Shining Star is an absolute banger...helluva way to open an album. Wish there was more funk and less ballads. This is a 3.49 ⭐️, so it rounds down to 3.
72 minutes is an audacious run time for this genre. They could have chopped off 3 songs and made it 60 minutes. A lot of it sounds the same. I dig a lot of the bass. Love Song is a classic and Pictures of You was good. If the previous EWF album was a 3, this can't be a 3. Giving it a 2. Maybe setting the bar high too soon, but we got a long way to go.
I love a lot of this album. "Thinkin Bout You" is a flawless song. Vocals/lyrics/instrumentation are incredible. "Pyramids" - I could listen to this ten minute r&b/pop/dance suite(?) ten times in a row and not get tired of it. "Lost" - fun little catchy beat on this one Andre 3000 and Earl Sweatshirt both drop a verse A few too many weak points (Forrest Gump, Monks, Pilot Jones, Sierra Leone) to be five stars....but this does have great replay-ability.
Very solid album as a whole, but a bit surprised that 4 of the 9 tracks are covers. I love the takes on "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and "Summer Breeze", but prefer the original "Listen to the Music" I don't think I know the "Sunshine (Go Away Today)" original - Wikipedia says it's a country/folk song so no way the original gets down as hard as this jam That lead guitar on "Summer Breeze" is killer Really enjoyed it...gonna give it a 4.5 since almost half of it is covers.
A lot of good rock here...that 8-minute "Still In Love With You" might be my favorite. "Cowboy Song" into "The Boys Are Back in Town" was a fantastic transition. Drums at the end of "Sha La La" were a highlight for me. Fun fact if you didn't catch the introductions: "Baby Drives Me Crazy" has Huey Lewis on the harmonica. All of it sounds good....a little too good. Started skimming the Wikipedia page and it appears that A LOT of it was overdubbed in the studio. Sounds like there are conflicting reports on how much was live vs. studio-boosted, but I gotta give it 3 based off of that.
I love the 70's glam sound, but nothing totally grabbed me. I liked "Personality Crisis" and "Trash" the most. Was wondering if it influenced Bowie, but of course Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane came out before this one.
I can confidently say I've never heard this album....and maybe even never heard of Solomon Burke Not really finding a bad track here...I especially enjoy the ones with the female backing vocals. Surprise Surprise: Jerry Wexler produced this album I like this a lot. The 60's soul/r&b sound is totally in my wheelhouse, but I think I'm going to call this a 4.5 star album. I would definitely spin this again outside of this project, but nothing is telling me "I HAVE to hear it again."
Didn't care much for this. I know they are pretty big across the pond but I'd rather listen to Oasis...or Gorillaz. Tracks that stood out to me: "Clover Over Dover", "Badhead", "London Loves" Wouldn't actively seek out listening to this full album again.
5 stars off of "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" by themselves. Throw in the title track and "Cinnamon Girl" and we're in business. 7 tracks, 40 minutes in and out, no filler....classic album
The best thing that this album has going for it, besides Phil Spector, is that the songs aren't religious. Never been a huge on Christmas music, but greatly prefer these types of songs over the praise baby Jesus songs. Kind of wish it was all Darlene Love and The Ronettes...."Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is probably the best non-traditional Christmas song ever. Since it's Christmas tunes, it can't be a four....but it's definitely not a two. I liked quite a few renditions of the songs.
Never dug much into Oasis, outside of the radio songs and the song from the Snatch Soundtrack, but I really liked this one. "Live Forever" still slaps. Other favorites: "Slide Away", "Supersonic", "Cigarettes & Alcohol" I don't know if it's because it's more electric, more melodic, or just more consistent, but I prefer this to Parklife. These reviews should probably be in a vacuum, but since the 1,001 albums gods decided to bless up with both 1994 Britpop classics this week, I feel the need to draw the comparison. This album makes me want to dig into more Oasis....and watch Snatch again.
This is nothing I'd every seek out personally. "Smooth Operator" is the only song I really knew by Sade, which I could really take or leave, so was wondering if it would all be like that. I liked it a lot more than I expected I would...It ended up being a pretty decent listen for a cloudy Friday morning. Glad to hear a few upbeat tracks: "Hang On to Your Love", "When Am I Going to Make a Living", "Cherry Pie" have some fun grooves. 3.49 stars.
I'll never forgive The Big Lebowski for making me think I shouldn't like this band. I have grown to appreciate their country rock and their harmonies are solid fucking gold. "Train Leaves Here" is a perfect example of those harmonies in action. Love the banjo on "Earlybird" but were the sound effects really necessary? Too many weak points to be five stars - "Chug All Night" does nothing for me. "Witchy Woman" really doesn't fit in.
So many classics here....my favorites would be "Don't Think Twice It's Alright", "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War." I've never been critical of his singing because the lyrics and overall vibe of his music overpower them....I just don't really care for the songs where he talk-sings. Every song on the track list on Wikipedia has a blue link, so I guess they are all pretty important. I really enjoyed this listen, but wouldn't take it upon myself to spin the whole thing again a week, or even a month from now. 4.5 stars.
Quite an eclectic, entertaining mix here. I actually really liked the songs where Freddie Mercury wasn't singing: "39" and "I'm in Love With My Car", specifically. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is still a banger, and would be without Wayne's World. When it was over, I was ready to hit play again.
Pleasantly surprised with this one. Nice mix of pop/blues/rock/garage. The only time I was really bored was "My Generation" since I've heard it so much. "The Ox" was a helluva way to end the album. 4.5 stars.
Great music for spreadsheet navigation. I liked the second half more than the first....not sure if the second half is better, or if the coffee had just kicked in by then. "No Good (Start the Dance)" is such a banger. "Poison" was one of the songs I really liked but that "Yeaaaaaah!" kept making me think of Howard Dean. They really used EVERY inch of the 80-minute compact disc capacity....so much so, that it really does get monotonous after a while. I liked most of this more than the radio songs I remember: "Firestarter" and "Breathe." The length and repetitiveness though, make me not really want to spin this any time in the future. 2.5 stars, rounding up.
Call me a dolt if you must, but I just don't really get it.
How did this get on the list? No "Last Train to Clarksville"...no "I'm a Believer." Boring and bland album. It reminds me of all the worst Beatles songs. The only time it really picks up is the final track....why not throw that in somewhere in the middle?
As they're not all classic rock radio staples, I don't really know many of these. Still an entertaining listen. I like the folkiness in some/mos(?) of the songs, specifically "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp." "Since I've Been Loving You" is probably the top track....it's gonna be hard for me to rate any Led Zep less than four.
Whenever I hear Radiohead, I think to myself "Self, you should listen to more Radiohead." In Rainbows is the only album I REALLY know, and that one is incredible. These are good tunes. When it was over, I could have spun it again. I probably could have listened to it all day, but no tracks really grabbed me. Didn't really get the allegory of the US election or whatever, but maybe I could unpack that on more listens.
Love the mandolin on the opening track. Title track and "End of the Rainbow" are probably my favorite tracks. Some of the songs are a little TOO folky....like you would hear them in the Shire or some shit. 2.5 stars, rounding up.
Starting this album with "Shakey Dog" and "Kilo" is diabolical. The lyrics are incredible and the beats are outrageous. Throw in "The Champ" as the third song, and it's off and running. Unfortunately, these three set the tone for the album and it can't really keep the pace or recover. I lost interest pretty quickly. I hate hate hate the early aughts pattern of rappers throwing in unfunny skits in between songs...just give me the music. As much as I love Ghostface - probably in my top 2 or 3 of Wu-Tang, I'm a little unimpressed with this album as a whole. If the tracklist was moved around and the skits were dropped, it'd be a 4.....as it stands, 3.5 rounding down. Footnote: "Kilo" might have one of the greatest samples ever: https://youtu.be/XMOp7YXYqvc?si=9AYPQfdINDPYaO5W
Decent songs...great harmonies.
Catchy tunes...fantastic harmonies. Great folk rock.
This album felt like being on hold with the cable company for 45 minutes...I really don't want to experience either situation ever again.
'Five Years' is an incredible song to start the album and set the tone of the story/theme. 'Moonage Daydream' absolutely shreds. 'Starman', 'Ziggy Stardust' still hold up. 'Hang On To Yourself' and 'Suffragette City' are bops. Classic album.
Track one and two gave me high expectations for this album. I feel like 'Buffalo Stance' was in heavy rotation on the radio when I was a wee one. That hook bangs, for sure. The rapping on track two is actually decent for someone from Europe in the 80's. ...then the album quickly goes downhill. The rapping and subject matter are REALLY 80's. Typical late 80's/early 90's new jack swing...nothing too memorable, in my opinion. (Only listened to the 10 tracks from the original vinyl release)
Pretty killer blues/psychedelic rock. I'm never a big fan of people covering 'Summertime', but Goddamn this rendition shreds.
Call me Judas if you must, but I prefer this to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. 4.6 stars...rounding down.
This whole album is fire....'Pusherman', 'Freddie's Dead', and 'Superfly' makes it 5 stars by itself. I noticed 'Think' is used in the beat for 'Nobody's Perfect' by Missy Elliot and J. Cole. Always fun to track one of those down in the wild.
Not a fan of the vocals...not a fan of the instrumentation. The only good thing was the provocative album cover, and I could only see a 1" by 1" version of it on Spotify. Seems like anything classified as post-punk just means "Yea, the music IS shit....but they paved the way for all these other bands." Would prefer to never hear this again.
Decent enough for spreadsheet navigation - luckily I was already awake so I wasn't too bored with it. Nothing I would ever really seek out...or listen to again. And that last track was straight up bizarre.
Johnny Cash rules. This album is a great album. I like the banter in between songs. It actually gives you the feel of being there. It's strange to me that they would include both takes of "San Quentin", even making them track one and two of Side B. "Folsom Prison Blues" unfortunately cuts off....did the warden shut the concert down? I'm surprised this was the final release. Looking at the reissue and legacy edition, it seems like they had a lot more material they could include. This is pretty minor nitpicking, but something about this just won't let me give it 5.
Hell yes. This is the kind of funky groovy jazz I can vibe with. 'Watermelon Man' is such a cool song. Unfortunately another album that suffers by the track order. 'Vein Melter' is such a letdown to close out the album after the first 3 tracks. Looking at the track times, it looks like it could ONLY be track 3 or 4. Would have loved it to be the first track - damn outdated technology.
White guy blues done right. Double LP is a lofty aspiration...but I don't see enough to chop off to make it a single LP. Favorite tracks are covers: "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" and "Little Wing" "Layla" still rips after hearing it time after time after time on classic rock radio.
Super Fly it ain't. This was, dare I say, a bit boring. 'Jesus' and 'Blue Monday People' just don't do it for me. I need more funk in my life....we all need more funk in our lives.
I can't believe ■ this album came out 32 years ago ■ how vulgar/raunchy it is ■ that I was bumping this nonstop in 5th grade ■ that I still know the vast majority of the lyrics Classic rap album for sure. Being 32 years old, it still holds up. The beats don't sound outdated (G Funk is timeless) and the lyrics, although misogynistic here and there, seem like they'd fit in today's rap game. 🎶 everybody's got to hear the shit, on WBALLZ WBALLZ WBALLZ 🎶
A classic for sure. Side A is perfect. 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid', AND 'Iron Man'?!?! What else needs to be said? Black Sabbath must have blown people's minds in the 70's.
This was the peak of rap rock (nu-metal?). Sounds dated, but still kind of holds up.
I....actually...really...liked this one. Maybe because Aaron Dessner is all over this album as writer/producer. Vibes of The National all over this thing. Throw in Jack Antonoff and Justin Vernon and baby, you got a stew going. 'No Body No Crime' doesn't fit in at all....sounds like a 'Before He Cheat's knockoff and ruins the flow of the album....Otherwise, quite a pleasant surprise.
The album title AND cover gave me false hopes. Thought we were in store for something weird. Decent shoegaze/dream pop....nice enough background music for spreadsheet navigation, but nothing I'd really seek out or play again.
What a voice. I skimmed through her wikipedia while listening and got pretty bummed out. Gone too soon!
U2 is a solid "meh" from me every time I hear them. I think "meh" translates to 2.5. Rounding down because the only song I really like is 'One.' That shit still holds up.
5 stars. What really needs to be said? I always thought Sgt. Pepper's was my favorite Beatles album, but every time I spin this one, it gets better and better. Everything is great but 'Love You To' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows' would probably be the top tracks for me.
I called 'Hybrid Theory' the peak of nu-metal the other day, but this album shows me that I was mistaken. A debut album so good, I have no recollection of their follow-up album. Sophomore slump was a given. Great headphones album - so much going on - loud and aggressive, but still melodic and pleasing. When it was over, I was ready to play it again. Not always a given for me on the heavier stuff.
Surprisingly heavy and listenable. Didn't know much beyond 'Smoke on the Water' going in. 'Highway Star' is a helluva opener......made me want to hop in my car and start doing burnouts.
Some of it is giving Tom Waits meets Nine Inch Nails on holiday in Paris. The orchestral industrial idea is interesting, but that's about as far as it goes for me. Wouldn't seek out- wouldn't want to replay.
This album has 'Personal Jesus', 'Enjoy the Silence', AND 'Policy of Truth'??? Holy buckets. Love the synths, love the drums....a few of the slower songs seem to be building but never hit a big payoff.....maybe I'm just spoiled because I listened to some LCD Soundsystem the other day. Solid 4.5...would definitely throw this in the rotation.
Is it blasphemy to say a Duke Ellington release is middle of the road? Nothing special to me....but at least it's melodic and has a little pep. 2.5, rounding up.
113 minutes....I listened to this straight through. May have benefited from a set break, but who knows? It all just really feels unnecessary. The orchestra is doing their thing, but I don't see it adding a whole lot of value. People ARE singing along on the call and response thing, so I'm guessing this wasn't a totally hoity toity affair. But how many Metallica heads HAD to have this?
'Heroin', 'Waiting for the Man', 'Sunday Morning', 'There She Goes Again' - absolute jams. Never have and really don't understand the appeal of Nico though, 😕 5 stars if Nico isn't there......but then it wouldn't be "The Velvet Underground & Nico." Quite the conundrum - luckily she only leads 3 songs. This is for sure a classic, though.
2.5....rounding down because it seemed more depressing than Disintegration
A bit more pep than Ellington at Newport....if these are comparable, I'm not even sure. Just not really my style of music. Helluva an album cover though!
I really liked this. The sparse arrangements really give his voice that much more impact. A lot of the lyrics seem a bit cryptic - I'd like to spin it again and listen more intently.....but didn't have the desire to replay immediately. 4.5 stars.
This shit is so goddamn 80's. Transports me into the drive-in restaurant scene of Footloose immediately. It all sounds the same....doesn't feel like any emotion - just going through a formulaic process. Wouldn't seek out, wouldn't listen again. Also what the hell is a Scritti Politti?
Let's be honest: the rapping isn't great. Not really flowing - more talking (yelling?). But the beats are 🔥🔥🔥 and this is hella influential.
What is there to say about Muddy Waters that hasn't been said already? The version of 'Mannish Boy' rocks and the rest of the album follows suit. Great listen.
"When you're in a band you don't get with your bandmate's girlfriend - past or present....you get a love triangle ya know? Fleetwood Mac situation....Well there was four of them, so more of a love square....mind you, they did make some of their best music back then." "Rumours" "No, that's all true." I'm not sure I've ever actually listened to this full album. Full of bangers....always impressive when every song on a Wikipedia track listing has its own article. No skips...five stars...was ready to spin it again as soon as it ended.
The first rock opera? The story is kind of out there but the songs tell the story well.....and the songs are good. I enjoyed this one and would gladly spin it again.
Another example of an album cover giving very different expectations than the music. Decent music, not bad for an early morning coffee....groovy enough but almost too "smooth jazzy" for me. The bass player is a beast though. Gimme more of him!
Seems like a middling Boss album that is only lauded because of 9/11? Tracks 3 and 4: 'Waiting on a Sunny Day' and 'Nothing Man' gave me some hope that there might be some classic throwback sound here....but the rest is just meh. 2.5 stars - rounding down because I don't think it had to be 72 minutes.
Country version of Leonard Cohen? This is boring as shit. Can't believe it came out in 2009. Sounds 20 or 30 years older.
Great listen. Helluva one-two punch with the first two tracks. Classic album, but I felt like I didn't need to play it again any time in the near future. 4.5, rounding down.
post-punk? early new wave? post-glam? not sure what it is but i like a lot of it
The music is cool but the talking thing is kind of weird. 3.5....If I listened more intently there's probably some poetic shit in there, and it might round up to 4, but rounding down for now.
I don't really get it. Wikipedia calls it punk blues, which I should like....but it's just not hitting. 2.5 - rounding down because I really have no desire to run this one back.
Need more Celtic Punk in my life....it's like folk meets rock meets bluegrass meets drinking. 4.5 stars.
A lot of classics on here.....the clapping on 'Bye Bye Love' is obnoxious. 4.5 stars.
Better than I thought it would be, but the only real standouts to me are the radio hits. 3.5, rounding down.
Classics for sure - but I like the louder stuff like the 'Hard Again' album a lot more. Definitely legendary but not a lot of replay value for me: 4.5 stars
Can't believe a computer programmer and ex-art teacher from England made some shit like this in the 80's. The beats and samples are so good. The rapping sounds dated, but what do you expect from 1989. This is a great hidden gem - 4.5 stars
I like my beer cold, my TV loud, and my post-rock SPRAWLING. Kind of a snooze fest, if I'm being honest. I saw these dudes live once - I think it was kind of a big deal. The show was decent...better than this album.
What needs to be said about this one? Still holds up. Beats/samples are still amazing/groundbreaking. Classic singles and non-singles. I'll be playing this again and again for years.
Lowrider, it ain't....and that's totally fine with me. Love these extended jams, especially 'City, Country, City.' 4.5 stars.
Maybe I'm just spoiled by Daft Punk or LCD Soundsystem-type stuff...or maybe I just don't know enough about Drum and Bass, but why does it feel like it never goes anywhere? 'Brown Paper Bag' didn't have to be nine minutes....I got the gist of it in the first three. Repeat this logic for the other tracks and you don't have a 100-minute slog. I'm writing this review whilst listening to track eight. If the next 14 tracks knock my socks off, I'll gladly contact admin so I can edit my review. 1.5 stars...rounding down because it's ever so long.
I liked this one more than I thought I would. Wikipedia has it listed as post-punk before gothic rock, but I'm getting more gothic rock here. Reminds me of those albums we did by The Cure - just a bit more listenable.
I don't know why this is on the list....really meh to me. 1.5 for the Phil Spector production, but rounding down because I was just bored.
It's not bad....just a little repetitive over the length of an album. Radio songs still hold up though. "I got the 6, gimme your 9" would be a great bumper sticker. 3.5, rounding down.
Classic sound, classic tunes. Songs are short enough that they don't get boring. Could've listened to this thing on repeat all day.
There's some cool stuff in here. I liked some of it, but some of it was a bit too out there or a bit too plain. A little too disjointed for 4 stars - but not a terrible listen.
Nothing more to say than "classic." Favorite song: 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' Side B is perfect.
This album is fucking rad. Seeing the cover, I was afraid it was gonna be some British techno shit that I'd have to slog through for 79 minutes. This 47 minutes went by way too fast. Holy buckets...this dude recorded this at age 19 and played: grand piano, glockenspiel, Farfisa organ, bass guitar, electric guitar (including "speed guitar", "fuzz guitar", "mandolin-like guitar" and "guitars sounding like bagpipes"), taped motor drive amplifier organ chord, assorted percussion, acoustic guitar, flageolet, honky tonk piano, Lowrey organ, tubular bells, concert tympani, Hammond organ, Spanish guitar, vocals ("Piltdown Man" and "Moribund chorus") Quite impressive.
Sounds a little dated and a little cheesy, but shit it's rock 'n roll from the 50s. 3.5 stars...rounding up for the history/influence.
It is what it is....disco with a few classic hits. Not really my cup of tea, but Nile Rodgers is THAT DUDE.
These dudes fucking rock. I don't know how I've never heard of them. That 'Summertime Blues' is heavy AF. Love this psychedelic/metal combination.
Hard to believe this is the same band that made Only By the Night and Come Around Sundown and whatever the hell else they're on these days. Love the rough garage sound and most of it...but nothing super memorable besides 'Molly's Chambers.' 3.5 rounding down.
I liked the upbeat stuff more than the slower stuff. Some of it reminded me of Flight of the Conchords though. Being my introduction to Pet Shop Boys, not a terrible listen. 3.5 stars.
Why does this album feel so long? I didn't notice what time I started this album, so when every song ended, I was like "ok, it's finally over" She has a great voice and I get the vibe.....just a bit of a snoozer to me. 2.5 stars - rounding down because I listened on a warm, sunny Friday. If it was a rainy Wednesday, I'd probably round up.
A classic for sure - gotta love 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant', 'Movin' Out', and 'Only The Good Die Young.' Great album, just not a lot of replay-ability in my eyes. 4.5 stars.
This album bugged me 16 tracks - 5 of which (31%) are interludes....what the shit? Why is Puff Daddy all over this thing? it's a LaFace record A bland/uninspired Prince cover into a toilet humor skit? gimme a fucking break. Busta Rhymes talking for 3 minutes? what is happening? At least Phife Dawg and Andre 3000 made decent appearances Honestly, the Andre 3000 verse, the radio hits for nostalgia's sake, and maybe that 'Mr. Big Stuff' sample on 'Switch' are the only things worth a listen.....hated it.
Country version of Norah Jones? A bit of a snoozer for a sunny Thursday afternoon but I really enjoy the instrumentation.
This shit jams....but it just needs a little something more - a little more zing. Side A is pretty tame, but Side B is incredible. How can you not get down to "Give Up The Funk"? If Side A was a little more funky this would be a 5 for sure....alas, I can only give it 4.5.