This album is driving alone at night music. Kind of perfect technically and if you can accept how the band kind of squats down in front of you and looks you square in the eyes so that you have to contemplate your life choices while you listen, it’s nice.
“We used to wait” is more profound than I was ready for driving home from Walmart.
Holy shit, the first song stresses me out. Just because you CAN play fast electric guitar doesn’t mean you should for endless minutes. Leo song is much more palatable pace.
Full disclosure: I was so confused when this album started playing because I was fully expecting Jerry Lewis, the comedian whose albums were listened to at my dad’s parents’ house on the first record player I ever listened to (fond memories). But for commentary more related to this album, the COKE that this man must have been inhaling!! Such iconic songs that have nostalgic value but all I can see is Grease/Dirty Dancing extras jumping around at the end of the summer dance.
The Roots do The Roots well. Some of their songs become almost like background music because 1. they sound like brunch DJ battle or 2. the verbal pace and energy barrels relentlessly, but they’re pretty damn talented at what they do and when they throw in a slower song, they get me. Musiq Soulchild (chef’s kiss). Not the same song, but I’d never heard the lyrics “From your cheekbones… to your deep moans,” and that pairing deserves some applause.
I’m interested in the history of this band just based on the short description on Spotify. There She Goes Again feels like you’ve been time traveling google mapped into 60s London. The Black Angel’s Death Song sounds like you. Like a song you’d play a lot. Fucking love the bass at the beginning of European Son. There’s a lot going on in this track, I’m going to say too much for me at times, but it blends into this head clearing cacophony eventually because you cannot do or think anything if this is playing at any audible volume. 😄
In A Silent Way (the track) to me sounds like my ideal day. With you. Slow and calm when we wake up and fall asleep. The beginning and end feel intimate and cozy, and I can close my eyes and see/feel you. Interesting, unexpected, fun evolutions throughout the song. Love this one.
You nailed it with the 80s synth. Some songs are almost a parody of themselves. You said saved by the bell, I’m hearing Seinfeld. 😄 Through the Wire has some kickass cowbell though.
Hardest working man in show biz. He’s an icon as is The Apollo, buuuuut he sounds better in the studio.
This is the least remarkable music. It’s just 90s chill garage band. Most of the songs are the same with different words, but the words don’t keep my attention so it’s just the same fine for too many tracks. When I looked at the lyrics to try and give them the benefit of the doubt, it just seems like they’re trying to be deep and it isn’t connecting.
WHAT’S LOVE be glad you aren’t in the car with me because some songs must be belted
I Can’t Stand the Rain— oh fuck this is a jam
I understand that covering a song is a show of respect, but just let Al Green do it.
Better Be Good to Me was in the movie IF, and you should see that movie if only for the scene with that song.
Oh my gawwwwd, the radio dial/record scratch for one hundred years at the beginning of most/all of these songs is grating on my nerves. Respect to the culture, but I did not like this album.
Hear me out— the beginning of United (hilariously) sounds like the beginning of The Stroke. I’m sure you can imagine how excited I was when this album was revealed. I am a huge heavy metal fan, you know. But I didn’t hate it. This feels more classic rock than metal. For the most part, take the performative raspy rock voice out and I liked the music for what it is. The Rage was a standout for me. I liked the evolution throughout the song.
How do people listen to song with lyrics that are so fucked up. I’m pretty sure this is what satanic cults play while preparing their sacrifices. Drummer gets props on The Prisoner. I have not researched this, but I’m going out on a limb and saying these dudes are not in any way Native American, so the Run to the Hills song makes me roll my eyes hard. I hope I did not invoke the devil in listening to this album. I had to cleanse my palette with Miley and Pharrell’s Doctor.
General dislike
For real for real, the first track sounds like some weird shit on a kid’s album. Ooooh okay Tom Tom, you got me with the Mariah jam. This is fun music, but I wouldn’t listen to it on a regular basis.
This whole album feels like I’m a little tipsy at a blues club…
Let Me Love You is a groove.
Ohhhh okay, I know his voice.
“He don’t plant taters.” :)
I Ain’t Superstitious is fun.
I could listen to this all day.
This album has such a retro feel to it. College dorm rooms, grungy little record stores, etc. It sounds like a precise tick on the timeline.
I have maybe an unfair aversion to U2, but don’t preload music onto my phone. But I’m clearing my head for unbiased review.
There’s a bigness to their sound, like cinematic, and I don’t hate it. Still Haven’t Found desperately needs a bridge. I want one.
With Or Without You— YES, David.
Trip Through Your Wires is a new to me jam.
One Tree Hill— babe. They played this song in the final scene of One Tree Hill. It was so perfect. I have to believe that wrapping a teen soap was Bono’s dream when recording this track.
This group doesn’t sound like the 90s, and that’s distracting me. Also I didn’t recognize the name of the band, but I low key know a lot of these songs. They’re like Weezer’s hyperactive cousin.
Psh— I am much more familiar with DAMN. than this album, but this was approximately 700x better than some of the other assigned albums.
King Kunta is suuuuuch a jam. Alright is another perfect song. Why is “i” so fucking good?? I had never heard the whole track, and it’s incredible.
I think Whit called this one when he asked that I turn off the “nightmare music” on the way down to Russellville. I disliked it so much that I stopped after a few tracks.
Pushing through the urge to picture Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake all through this album. Israel sound so much like Elton John to me. When Do I would be a hilarious karaoke song, at least in the car. Lion in Winter is a jam. Overall, fine. If I’m listening to Bee Gees, it better be To Love Somebody.
This was okay. I have to be in the right environment for jazz, and car driving with background noise of kid show dialogue bleeding out of iPads was not it.
Elliott Smith was a bit too sad boi for my taste when this album came out. I’d heard a few of his songs and thought meh. So Figure 8 began with exactly what I expected, a little nasally but fine. It picked up some as it went on. The music is better than his voice though.
Great driving music. The boys started ad libbing lyrics about Bernie on Take Me to the River, and I must say they are getting pretty funny.
To be so for real, The Concept sounds like the music on a Saved By the Bell dance. To the extent that I’m pretty sure it was featured on Saved by the Bell. Perfectly fine tunes.
Eh. Reggae is fine. This particular reggae wasn’t jiving with me.
This is what they call yacht rock, right? Give me that saxophone. Dirty Work is an ear worm. I think this is solid guilty pleasure music.
Big meh for me
I like Beck a lot. I haven’t heard all of his albums, but surely this is one of the best.
This band is interesting. They’ve got a 60s sound, the early 2000s OC feel, but also random steel guitar and harmonica? The old school country undercurrent is throwing me. I don’t love it, but I like it.
“This week has been a bad massage, I need a happy ending.”
“Head of the class and she just won a swallowship”
I mean, it’s a shame that Kanye is a straight up Nazi.
Not for every day every mood, obviously. But perfect for what it is.
I “listened” to this over the snow break while doing other tasks, and it wasn’t remarkable. I’m really glad I listened to it again because I liked it a lot the second time. Maybe not the most unique sound for this era, but no complaints.
Awww yeah I like this. Never heard of Songhoy Blues, but this album’s a jam.
So weird but great zone out music. “Touch me before you go down, kill me but don’t kill me baby, naked lunch was fun.” 👀
Love the big band music. This era just feels like the absence of stress.
Okay, I love this. Why have I not ever listened to them?
Most of this album is fine.
Tenth Avenue— okay here’s Bruce
Also like She’s the One and Jungleland.
Side note: i appreciate the piano. So much good music doesn’t have it and you don’t really notice until you hear something with it.
Perfect 👌🏻
First of all, lol a bunch at “Ha ha I’m Drowning” (the title). This music is almost a parody of the 80s. I don’t know if I hate it or like it. Boy, these guys love the brass instruments. Treason is a jam.
I had never heard of this group and was like whaaaa when I saw how many followers they have on Spotify. At first, this album was too Wedding Singer for me, like background music at a costume party. But there are some bangers. I really liked Giant in particular. The last song makes me think of that scene in The Breakup when Jennifer Aniston’s gay brother is like “come come on the kick drum.”
Um excuse me why have I not been playing The Youngbloods on repeat my whole life. I love this so much, even more so because the sound is the opposite of what I was expecting.
First of all… I just had the weirdest experience. I looked at the year the album was produced and thought damn, I didn’t know Nas was recording that long ago! He was popular when I was in high school. Wild. And then I realized that 94 was only like 6 years before I was in 9th grade. 😬 Anyway, Nas is crazy talented and this album grows on you as it progresses.
I had heard a few songs here and there by The Kinks, but this album is going into my Saturday morning cleaning rotation.
So… I appreciate anything from the 80s that doesn’t sound like the set of The Wedding Singer, but this is what I imagine the voice accompaniment to that elevator music they used to pump through Dillard’s might sound like.
What do you even say. Can I go Kanye and say this is (at least one of) the greatest rock album of all time?
Don’t like this. It’s dumb.
