Nov 09 2024
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A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
I've never listened to this entire album before, though I've heard a couple songs from it, but I have also rarely listened to Coldplay on purpose, so here we go.
On the plus side, it's clear this band can can construct a song, can layer parts, and sustain a build.
On the down side this album feels like it's trying to say a lot and emote a lot, but it ultimately feels hollow, repetitive, and cheesey to me. I get the impression they were going for some kind of Radiohead vibe with the emotional manipulation knob pinned at 11, but they push the feels too far and rarely let up, so they are unable to have much emotional range within most songs, leaving them feeling obnoxious yet flat. "The Scientist" and "Clocks" are particularly egregious examples. "Green Eyes" feels like a bit of a respite from the overwrought, overproduced feel of the rest of the album, but it just feels bland and generic. "Daylight" was interesting for a second, until I noticed they were just ripping off "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles. Maybe I'll listen to that as a palate cleanser.
This was the first album I got to review on this site. Ouch.
1
Nov 10 2024
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Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
This album was new to me, and an absolute delight compared to the last one, some Coldplay slog. She's a great singer, I enjoy the instrumentation, and the songs are pleasant in a moody loungy sort of way. None of that really speaks to me, so I can't really see myself seeking out more Norah, but it was certainly inoffensive.
2
Nov 11 2024
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Pink Moon
Nick Drake
This is really a great album, and it's clear how massive it's influence is. I'd like to give it 5 stars, but this just isn't the type of thing I come back to much, despite it's mastery. I think I will catch up on the test of Nick Drake's work, though.
4
Nov 12 2024
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xx
The xx
I enjoyed this album. Vocals are pretty cutesy, and some songs get a bit dark and meandering for my taste, but it's a really good sound overall. I think it's most effective when they aren't leaning to hard into the cutesy or the moody and find a really nice poppy middle.
3
Nov 13 2024
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Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
I already love the first seven Zeppelin albums, and at least a couple are real masterpieces to me. II has shifted up and down over time for me, and where I stand now it's just not quite in the top tier. Don't get me wrong, it's got some great songs, and there are moments in "The Lemon Song" and "Bring it on Home" that still give me goosebumps every time, but as a complete album there's enough missing from some songs to bump it just a bit in my view.
4
Nov 14 2024
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
There are two or three good songs on here, and a couple more listenable ones, but I still feel like the Smiths are the budget Cure, and Morrissey's whiny snark really doesn't help. The band is good though, which saves it from one star territory. Morrissey has a distinct voice that works on occasion, but mostly just grates. He thinks he's very clever, but really just needs to lighten up.
2
Nov 15 2024
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Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
This album was great frenetic fun, and I really enjoyed it. It's all over the place and manages not too really do anything wrong, reminding me of genre benders like Ween or Electric 6. I had so much fun I almost gave it 5 stars, but while I liked most of the songs and didn't hate any, I wasn't in love with any either. Still, lots of fun, and I'm sure I'll come back to it.
4
Nov 16 2024
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Debut
Björk
I really like Björk, and I think that this is a very innovative, fun, carried album with a lot going for it. It also feels very much of its time and perhaps a bit dated. This is not my favorite Björk album, and maybe this gets 5 stars from me 20 years ago, but it is still quite strong.
4
Nov 17 2024
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Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
There were a couple songs I liked alright but this album didn't do much for me.
2
Nov 18 2024
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A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
I kinda casually listened to this and didn't think much of it, but then gave it closer listen and was pretty impressed. I don't love any of the songs, but it all works really well together and they're doing a lot of interesting things sonically and compositionally. I get the feeling this could really grow on me over time and would be more of a 4 star after a few listens.
3
Nov 19 2024
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Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
I remember walking to The Warehouse after school the day the album came out to buy it, and I remember recording an interview with a couple members before that so I could listen to some songs before the album dropped. 14 year old me loved RHCP more than any other band.
When it dropped I loved this album, and continued to loved for many years. As time went on, though, I became increasingly dissatisfied with RHCP, their sound, direction, energy, etc. I longed for rawer heavier feel of Uplift Mofo, Mother's Milk, and BSSM. One Hot Minute and Californication had moments I truly loved, but overall they felt weak and limp by comparison. I found some of their later stuff hardly listenable. I began to blame BSSM in my mind as the tuning point, the moment when they found their full artistic voice, pointing the way to the pandering softness to come, reaching to recreate the magic of Under the Bridge and Give it Away forever more. They'd sold out as far as I was concerned. None of that was fair or real, but that's what was in my head all the way up to this listen.
I probably haven't listened closely to this album in at least a decade, maybe longer. It's brilliant. I'm right back to where I was in the beginning with it. There are maybe a couple throw away songs for me, but it's a fantastic album with a nearly perfect flow and cadence Even the weakest songs, The Power of Equality and Naked in the Rain serve their purpose. I love the feel, the production, the musicianship, the variety, the creativity, and the guts. This might be one of my very favorite albums of the 90s.
I came into this album distant and jaded, expecting I might give this 3 stars. I listened with open ears and heart, and it has to be 5.
5
Nov 20 2024
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Gold
Ryan Adams
I think most of the songs I liked on here evoked other artists for me. There's some good stuff here, but most of it feels a bit monotonous just doesn't do much for me. This is a case of solid musicianship paired with forgettable vacuous songs.
2
Nov 21 2024
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Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
This has never been my favorite Hendrix album, but it's a strong showing with at least a few of his best songs in "Spanish Castle Magic," "Little Wing," and "Castles Made of Sand." I always liked the sketch-like intro of "Exp" setting the tone even if it's not really a song and is entirely skipable, with its bookend of "Bold as Love" driving a gradual build to an almost epic finish. And I love listening for all the big and little engineering tricks being pioneered throughout.
There are weaknesses, though. In particular I find "Up From the Skies"to be a wishy washy opening tune, though it might feel more at home in a different sequence. "If 6 was 9" seems a bit disjointed in the flow as well, or maybe the song just feels flat to me.
The rest of the album is fairly solid, most of them with moments that do get their hooks in me, but not as consistently exceptional as the tracks on Are You Experienced.
4
Nov 22 2024
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New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
This album has a couple ok songs, including "Promised You a Miracle," their greatest attempt at a Cure-esc new wavey Brit-poppy hit. Otherwise it's mostly forgettable despite their admonishment.
2
Nov 23 2024
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
This album was never my favorite Clapton nor my favorite Allman, but I always kinda liked it. I've grown less tolerant of Clapton's wankery over the years, so my rating has fallen a bit. Still, if you're in the mood for some post invasion Brit blues spiced up with some Duane Allman, there's some good stuff here. "Anyday" and "Key to the Highway" were standouts on this last listen. I really just can't stand "Layla" anymore, speaking of extreme wankery. It took me four tries to get through that song this time.
3
Nov 24 2024
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Triangle
The Beau Brummels
Not really my thing, but this was a fun listen. Inventive and varied, it has a few songs I really liked and some I really didn't. I'm not a fan of the tremulous vocals that dominate much of the album so this knocks the overall rating down a bit.
2
Nov 25 2024
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Yeezus
Kanye West
I think I've been turned off by Kanye's crazy for so long I sometimes forget he's actually a really good producer and sometimes a good lyricist. This album has its faults and dips into a bunch of played out tropes, but it also shows seemingly effortless understated production on tracks like "Hold My Liquor," "I'm In It," and "Blood on the Leaves."
It's been a long time since I listened to much Kanye, and I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this. Most days this probably gets a 3 from me, but today it's a 4.
4
Nov 26 2024
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Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
Good stuff if you're into this brand of formative rock and roll. I had a much easier time getting past the person behind the music yesterday when it was Kanye.
2
Nov 27 2024
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The Slider
T. Rex
I like this album more every time I listen to it. This time I got stuck on it and other T Rex all day. I think this is among the best glam albums I've ever heard, up there with Ziggy Stardust, Transformer, and Kimono My House. I can't get enough.
5
Nov 28 2024
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Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
I have it a shot but this album has not aged we'll at all for me. The production is decent enough, but very dated. The songs are ok musically, the lyrics are juvenile dreck, and the vocals are atrocious. I didn't realize until today just how bad a singer Alanis is, but it's a bit jarring on a close listen.
1
Nov 29 2024
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
I love this album. As a coherent album, it's among their best. Every song is where it should be and flow seems nearly perfect. "Hats Off to Roy Harper" is the only track the album could really lose, but it's still a fun closer.
The transition from "Friends" into "Celebration Day" might be my one of my favorite transitions ever, and still gives me goose bumps every time I hear it.
I also always loved the spinning inner cover sleeve too!
5
Nov 30 2024
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
This was a great album. I liked it even more than Pink Moon. Really fun instrumentation and discordance.
4
Dec 01 2024
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Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
Songs are at best poppy bubblegum, but are at least a bit varied. Production is pretty good. She can sing, but the lyrics are almost complete trash.
1
Dec 02 2024
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
She's a very good singer, but most of her best songs were done better by her American counterparts.
2
Dec 03 2024
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
This isn't my favorite Bowie, but it's close, and has a few of his best songs in "Changes," "Oh You Pretty Things," "Life on Mars?," and "Queen Bitch." For me the rest of the songs generally don't quite hold up, though it's a really strong well crafted album. On the right day, if I'm feeling those other songs, this could be a five star album for me.
4
Dec 04 2024
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Make Yourself
Incubus
Not the worst nu metal ever; a few songs are listenable, but still pretty bad overall. Decent production I guess, but the songs are meh, and the vocals are shrill, and nothing stands out as particularly interesting.
1
Dec 05 2024
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Wild Gift
X
I've always really liked X and their brand of punkabilly. I don't especially love their songs or albums, but no one quite sounds like them. There's just something in their formula that works for me.
4
Dec 06 2024
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With The Beatles
Beatles
Early Beatles doesn't really do it for me, and at this stage their version of the invasion formula is still fairly generic, though I suppose they execute pretty well. That said, there are at least a couple good originals on this album. "It Won't Be Long" and "All My Loving" are standouts for me. Otherwise there are a number of ok to throwaway level songs and a bunch of Motown covers. Feels like a collection of singles more than an album.
2
Dec 07 2024
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Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
It's been a while, but this is a pretty good album. Don't love it, but nothing bad on here either. It was nice to give a close listen to after so long.
3
Dec 08 2024
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The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
This album was pretty meh overall. It had some ok stuff, but also some pretty bad stuff. Not much was really my speed.
2
Dec 09 2024
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Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
This is great when you're in the mood for meandering psychedelia, and no one does it better. It's not really my thing, but it's great background music at least.
3
Dec 10 2024
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Ten
Pearl Jam
I remember this album as one of the first CDs I ever sold back cause I just didn't like it. I still don't really like Pearl Jam that much; I still think of them as bottom of the barrel grunge from this era, and this album hasn't really grown on me.
2
Dec 11 2024
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Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
I like the feel of old ZZ Top. Just fun party blues rock. I'll also never tire of La Grange, and i think this album gets a star for that track alone.
3