always find myself completely enthralled by the longer tracks on here, such effective mood-setting that I don't notice the time going by. essential my-mom-core
one of the Big Time Rock & Roll Bands whose popularity truly confounds me. i really don't think i'd be able to tell the difference between these tracks & anything on their other albums (though i don't mind you shook me all night long) the notion of this as some grandiose comeback falls short when the songwriting is stale after one verse/chorus cycle; most of these riffs sound like examples from the cd that comes with an introductory guitar lesson book this is great music for car sex after prom but not much else!
the first of the "formative" Stones albums i've gotten around to (anything before Beggars Banquet)! being someone who's only checked them out via similar album challenges, it's hard to stop myself from looking at their music in the context of their contemporaries. especially with this album drawing comparisons to Rubber Soul, i struggle to find many thematical or musical similarities other than both of them being released in the same six-month window. the few uncommon instrumental choices, while interesting, don't do a whole lot to reshape the Stones' identity as a blues rock band, though it is a style that fits their skillset. Jagger's vocals & the rhythm section at large (the organ parts are cool!) do a lot to individualize the group's sound, i've just never understood the perception of them as pioneering anything that wasn't already being done by the Bob/Beach/Beatle/Kink sector of mid-60's rock innovation. the acoustic moments interspersed throughout are a nice change of pace & generally my favorite songs of theirs; Brian Jones is just as vital an ingredient to their sound as Jagger/Richards imo. the runtime is a liiiiittle much for the lack of variety (Going Home does not help) but i can appreciate that as some element of statement-making! if we could award half-star ratings this would be a perfect candidate for 2.5, i don't actively dislike anything besides the misogyny but i doubt i'd find myself repeating any of these tracks except Paint It Black (which isn't even on the version of this i listened to) invasion by association
i'll never forget dragging my family to go look at these buildings on an NYC trip when i was 13. Zeppelin were the first band i properly found on my own when i stopped getting my taste from video games or whatever was being played around me, and this album in particular had a real hold on me for a while. i spent a lot of time in middle school talking this up as my all-time favorite, and while that doesn't ring true anymore i still find myself drawn to the same things about it this record draws from both the rugged sound of their first two eponymous albums & the mystic introspection of the latter two, and would be my pick for the album most representative of the band overall. it makes sense considering that a number of these songs were taken from sessions for previous albums, and the sequencing here does a great job to keep that balance intact & not lean too much into one particular sound. the exception to that is the final side, where they cram all the shitty blues rock songs into the last 15 minutes (on that note, Sick Again has somehow the grossest lyrics of any song so far) JPJ remains the unsung hero of this band, and the varied sound of this record is largely due to his contributions. Bonham rarely sounded better than he did here; the presence of the drums on tracks like In My Time of Dying/Trampled Under Foot/Night Flight is just so effective. the kick squeaks so much! this is a double album that doesn't feel its length to me, which is especially impressive given the 11-minute song. the stretch of tracks from the beginning til about 10-11 songs in has some of their best moments in their catalog music, and a level of consistency that i don't think quite exists on any of their other records. it holds up quite well for me & i'd probably put it 1st or 2nd among their albums; i guess we'll see for sure when other ones pop up on this list god chase utley was so cool
as a child who grew up on music from guitar hero, Deep Purple were an early favorite of mine whose records i sought out when i first started collecting. even if i like some songs from other eras more this is probably the most consistent lineup Deep Purple ever had, with everyone really holding their own. Ian Paice was one of my favorite drummers back then & i still love his filling, Ian Gillan can be corny as fuck but i still love him (and Jesus Christ Superstar), Blackmore rocks and is the only time i'll accept neoclassical guitar noodling, and Jon Lord's organ defines the sound of this record the notable songs on here are more notable for a reason, and while the shuffle & soloing on Lazy are fun it feels like this just alternates between great rocker & middling letdown. this was not as enjoyable as i remember it being the last time i heard it but the highs are still high!
unsurprisingly miserable experience! i've always hated Clapton & never been a big blues fan, especially of something as reductive as this. the instrumental tracks are far more tolerable than anything with lyrics (Little Girl is a bit on the nose, no?) but there's less than nothing here outside of a couple harmonica licks to latch onto does this list know that there are blues musicians other than white people
was not able to find an english translation for any songs besides the first one (after looking for 30 seconds) which dulled my experience a little bit. the vocals are emotive & the clear focal point here; the way seemingly control the music is neat. the orchestral accompaniment has some neat moments (the theremin bro?) but ultimately takes a backseat. there's a few pleasant songs throughout the very short runtime but regardless of the sophistication level of the frenchman involved this kind of thing goes in one ear & out the other. if it was Tom Waits this would be a different story live show sounds like it would've been a blast though those french people were eating that shit up
first half of this carries... likely not a podium Dan album for me but it was the first of theirs i bought & has a couple favorite tracks. lacks the same refinement as the records that would follow it, but maintains its own identity in their discog with a heavier lean on bop phrasing. Rikki is an alltimer & Barrytown is one of my favorite underrated tracks of theirs is horace silver gonna show up on this list too
plays its hand a bit early doesn’t it? excellent verses for most of the runtime but the repetitive instrumentals can become a little grating after a while. one of those albums that i can appreciate for its impact while not being fully in love with it & that’s ok!
the first album in their true form, showing some hints of the longform EPIC songwriting that would fully come to fruition on future albums. never found myself attached to this one outside of a couple moments, namely the main riff of Starship Trooper & the very end of Perpetual Change. several of the tracks are unnecessarily long & not in a noodly prog way; it feels like something is established & then stretched really thin when it could have been 3+ minutes shorter. The Clap is kinda cool & you go "wow that was a neat change of pace glad it didn't overstay its welcome!" and then the next track has another section just like it. best parts of this for me are easily Chris Squire's unmistakable bass tone that always stands out in the mix, & Bill Bruford doing some wacky broken figures in his grooves that open up the kit in a really cool way. i'm a little tough on this album for only containing fragments of what make the next few of their records so good, better things to come!!!
apple music says the genre for this is "south africa" unmistakable vocal prowess & a scaled back ensemble that gives her voice the spotlight it deserves. such a peaceful feeling to this record, though that can lead it to playing things a bit safe at times. not sure that Harry Belfafonte's description of her music ("a startling blend of the highly sophisticated and the primitive" :| ) holds up but it isn't hard to see how captivating her identity as a performer must have been in that jazz landscape. the traditional/cover songs are nice but the real highlights are her original songs, which are a great vessel for her vocal ability. the bar is low but this is one of my favorites so far, wish there was more information about it online wtf is this guy laughing about
broadcast the boom, broadcast the boom to you i was out on this as soon as the midi horns came in. this is like wistful college party hot tub pop but even though she was 20 when she made it it sounds like a person in their mid-30s trying to write relatable songs for teenagers. probably her best album compared to what i remember about the others i give this album 2 booms out of 5
the big frank! probably his least obnoxious album? even the other mostly instrumental ones have some hokey bullshit, this one sticks to the jazz-rock outside of a Beefheart verse. seeing dweezil zappa live was one of the more formative experiences i've had as far as getting into more experimental music & i got VERY into zappa stuff for a while after that. this album has always stood out to me as the most """"sophisticated"""" he ever got while still infusing his sense of comedy into the composition (like the never-ending ending of Gumbo Variations or the stupid blues mellotron thingy on Green Genes). there's glimpses of jams like this on some of his other records but nothing quite matches the spontaneous cohesion of the band on this 5 stars for the multiple violin solos & Beefheart screaming one of my alltime favorite openings to an album too update: listened to this 4 times over the weekend and fully cemented my rating; Willie the Pimp has one of my favorite gtr solos period & Peaches has that legit emotional range brother. also did you know that's not Zappa on the cover
*scrambling to say something intelligent* uhhhhh this is the Dragon New Warm Mountain of White Albums this record's biggest offense is that a lot of it sounds verrry similar. there's some definite standouts but across 1h15m it can be hard not to get lost in the sameness of it
feel like there’s a lot of jazz you can look at & go “this came out in x year? woah!!!” but this one & Monk in general stand out to me with how effortlessly he blends bop & trolling. swapping on a dime from the swing feel to the dirge-like sound of the melody on the title track is genuinely hilarious. where are the Thelonious Monk Funny Moments compilations. also can you imagine having Mr. PC & Max Roach on your album & they don’t even make the mentions on the cover? this has me hopeful for more even slightly out there jazz on this list though i wouldn’t be surprised if they stopped with Out to Lunch hilarious the way that streaming lists artists for jazz, i loved the guest verse from Sonny Rollins (crazier part is that he’s still alive!)
their namesake describes them perfectly generally inoffensive but i'm giving it a 1 on premise. grateful it's only 30 minutes & that it's not the one with Shooting Star enough of this please