Dec 12 2024
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That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Shining star is a classic, Title Track is fine but Africano and Happy Feelin' are the two best tracks, don't really care much for the rest.
I wanted more horns, more groove and for the drums to do anything interesting. Bass & guitar player rip, and I can get down with some xylophone.
I'll round up to a 3, but I feel like I'll look back on this as generous.
3
Dec 16 2024
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Disintegration
The Cure
I could take or leave the first 3rd of this album, but I really dig the final 2/3. Love that every song has a big intro- feels like goth jam band.
Some songs the vocals absolutely hit for me, but the instrumentation & the production take this over the top.
If I listened to this album when I was 13 I may have gone through a goth phase.
4
Dec 17 2024
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
I've not heard this album in years (it's 12+yrs old?!), but I knew I enjoyed it coming in.
It's a solid album and doesn't feel like an R&B album, lots of experimental aspects. Sweet Life, Pyramid & Pink Matter are standouts.
There's a few songs that I don't love, but even in those songs, I typically like the music/beat.
They really should have half & quarter stars on this. 4.5/5 so it gets rounded down, mainly because I feel weird rounding up in this instance.
4
Dec 18 2024
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3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
I really only knew of the isley brothers as Ronald & Ernie, so it was kinda wild to learn there was other Isley Brothers and they even let a Brother-in-law in.
Somehow, I had no idea they wrote That Lady. I can't unhear it now. This is Ernies first album as a member (leas guitar) and he kills it in every song. Some songs feel a bit like Grown-Up Jackson 5, and some have a Stevie Wonder vibe with the Clavinet. There's also moments that give me 90s r&b vibes.
There's so much groove & funk in this album, killer guitar licks and solos and Mr. Biggs' voice is amazing throughout everything. There's a miss or two, so I'd call it 4.75/5. I'll round down again, since I think it's hard to rate 5/5 if it's not perfect.
4
Dec 19 2024
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Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
If you only listened to the 4-5 remastered songs, you messed up. The original album is pretty damn good.
I've never run into anyone in my life who gives a shit about Thin Lizzy, and I guess we're all wrong?
The front man is kind of corny at times, but probably wasn't corny at the time. He's got a good voice though, so whatever.
Music wise this is great, guitar, bass & drums all find time to shine together and in their own thru solos & intros.
They're all over the place- there's some funkyness with a sax, bluesy feels with a harmonica, metal vibes with driving bass & drums, and a ballad that they abandon like 3/4 thru to rock instead.
4.5ish, The Boys are Back in Town sucks & some of the mixing is a little odd & inconsistent. Apparently some or a bunch of stuff was overdubbed, depending on who you believe- there's a few parts that are real obvious.
I'm beginning to think I'm going to like all 1001 albums, or maybe Thin Lizzy rocks
4
Dec 20 2024
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New York Dolls
New York Dolls
Seems like these guys influenced a lot of punk down, there's familiar guitar licks and some of the vocal choices feel like late 80s/90s punk. Got some Rancid vibes here and there.
While I can appreciate their influence, there wasn't a whole lot that grabbed me, no real reason I could see myself coming back to this album
It seems like all of our albums have been from the 70s and maybe I'm just getting a little burnt out. 3.25/5
3
Dec 23 2024
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Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Like the guys voice. Seems very 60s, it's fine, but everything is pretty similar. I like the guitar tone in You Won't Give Him & Hard, Ain't It. The horns coming in, in a later track gives a much needed change.
High 2s for me
3
Dec 24 2024
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Parklife
Blur
Hated the first song & thought that was what I was getting into, but it turned around immediately.
There's a few songs or pieces of songs that just feel like UK- Beatles vibes. I don't know how you can hear Magic America & not think Beatles.
I like a lot of the punk leaning stuff a lot, but the odd ball stuff even more. Like we're really doing some waltz stuff with a woodwind section or some shit? They are cause it works!
End of the Century may be my favorite song we've heard so far, London Loves was a close second.
There's so much variety in this album, from the laundry list of instruments they use, guitar tones & genres they dip into. Probably my favorite album so far, 4.8, but that's still a 4.
4
Dec 25 2024
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Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
I liked this a lot, way more than I thought. I didn't recognize anything at all on it. Everything was different but still fits together, never felt stagnant, never felt repetitive.
Felt very 60s, but in a good way. Got CCR vibes at times, didn't realize this would lean as country as it did.
I loved everything on this, a couple of long songs that I didn't want to end. I thought Down By The River was the best song, then heard Running Dry and I almost forgot about Down By The River.
Then I heard Cowgirl on the Sand, and forgot about the other two. I feel like a bunch of Indy Rock bands have been chasing this sound and feeling for my whole life. I could believe that it came out 5 years ago, instead of 50.
I think those 3 songs are all in the top 5-7 songs I've heard through this so far.
If this isn't a 5, I'm not sure what is.
5
Dec 26 2024
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A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
I can't figure out how to say "didn't listen" after the fact. I fucking hate christmas music, so it's getting a 1.
1
Dec 27 2024
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Definitely Maybe
Oasis
I really enjoyed this album, there were a couple songs that were just "eh" to me, but the ones I liked, I liked a lot.
Oasis definitely has their sound figured out, but this album hardly feels repetitive. It did make me interested to listen to more Oasis to see what their range would be.
I'd give this a 4.7/5, I thought I knew what I was getting into coming in, and I was right, but I wasn't disappointed.
4
Dec 30 2024
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Diamond Life
Sade
I had no idea what to expect coming in. I've heard a lot of current artists (Kendrick, Frank Ocean) site Sade as an inspiration. I expected maybe more of an R&B tilt to this album.
I was pleasantly surprised, its kinda funky and groovy, but I don't really know how to take this album. There's time that it feels like they set out to make the most jamming elevator music, but then there songs with a more poppy slant that end up feeling really jazzy.
At times songs feel like they're just fluff, but I'm not sure how true that is. Lyrics don't seem to completely matter, and for being sort of poppy it's wild how some of these songs are structured. Sade doesn't seem to follow the pop music: verse, hook, verse, hook, bridge(?) hook. Instead some songs feel like they have 3 different hooks, or no hooks.
Because of the atypical song structures, I'm not sure if this album is deep or just fluff. Songs flow and evolve, almost making them feel more raw, real, deep. Many listeners turn to lyrics to bring everything together, and some of the lyrics feel like they're just there to occupy the space.
The last song is good, almost doesn't feel like it completely fits, but the previous two songs are amazing- they have almost a smoky jazz club vibe to them.
I liked this way more than expected, but still don't really know how I feel about it. It was probably the most interesting thing we've heard so far. I'd rate it mid 3's, maybe higher after another listen.
3
Dec 31 2024
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Stankonia
OutKast
Love this album, I came in thinking this was a 5 and I couldn't find a reason for it not to be. I hate skits & interludes, but these were all quick & painless. I've usually skipped Toliet Tisha, but it's really not a bad song.
Stankonia is one of the best hip hop albums of all time, but might not even be the best Outkast album.
5
Jan 01 2025
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The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
It's fine, I can't say any of these song really crack my top 10 favorite Ray Charles songs.
I like the big band stuff way more than I like any of the ballads, but there was nothing that really hooked me. All the songs with the big string arrangements felt like they should be on a Disney soundtrack. I can't say that's a bad thing, maybe a testament to how good Disney songs usually are.
Production wise there's some spots that are harsh and distorted. Some of it happens on the vocal tracks and I think it almost adds to the recording, but it just sounds bad when it happens to the horns.
I'd call this middle of the road, completely average, 2.5/5, but I'll round up because I really like a decent amount of his music, just not much on this one.
3
Jan 02 2025
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Eagles
Eagles
I think I'm supposed to quote El Duderino and call it a day, but I actually gave this one a chance.
This felt like they wanted to make a safe 70s rock album, realized it was boring and looked for a new slant. There's these little country feels coming through, but it's all so polished it doesn't feel authentic to that style. I love the harmonies, but not really enough
The hits are fine, just massively overplayed, but that's not really The Eagles fault. It's probably a good thing if you were looking at it from the bands perspective.
For the amount of people that say they Hate the fuckin' Eagles, this should be bad. I'm indifferent to the Eagles... maybe that's worse?
3
Jan 03 2025
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
I really enjoyed this, so much so that I feel like I've been missing out by not really listening to Dylan.
While the production is simple- dude, guitar, harmonica, it fits perfectly. There's nothing to get in the way of his words. All the more folk-y stuff is top notch. I love the Talkin Blues style and Dylan I'd one of the best I've heard do it.
There's a few songs that feel like poetry with a guitar. While I usually don't care that style, I love what Dylan does in that realm. He makes things feel like they carry more weight- fuck your rhyme scheme or rhyming at all, I got stuff to say.
Favorite song is easily Masters of War, it feels timeless. The minor chords give the song a dark and brooding feel, the lyrics and delivery are so raw- he's mad, you should be too. It reminds me of a few emo/alternative bands acoustic sets, feels so emotional.
There's nothing less than great on this album, no skips. I like the not so serious stuff, love the serious and emotional stuff. Easily a 5.
5
Jan 08 2025
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Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
I felt like I was in Blade or Crank for most of this album. There's a lot of weirdo techno elements throughout this album that keeps it interesting, but it's a bit long.
I think there's a good mix of samples and synths with what sounds like legit instruments. There's some cool builds and drops, that got me moving a little. I'm a sucker for synchopation, and there's a good amount in the album.
The Fat of the Land is much more of a Prodigy album I would listen to. There's cool parts in this one, and some sounds that carry over through to the next album. In a few tracks, but mainly the last track there's this crash/bass hit combo you hear all over Firestarter, Smack my Bitch Up, Breathe. It's kinda cool to see where it started.
I prefer a bit more lyrics but there's some earwigs in here for sure. I can't imagine anyone in our group going over 2, I'd call it a 3 and chang though
3