A 50-minute long melodic rock journey that starts off on a lighter note and gets more raw as it progresses, definetily influenced by some of the greats. Cohesive electronic elements and great bass production are what, in my opinion, makes this album almost perfect.
A cheerful and conscious blend of pop and country, embroidered with profound lyrics.
A great blend of contemporary and old, with its unique use of country, elements of pop and almost medieval sounds, reminiscent of early 2000s video game scores.
Absolute perfection! One of the best new wave albums in existence. I would not go as far to say that it is a pioneering record, but it certainly has set the bar for the records to come. Clean production, catchy rhythms, chord progressions and lyrics, experiments with instruments, electronic elements and sound effects - this one is a must-hear!
An uplifting, groovy record and a fascinating experiment. A breath of fresh air in Simon's musical catalogue.
In my opinion, what makes this album stand out is the track order. From the slow and lounge-ish start towards the fast-paced and uplifting middle, and back to middle paced jazzy rhythms. Melodies, vocals, especially drum production and very clean and technical guitar solos, all combined into a more than enjoyable whole.
When someone mentions Tom Waits to me, two things come to mind: "The Wire" and Nick Cave, the first one being one of the greatest TV shows that have graced our screens, the theme song of which is created by Waits, and the second one being one of the most profound and ingenious songwriters whose sound, heavily influenced by Waits, has graced our sound systems. Where to start? The excellent five-piece band led by Waits, the fact that this was his third album, at only 25 years of age, the fact that, even though it is a studio album, gives the listener a feeling of a live, unplugged album set in a jazz bar, his audience, his lively and humorous intermezzos between songs, his coarse voice, which adds to the realism of this record... I could go on, but none of this could present you even one percent of the record as well as listening to it would.
You can see the Beatles' influence, but in all its essence, this record does not bring anything new to the table, except for two or three catchy guitar riffs. I wouldn't say that the tracks are bad, but they do not spark any interest. Production-wise, the bass guitar stands out a lot.
An old-school voice we lost too early. Unfortunately, Amy's strong contralto and lovely jazz instrumental are overshadowed by loud and overproduced drums to an extente where one asks themselves what they are listening to. A jazz record? An R&B record? A hip-hop record? The rhythms of the latter two take away this album's soul and do not fit in at all, hence a two.
An excellent and electric live performance by one of the greats!
This was my first encounter with this genre, so I don't consider myself knowledgeable enough to say anything. A neutral 3 it is.
An honest and interesting country record.
It doesn't leave much of an impression, but it's still one of the better Beatle-influenced records I've heard.
A great record and a great exhibition of English sounds. What makes this album stand out is a Pink-Floyd-esque sound quality and clean production.
When I found out that the artist is Swedish, I expected nothing but perfection. Turns out I was wrong. Two or three good tracks, especially "Manchild" (which, no wonder, was produced by Massive Attack's 3D). There's some interesting sample and synth experimentation, but nothing more than that. Cherry is trying too hard to sound alternative, and to incorporate too many genres and styles at the same time.
A true rockabilly classic. Raw and energetic!
A record excellent in each and every aspect of it. Crafted by obviously serious musicians, it doesn't fail to amaze throughout its entirety.
Short and sweet. Loved it!
After the disappointment that was Neneh Cherry, this was more than a breath of fresh air. It is one of many records which prove why Scandinavians are the greatest musicians out there. The production, the melodies, incorporations of instruments in the right place at the right time, the power of breaking language barriers, both real and fictional, through music - this one is a gem I am glad to have found!
An interesting production journey.
Truly an avant-garde artist. I wonder if Eno was wondering about the impact he would have in the years and decades to come.
Excellent lyrics, excellent vocals, excellent guitarwork, excellent melodies, but most of all, excellent drumming full of variety. An underrated album!
Start of the last decade was by no doubt impactful on the trajectory of British pop music. We lost Amy, gained lots of incredible records, such as Hurts' "Happiness" and Adele's "21". An emotional and soulful record, guided by the main vocalist's voice, surrounded by talented musicians and producers.
A record truly ahead of its time, and, in my opionion, one of the cornerstones of the electronic music of early 2000s.
Not bad, but not excellent either. For a country record, very mellow, almost reminiscent of John Denver and Kenny Rogers.
Raw vocals and organs which were matched by little to none are what make this album one of the greatest rock albums out there.
So many evergreens on a single album.
An excellent electronic record, holding up to the last decade's (and today's) standards, much deserving of a Grammy it won!
One of those records you can listen over and over, and one of the most complete metal albums I've ever heard, from the beginning to the end.
Not the best, but nonetheless a great Queen record. I was especially astounded by Roger Taylor's vocal work on the third track. A solid 4.
An excellent record in its entirety, definitely a more artistic approach than what other Talking Heads' works. Jazzy elements, playing with effects, hints of electronic elements, it's almost Pink-Floyd-esque.
One of the best metal records of the 20th century. An essential, comprising 10 songs, all of which are cult classics. One of the rare debut albums which are perfect in every way. The anger in De Rocha's Voice, Wilk's simple, yet aggresive drumming, Cummerford's funky, yet precise basslines, and Morello's catchy riffs and unusual guitar solos, and these are only a part of what makes this album so great.
When it comes to the first half of the record - Yeah Yeah Yeahs give us an impression of an indie band which is not the first, and certainly not the last ona which tried to hop onto the 2000s trend of mixing rock music with electronic. Bland melodies, edgy lyrics and irritating vocals. Pure shit. However - the second half is surprisingly very good and a complete opposite. If it weren't for the first half, this one would have been a straight five.
All in all, a very solid record. One of the more unique new wave bands, both technically and production-wise, who have managed to record an innovative album, where every track is a story for itself. Melody-wise, some post-punk-ish influence can obviously be heard, which makes this album even more special, along with Brian Eno's masterful assistance.
The perpetuality of the flow, the grooviness of the samples, the grittiness of the beats, the seriousness of the lyrics - A golden discovery for me, and already one of the best hip-hop albums I've heard.
Another one in a long line of great live albums I have listened to. Cash's interaction with the audience and vice versa, his energetic and joyful performance, intertwined with humorous intermezzos make the experience of listening to this performance more than enjoyable.
If it was good, It wouldn't have taken it 30+ years to become popular. Less of a sleeper hit and more of a sleeper shit. All the best.
Another great record by Adele. She surpassed the standard she had set with "21".
An interesting blend of genres. Influence of The Cure can certainly be heard, along with something that would be heard on The Smiths' first album two years later.
This is more of a schlager than a country record. But aside from that, this is not what country music is about.
Yet another great post-punk-ish record, what else is there to say?
An overrated record. Bland, boring and unninovative. One of the bands whose songs' covers and remixes are much more better than the originals - some of the examples including Johnny Cash's cover and Eric Prydz' remix of "Personal Jesus".
Overall, an album consistent with pop trends of the late 90s, and yet another testament to Madonna's talent for picking the right producers who are guaranteed to make hits, which was on-point since the beginning of her career. Technically speaking, the production is very solid, although a bit muddy from track to track, and the vocals feel supressed from time to time.
This is not your average indie band. Each and overy one of the ten tracks on this record were crafted to perfection, both melodically and lyrically, with each one telling a story which permeates into our emotions, whether it be sadness, joy, nostalgia etc. It's not just a record, it is a full-blooded composition piece, David Berman's magnum opus, so to say.
What's there to say that hasn't been said yet. A staple record in the thrash metal genre.
An opinion everyone has but is afraid to tell - Morrissey's repetitive and monotonous singing pattern is what has always stopped the Smiths from being in the same league as The Cure. As with other Smiths' records, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce are the driving, hit-making forces behind this record, with their catchy riffs, playful basslines, and funky rhythms.