... This really won a Grammy?
This is a funny one to rate. Love The Who, but this doesn't feel as solid as some of their other albums (which I suspect are coming). Still, it's a silly concept and perhaps way ahead of its time, considering how there were ads playing between almost every song while watching/listening on youtube. I Can See For Miles and Odorono are great.
I was entertained. Not life-changing. Some great songwriting, some weirdness in a good way.
Kanye is gross. Started to listen but then thought, nah. Hope he gets the help he needs.
Great. Not life-changing.
Album #30 and FINALLY something that features a woman in a strong leading roll. Sandy Denny kicks ass and the songs are effortlessly strong. ("Autopsy" in 5 and changing meter? So good!) This is a great album. Love love love. Had me from the opening notes and I can't stop thinking about it.
One of the greatest albums of all time. 10/10. Magical. Paul Simon never stops learning and listening, and it is gift he then shares with lucky us.
Huh. Musically, I actually enjoyed it. The vocals are just too affected and disingenuous. Aside from one or two inspired and artfully placed screams, dude sounds like phantom of the opera. The thematic concepts behind the tunes might be cool but these lyrics are simple, juvenile, boring.
Definitely prefer this to modern country. Nice lil songs, nice sad stories. Totally enjoyable. The lap steel is lovely, singing is spot on stylistically (he rhymes "Denver" and "finger", brilliant), and the solos are great. "Drink Up and Be Somebody" is relatable as hell.
Sings: I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die
Crowd: woooo!
Incredible record. A masterclass in live performance. What a moment in American history.
I just find modern pop so boring. This is definitely better than most. Very cool production. Virtually nothing interesting in the songwriting, unfortunately. Imagine if these were all simply voice and piano, would there be much of anything left? Interesting that there are a couple moments of voice and piano, which stand out to me as better moments of songwriting. But also, she was really young, so who knows what will happen in the future.
Some strong tracks, but some kinda boring ones too. Very very 90s. Who is the saxophone player on "I'm Comin' Down?" I liked that solo.
"Pretty Good" is a banger.
"Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" lyrics are just as relevant today.
"Angel From Montgomery" is perfection.
Not every song stands the test of time, but enough of it is so good, you can't help but feel it in your heart.
Legendary album. Not my favorite by The Who, but enjoyed it.
I was riding on a train, sitting backwards, looking out the window as the sun set slowly in the distance. Nearly brought to tears by the sheer beauty, simplicity, honesty, and artistry of it all. This is a precious gem of a record.
"Have a Cigar" and "Wish You Were Here" are gorgeous bits of music.
I wanted to like this so much more. Not bad, just not my thing. But hey, that's why I'm making my way through this list - to learn about music I wouldn't seek out on my own. For that, it's great!
A surprising beauty. Surprising only because I'd never heard it before. Lovely songwriting and arrangements, with some moments so delicate that you feel like they might shatter in any other context. Beautiful work. I'm off to listen to their other albums!
Fantastic. It's so magical when monster musicians make "weird" stuff. Just absolutely love this. Keeps you guessing while remaining accessible. Like John Elmquist wrote a bunch of lullabies. Also, how cool is it that this was released on Thirsty Ear? <3
Meh. Some nice stuff, but not gripping enough to warrant more listens. I did like "Neighborhood #4 (7 kettles)," which seems to be an unpopular choice, but yeah, that checks out for my musical tastes.
I teach piano. Years ago, a young student wanted to learn a Taylor Swift song. She had bought the music online and printed it out for her lesson. I said, sure, we can take a look. She was an absolute beginner, so I thought maybe we could help her learn to play just the melody. Whatever song this was (long forgotten), the melody was only a couple of notes, over and over again. Then maybe a third. The whole song went on like this. She played the melody, but there was nothing there. It was difficult to determine where she was in the song. Nothing to hold onto, nothing to remember. It didn't sound like anything.
I think of that every time I hear a TS song.
Having an incredibly special moment listening to this surprising, beautiful, peculiar penguin music. If you listen while staring at the cover art, it really makes sense. Is profound, even. Music is always going to find a way to reach people when made honestly and from the soul. My heart is full. Bless you, penguins!
An unmistakable sound, instantly recognizable. A fun bunch of hits, great use of synth, classic album. Bye Bye Love is an eternal bop.
A lot of these songs seem closer to parody than actual music. Unambiguous lyrics can be effective, but this feels like getting punched in the face by a pretentious, egotistical simpleton who prefers the company of his own reflection. (Woe is him, no one could possibly understand.) Somehow the boring, incohesive melodies make the lyrics sound even worse.
Sorry, dude, Jesus does not need your forgiveness. The stars are for the other guys in the band.
They really just do their thing, don't they? I imagine it's incredibly fun to do on stage and that translates. Do a lot of the songs sound the same? Sure. But the hits are mega hits for a reason.
Beautiful playing. Beautiful singing. Lovely songs and arrangements. A sweet moment in this very specific, delicate world.
A special moment, both musically and within jazz history.
It must have been so fun for all the musicians on stage and the live audience, but, with a couple exceptions, the orchestral arrangements don't feel like they add anything. Other Metallica albums seem more impactful and important than this one.
The good stuff is so good! A lot of kind of boring moments too. This is a tricky one to rate. Incredibly refreshing, however, to hear brit pop with a different perspective other than just white dudes
Game changing. This album is so magical and so natural all at once. Respectful of all that came before and a turning point for the future of jazz. Every solo is iconic, but Wynton Kelly's Freddie Freeloader solo alone would make this one of the greatest albums of all time.
Great energy and some clever writing. If it had been only 4 songs long, probably would have given it another star. Just too much of it sounds the same
Brilliant. Miles changes the game again.
Some outdated themes and words, but some of it is actually pretty ok. The sci-fi stuff is entertaining and funny, musically it's weird and cool. I was ready to give this a higher rating, but the gross gyno/porn/sexual assault stuff just kept going. Then again, is this any different than what's featured in rap today? (I don't like it in either case.) Minus that crap, this would have been a great album.
Feel like I'm missing something? This is pretty boring. This is my least favorite type of 80s production. Some of the songs are ok.
YES. A masterclass in how to write interesting and surprising songs. There are elements of everything in here, but she obviously just did what she wanted and it naturally came out this way. It feels effortless and spontaneous. It's not even my fave Joni album, but still loving every second of it. "Coy and bitchy, wild and fine" indeed.
Looks like I have been sleeping on this band, but no more. Loved this. A great example of how good, plain fun can still be interesting and artful. Crank it up and have a dance party while observing the darkness of the world!
Not a dud to be found on this one. Magic, every time I hear it. One of the most influential albums on my humble little musical life.
Comically plain and direct lyrics on a long-winded album of self-indulgent ballads. I was going to give it 3 stars for a minute there, which in my system is something that maybe I don't love, but I can see how other people could love it and it's at least real music. But, after that last song and so many that came before it, nope. Maybe it's supposed to be funny and I didn't get it?
Some good songs. Not as hard hitting as I was hoping or expecting. Not bad I guess, just my fave. 3 stars for avoiding that awful typical 80s production and foreshadowing the sound of the 90s.
Some transcendent moments, particularly with Nico.
Musically I like it, and kudos for being catchy. As long as I don't listen to all the lyrics. Comparing MLK's dream to having sex with the entire world with an Eiffel Tower-sized appendage? Sacrilegiously portraying baptism? Not sure it's as poignant as it's supposed to be.
Nostalgic. Some hits. Fun if you ignore the sexism (which was surely partly a product of its time, though still not cool). Great 90s sound right at the turn of the decade. I have a soft spot for LL Cool J
The second side is killer! Sure, some outdated lyrics, but these feel like little vignettes of my parents' youth and I'm kinda into it. Feeling nostalgic for something I never lived and, honestly, something that never was.
Love it. It feels very natural, like I've been invited to a small concert venue to hear a local band. Everybody's having fun and making music they way they want to make it. The Dylan tunes are great and the "Long Black Veil" cover is excellent.
If this had come out in the 70s I would have thought it was awesome. It's fine, but we've kinda heard it before. Instead of trying to be gritty, you could actually just be gritty. 3 stars for Genius and Dusty
Take me where you're going, Genesis! I'm not a middle-aged white man, but boy, do I love prog rock. "More Fool Me" ripped me to shreds today.
Beautiful! Another hidden (to me) gem, now discovered thanks to this project. A little proggy, good fun, some seriously gorgeous moments - shocked I hadn't heard them before!
Not awful, just not very exciting either. The hits are fun in a nostalgic way, so I can recognize the impact, but the songs in general don't have much going on. Bono kicks ass anyway
\"Laughingstock\" is a beautiful tune. As is "Blue and Grey Shirt," "Now You're Defeated," "Jenny," (possibly my fave), and "Last Harbor" (or maybe it's this one). All the beautiful tunes are great, there are just some less-than-great ones mixed in.
I'm gonna go ahead and round up to 4 stars because this album is getting an unnecessarily bad rap. Also because they are not on Spotify and Spotify can go to hell.
A lot of slow and medium swing, but hey, it swings! Frank has some killing phrasing and rhythmic security that some of his contemporaries were missing out on. He's not an improviser, but it feels spontaneous, which counts for a lot in this era.
Great album. Killing solos, burning grooves. Josie is a smash.
