tempting to call this the best led zep album because of since ive been loving you and friends. both are the band at their best but something like immigrant song is them at their worst - riff, screaming, section a into section b, the nerdiest lamest lyrics from guys trying to look oh so cool. an important step in their discography as they showed they weren't afraid to go acoustic/soft - imo this is where their strength really lies, on IV going to california is miles better than rock and roll.

manages to sound very of its time while also having an obvious link to british indie music made today - this influenced britpop (modern life is rubbish, whats the story morning glory, pulp) which influenced everything today. in a period when everyone was either trying to sound american or take on more exotic influences from places like india, its quite a brave move to make a distinctly english album. unfortunately some of the songs just dont quite cut the mustard. there are some standouts like all of my friends were there, wicked anabella, and the title track, but stuff like johnny thunder are fairly forgettable on first listen. ultimately this will probably be one i return to at some point, and encapsulates what a lot of people love about the kinks.

its david bowie. first half legendary, second not as good

A good album but loses a full half star for the closer salt of the earth - a patronising tune about 'hard working people' written and performed by a bunch of tax dodgers.

considering this was an album that was a new project made by someone who had created multiple albums previously, this feels amazingly like a debut album from a band. It never hits the heights of demon days or PB, but every song is at least good, and the whole thing has a singular vibe that carries on throughout the album. some corny moments, like dels rap on rock the house, but generally tight with no obvious skips or moments to lose. gets a four because there aren't any half stars on this and its not a 5

tito puente was on the simpsons

listening to this gave me an appreciation for the back half of this album that i didnt have before. 'waking the witch', 'watching you without me' - bangers. I obvs already knew about the first half which is pretty flawless, but glad to have a new appreciation for the rest of it. Cloudbusting is one of the best songs of all time.

at first i was like 'pub rock', but then by the end i was like 'pub rock!'

fuck yeah

best early beatles album (pre-rubber soul) just good all the way through. grown up yet poppy enough to be loved by all ages. some production techniques like the cowbell in you cant do that, or the weird tom rolls (in tell me why?) hint at the band they would become the next year

good fun despite being a bit one-note, a product of its time. Can see the influence on the beatles/stones/hendrix etc the four bonus tracks stop the album dead, prefer to think of it as just the live tracks originally included

perfect slice of early 60s soul. had heard of solomon burke and had heard cry to me but didnt know too much about him or his work before this, so am v grateful this came up as todays album

oof. a bit too theatrical for my taste. track one was good but they lost me at the spoken word bit in intro to the middle class one. theatricality in itself is not a bad word, someone like fiona apple i find quite theatrical - but it feels authentic, like a natural extension of a theatrical personality. This unfortunately just sounds pretentious.

good, punkier and less delay/echo heavy than i would normally associate with U2. certain moments like in the refugee elevate the whole thing and make it much better than just an 80s rock album im not sure what it is about U2 that prevents me loving them like I can an REM or Smiths from the same period. but hey, maybe liking is enough

'rock band goes experimental and adds more textures to their music' is a trope that has existed since rubber soul, and its one ill always applaud. mother sucks tho drums sound very 80s, too much reverb

the doors baffle me. ive listened to multiple doors albums multiple times and still have no idea if i actually like them or hate them. On the positive the fender rhodes jams are right up my street, morrison clearly has something about him but thats also a negative, occasionally morrison just feels like one of those ridiculous slam poets just saying stuff that sounds vaguely poetic while being about as deep as a puddle.

sledgehammer is obviously a 10/10 song. some great stuff in here but very 80s. milgrams 37 sounds like weird bowie so is automatically one of my favourite on the album. my enjoyment of that track means ill probably check out gabriels weirder stuff.

the moment in the wizard of oz when dorothy steps outside and everything is colour