KIWANUKA
Michael KiwanukaPretty good. Interesting production and a smooth voice. A couple of catchy songs. I don't find myself compelled to return to it, however. Maybe it's slightly bland?
Pretty good. Interesting production and a smooth voice. A couple of catchy songs. I don't find myself compelled to return to it, however. Maybe it's slightly bland?
Funny. Silly. Entertaining. Is it supposed to be funny? I can't take it seriously, but it has raised a smile. Can't see me listening to it again, but it was a fun listen.
Ugh. Prog rock with classical influences. Not my thing. Some of it is fine, most of it is not.
Talk To The Wind is lovely.
Psyche fuckin delic
Brilliant. 10/10.
Good. Very good. A bit jaunty/twee for my taste.
You know what? This is really good. Definitely bedwetters, but really good
It's fine. Very good in parts. It's very white.
Long, aimless solos. Some nice patches but its not for me.
Not my thing. It's obviously beautifully crafted, but the sentiment and melodies are cloying. I enjoy one or two songs at a time, no more. Great cover.
Goes on a bit. High fretted solos. Nah.
Surprising. A brave move. Varied throughout. Jazz, hip hop. I really like this.
I had forgotten about/dismissed these guys. This is pretty good. Big singles and weird shit.
I feel like I already know 70% of this album, without having listened before. Lots of fun. Great cover art.
Not bad. A little cheesy, but not as cheesy as I feared. 80s production not helping. Some nice playing. Some over playing. Ultimately, too much American pizzazz for my subtle English tastes.
It's obviously good. Brilliant even, sometimes. But. It doesn't hold my attention. I wish it did so that I could know it's dark wonder, but I don't find it compelling.
Very good. Melodic, raw. It's grown on me over time. Almost glam rock in places. Songs are kinda sad. Thirteen is beautiful.
This is deep. Deserves close listening. Obviously, heavy subject matter. Way better production than his previous few albums. All the cheese gone. An album to keep coming back to. A dying man singing his final songs.
Title track is a stop what you're doing moment. Every time. The rest is mad, psychedelic, weird shit. A proper classic
Old school. They don't make them like this anymore. I love the production - close mic'd. Quality songs, superbly performed and arranged. Never heard this before. A pleasant surprise. Blue Skies is sublime. Great cover art.
It's good. Definitely just me, but when I listen to the specials I can see ashtrays, drizzle, violence, brown and orange clothes. It's so 70s British. It is good. Just not for me.
Modern pop that I don't completely disdain. Some nice melodies. Production bang up to date. Songwriting reminds me of Taylor Swift. I'm a 41 year old man, this is not aimed at me. I can appreciate it, but I can't love it.
Pretty badass. Lots of cool, cool stuff. Such a great band. Not their absolute best, but still.... I'd been listening to the US version for years. Not sure which one is better. Toss a coin.
Wow, Queen Jane is very out of tune. This album is a very good album. The title track is a highlight. I don't think this is Dylan's best. I prefer his later, older stuff. It's still an indisputable classic.
I have never listened to this album before. I know The Who. Who's Next is nearly perfect. This is young and raw. I didn't expect the R&B covers, not sure what I expected. It's a lot of fun. I can hear hints of sophistication in their songwriting, but they're not the finished article yet.
Okay. I have a head full of a cold, not slept well. It's possible I'm just not in the mood for this. I can't see myself returning to it. It's slightly irritating, but is obviously performed well. I'm not a fan of the vocals - too showy.
Never heard this before. Proper weird shit. Definitely helps to be in the right mood and place for this. Luckily, I am today. Really love the strangeness. Great title, great cover art. An odd surprise.
I should not like this. Nearly cheesy. A bit showbiz musical. But damn it's good. First song is so cool. Aged like a fine wine. One Of Us is undeniable. Everything is so well crafted and performed. Brilliant. Nice cover art as well.
Not my go-to Dylan, but very good. There was better to come. She Belongs To Me is a top 20 Dylan song, for me. Very good album, I just prefer the later stuff.
Very melancholy and pleasant. Think this is Kurt Cobain's Leonard Cohen afterworld. Sighing eternally. Sometimes, Suzanne is my favourite song. One long vibe. Brilliant.
Obviously this is very good. Whole lotta soul. I could put it on whenever and it would sound fine. It doesn't quite hit my personal sweetest of sweet spots, but this will do just fine.
One of my all-time favourites. The guitars are so chunky. The ballads are graceful and elegant. This might be my favourite Bowie album. Lady Grinning Soul is too good.
Really fond of this. Doesn't seem like much, but the more you listen, the more it gives. Goes well with relaxing, running, dancing, thinking, working. Bloody lovely.
Nice. Excellent playing and arrangements. I like the laid back feeling. Sultans of Swing is the obvious hit, but the rest is very consistent in tone and quality.
A good one. I didn't use to enjoy the clean production. Now, I think it gives the music a heft and weight. No filler on this, just loads of good songs. Her best album? I think so.
Not as fast and energetic as I had assumed. A little more raw than what came later. If I'm in the right mood and place this could be very good.
Very slow in parts. It's fine if boring in parts. This is my second Willie Nelson album. I preferred Stardust. This is nowhere near terrible, but I doubt I will come back to it.
I've heard these songs so many times. Still takes me by surprise that is an album, not a compilation. It must have truly blown minds in 1967. The playing is off the scale. I'm listening to the UK version. May This Be Love stands out on this listen. Truly excellent.
One of the best albums ever. Each song is better than the previous song. It's almost embarrassing how good this album gets. Golden Lady, Higher Ground, He's Misstra Know It All. It's 5 stars every day.
Some pleasant parts. My issue is that, though the harmonies are nice, there are vocal harmonies on absolutely everything. It's all very tasteful. Maybe a bit dated? The more I listen, the more I think of Andy Bernard from The Office. Constantly searching for a vocal harmony.
Really enjoyed this. Quite a trip. I like the use of instrumental layers on unexpected sounds that build on each other. This Is The Day is obviously great. Just heard it at the end of The Outrun as well. Good lyrics on here, although I would prefer the vocals to be mixed a little higher. I keep listening to the whole album. There's so much interesting stuff going on. Great cover art.
This is not my thing. Too overwrought. I will not return to it.
Love it. Mad genius. Great cover art.
Full of energy. Great performances. Incredible voice. This must have been world changingly exciting, for young people, in 1956.
I like how it flows. The rhythms, the horns, the groove. Lovely stuff. I imagine it was brilliant to watch live.
Beck is not for me. It's all too professional. Not enough HEART in the music. It just does not capture my imagination. I don't dislike it, it's fine, it just leaves me cold.
Some good, jammy bits. Nice textures. Beatle melodies. I expected it to be punkier, but that's my fault. Some duller parts, but on the whole a pleasant experience.
This surprised me. I assumed it would be uncool. It is a bit uncool, but it's got heart. He seems like a gentle guy singing gentle, melodic songs. A pleasant surprise.
Decent. Spirited performances. Better than I expected. I'm not the biggest fan of Janis Joplin. It's the blues.
The production is too shiny for my taste. The songs too poppy, too earnest. BUT. This has heart and spirit. It has ambition. Will I listen to the whole thing again? No. Do I respect it for its heart, spirit and ambition. Yes.
Fast. Furious. I can smell the tobacco and beer. Would've been great to be there.
Moody. Love her voice. Love the arrangements. Love the mood.
This had my foot tapping. The second song has no low-end. This put me off. Apart from that, I enjoyed this dark, lively album
Struggled with this one. Found it boring. Didn't like the vocals. Some of the instrumentation was interesting/pleasant, but that's not enough.
Incredible. Has grown on me over the years. I take it with me, wherever I go now. The guitar playing is sublime.
I ignored this album for too long. Absolutely fantastic. Wonderful melodies, arrangements and playing. Gently psychedelic. This one is a keeper.
I think this is the best Elvis Costello album. It rocks, it's weird, it's got good tunes. Truly, this is 4 and a half stars, its brilliant but I'm not always in the mood for Elvis Costello. Do I round up or down?
Pretty good. Seems almost quaint how keen it is to shock. It's just distorted glam rock. I do like it, just wouldn't pick it out and put it on.
I have tried. Really tried. Steely Dan remain an irritant to me. The best bit on here was used and improved by De La Soul. Life is too short for this.
Another surprise. I had assumed I wouldn't enjoy this album. Thought it would be Girls Just Wanna Have Fun plus filler. How wrong I was. The opener is great. The sound is 80s but not completely cheesed out. I am impressed.
Not my usual. I recognise a couple of MF DOOM samples. I won't return to this, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would
This might be one of the best albums ever. It's so delightful. I predict I'll be listening to this for many, many years.
Always a welcome listen. Laid back, well produced. Not absolutely top-tier hip hop, but still bloody lovely.
I can't do anything else while listening to this. So much going on. Almost avant garde in places. Once I'm locked in, the music becomes mighty impressive, righteous and powerful.
Dull. Staid. Brown. The Weight is a good song but this bores the tits off me.
Definitely a mood on this. I've always really liked it. Very British and glum.
Rocking. Love everything about it. Drums, guitar, bass, vocals. All rocking. Not even my favourite Nirvana album (Unplugged just pips it) but still a rock solid 5 star classic.
Still good. Basically Creedence for the naughties. Loads of good songs on here. Some tasty bass lines, particularly Slow Night, So Long. After this they were never the same again. Lost all their lovely grit.
Fantastic. The balls to hold one chord on an organ for 10 minutes and just talk over it. And it's still brilliant. This version Walk On By is THE version. They don't make em like this anymore.
At first I wasn't enjoying this. A bit twee, dated. Not my thing. But the version of Will You Love Me Tomorrow saves it from total disgrace. Great version of a great song.
Definitely a vibe going on here. Didn't enjoy this quite as much as other Leonard Cohen albums. Not sure why. Maybe the songs aren't quite as strong. Having said that, The Partisan is great and the whole thing sounds soothing as fuck late at night.
My first Beatles album on here, my first Beatles album as a teenager. Fundamental to my enjoyment of music. The sound of the best band ever at the peak (debatable) of their powers. Too many highlights to mention, but Eleanor Rigby goes above and beyond what a pop song is supposed to be. Great cover art as well.
Never really listened to this all the way through. I can see why it sold a gazillion copies. I like it. Downcast, melodic, simple songs.
Absolutely fine. Just doesn't interest me.
Very good 60s, psychedelic music. Some massive songs on here.
So, so bleak. Incredible sounds - every instrument sounds ice cold. Absolutely love all of it, especially the 2nd side. Great cover art.
Probably a top ten album of all time. Probably Dylan's best album. So much good stuff. Idiot Wind is savage, regretful and sad. You're a Big Girl Now, Simple Twist of Fate, Shelter From the Storm. These are towering achievements of song. So much truth here.
Love this. Sophisticated music. Flows beautifully as an album. Title track is classic. Macbeth rocks harder than I imagined.
Very 80s. I struggle with that. The dated production. Lots of great songs to sweeten the deal. It's not as good as Thriller (not a lot is). But then Jackson's charisma is off the scale throughout. It's giving me mixed emotions.
Entertaining. Silly.
Never heard this before. Instant classic. Punk rock Rolling Stones.
Only works at one time of year. Some magnificent performances on here, particularly the singing and drumming. Baby Please Come Home has an unexpected emotional power in the voice. Slightly overrated?
Pretty good. Not really my thing but I can't deny the quality of playing and songwriting. Excellent cover of For No One by The Beatles.
Hm. Not as good as I remembered. A couple of good, psychedelic slow songs in the middle. The rest feels dated and mediocre. 15 songs is too long as well. Shame.
Very entertaining. Often hilarious. Front loaded with massive hits. The hits are poppier than I remembered. Some of the cultural references have dated and the violence is off the scale but this is a very well written and produced album. Eminem's personality carries it.
Absolutely fine. A bit too much guitar noodling, for my taste. A good band playing rock songs with a Latin feel.
Floaty. Synthy. Ambient. Pleasant.
I can't condone large sections of the lyrical content, but this is weird and creative. Much stranger than I expected. I think it might be quite addictive.
One of the best of all time. First half is cool ass reggae. Second half is just incredible. What a run of songs! Its almost a Best of Reggae mini album. Waiting In Vain is in my personal top ten (maybe 5) songs of all time. 5 stars, an absolute pleasure to listen to this.
Very nice indeed. Very sad also. I know this reasonably well, but it's never a chore to listen to well written, melodic, melancholy songs.
If it was summertime this might be getting 5 stars. However, it's January in Manchester. The snow has turned to grey slush. Summer Breeze? Not right now. Great album though.
Very good. Inventive with the creative choice of samples. Fun album.
I was happy to see this pop up. Been looking forward to this. It is good, but I'm slightly underwhelmed. It's not grabbing me instantly. Can't put my finger on the reason why not. Great cover art.
Yes. Might be in my top ten albums of all time. Best punk album ever. Yes it is. Big chunky guitars, incredible songs and that voice.
Absolutely fine. Too old fashioned for me, but yeah, fine.
Not great. Slightly irritating. A poor person's Bowie.
Always a pleasant listen. Really nice acoustic performances. I like the longer, rambling songs
Real nice. Surprisingly dark psychedelic music. Feel like I'm getting high from listening to it. Groovy.
Something about this album goes over my head. I find myself playing it over and over (cos it's really good), but not much sticks. I think this is my fault.
Some of the greatest funky shit of all time on here. The switch up in Stand! is pure magic. Instant head bobbing. However, I'm going to be harsh here. There is 13 minute jam that doesn't do much for me. Without that, this would be 5 stars.
Yep. Absolutely top quality rock music. IMO the only great album The Who made. No filler.
I want to like it. I'm not sure about the falsetto and the general tweeness of the music. Not terrible.
Easy 5. So good. Good for intense listening. Good for chilling. Good for working. Good anytime. Classic. Great cover art.
Impressive. I like the previous few albums, but this was a big step up. It's probably 2 or 3 songs too long for me to consider it a masterpiece, but nevertheless it rules.
Charming, funny and always reliable.
I don't know how they did it. I wasn't even in the mood for a Beatles album. Within 3 seconds of pressing play, I was experiencing the joy of youth and the hope of possibility. It's just so innocent and brilliantly played and performed. Magic. Great cover art.
Yeah, all cool here. Delightful. Soft as cotton.
I found this to be a bit too much. I don't like singing in this style. It's too grandiose and dramatic. I was relieved when it finished.
Pretty good. Interesting production and a smooth voice. A couple of catchy songs. I don't find myself compelled to return to it, however. Maybe it's slightly bland?
Whole lotta chooglin goin on here. Really good. Lots of fun. Properly rocking. Probably a 4.5. Can't quite give it a big fat 5 stars, though.
Terrible. A shopping mall of an album. Of course it's capably written and smoothly produced, but life is too short for this over sweet shite.
White rock n roll in its rawest form. And damn fine it is too.
Unique? A mix of styles for sure. I like it, it's very good music. Marc Ribot's guitar is great throughout.
Real nice. Some memorable moments and songs. The drum break in Take Five features possibly the greatest sounding drum kit of all time. Sounds like it's playing next to me. I'm adding an extra star for that piece of audio magic.
Not bad, but not as good as I was hoping. It's all a bit samey. I'm not keen on the guitar tone. I like Billy Corgan's vocals. It's all fine, just never gonna be one of my favourites.
I have never enjoyed listening to The Pogues before. I thought they were tuneless, drunken, sloppy musicians. I sighed when this album showed up. But it has surprised me. The musicianship is top notch. The songs are excellent and performances full of energy. I think I 'get' The Pogues now!
Nowhere near as cheesy as I was dreading. Still too 80s for my taste. It's fine, just not for me.
Not bad. Some solid indie guitar/synth bangers. It doesn't all bang though.
Does Springsteen get the royalties? This passes me by in an audio soup of delay, reverb and plodding tempos. I find it dull and samey.
Pleasant, charming, easy. Nice experience to listen to. Wild World and Father & Son are, obviously, timeless classics.
It was an interesting idea to mix soul music and Celtic instrumentation. Sometimes it works, but a whole album of it is a little tiring. Good performances, especially the bass, but I would've preferred a little more variety of sound.
A nice surprise. Some creativity on display here. Lots of interesting sounds - a capella loops, fuzz bass, distortion. I'll be revisiting this one.
Lovely. Delightful music. Vaguely new-agey. And I mean that as a compliment. This type of album is pretty much why I'm doing this 1001 album thing. I've never heard of it and would never have tried it. Now, I like Call of the Valley. Great cover art.
Some of the best music made by human beings. It's got a magic quality that keeps it eternally fresh. Each time I listen to Kind of Blue it takes me somewhere calm and melancholic. I'm not a jazz musician, I have no idea what the instruments are 'doing' in relation to each other, but Flamenco Sketches is heavenly.
Boring, bland.
It is good. It leans very heavily into 80s cheese. So heavily, that it almost ceases to matter. Some of these songs are excellent, the lyrics are, as usual, hilarious and insightful. In truth, it's 3.5 stars.
Pretty good. Nice darkness to the sound. Nothing too memorable on here though.
Funny. Silly. Entertaining. Is it supposed to be funny? I can't take it seriously, but it has raised a smile. Can't see me listening to it again, but it was a fun listen.
Ugh. Prog rock with classical influences. Not my thing. Some of it is fine, most of it is not.
Rocking. Great fun.
Pretty good. South American music with electronic touches. Not sure that this is essential listening, but it passes the time pleasantly enough.
I often feel like I've got the world up my ass. Proper punk, proper fun.
Very shit. Pedestrian rhythms. Dull songwriting. Unimaginative overall.
Oh yeah. Pure rock n roll. Everything nice and loud. Acoustic guitars and glockenspiels (?) give the sound depth and texture. The attitude is bad-ass throughout. Great cover art.
Cool shit. Been listening to this for years. It's definitely stood the test of time. The guitar playing is masterful. Slightly underrated I think. One of the best debut albums ever?
Snarly punk attitude. Some sax. Grimy feel. Great energy. They took inspiration from punk and made a very good rock n roll album.
Some music is made with the heart, some with the head. Music from the heart is often superior as it is made from feelings. Music from the head is not necessarily bad, but it is made from thoughts. Head music struggles to make the soul sing or yearn as heart music can. This is head music.
Some well crafted songs. I don't consider this essential, but I have no beef with The Zutons.
Listened to the whole thing while painting our hallway. It is very long. Some top tier music on here. Some filler. So much creativity on display that it remains undeniable.
I was happy when this popped up. I've always like the idea of The Flaming Lips - psychedelic weirdos playing eccentric songs about robots and scientists. The reality is frustrating. Yes, Do You Realize has brilliant, devastating lyrics but the song is too sweet. Does it need the key change? No. Most of the rest of the album either passes me by or irritates me with twee, childlike (childish?) ideas.
Pretty. A bit lounge jazzy in places (some of the vocals). Generally a smooth, eclectic listen. Nice to listen to a multilingual album.
I wasn't excited to see this one. I thought it'd be bland and white. It is a little bland and quite white, but it has an enjoyable, laidback chillness. The Beatles cover is decent too.
Not heard this for maybe a decade. When it came out, I was 23 and in a band. I heard this and my first thought was "Shit, my band sounds old-fashioned." I (and everybody) did not realise Arctic Monkeys would be the 'last' great British guitar band. It still sounds exciting. I can still picture mid-noughties Britain when i listen to this. The drinking and undertones of aggression. It's brilliant lyrically, really funny and insightful. The band rips as well. Modern classic.
Perfect. I played it over and over, all day. Such a comforting sound. The Beach Boys captured something magic with Pet Sounds.
Brilliant. I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I played it twice in a row, to make sure. So groovy. A great find.
Some really good bits, some brave decisions. The 2nd half is stronger than the 1st. It's not as good as any Smiths album, but not much is. The sound effects and clarinet are pleasant surprises.
Very good. Surprisingly psychedelic, if only mildly so. Low-key electronica with a slight undertone of strangeness.
Pretty disappointing. I was excited to finally hear Freebird, but it didn't do much for me. The rest of the album has decent, passionate playing but is let down by average songwriting and clichéd lyrics.
Not my favourite of his classic run. It's all a bit slow and the songs aren't as good as Fullfillingness or Music of my Mind. Obviously, Superstition more than makes up for it.
British classic. Moody, questioning, psychedelic (less so than their previous two albums) and melodic. Massive singles surrounded by a set of songs with a cohesive mood and feel. Brilliant.
Sophisticated music for sophisticated people. I always enjoy hearing this. Couldn't hum a single second of it, but I can't deny it's obvious quality.
Hmmm. I really like Grass and Dear God. Some of the rest are slightly irritating. I find this with XTC, some good shit, some annoying shit.
Fine. Nothing wrong with this, apart from how under-produced it is. I don't dislike it, but I won't return.