Classic, nuff said.
Get this album on 12.06.25
Listened instead most of Beach Boys discography for a whole day. Especially “Smile Sessions”. I wasn’t a big fan, although always admired their craft and inspiration for others. But Brian was a true genius. As Sean Lennon called him “American Mozart”. Rest in piece.
And album is great. Eclectic, swift, sophisticated. And I truly believe, if “Surf’s Up” (single) actually realeased in 1967 (with “Smile”) we would have different music scene today.
I wrote songs for 10 years. And then I listened to “Blue”, and now I’m writing songs whole different way, and people around says that they were already good/ok, but now it’s night and day — musically AND thematically.
So, thanks Joni. You are one of a kind. As this album too.
I was always fascinated how “above average” producer and rapper hypnotized so many people to believe he’s genius, and his albums is “monumental”, experimental, etc. And I was like that after 2010, when it wasn’t cool. I saw how in 00s he was just a pop-star and interesting producer, but loved his stupid stunts. Couple of years before him was echoes of 90s, “attitude” era, every year was some crazy celeb, so he was one of them, sometimes cute, sometimes don’t. And his “I’m a genius, I’m glitch, I’m god” was hilarious.
But he entertained with his music. No one thinking about him seriously, just pop-music-making-man-with-Ego.
I remember how Graduation was Great pop album, I liked it even as an album.
808 was ok, his “experimantation” wasn’t something huge, you’ve got soooo many artist who did that more dramatically, even Outkast was doing bigger moves years before him. And 808 was very “not finished”, a lot of space, very minimalistic, but not in artsy way. And most of the people thought so. But years after everyone thinks it was “Pet Sounds” of 21st century, it was revolution or something. No, it wasn’t. It was interesting, that’s all. But… ok, people were intrigued what can he do next.
And MBDTF was interesting indeed. It was full of ideas, great moments, and first half reaaaly close to be something great. But… it wasn’t. It had long outros, that were very tedious. It had interlude, that there just to show of, doesn’t have any weight. Song structures were “not as stupidly simple as you expect” but that doesn’t mean that they have reasons to be that way. Start of the album is interesting, it gets you into energy aaaand… stops it with ending that so unfinished, so uninteresting. And when Gorgeous starts you think “Why you just didn’t skip to the next track? Make some transition, save energy, kick with a bang!” But yeah, he didn’t. And Gorgeous is starting it again, you think, oh, the end must be bonkers but… it crushed flow again. And Power is another example where you can glue this in one piece, THAT would be great opening sequence ona GREAT album. But here… it’s good, but it was made by someone immature and surrounded by “yes-men” too
much.
And after that everytime it’s is the same: he doesn’t know how to make interesting, throat grabbing progession of ideas. He was touring with U2 before that, he was mesmerized with rock-energy, he make his ressearch and he doesn’t understood correctly. He wanted to mimic, he made some stuff like “they do”, but didn’t quite catch why? After Monster, which maybe the only song that works fully, it’s downhill. Every track has something great, but it’s just not enough work, to make it brilliant, so much shit that makes this journey through the album such a chore. Yeah, every hophead who was a kid at 2010 would forever see this as it’s “Sgt. Pepper” or what ever, but whithout these goggles — it’s just a wasted potential of a great album.
He can’t cut things, cause he’s a narcisisst, he “loves” himself too much, so his works always bloated, always undocused, too much of a “tell, don’t show” attitude. He’s a genius in only one way — great overproducer, which works feels very underproduced. His production need another producer, who can make a brilliant album from it.
3+/5
Graduation >>> MBDTF
The quantity of reviews saying, that Clapton “doesn’t understand blues” from people who clearly doesn’t understand blues is outstanding.
Why? Because a lot of professional musicians, who not only played blues all their life, but pushed it further, and gave praise this album AND Clapton (as a musician), is outstanding too. Fuck the guy as a part of society, but as a musician and guitarist and a blues player — he’s one of a kind.
And those people, who just toss other people worked on this album, put their soul and talent — musicians, engineers, artist, even those who market this album, managed, people from label, etc. — those people for me are equal in ignorance and shitiness, as that prick on a guitar.
For me it’s the same sin — it's about taking people's individuality away from them, putting them in a box, and giving them a “mark”, because one or two of them have shown themselves to be shitty people. And in order to assert themselves, they create their own reality, “proving” it with invented bs, and shoving it down everyone's throat, hoping that it will become "reality."
Sounds familliar?
I’m sorry, but there is no “Post” or “Homogenic” on this list? And somehow 4 of her albums on it?? Those two are definition of “what you really need to hear before you die”. Even if it’s not your cup of tea, those records is standout moments in pop-music history, that still influence new music 30 years later. I’m sorry, it’s just like a cruel joke, I still can’t believe it. It’s like putting 4 Radiohead albums, without “Ok Computer” and “Kid A”. Or kick out “White Album”/“Abbey Road”, “DSotM”/“WYWH”, etc. It’s stupid.
Medulla is great, nothing to say what haven’t said already. I just wanted to vent…
PS. Oh, I recall that I already reviewed Sugarcubes album that on this list too. Like, really, wtf??
I liked review that’s joking about everyone put their best work in this album, and Paul is, like, “BANG BANG MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER-“. And I like that a lot of people praising GM’s immence work — for kids, that have Garage Band in their phone, for 7-minute meddley of songs that connected to each other, them need to invent how, cause nobody even attempt to do this before. But, look, McCartney wrote “You Never Give Me Your Money” and “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight”. When many greatest art and prog compositions, celebrated as a one of the best achievments in pop-music history, pointing to that pieces as inspiration, and you could (arguably, but a lot of music theorist agreed) tell that OG is still better in every way… it’s just on another level.
If “White Album” called by many as mycelium of 70s pop-music (and by continuation, as a whole), than in my mind “Abbey Road” is a rootstock of GREATEST pop music, at least next 3 decades. From Bohemian Rhapsody to Paranoid Android, from Dark Side of the Moon to American Idiot — you could see proof throught history that dedication in execution of Fab 4 on their final record was contagious. It’s not just an inspiration. It’s a standart for “exceptional work”.
And I love that this IS complete artistic package! This is their final work, it’s called by the name of an instrument, that they perfected using and showed the whole world how to use it. And on a cover, you see them all different, crossing the road FROM Abbey Road studios, that’s juxstuposing to their first work, where they look almost identical on one of the floors in that studio. They are done, they moving from Beatles, and Abbey Road (metaphorically). And when you rotate your vinyl, you can see that the last song is simply “The End”, where they leave simple epitaph for the Beatles (which underlined by a last joke — “Her Majesty”). Even the bag for vinyl, which is standart non-fancy EMI bag for me is a “Yeah, we are not trying to impress you. We just wanted to made masterpiece as a goodbye, so… you’re welcome”.
It’s hard not to say that this is the best pop album of all time. Cause, to challenge it, you need to not only write songs on a THIS level, not only made a thoughtful combination of them (anyone who listened it on a vinyl knows what I’m talking about — the made changing sides a part of an album experience), but you need a context of “probably the best band in a world” making the last album, and do it in such an elegant manner (thanks EMI, you tried very hard to ruin it) in a concept AND execution. If it’s not perfection, it’s pretty damn close. No score, cause this is just on another fckng level.
I don’t know is there anothe Hayes’ albums here, but if not — it’s just stupid. “Hot Buttered Soul” sounds like an Abbey Road compairing to this OST. And yes, why the fuck “Saturday Night Fever” isn’t here, if you including OSTs? It’s my 400-something album, and it’s the second worst thing on this list (Kid Rock still the worst).
Love Isaac, love Shaft theme, love Cheff, fuck scientology, hate this inclusion.
I started several of my “trips” with this album (on vinyl — one of my first ones). And every time ending of “Boxer” pushed my mind to “check out”.
That was first album, that I discover for myself. When I was a teenager there always were suggestion, recommendations, and I knew “S&G”, but they were “folk guys”, Sound of Silence and stuff like that. And one day I heard “Bridge over Troubled Water” song, liked it very much, and surprised that they were more than I thought. And some time later I just saw this album, and I think “Ok, I will listen, maybe song or two would be awesome there”…
And I was shocked. Cause you’re expecting at least something, when you listen to Beatles, LZ, Wonder and cats like that. But here I just wanted something nice to listen to. But 40 minutes after I was “reborn”. First time in my life I was REALLY, without a doubt believing that music magic is real, it’s not a fluke, it’s not just “your brain makes it pleasant because of repetition”. I truly didn’t heard any of this songs (even BoTW I heard only two-three times). And most of my music were completely different ballpark. And I was amazed, I was enchanted, I felt what is it to know whole-heartedely 1000% that you just heard one of your favorite albums. Almost 20 years later, and I don’t have any doubts which album I would put on a turntable after I’ve swallow my “ticket to ride” next time.
Verve EP > Urban Hymns
But still, “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is a masterpiece. And overall album is a very very very good work.
You put THIS ALBUM and not “FutureSex/LoveSound”??
The album that literally shaped sound of last half of a decade, and inspired direction for pop/rnb in 10s? The album that have 6 huge Top40 singles, 3 of em that known and loved even to this day?
I mean… it’s a choice, it’s a choice.
I love this cat! I love it, love it, love it, LOVE IT! I’ve got this album on vinyl, and it was on a display, and I saw this cat every day for several years, and I still love him. I don’t know why, but he is so cool. Somehow he looked like he’s playing bass on this album, or produced it. Very confident cat!
So, this album is so good, that even cat on a cover is superb and part of experience. When THE Beatles arive to your country for the first time, and meeting with you is first thing on a list — need to say more? Great artist, great album, nuff said.
Avg score is too low for this album. And it’s coming from me, who doesn’t vibe much with hip-hop and rap (tho I’ve got some great albums on vinyl, including this one).
Pure “radiohead-hate” in reviews is crazy. This coulb be not your preference, but denying immaculate craft of this album is childish. Plus, I never understood “it’s not kid a” argument (like, it makes Amnesiac worse somehow). Knives Out, Pyramid Song, You and Whose Army, I Might Be Wrong, Dollars and Cents and Life in a Glasshouse. In one album. That Radiohead LITERALLY made from bunch of scraps. In a cave.
Joking aside — it’s a beatles-level of variety AND genuinity at the same time. Nowadays there’s a lot “i used samples that have bongos or «arabic» vibe, so my album’s genre is world music”. But here I see earnest exploration of musical vocabulary of different origins. It’s not perfect, but daaamn it’s good when it’s good. And when it’s not — it is AT LEAST at top notch high-level professional level.
Plus, after “Kid A Mnesia” release it becomes in my mind as a Radiohead’s “White Album”. Double LP written in pure experimentation phase that, in retrospective, was mycelium for several decades of alternative music. From Gorillaz to Tame Impala. So, yeah, everyone who plastered this with 3 stars and less — you are all wrong. You can dislike it, and it’s not 10/10, but it’s a great record.
It 1001 you need to HEAR, note LIKE. And I’m glad I heard it. And I agree — Kid Rock’s shitty opus is undeniably worse. Not cause of him, it’s just an awfull work.
Liked every 4 and 5 stars reviews.
“I’M DOING MY PART!”
Really people, when will you learn difference between “taste” and “preference”? “I don’t get it, so it’s shit. Moreso — cause other people praising it, I will downgrade it.”
Just why?
