This reminds me of everyone’s youth. Brilliant but terrible. Ruined by knowing the manufacture and what became of Lydon. Some of the lyrics too are the same depressing misogyny which seems to be unfortunately found on more of these albums than you’d wish. Also - is there anything more English than stealing a joke from Shakespeare and claiming it counterculture?

Like the music but not the vocal nor lyrics. A microcosm of the 90s I guess.

A lot of these lyrics are really fucking off putting and creepy/egotistical at best. The delivery is one of the most irritating things ever put to record. I retain as a child and don’t get Dylan at /all/. What a fucking slog persisting with this this was. Absolutely dreading him coming up again.

Modern definition of MOR. Fine. Gentle. Became more sickly as it went on. This is ok. I never need to listen to it again. Was a single good lyric though; even if it was only so good taken into another context.

Kinda reminiscent of McFly, particularly Tom Fletcher’s solo written work. A couple songs - the ones I had hear before - stood out but the rest was kinda eh. I can see myself tolerating this if someone else put it on but it’s not something I would ever reach for myself. 2.5 I guess.

Similar of the Springsteen of the same era. First one I’ve listened to more than once - and returned the next day to boot. Love this.

Wow. I don’t know if I like it, but I am damn impressed by it. Can’t believe more don’t talk about this one. Don’t know if I’m gonna listen again but I’m so glad I did.

Man knows how to cultivate an atmosphere. … the same self gratification and ego as Dylan as it goes on though, everything about him … I do not like Lou Reed.

Christ her voice is so beautiful. Glad to finally be made to sit down and listen to more from her than Fast Car - that being the second track feels so bold and so understated in her brilliance. I gotta do more things more, man.

I didn’t even notice when it finished and started playing another song by another artist. I’m sure it’s great but it’s just background music to me.

Nice to wash over you. Good background music.

I really wanted to like this. But yikes.

This is what they mean when they scream ‘inject it into my veins.’ This guitar tone is fucking enticing. Had to go back and immediately listen to the first song again. Can’t get enough.

My instant thought, 2 seconds in, was ‘no’. That thought remained throughout. Couldn’t wait for it to end.

Enjoyed but suspect it’s a bad introduction; familiarity with original arrangements probably makes up most of the impact here.

Now I understand what old people mean when they say some music is merely ‘noise’.

Funky; impressive. Not for me.

He truly was a master.

Generic American: the album.

Interesting arrangements but not for me.

Different but fairly juvenile. Like Catcher in the Rye, what I would have fallen in love with if younger is just irritating.

Oscillated on this one. Ultimately can’t see myself listening again, though I do feel it’s important this is out there.

Good walking-on-a-cold-morning music.

I liked it less as it went on.

It’s the cure. It’s distinctively 80s.

Sung through a sneer. I would like this with another vocalist. Coxon is, and always has been, far too good for this band.

Fuckin’ wonderful.

The closest I have ever come to liking jazz.

Better than I expected. Wouldn’t mind someone else putting this on, but wouldn’t reach for it myself.

Music is much better than I gave it credit for when you separate and listen. Shame Chris Martin is so fucking wet.

Unlike Doolittle (which got worse as it went on), this got better as it went on. Still not for me though.

What an unpleasant vocal performance.

So fucking good at so fucking young.

Well. Distinctive, at least. … there’s like 30 good seconds on this album. Max. We all know what they are. Rest of this is absolute genuine torture.

What can you say? Some of the theft is painful. But elsewhere the shine is truly through. Not sure it’s consistent though, but damn deserves 4 for the songs I’ll sing my children.

Each individual song is SO REPETITIVE. It really takes away from the good parts. ‘I’m not gon’ compromise my Christianity’ may be the most hilarious pop lyric ever. Elsewhere the lyrics are downright disgusting. How, with no irony, are there feminist songs alongside posturing and slut shaming? All this only four songs in! How utterly vile this is, in a uniquely American sense. First album that’s straight up /offensive/.

We just don’t get this on a public scale anymore.

Absolutely soulless.

This band needed an editor.

A breathtakingly diverse range of sound. But for me? One song was enough.

This sounds like so many cigarettes you’ve smoked before.

Experimental and fun. The words are the best bit.

A great example of what it is - but both something I would ever reach for.

This reminds me of everyone’s youth. Brilliant but terrible. Ruined by knowing the manufacture and what became of Lydon. Some of the lyrics too are the same depressing misogyny which seems to be unfortunately found on more of these albums than you’d wish. Also - is there anything more English than stealing a joke from Shakespeare and claiming it counterculture?

Why can’t a single song on this record decide which genre it is?

I need to see them live immediately. Music that makes me smile and dancing not an option.

Super tight live. The crowd appreciation was enjoyable. Just confirmed I’d already heard the only Cheap Trick so songs I need to, though.

I’ve enjoyed other music from him. This is a disappointment.

I don’t know why I didn’t like this. I guess I waited too long to listen, and now I’m too old.

Is disco meant to be this boring?

Not one for me. Music is good, but the vocalisation drives me insane.

Man I bet this was great to go to. Listening was a joyous experience. Not sure if it should even be repeated - I don’t wish to find the flaws.

Everything here is practically perfect. I’d happily even go for a full album like Mother and feel the same. Never not astonishing, this band.

Funky? Yes. Rizzard? No.

You can see why this was big with teenagers.

Just can’t work out what to think of this. Know one thing - it is not good.

What happened to this dude? This is incredible.

Couple standouts, but I just don’t get rock and roll piano. It’s..fine I guess.

Absolute love of my youth. Only problem with this album is Train in Vain can’t be listened to eternally.

Hilariously nepotistically terrible. The Mary sue of pop songs. Imagine having all these words and nothing to say.

Can see myself chilling to this in the living room. Doesn’t do anything spectacular to me, though. Nice heavy bass is good.

Even with ‘Getting In Tune’ on it this is too phenomenal to be anything else. I haven’t heard something so good in so long.

Such a lot of difference, yet so little of it is good. Are the ableist lyrics really necessary?

Not for me; barely made an impression at all.

Like the music but not the vocal nor lyrics. A microcosm of the 90s I guess.

Now that’s a proper punk album.

A definition of background music.

I can see it, and I like how it’s so much less insipid overall than Taylor Swift types - here there are some things to say, in a voice that can actually sing. All this said, it’s not one for me.

The fact I enjoyed this despite the lyrics of Brown Sugar really underlines how good it is.

Nice and chill but too twee for me.

It’s always fun to be enjoying the beat and the flow only to be hit full in the face with needless and horrifyingly vicious misogyny, transphobia, and child abuse claimed as ‘jokes’. Was an instant 5/5 until then. So much fucking yikes.

The worst thing this experiment has done this far is made me realise I don’t actually mind certain portions of Coldplay.

Oh, I could fall in love.

An objectively good album, but not one for me.

Fine; objectively no fault to find other than that it’s not something I’d choose to listen to.

What impressively bad production. Overall with that aside, this drips with the 90s - not distasteful, but iconically generic of the era, down to a rip off best known as a theme for a forgotten prank show. Can’t get much more shitty British childhood than that.

This experience has provided me with vital information - that Bob Dylan is the measure of all music, as I don’t believe within infinite universes that there will ever be a professional musician as poor as Bob Dylan. I’d rather listen to the screeching of a thousand and one cats with constipation.

Enjoyable enough; nice and jumpy and obviously for its purpose. Proper dancing music. Honestly surprised for some reason how much I enjoyed the instruments used - particularly the xylophone and accordion. Can’t say that was ever expected. It’s wild that this is live.

Outstayed its welcome by track 3. A time capsule made not for me … moments of brilliance almost utterly lost in the tones of the time.

Liked this more than I realised at first thought - was disappointed when I finished and went to the top again. How something can sound so old and so fresh at the same time…stories aren’t a candle to Springsteen’s, but couldn’t hold that against anyone.

It’s never a good sign when you recognise the opening song by a superior cover. The entire record is a band and a man hurtling fast towards sensationalist for the sake of it. I can see why this did well in its time. My god it’s of its time.

It’s a Christmas album - filled with variations of songs with alternate versions which I prefer and (presumably) American tunes I have no desire to add to the repertoire of an already tired musical time of year.

What evil fucker told this cunt they could sing?! Then to hand them a rhyming dictionary?! I know the entirety of human history has many hells, but did we really deserve this?

There’s something so hilarious about the soulful way words are sung which would be uncomfortable today. Overall not what I expected, and a great example of this project expanding not just my musical knowledge but also my socio-historical awareness.

Wow, REM goes harder than I ever knew.

You can hear who they've influenced... who have also done it better.

Just behind every song, you can almost hear their anuses clenching from trying so hard.

Having heard of him for so many years, he isn’t what I expected. He’s so much better.

Two increíble songs surrounded by drivelled filler. If only they’d spent more time in the studio!

Worst thing you can be is boring. This is so inoffensively dull I had a headache from halfway through.

Sensationalism for its own sake is so exhausting. Get you, performer. How have you not grown up yet?

What a unique, mature, and healthy voice. The type of album that makes you wish you were the right age to appreciate it upon release.

As vile as it is uninspired.

Man can be write a chorus…but everything else leaves me cold.

Backing up my belief that Radiohead have one decent song. It is not on this album.

I was glad when this was over. Not quite sure of the point of it; I don’t think even they knew. Couple good beats though.

What an odd collection of nonsense lyrics combined with an uncomfortably high amount of religion, particularly religious misogyny. I actually got distracted halfway through and entirely forgot I had been listening to it for a good hour. So much nothing.

Ethereal and beautiful. Reminds me of some elements of Lindisfarne.