It's a solid debut album, with hints of punk, progressive rock an even forebearers to grunge. Although most fans (me included) will prefer Iron Maiden's later albums with Bruce Dickinson as a vocalist, this album, still with Paul Di'Anno's raspy voice, is filled with true bangers. The changes in tempo and dynamics are amazing; they evoke the contrasts that will characterize grunge bands later on (as in "Remember Tomorrow"). The riff's energy and lyrics provide a classic template for the next stages of the band.
Favorite tracks: "Prowler", "Remember Tomorrow", "Phantom of the Opera" (epic changes, brilliant song only tainted by the vocal limitations of Di'Anno), "Transylvania" (epic instrumental, leads to a beautiful melodic intro for the next song). A solid 9/10
It's an interesting jazz album, that opens the door to the genre outside of the US. However, perhaps because I prefer particular jazz musicians (Davis, Coltrane, Monk), I feel I need more time to let it sit.
The album has three iconic anthems: "Back in Black," "You Shook Me All Night Long," and the lesser-known "Have a Drink on Me." However, this is not a sound album per se, but a relatively flat collection of songs, some of which have become classics. Many of the songs are quite repetitive.
Songhoy blues are a perfect example of the power of music. Against the backdrop of fundamentalist prohibition of music in Mali, the band offers a thrilling a testimony of joyful rebellion. “Music in exile” is filled with hypnotic fast-paced bluesy riffs and occasional abrupt changes of time signatures that make the album energetic, and soulful. If you love bands like Tinariwen, the desert blues or Afro blues subgenres, you’ll love this. The production is at times imperfect, some songs excessively repetitive, but the overall output is both satisfying and impressive. Their musical bravado is infectious and it’s indisputable their key role in making alternative Afro rock mainstream and worldwide relevant. I’m looking forward to listening to their upcoming album “Heritage”. My favorite track was “Al hassidi terei”.
A nice surprise. The lyricism (with exceptional use of rhymes and alliteration) makes this album that has age great. I’ll keep listening Jurassic 5 and check of their discography.
It has some standout songs (in the US version): “Paint it Black”, “Lady Jane”, and “I’m waiting”. However this albums does change my opinion. I still don’t vibe with th Rolling Stones.
Although the album fizzles out a bit by the B side (not lyrically but musically), it includes enough great tracks to be a solid output. Side A is filled with classics: “So far away…”, “Money for nothing”, “Walk of life” and “Your latest trick”. I find “Why worry” criminally underrated. Yes, lyrics are somewhat simple and harmony is there somewhat predictable. However with a new arrangement you can make it look as exciting as it should. Overall, 9/10.
It was a very welcome surprise. Beyond the famous initial track, "Bittersweet Symphony," there are enough interesting tracks to make listening to the album a rewarding experience. The second single, "Drugs Don't Work," was my favorite song. I even made a cover on the piano. Despite its overall quality, "Urban Hymns" falls increasingly flat in the second portion of the album with songs that are remarkably similar to the previous Oasis's output years prior. Although imperfect, this is an album I might revisit often.
This was my introduction to the Pixies, and I loved it. You can tell how the band helped in the transition from punk, post-punk and grunge. Near 40 later this album still feels modern, like an odd mix of surrealism and protogrunge.
A very enjoyable introduction to one of the founders of rock and roll.
A notable live album (one of the best in history by many). Unfortunately I am not a great fan of The Who.
Rod Stewart’s music is not my cuppa. I gave this album a chance but, let’s admit it, I was immediately bored to death. Like many other reviewers here I find that this album has not aged well.
Even at their most vague and uneven, Radiohead is great. It’s widely known that three of the tracks are poor by the band’s standard. And yet this album is still great, filled with memorable songs, such “There There” or “2+2=5”. If you are unconvinced about the track order, try Thom Yorke’s tweaking of the track order. With it, both the length and flow works better.
This is an ok album. You can give it a listen and it’s pleasant and interesting. It has some objectively good songs, such as “Amy”. However, after a couple of rounds I didn’t feel this to be a very original journey. When I think of great albums, I think of a more cohesive and ambitious project, a narrative or a concept. “Heartbreaker” is a satisfying collection of songs (some good, some not so much), but there is nothing particularly ambitious or groundbreaking in this output.
This was my favorite album growing up. I was so obsessed as a kid that I wanted to buy the cassette that I begged my parents for months, years even. Although it has not lost its iconic luster, it’s more musically and lyrically uneven than I recalled. Also the bad boy persona MJ is aiming to embody feels quite dated and borderline embarrassing. To some ears the instrumental palate will sound like a step back more than a step forward.
Next to funk, rock-infused poppy and memorable tracks (“Bad”, “The way you make me feel”, “Another part of me”, “Dirty Diana” and “Smooth criminal”, “Leave me alone”) there are some forgettable songs in here. “Speed demon” is simply pop fluff. “Just good friends” is better than people make it to be. It has some refreshing chords between verse and chorus and in the bridge, but it misses an opportunity to do something more especial with Stevie Wonder.
There are some bright spots unfairly assessed at the time. “Liberian Girl” has a lovely melody (same thing can be said of the verse “I just can’t stop loving you”). I don’t understand the hate. The verse of has a nice melodic flow. “Man in the mirror” is a jewel. Despite MJ’s vocal excesses it is such a lovely song. I keep coming to it and still feel the same emotions. Same could be said of “The way you make me feel”. Great groove (despite some questionable shallow sexist tropes in the lyrics: “Oh, I'll be workin' from nine to five / To buy you things to keep you by my side.”
The 25th anniversary edition has some interesting additional tracks. “Fly Away” would have been a nice substitute to “Speed demon”. There are curious versions in Spanish (translated by no other than master of salsa Ruben Blades) and in French, and even a weird remix of “Bad” with the collaboration of Pitbull.
A really fun ride, filled with unexpected chords progressions and sumptuous orchestrations. Loved it!
A soulful and solid album.
As influential and well-crafted as it is, I cannot say I love this album. My opinion has not changed.
This is a groundbreaking and brilliant album, but only apt for those who are knowledgeable of the musical crossovers that were developed in Latin America in the 20th Century. To appreciate this album you need to know what is happening harmonically, with no easy hooks nor relatable lyrics or easily churnable melodies. The musical language that this albums offers asks from the listener a previous exposure or musicological background. You need to understand classic tango, some jazz, but even more so how Piazzolla internalizes the experimental legacy of composers such as Bartok or Stravinsky. Piazzolla’s legacy resides in his ability to integrate Argentine musical roots within the experimental currents that inspired him. This is Argentine avant garde. If you can’t stand Bartok or Stravinsky and you don’t know much about tango you will not get the point. It will fly over your ears.
We need first to clarify a preliminary misunderstanding. “The new tango” is not a representation of tango music per se, at least not in a literal sense. Some purists would not even call this tango, as many critics didn’t even consider Camarón de la Isla’s output pure flamenco. This is not Aníbal Troilo or Gardel, but an attempt at pushing the boundaries between the tango/ Milonga traditions and challenging new classical music. It flirts with atonality, soundscapes, and sonorities. It is brusque, it is rough. Then velvety and passionate. And then chaotic and unpredictable. This is intentionally a wild ride. This is neither the parody of tango that many Anglo audiences are used to see in their TVs in “Dancing with stars” nor the tearjerker Gardel’s voice over the melancholy scratches of a vynil. Whatever you may think of this album cannot be a reflection of tango per se, because here Piazzolla is toiling within the fringes of the genre. If Robert Dimery’s intention was to include a representation of tango perhaps he should have chosen a different album (Roma 1972, Tango: Zero Hour, Rough Dancer, Gidon Kremer’s renditions, El tango from 1997, the memorable poetic collaboration with Goyeneche, etc.).
I can understand why many people may not like it or even abhor this album. However, before indulging into cultural imperialistic rants you must need to consider the following: taste is informed by geocultural power dynamics, i.e you tend only to like what you have been exposed to. If you ate hamburgers all your life you may not like swordfish. If you never had spicy food you might find it intolerable. But your opinion says more about you, about your lack of knowledge and exposure, than of the possible quality of albums such as this. Within the framework of self-serving Anglo-dominated trends (just check any list of best albums promoted in the US and UK), “The new tango” can not either be understood nor appreciated. Same could be said of new flamenco, new middle eastern trends, new sitar, and new gamelan traditions. They speak a language you might not understand. You are not just its audience.
It should be noted the imbalance of this context: those who understand new tango will know about American and English popular music, even if it is at a superficial level, whereas the opposite is not true. The imbalance of power is translated into an imbalance of exposure cultural traditions that might feel other to you. Ask any Argentine about The Rolling Stones, and then ask an American about Soda Estéreo. Those who know Sinatra might not know about Yupanqui. This dynamic of othering signals a blind spot of knowledge, and that blind spot signals at cultural imperialistic dynamics. When you rant about what you don’t know you perpetuate the imbalance. You naturalize your ignorance and the mistreatment of cultures different to yours.
The visceral response of many reviewers here exemplifies this reality. It is, to some extent, understandable. However, it should never serve as an excuse to validate a condescending, disparaging views regarding musical traditions out of your comfort zone. Unless you do the homework, you cannot judge what you cannot even understand.
Beware of your colonial biases, my friends.
Jeff Buckley once described himself as "the warped lovechild of Nina Simone and all four members of Led Zeppelin." This self-description is apt, especially if we add Chet Baker to the mix.
"Grace" is a remarkable journey in terms of musical genres, and vocal registers. When considering this album nowadays, it is a delightful surprise to see how well it has aged, in my opinion. As a big fan of Simone and Led Zeppelin "Grace" clearly hits the mark.
Although some tracks are, by no means, perfect, the overall impression is satisfying. Beyond Buckley's famous rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Halleluiah", there are many notable songs. My personal favorite is "Lilac Wine", where Buckley completes the empty spaces of Nina Simone's harmonic version while also emphasizing the emotional power of his intimate and flexible range.
A masterpiece! It ranks, in my opinion, among the best albums ever made.
A solid album of sophisti-pop that is at times reminiscent of Peter Gabriel (especially in the vocals), with hints of Talking Heads (minus the quirkiness) or even Tears for Fears. There is an openness in some of their songs that invite rewriting and an updating, but the precious bones are there. “Easter Parade” exemplifies this by coming back to crunchy, clustered 4ths and 5ths, almost as if there was a lack of center. Time stops in contemplation: the music succeeds at conveying it. If you play this song in the piano you will see even its jazz potential.
This being said, it does not feel like a perfect album, but more like those unfinished madonnas of Michelangelo. Some musical strategies are effective, but somewhat trite (like phrasing verses in minor scales, and then jumping into repetitive major progressions). And yet, although the album falls into some predictability, it has retained some freshness. This is not a mere pop album of the 80s. At times it feels like it’s attempting to create soundscapes instead of traditional songs. It’s quirky, with plenty of open spaces, unclear harmonies, unresolved chord progressions, and it’s sustained with consistent lyricism. 8.5/10
The Swedish band The Hives provided one of the most interesting garage punk revivals in the early aughts. And yet, I am not sure if the inclusion of this album in this list is warranted. Let me explain,
- I am one of those who will relunctantly would include compilations in a list of best albums in history. Instead of an anthology of hits I would have rather included their actual best album to this day, in my opinion, “Veni, vidi, vicious”.
- I also feel that The hives is one of those bands that shine more on live concerts than in their records. As polished as these albums are, they lack the impact that makes their concerts powerful. It’s not that they are not great, they are just better live, in their usual suits, with the complicit energy they create when in front of an audience. All that is missing in the neutral listening, and falls to me short of greatness.
Now let’s dive into the album itself. This is a good representation of their output. With a length shy of half an hour, this album showcases their appeal, with fast tempi, energetic (veering on caffeinated) riffs, and raw vocals. It is punk in its most cathartic and liberating sense. However, when dealing with revival acts such as these I keep wondering if I’d be better off going back to their original references. Even among contemporaries I’d rather stay with a The strokes, for instance.
In sum, this is a good garage revival album from a very talented band. It is just that that I am not sure if they belong to a list of the album in music history.
Long life the Queen! This brilliant example of Neo soul has aged like fine wine. It is as solid now as it was groundbreaking back then. I'll keep exploring Badu's discography.
Her legacy should not be understated. It seems that her legacy has been taken for granted. 9/10
As some peers mentioned, the first track (Intro) is really promising. After that, the ride felt flat and bored. I gave it a second try and fell asleep. Literally! This album is not bad and it’s not annoying, but it feels bland to me. I appreciate sparse music, but this is not evocative enough. With these uninspired lyrics and raspy voices, the xx output does very little for me. I’d give it a 5/10 if it was possible. Since it’s not, it will be a 2/5.
This is undoubtedly a solid concept album, with a clear narrative journey and remarkable social impact, as it propelled the visibility of non-binary identities and a compassionate look at humanity in the very last years of their existence. Ziggy's character is still a wonderful and moving invention today.
However, the album is not perfect, at least not in purely musical terms. Along with immediately anthemic songs ("Starman", "Ziggy Stardust") there are some uneven tracks ("Star" comes to mind as the weakest of them all). Even memorable songs like "Moonage Daydream" are inconsistent and fall into harmonic clichés in some instrumental fillers.
And yet, the overall impression is still great.
This is an album that requires time, careful listening, and attention to lyrics. I was particularly taken aback by the incredible ingenuity and Bowie's lyrical craft, as when the narrator involves the audience in "Five Years", or in the powerful poetry of "Soul Love" (where we move from mourning to morning, from loss to love; with a slogan speaking between mother and deceased son at a cemetery). Also, although it is not seemingly an overwhelming fan favorite, I fell immediately in love with "Starman", a song that reminds us of the power of children´s imagination and impulses to embrace again a carefree spirit.
"The Rise and Fall" is also successful from a musical standpoint when Bowie produces dizzying modulations, and shortens time signatures, when he embodies a remarkable marriage between Led Zeppelin (in "It ain´t easy") and The Velvet Underground.
All this considered, this is a memorable album. 8.5/10.
This album came from nowhere to me. I knew nothing about John Martyn.
This album feels like a mixed bag. On one hand you got interesting funky and Sting-like tracks such as “Dealer”, “Smiling stranger”, and “Dancing” and soothing ambiental songs like “Small hours”. The rest of the album feels expendable and even trite at times.
It doesn’t help the fact that Martyn’s sandy and whispering voice is not particularly enticing. Quite the opposite, like someone regretting having to sing. I could imagine the best tracks shining with a brighter and soulful voice.
In sum, I don’t think it’s as bad as some people mention here and not as risky as other believe. It’s ok but ultimately dated.
I must admit it: I got excited when I saw the cover of the album Golden Hour. Would this be perhaps an entry into alt-flamenco? That expectation was banished when I saw that this was country pop. Then, I passed from expectations to reservations. And yet, despite being a mixed bag, Golden Hour has some interesting ideas here and there that have reconciled me with the genre.
In this album, you will immediately detect the type of new country you associate with Taylor Swift (especially her early stuff). Themes, tone, and imagery are relatively similar. However, there is a genuine virtue in this album. Musgraves does a brilliant work bringing disparate influences (Lana del Ray's angst and oblique metaphors, Bee Gees' vocal harmonies and disco vibes, Daft Punk neo-disco beats, vocoders, Lennon's piano-based earnestness, even hints of chacha) into selective elements that define the raw structures of country music. This is one of the virtues of the artist. In Golden Hour, Kacey Musgrave selects key elements of country music tradition (melodic arcs, banjo backgrounds, and customary key progressions), so they can easily merge into any other genre at ease. The musical choices are insightful and show us a musician with a keen palate and remarkable intelligence. To the appeal of the album, it can be added the overall talent you can sense in the production.
Unfortunately, these brilliant choices are marred in my opinion by trite explorations of love, lines that veer over platitudes that sound too clichéd. It does not help the fact that the overarching journey of the album and the one that individual tracks propose are constantly uneven. I found myself continuously passing from admiration to rolling my eyes.
Golden Hour is not a perfect album and includes very few really solid songs. Certainly, some tracks hit the mark beautifully like the poignant "Mother", or the country-tainted piano-based "Rainbow" that sounds like Lennon's "Imagine" now reimagined. There is the creative fun in "High Horse". But then there is the mixed bag of "Slow Burn", "Happy and Sad" (notice the Bee Gees's harmonies in the chorus), and "Love is a Wild Thing" (with delayed harmonic resolutions that are quite nice). And then there is almost the rest. Cowboys who are regrettably not in space, lines like "Texas is hot and I am cold", Silverados, and a long list of trite country clichés that are paired with melodies and progressions that are just fine, but fall flat to me.
In sum, Golden Hour is an inspiring and interesting album. I liked it more than I initially thought. However, is far from being an indispensable album.
7/10
"Is This It" by The Strokes is a solid album. Critics will correctly point out that it brought back guitar-based alt-rock to the early aughts scene. And it is easy to see why. There are visible traces of The Velvet Underground (Lou Reed) and even hints of The Stooges. You can also see how they influenced later acts by bands such as The Killers.
However, besides its position as a fundamental piece of a rock puzzle, "Is This It" is just as fresh and enjoyable as it was then. The quality of 95% of the songs in the album is great. To me, this album is still a gem! 9/10
This album was better than initially expected. Leaving aside all logical reservations about Morrissey himself, and his racist views (which is a lot to ask, I know) and if we stop comparing his solo career with that of The Smiths, “Vauxhall and I” is a very enjoyable album.
Build around literary (Melville, Dickens) and a bunch of steady veiled queer references, this album builds a coherent journey. If Luis Cernuda had been a rock star this would have possibly his album.
Although not all songs are great (the projects starts fizzling out by the second half of the record (with a serious of slow-paced ballads that do not hit the mark fully), the start and the conclusion are solid and coherent with the overall theme surrounding his fictionalized queer experience: filled with solidarity, friendships, rejection, desire (symbolized by the sun that covers the sunbathers), and the consolidation of identity.
It’s noticeable the reverse influence of Brit pop at times (Oasis) but also The Cure, but absorbed by the singer in a totally personal way. Morrissey’s clever lyricism is still top notch. And while the pace is questionable, as the second half drags, the album closes on a high note with the tense drums of “Speedway”.
My overall consideration 8/10
This was a very interesting album. LP1 is a brazen debut that exudes confidence and talent. Although it’s not thematically groundbreaking, it conveys a clear atmospheric vision that brilliantly moves from unsettling disquiet to sexual desire. FKA infuses evocative electronica with R&B vocals. It’s sets a mood and stays coherently there.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to LP1 but I find hard to place its worth in music history yet or more precisely I found myself wondering if the editor has rushed when including it among the best albums in history. It’s good and intriguing, but how does it rank among the greatest albums of all time? Tough question.
This release still feels tentative to me, exploratory for good and perhaps not so good. As promising as it is, also feels like a first chapter into a journey that requires polishing and, for us, perspective.
Despite that reservation, I’m certainly looking forward to listening to the rest of FKA twigs’ output. For the time being, I’d give LP1 a 7/10.
