3 • Overall 3/5 • Some great singles (Paint it Black, Under My Thumb) • The more melodic tracks are strongest; the original Blues-formula tracks are pretty weak • The misogyny is off-putting; fairly easy to ignore when Under My Thumb is heard in isolation, but the thread through the album is a serious demerit
• 5/5 - Siamese Dream is a straight up 4 that gets a 1 point bonus for being a touchstone of my 20s • Several great singles that hold up after 30 years of play, especially Cherub Rock and Today. • By the end of the album the distortion and Corgan's voice have run their course, but we're left sated, neither overstuffed nor wanting.
• 5/5 - maybe the greatest Rock album ever • Stairway isn’t even the best song on the album! • They knew it was so good it didn’t need a name . . .
• 3/5 - Not my jam • Lot's of paradigmatic soul grooves, but the extended song length and ponderous spoken elements feel self-indulgent and my attention wanders • Walk on By is a nice reminder of how versatile Burt Bacharach tunes can be. Who's been covered more than him - maybe Dylan? K - tracks are too long for my limited attention span. Had a hard time getting other versions of the songs out of my head.
• 4/5 - 2.5 for the music, 1.5 for its place in history and influence on the genre • Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally are deservedly loved. The innovations of tempo, arrangement, and vocals are apparent and created a new template for rock and roll to follow. • Unfortunately, the rest of the songs on the album follow that template as well. It's monotonous and detracts from the key singles.
• 2/5 - not my jam • Opening track was fun, upbeat hillbilly rock (with questionable lyrics); but the rest of the album was just variations on the formula
• 3/5 • aside from being morose and sleepy, I couldn’t say this album was any real innovation or break from The Chairman’s prior or subsequent work • it’s a testament to Old Blue Eyes’ voice and artistry that a downbeat album consisting solely of covers could be considered for this list (and still earn 3 stars from me) • if it were one of his Xmas albums I’d give it 5 stars!
• 2/5 • The album represents a garage-y turn for NY, so points for creative range, but that doesn’t make it especially good • NY’s best tunes are master judo moves that turn his god-awful voice to his advantage. This is a judo-free album. • Love the fuzzy 90s guitar work, though. The album is epitomized by Over and Over Again, where I started to groove on the guitar opener only to have the mood ruined when the vocals came in. • This album might best be listened to in Karaoke mode
• 4/5 • Grime is probably my favorite flavor of rap/hip hop and Skepta is among the best • Favorite tracks: Konichiwa, Shutdown, and That's Not Me
• 4/5 • Girl From Ipanema is magic; the rest of the tracks could be death metal and I’d still give it a 3 • The bossa nova is cool and jazzy; a bit repetitive, but at 34 minutes it doesn’t overstay the welcome