Highlights: Feel it (Don't Fight It) Twistin' The Night Away As soon as I put this on I could picture the crowd, the energy was palpable and infectious. Listening to this gave me a sense of what Sam Cooke was like as an entertainer, and made me a little sad I would never get to experience it myself.
Highlights: Rolling Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) Hero Final Days My first impression of this was that the instrumentals reminded me of chopped up soul Hip-Hop beats, which makes sense because this is a R&b/Soul album produced by Danger Mouse. The more I listened to this, the more it grew on me. A very enjoyable, easy listen, but I'm unsure of how much depth there is to dig in to. I will definitely be revisiting this album, and I hope it continues to grow on me.
Highlights: That Lady You Walk Your Way Funky, soulful, groovy. It's always a trip to hear the original recording of a sample (i prominently samples That Lady). Crunchy guitars contrast well with silky vocals, while the tight groove keeps everything moving forward together
Highlights: Eruption Atomic Punk It's hard to think about Van Halen impartially. On the one hand, they are held up up as unimpeachable Gods of rock and roll. On the other hand, I have heard so much of their music, so often against my will, that their sound is cliche. I had never given any VH album a full listen, probably because of their omnipresence, so this was the first time hearing some of the deep cuts. The solos rip, but the album becomes a bit of a slog, especially the back half. Not as bad as I feared, not as good as I hoped.
Highlights: Starship Trooper I've Seen All Good People This was not the Yes album I expected, Fragile has the more recognizable hits, but maybe it will come up later. That said, I am glad to come across Yes on this journey. They are too often overshadowed by bigger names in the classic rock/prog rock pantheon, so I'll take the opportunity to give them their flowers. In true prog rock fashion this album has only a few songs, but what they lack in number, they make up for in length and depth. The Yes Album is clearly not lacking in ambition when it comes to pushing the boundaries of pop song structure, but this ambition is balanced by a good sense of what makes a song catchy and listenable. You can put this album on in the background, and it will comfortably lay back and provide a spacey/psychedelic atmosphere. But you can also sit down and take your time with it, and entrance yourself with the variety of overlapping rhythms. Or admire the crisp production and virtuosic musicianship. I always appreciate music that rewards the listener who pays closer attention to it. What holds this back from five stars for me is that I can think of several other albums from this genre that I enjoy more. But still, very good, would recommend to a friend.
Highlights: Like a Rolling Stone Tombstone Blues It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry Desolation Row I'm not sure if can call myself a fan of Bob Dylan, not that I don't enjoy his music, I enjoy it quite a lot. But I haven't given his extensive catalogue the deep dive I this is required to ear the distinction of "true fan". Once again I find myself grateful that this project has prompted me to give a bit more of my time to an artist I have a passing familiarity with. I have always considered Dylan one of the best songwriters of all time, just not the greatest performer. His distinctive vocals have been something of a deterrent, especially for longer listening sessions. And the cryptic lyrics can come across as more pretentious than mysterious sometimes (Ballad of a Thin Man). All that said, I think the positives outweigh the negatives on this album by far. There is no doubt why this album has stood the test of time. Poignant, evocative, sorrowful, and sometimes silly; Highway 61 Revisited deserves a re-listen
Highlights: You Don't Miss Your Water This is the first one I haven't been really interested in listening to. It's not bad exactly, just not really what I'm looking for right now, and kind of boring. I can imagine enjoying some of these songs as background for playing Fallout or something
Highlights: Take on Me Another one that I think is not for me. I have never been a huge fan of synth heavy 80's pop, especially not when its so downbeat and melancholy. I think this album is only here because of Take on Me, at least that's the only reason I can think of.
Highlights: To Hell and Back Buried Alive Heaven's on Fire At War With Satan This is some real OG metal shit right here. A little bit Sabbath, a little bit Iron Maiden, a lot edgy. I like this early era of metal where you can see the direction it is leading, but it's not all the way yet. The guitars are heavy, but not completely washed out; the vocals are aggressive, but legible. Calling this extreme now seems almost quaint, but at the time this really was shocking to the mainstream. Even now I can imagine a talking head on the news reading these lyrics out with deadly seriousness to try and scare grandpa about the rebellious youths. But taken in whole, Venom is clearly being performative, Black Metal reads more like melodrama theater than Satanist instruction manual. If you can allow yourself the freedom to not take it too seriously, this album is a lot of fun and I regret not listening until now.
Highlights: Search and Destroy Gimme Danger Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell Raw Power I really wish the production was better on this album. Two different mixes, two different remasters, and neither one does justice to the music. Beyond that though, I love the frenetic energy on this album. This is the kind of music that inspires me to play guitar myself, there is something about the aesthetic that feels somehow attainable.
Highlights: Independent Women Pt. I Dangerously in Love Undeniable talent, but R&B has never been for me. If this album were a bit shorter I would like it better, but too many of the songs feel like padding for time. Which is crazy because this thing is over an hour long, they had room to cut back. Oh well, I guess I wasn't ready for this jelly.
Highlights: 16 Shells From a 30.6 Frank's Wild Years Swordfishtrombone There is a lot to say about Tom Waits, he is one of the most unique voices in the popular music consciousness. This album has a lot of the DNA that makes up on of my favorite albums of all time, Real Gone. However Swordfishtrombones is lacking some of the energy that really makes that album so fantastic. I do enjoy the atmosphere of this album and the story telling and lyricism of Tom Waits in general. Definitely worth a listen, this album may not be fore everyone but those who can appreciate will not want to miss out
Highlights: Cherub Rock Today Silverfuck Mayonaise This album is is all about the hits; and when The Smashing Pumpkins hit, they hit hard. They rest of Siamese Dream doesn't quit reach the high bar set by the opening track, but it is still worth adding to your library and listening rotation.
Highlights: It Won't Be Long All My Loving Money (That's What I Want) A historically important Beatles album I guess, but not much worth revisiting.
Highlights: Help Me A Free Man in Paris Twisted Beautiful
Highlights: How Many Mics Zealots Killing Me Softly With His Song The Mask