At first, I liked it. The musicality was interesting and the 60s English folk influences were enjoyable. But then it’s just essentially a continuous flow of the same thing over and over again for an hour. The rock opera concept itself is imo just an exercise in masturbation. Standout songs to me were The Acid Queen and Welcome. Both of those I listened to twice but on the whole I doubt this is an album I’d ever revisit.

This sounds like what some dude would blast at full volume in his Impala after he just gay bashed a kid outside a bar in the mid 90s.

At first, I liked it. The musicality was interesting and the 60s English folk influences were enjoyable. But then it’s just essentially a continuous flow of the same thing over and over again for an hour. The rock opera concept itself is imo just an exercise in masturbation. Standout songs to me were The Acid Queen and Welcome. Both of those I listened to twice but on the whole I doubt this is an album I’d ever revisit.

Frenetic and unique production. Not something I’d sink into often but there’s some interesting textures going on. The songs that give me a more south Asian inspired vibe I like a lot (Jimmy). Lyrical content is on the whole pretty stupid and I would say is one of the weaker parts of the album - Missy or Nicki she is not.

Why is Nick Cave so great? Why is any artist who cut their teeth in the zero hour immediately after punk so great?

No.

Some of it’s cool but there’s just this air of tongue in cheek, pretentious heavy handedness that I find kind of boring.

Some of it’s fun and enjoyable, but a lot of it really drives home why this band is a one hit wonder (at least in the US).

No frills, no pretension, no overwrought production, no “clever” lyrical quips, no tryhard striving to create something “profound” - B.B. King didn’t need any of that. Grade A badassery, one of the pinnacles of a music genre that’s in the genome of essentially every style of modern music in the United States and beyond. Guy showed more genuine emotion in 34 minutes than some artists do in their entire career. And the fact that this was recorded in Chicago, a city whose Blues cred is second only to the Mississippi delta, only makes me love it more.

Really enjoyable low key folk, never really gave him a listen and I may explore a bit more.

This sounds like what some dude would blast at full volume in his Impala after he just gay bashed a kid outside a bar in the mid 90s.

Everything sounds vaguely familiar here. I can’t tell if he’s a “musicians’ musician” that has incredible influence etc or if it’s just the late 90s. It’s not at all bad, it’s not amazing, it just *is*. I don’t think I’d add any songs to my regular rotation but I somewhat enjoy most of it.

Overall really enjoyed this. I think I like it more than Born in the USA (a previous listen on this list). It’s possible that exposure is giving me a deeper appreciation for the artist. Worlds apart is a song I really liked.

I’ll say that I didn’t completely hate it, but like the rest of Queen’s output, it really does not do anything for me. I just don’t like that 70s excess prog-ish sound. It’s so self-aggrandizing and artificially constructed. So while it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve listened to on this list, it didn’t change my opinion of Queen at all. Not a fan.

Catchy if not inventive 00s indie.

So a lot of these songs were like “oh, this is dire straits? Yea I know this song” and then they went on wayyyyyy too long. Every single song on this album needs to be cut by 2-6 minutes. Shoutout to “Brothers in Arms” being a pivotal moment in the West Wing. But that’s about the only shoutout I can give it. This is way too adult contemporary for me and way too cheesy and schmaltzy.

Fun and poppy. It’s very 90s but they did some interesting things on the album and I think they married straight electronica with classic pop pretty effectively. Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Stoned to Say the Least, and Like the Swallow are standouts for me. But an honorable mention to Wilson for being batshit.

Merry Christmas and stuff!

Merry Christmas and stuff!

In 2000, I was 12. This was so fucking cool to listen to and to have someone really speak to all that 12 year old suburban rage. But now I’m 36, and by god are the lyrics childish and terrible, the music boring, and everything about it a joke. Fred Durst is and has always been a malignant twat and this is such a boring way to be “edgy.”

Everything about this is top tier for me.

I feel like people can’t actually take this stuff seriously, I don’t know.

Shelter from the Storm is a great song but overall this isn’t my favorite Bob record. I generally enjoy the earlier stuff. 3.8 stars, almost a four.