The Renaissance
Q-TipFamiliar with Q-Tip from some of his guest spots with other artists and a bit of Tribe and although this started out great it did flag a little in the second half
Familiar with Q-Tip from some of his guest spots with other artists and a bit of Tribe and although this started out great it did flag a little in the second half
What a way to start this project
Beautiful but too one paced for me personally. Your Protector was particularly good but overall I just couldn't get into it.
This is what Fleet Foxes wanted to be
I bought this on cassette tape on holiday in Canada as a teenager, along with Murmur. They are to this day my two favourite R.E.M. albums but this one probably just edges it.
First new artist to me. I liked this particularly the track Boxcars.
I'm with the Dude on the merits of The Eagles but this was better than I expected and I enjoyed the banjo on some of the tracks.
Paul Weller was 25 when he started The Style Council... and frankly, he was old enough to know better.
Loved this at the time of release, never really connected with them at other points in their discography. A strong four from me.
I was bored about two minutes into this album and remained so throughout. Real Love redeemed this towards the end but overall just forgetable.
This album reminds me of my Dad. It feels like Bruce is putting a reassuring arm around you and telling you everything is going to be alright. It's a bit flawed and not very nuanced but has some great highs (Empty Sky, Further on up the Road, Paradise).
Amazed they got Donald Duck to appear on one of the tracks..
first hip hop LP of this project, pleased it's an old school classic
I knew Girlfriend already but that's far from the best track here. I liked both the English and French versions: 80s pop recreated with quality with existential lyrics.
It must be the Mandela effect but I thought you could hear Bob say "Play in fuckin' loud" before the band launches in to Like A Rolling Stone but I didn't hear this seminal moment or the 'Judas' shout that prompted it on the streaming service I used to listen.
Life's What You Make It may be the greatest piece of pop music of the 80s but the rest of the album doesn't quite reach the same heights. I love Spirit of Eden and wasn't sure how much this album would be a transition between their earlier more mainstream style and the sound collage style they adopted. This was beautiful and unique too but I think you need more than one listen to fully appreciate it so I'd give it a high four.
First track is 20 minutes and some of it just sounded like they were tuning up. It had already lost me by this point
Musically it's aged well but the misogyny and glsmourisation of crime I had a problem with.
I was familiar with some of Earle's work from later in his career (early 2000s) but hadn't listened to this album before. I think I'll give Copperhead Road a try as generally enjoy when he rocks out q bit more than on this debut.
I'm not bumpin' too much Biggie Smalls. Great album, could live without all the skits but otherwise a high score for this one.
A bit too Bestival-core for my tastes. Nice vibe but not much that really stuck with me either.
I listened to this interspersed with some of their poppier material from earlier in their career and generally enjoyed those tracks more. I liked the raw emotional honesty of Your Dictionary but much of the rest was either too long or lacking in the melody department.
Van was the first gig I ever saw, I don't remember much other than the singalong of Gloria. He seemed like an old man to the 10-year old me, he was the same age as I am now. I don't know his music that well but everything on this album was great.
The irony of such a self-involved and low quality human being as Clapton having a track called Keep on Growing... Layla is a banger though.
I had to listen to two Eric Clapton albums in two days. Never mind shooting a sheriff, that is truly criminal.
Surprised this isn't ranked higher, it's a 5 all the way.
Very of its time, a bit new age-y, and too long but better than the other Madge album (Music) which came up a few weeks ago.
Wonderful voice, unique talent. Production and song-wise Back To Black was a step forward but as a debut, this is fantastic.
Familiar with Q-Tip from some of his guest spots with other artists and a bit of Tribe and although this started out great it did flag a little in the second half
Great debut album, only knew the singles but they don't really reflect how punky and confrontational Hynde and the band were here.
I'd heard Sin City before but overall this album didn't really do much for me and was more straight-up country than rock which is more in my wheelhouse.. I'll give it a three reluctantly but hope either Gram's work with The Byrds or his solo stuff is better than this.
four stars
Loved Beth's voice, the innovative production choices and the atmosphere
This must have been a revelation when it first dropped. There is some amazing music and guitar playing on Are You Experienced but also some filler so I'll have to go with a four.
I had this on cassette back in the day along with Parklife and some US rock stuff like R.E.M. and Nirvana. Oasis peaked with this and I had lost interest by Be Here Now, but as a first record encapsulating the 90s, this still stands up. Took off a mark for the novelty song about lasagne though.
There is no way that Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding are not familiar with this album.
I've been meaning to get round to listening to this for years, now I finally have but was a bit underwhelmed. Probably takes a few listens to really get why it's so acclaimed but on first listen not much stood out for me.
I want to be your Hedgeslammer!
Going into this I knew and liked the single E-Pro and I know that with Beck you are going to get an eclectic mix of sounds. I also had heard the song Girl before, although given the fairly generic title I didn't realise it was on this album. Also not sure why Send A Message to Her which is a bonus track isn't on the original album as it's very catchy and somewhat reminiscent of his Odelay sound. I'll give it a four.
They were cool but they weren't very good. This would get 2.5 stars fif I could award it
I had a faint memory of several of the songs on this record, which gave it an added wistfulness.
This was enjoyable. Many of the reviewers said it sounded dated, but the meshing of hip hop and house music on some of the tracks here reminded me of Beyonce's Renaissance album so it's still clearly remained culturally relevant.
Liked this one a lot, but like many other early 70s albums it does meander a bit in the middle.
I like the more minimalist style of Pink Moon more but this is still very good.
I like a lot of stuff that's in the Siouxsie orbit (The Cure, Smiths, Joy Division, Ministry) but have never really connected with them before. Looking at their albums, they seem to be one of those acts that put their accessible single as the first track, as they do here with Spellbound. I liked a couple of other tracks but it still wasn't really clicking with me until we got to Monitor and Night Shift, which were eerie and dystopian and more of what I wanted from an album called 'Juju'.
Sixty years old but not quite ready for its bus pass. Five stars.
Jamaica Jerk-Off enters the chat...
I like a bit of Polly Jean, (SFTCSFTS and To Bring You My Love) but only knew a couple of tracks from this project going into this. I found it easier to admire than love or want to put on repeat.
Every band needs it's own special chemistry. And Bez was a very good chemist" - Anthony H Wilson
Best track N.I.B.
I saw Hooky live the other night, he played Disorder, Shadowplay, New Dawn Fades and She's Lost Control, it was bloody ace and despite the many immitators I don't think anyone will capture the same magic that Hannett and Joy Division did here.
I'm not particularly an industrial guy but like a bit of Ministry sometimes. I lean more towards the slower, sludgier direction they took on Filth Pig and also have plenty of time for the In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up love album which feels like a great live experience. Somehow this record between the two didn't do much for me, aside from the few rather gimmicky tracks I already knew and Scare Crow which was the most likely what they went on to do next.
Wasn't looking forward to this, have never cared for Queen. As a 90s kid, music was about authenticity and raw emotion and Queen always seemed too silly and pleased with themselves to take seriously I was all set to give this a 2, because it's not objectively bad musically, but then I quite liked the last couple of tracks so it's somehow been bumped up to a generous 3.
Electricity is the only song from this album I really knew properly though I think I have listened to Safe as Milk before. It's a great blues rock sound and a much better entry point to the strange world of Beefheart than Trout Mask Replica.
This did not slay, Queens
I had this on cassette back in the 90s and it was one of the soundtracks to my A-levels. Haven't listened to it much since but it's very nostalgic for me. Listening this time, from the first note it struck me how this is basically a more accessible Nine Inch Nails facsiimile which could fit on American rock radio formats. I don't see that as a bad thing, I think NIN are a bit grubby and atonal so I like a more polished version. Also props to Shirley Manson for being a great frontwoman, take her out of the equation and it's basically three studio guys doing a grunge with trip-hop elements record. She makes this better than it has any right to be.
According to the Amazon bio, Herbie is a controversial artist, of which I don't have any on this project. I don't see there as being much controversy surrounding this at all, it's 5 stars and anything else is ridiculous.
Nurse, I think we are going to have to increase the dose.
My favourite Gabriel era is self-titled III and IV, and while I give this credit for ambition and restlessness, it's very patchy in terms of quality.
100 down, four stars
Getting this in the week Pulp announce their first new album in 20+ years. Can't wait to hear it and decide where it ranks in the discography. The follow-up to Different Class, this is much more inconsistent than its predecessor but relistening to it for the first time in many years, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed some of the tracks I had largely forgotten about. There's a lovely bit of Spanish guitar in the bridge of Dishes and Sylvia's soaring chorus is anthemic for example, but Seductive Barry is overling and a bit of slog though
Influential, radical, and Flav shows respect for good time-keeping.
I was a big fan of First We Take Manhattan as a 10-year-old, which has set me up well for the cruelty of life.
I knew Fix Up, Look Sharp and Jus' A Rascal before going into this and that Dizzee was precociously young when this came out. It's sonically inventive and more interesting than most grime I've heard but over the course of 15 tracks it is a bit jarring and cold. I did like there's a bit of heart and positivitiy to end on with Do It! but overall I wasn't bonkers about it.
My first introduction to The B-52's as a child was Love Shack -one of the most annoying pieces of forced joviality of any era, not just that one. Then not long after, Kate popped up in the Shiny Happy People video, again it was terrible but she definitely stirred other feelings in my confused pre-teen brain. Thus, I had definitely written off this band as not for me and was probably in my 20s before I found myself more intrigued by some of their older material. This was the first time listening to their debut and it was fun, the best moments were Planet Claire, Dance This Mess Around and Rock Lobster, the cover of Downtown is rather unnecessary so it's not quite a 5 for me but comfortably a 4 and made me want to check out to deep dive into more of their early-80s output.
There are different versions of this on streaming services. There is a shorter version which includes two songs where she messes up or admits she doesn't know the lyrics, which seemed a bit weird to include on a live album paid for and released by a major label. There's a longer version too with a song called Dancing In the Dark which has nothing to do with The Boss.
Close to a 4, Evan seems to make songwriting look effortless but a few of the songs didn't really leave a strong impression so opted for a 3. Fave tunes were Rudderless, Alison Is Starting To Happen and the title track.
Looking back it seems like this is where Kanye flipped over into trying to be an edgelord, though what I've heard of his later records are far worse than this. I liked both 808 & Heartbreak and MBDTF previously and the music and beat making is still inventive here. However taking an emotive Nina Simone sample of a song about lynching to then rap about your relationship and money problems over the top is tasteless and ill-judged.
Have a Talk with God, I Wish and Pastime Paradise are standouts but its all of a quality that rightly confers the title of musical genius to Stevie.
Only really knew the hits from this record, but overall I liked the vibe and empowerment message. Washed Away was a good closer.
I tuned into Common on the album after this, Electric Circus, which took more cues from rock and psychedelica. Never went back and listened to this or the album after Be, despite them being widely regarded as the high points in Common's career. I liked the storytelling and the more jazzy sound on this but ultimately it's a bit too long and I checked out a bit towards the end.
Got to love Dolly, Travelling Man and Early Morning Breeze were the highlights of this short, enjoyable lp.
I can't say it's objectively bad but it is bland and saccharine
There is a distinct lack of modern classical music on this list, so glad to see this included. I enjoyed it more and more as it went on.
I counted 125 uses of 'I' on this ten track record. After the Beatles broke up, this man's ego and self obsession went unchecked and he thought everyone was intrigued by his relationship with Yoko and Paul, when they probably just wanted better tunes. A bit of a prick, some of the songs ( Jealous Guy) are alright but generally this is all guff.
Lemmy had a formula and never deviated from it. Ace of Spades is just a classic and even if nothing here is as good it's still a blast.
I only knew Son of Sam before listening to this,. You definitely get the feeling Elliott wasn't cut out for handling the success he achieved, and this makes his final album a poignant listen.
Sounds like the album playing in the background in a chill empty bar at 4pm on a Tuesday.