NWOBHM is a) a very odd name for a music genre and will b) just never really be my cup of tea.
I can absolutely appreciate how these guys hit the ground running with this very energetic and confident debut album. I also like the DIY-aesthetic that they bring and that's often cited in reviews of this particular album. It's got a certain punk attitude that's very rare in heavy metal.
However, now that I've listened to the whole thing once, I really don't feel the urge to ever go back to it again.
Side A is absolutely iconic and outstanding, probably better than anything that Pink Floyd had done up to this point. 21 Century Schizoid Man and Epitaph are both songs for the ages.
Side B starts out pleasant enough but then loses me in the middle with the long directionless outro of Moonchild. I also could have done without the epilogue that doesn't really add much after the false ending of the quasi title track. But those are minor quibbles.
Maybe not quite the classic that it's often made out to be. But definitely a very enjoyable record. The Dylan(-co-)penned songs plus the The Weight are the obvious highlights for me. Anyone else getting strong Deep Purple vibes from the intro to Chest fever?
Maximum Rock'n'Roll? Sure, here and there. The best tracks on here absolutely rule. I have to admit though, I was expecting to like this more. Guess I prefer 70s Who.
Gotta say I was positively surprised by this one. Not usually a big fan of the whole 60s psychedelic scene (which actually has me dreading a lot of what's to come), but the understated production , simple instrumentation and quality songwriting on this one were a very welcome surprise. Great record!
Organ and guitar are the two instruments in jazz that I just can't seem to get into for some reason.
Ah, Prince... without a doubt a musical genius, an exceptional multi-instrumentalist and guitar virtuoso, a top-notch composer, arranger and singer, and unquestionably one of the (arguably THE) iconic pop stars of the 1980s and beyond.
And yet I find myself having trouble getting into his music. I could easily name probably a dozen (maybe more) songs of his that I consider absolute timeless masterpieces and that I have been playing in heavy rotation for decades now. However, when it comes to his albums, it's a different story for me. With the notable exception of Purple Rain (which truly is an all-killer-no-filler disc), I have yet to discover a Prince record that I enjoy listening to from beginning to end.
Lots of people put SotT in that same tier, or have it ranked even higher. It's widely considered his crowning musical achievement. Some even see it as the best (double) album of the 80s. Somehow, I just don't hear it. There are some amazing tracks (I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man is the highlight for me), but to my ears there's also a bunch of filler. Like so many other double albums, in my view this one would have benefited from some editing and would have been a stronger album as a single record.
Positively surprised. Had a great time listening to this while cleaning my vinyl collection.
Hearing this old and (let's be honest) probably already dying man singing the line "Everyone I know will be gone in the end" is just about as much as recorded music will ever be able to do for me emotionally.
Nothing else on here really reaches those same heights. But, then again, hardly anything does, and there are enough terrific tracks on this album to make it a more than worthy record to recommend to just about anybody.
At over 50 minutes it's maybe slightly too long, but that's just me nitpicking.
I've tried with this band time and time again, convincing myself that it's probably me who's not getting it, since everyone and their (by this point literal) grandmother seems to be absolutely obsessed with them. Sure, when I heard The End for the first time as a teenager, it pretty much blew my mind. Riders on the Storm is another one that comes to mind. And they probably recorded a handful or so of other remarkable songs, but not one of them ever found its way onto this particular album. It's not me, it's them.
Rounded up because at least none of these mediocre blues rock tracks overstay their welcome for too long.
All killer, no filler by the undisputed Queen of Soul. Absolutely deserves its status as an all-time classic record in the genre and beyond. Looking forward to her other albums on the list.
These Imaginary Boys (well, at least two or of three) sure had a plan as to exactly how they wanted to reinvent their sound. And boy, oh boy, did they go through with that plan. Why is this album not talked about more?
Having grown up in rural Germany in the 80s and 90s - a time and place where, believe it or not, gangsta rap and Wu Tang in particular were actually kind of a big deal among a certain population of teenage boys - I guess I can never aspire to be anything more than a mere tourist in the realm of hip hop.
That said, I believe I appreciate the undisputed masterpieces in the genre (your 36 Chambers, your Illmatics etc) as much as the next guy. This was my first time listening to Only Built 4 Lynx. I was somewhat aware of its reputation as possibly the best of the Wu Tang solo releases going in. I read up on it a little bit before listening and so was aware that this is considered to be a sort of cinematic, mafia-by-way-of-the-Staten-Island-projects street poetry concept album.
And what can I say... Probably unsurprisingly, as a now-42-year-old guy who only ever really listens to rap maybe three or four times a year, when I'm really in the mood for it, this one didn't really connect with me the way it seems to do for a lot of other folks.
I'm not one to pay particular attention to lyrics in pop music to begin with, so 95% of what apparently makes this record so special went right over my head. I can see myself putting this on in the background when I'm in the mood for some tasty boom-bap beats (and let's face it, the production on these tracks is damn near flawless), but then again, I've already got Nujabes & co for that. I feel almost a little bad giving this only three stars, because it's probably simply not for me...
The Queen Is Dead was near and dear to me when I was around 18-20, and I will always have a soft spot for that album. The rest of the Smiths discography is very hit-and-miss for me, and this record is no exception. It's all pleasant enough, but nothing here really manages to catch, much less hold my attention.
Grown-up Soul for the 21st century.
First-time listen for me. I like my acoustic psych-folk a little raw. Great stuff!
A lot more accessible and enjoyable than I was led to believe. I'm a bit of a Nick Cave fan, but I mostly enjoy his later records with the Bad Seeds (90s and beyond), so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I find this more intriguing than the earlier Bad Seeds albums.
Horrid cover art though.
I own two physical copies of this album, one on CD, one on vinyl. Both are titled Subterranean Homesick Blues.
This album has been in my life for almost a quarter century now. No idea how Ioriginally became aware of it (it may have been through the excellent cover of River Man by German alt-rock band Blackmail on their album Bliss, Please).
It's still absolutely unbelievable to me that this guy was only 21 when this came out.
Three undeniably great songs.
Two or three good songs.
The rest is mostly decent filler.
I was 14 when this was released. I didn't really get it then. I maybe get it a little more now. I still think this might be one of the most overrated albums (and bands, especially by the band members themselves) of all time. People are seriously comparing this to the Beatles? I mean, come on!
One truly memorable song. The rest is pleasant enough, but mostly pretty unremarkable.
surprisingly enjoyable. wouldn't mind having a copy of this one on my shelf.
I'm so bored with the USA.
Word, Joe. Word.
Two-and-a-half bangers. The rest is perfectly enjoyable, well-produced hippie music
They sure took their own advice to Let It Loose on this one. Who cares exactly where or under what circumstances this album was made when it's just so much FUN to listen to? Drags a little for a couple of tracks in the middle, but still: Peak Stones!
Perfectly competent country-tinged folk rock. How this can be anyone's favorite band will forever be beyond me, though.
Some great trac[lick]s on here, and some not so great ones.
Some all-time classics (of the genre) on here, obviously. But, as with all metal, after a while it just all becomes TOO MUCH for me. Too much high-pitched singing and screaming, too much drama and theater, too much grandiose battle imagery, just a little too much of everything. I just can't take this stuff seriously, hard as I might try.
I never said a funk band can't play rock. Why would I?
First-time listen for me. Wish I'd discovered this around 30 years sooner. Rounded up.
Possibly the first time I ever listened to this beginning to end.
I was 11 years old and living in rural Germany when Kurt Cobain committed suicide, so I guess it's fair to say that I didn't exactly get to experience the grunge craze of the early 90s in real time. And when a friend eventually turned me on to the whole Seattle scene a couple of years later, I got way more into Pearl Jam than any of the other bands, including Nirvana. I had of course been familiar with their major songs, but somehow their music always seemed just too raw (both sonically and emotionally) for my taste.
Ironically, now, thirty years later, it's exactly this rawness that I find appealing. I don't love everything on here, but the highs are really high. Essentially I think this is timeless punk rock with a strong pop sensibility. We really used to have proper bands, didn't we?
Rounded up for Steve Gadd's drum solo/interlude on the title track.
Obviously immaculately produced, expertly composed, arranged and performed. But I tend to like my jazz, my rock, and my pop a little rawer and a little less polished. Also, and this is obviously a matter of taste, but I'm not sure the tunes are really there.
Pretty uneven album imho. Side 1- meh, it's alright. Side 2 - god-tier musical masterpiece, especially By This River an all-time undisputable classic.
Not sure whether that averages out to a weak or a strong 3.5. I guess I'm gonna have to round up again because the highlights here are just so incredibly high.
There was a time when I tried to convince myself I was "kind of into hardcore punk". That time is over. I'm not. Probably never was. Maybe I'm kind of into the idea of hardcore punk. I'm definitely into dancing the night away in some wild moshpit every now and then. But the music that's being played is definitely secondary then.
I'm sure these guys' hearts are in the right place, and the musicality and chops are certainly there. But if I never listen to this again in my life, I'll be just fine.
Certainly a (if not THE) classic (indie) rock album of the early 2000s. Very much the sound of my early-to-mid-20s, so probably gets a bit of a nostalgia bump from me. Neighborhood #2 and Wake Up were pretty much revelations to me back then.
Some seriously cool sounds on here. As an album, though, it's overall too long and too meandering in places.
You just gotta love Bob Mould. Solid guy. Amazing guitarist. Great songwriter. The man just lives and breathes Rock'n'roll. And If I Can't Change Your Mind has been in my personal heavy rotation for many years, all-time classic song. There are a couple of other bangers on this record as well. Man On the Moon stood out for me on this listen.
However, as an album I think it's just alright. Probably won't come back to it too often in the future.
The first LedZep record I'm encountering as part of this project. As good a reason as and to give it a re-listen, I guess.
These guys were maybe the most important band to me during my formative years. Might be an unpopular opinion, but I consider this to be the most overrated of their classic albums. Still, can't give it any less than four stars, even though this might actually be more like a very strong 3.5.
Quasi muzak. Inoffensive enough, but an absolute chore to get through. What is this doing on a list like this?
Beautiful little jangle pop gem. Maybe a bit too cleanly produced for its own good.
Not something I can really see myself listening to in its entirety in the future. But you just have to admire the craft and the creativity on display here. One can only hope, I guess, that albums this playful, ambitious, quirky, bold and mature will continue to be produced and released in the years and decades to come. So I'm gladly rounding my rating up from a very solid 3.5.
Thought I hated Zappa. I probably do, for the most part. Although now I'm not so sure, because very unexpectedly I really liked this! Groovy, partly experimental jazz-rock. These rats are rad!
On paper (late 80s/early 90s ethereal, guitar-and-synth-heavy dream pop with female vocals, from Scotland no less) this should be absolutely my thing. And in a way I guess it is. But I've tried with this band and this album (which frequently appears near the top of various best-of lists) a couple of times now, and while I kind of like everything I'm hearing, I somehow fail to understand what it is that makes them so special to so many people. It's good for what it is, but nothing I'll be listening to all that much going forward probably... Although, who knows, maybe it would grow on me on repeat listens...? Rounding down.
Remains my least favorite of the four VU albums. There
I'm not much of a reggae fan (used to own a Marley/Wailers best of CD as a teenager that I used to listen to a lot for a couple of years, but that's about the extent of my expertise), but I gotta say, this was probably as delightful a record to listen to on a sunny afternoon in early spring as almost any other I can think of.
One of the crown jewels of classic 90s boom nap rap. Plays like one long jam, with each immaculately produced track seamlessly flowing into the next.
Some undeniable tunes on here. Great arrangements and production, too. Probably deserves a higher rating just for the craftsmanship. But something about that 60s psych sound just doesn't really vibe with me.
First-time listen for me. It's all nice and pleasant enough. No idea though why anyone would consider this essential listening. Also, after two or three songs this kind of soft, whisper-y singing starts to be kind of annoying.
Stevie and I have had a bit of a complicated relationship over the years. Whenever I listen to his stuff I'm absolutely blown away by the musicianship and the level of craft on display. The compositions, the arrangements, the playing, the singing, the chops of everyone involved are obviously 10/10 all around. And yet, I always find that, even on his peak-era albums, there are always at least a couple of songs that just don't really grab me. But the highlights here (most obviously Superstition, I Believe, and Sunshine, but to a slightly lesser degree also Maybe Your Baby) are so beyond reproach that I cannot possibly rate this any lower than a very strong 3.5
Listened to this on an early-morning flight, and it helped put me to sleep... And I somehow mean that as a compliment. Some cool sounds and chill vibes on this record.
Fuck it, I've still got three tracks to go (will listen in my way back from work tomorrow morning), but I'm calling it now.
Let's face it, these blokes can barely play their instruments, and the amount of effort they were willing to put into changing that was apparently very close to non-existent, but they're getting a 5 from me now purely for attitude. I was in my early 20s when this was first released, so of course I was familiar with the bigger songs on here (Can't Stand Me Now, Music When the Lights Go Out, etc.). However, I don't think I'd ever listened to any of their albums beginning to end before today. And what can I say, the whole way to work in the car, song after song, all I kept thinking was "Shit, I wish there was still bands out there today making music (and being able to sell it) with that same kind of I-don't-really-give-a-fuck attitude." They sound like a lazy, punkish, seriously untalented version of a combined Kinks-Beatles-Clash-Sex Pistols cover band on this record and apparently I love everything about it.
My second time listening to this. Enjoyed it both times.
This is pretty hard to rate, since it's probably the only record on here showcasing a kind of music that can/must be classified as truly "traditional" or even "classical". I listened to this on the train from Berlin to Krakowa and found myself getting lost in, almost hypnotized by the sounds I was listening to while watching the Polish landscape drifting by outside the train window. As such, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable and even somewhat enlightening experience, as I'd never really immersed myself in Indian Classical Music before. At the same time, this is not something I'll probably ever listen to again. I feel kind of bad giving this a relatively poor rating, since it's without a doubt among the most (if not actually THE) most expertly and skillfully performed music represented on this list.
Two all-time classic tracks, the rest is at least very solid. Strong 3.5
Was fully prepared to give this 5 stars, cause it's one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite artists. When I first listened to this, some twenty-odd years ago, pretty much everything about this (but especially the extended guitar jam on Down By the River) completely blew me away. Upon this latest re-listen, I have to admit, there are some songs on here (looking at you, "Round & Round") that do overstay their welcome a bit. So I'm not quite willing to give that perfect score. Still a great, great album overall.
Well, turns out The Future didn't actually end up sounding like quite what we thought it'd sound like back in '02. But what we thought it'd sound like still occasionally sounds cool.
Like with so many double LPs: there's certainly a fantastic 45 minutes of music in here somewhere. As it is though, this is just way. Too. Much.
They threw literally everything AND the kitchen sink at this, and then decided to grab some lampshades and wear them as hats, if memory serves (but after 2+ hours of basically ADHD-turned-music, how could it possibly?).
First-time listen. Liked the long, droning, instrumental Krautrock tracks. Not a big fan of anything including vocals.
Less a collection of songs, more a continual meandering groove. Quietly powerful.
Oh, nothing much to see here. Only one of the best albums by inarguably the best pop/rock band of all time.
The hits are the hits for a reason. The rest is mostly forgettable 80s shlock, partly quasi-unlistenable AOR dreck. Definitely not an album anybody must hear before they die.
This surely must hold some sort of record for Most Pinch Harmonics per Second, right?
Some obvious all-time bangers on here. Great production throughout. Her voice is her voice and hers alone. Like it or not, she was without a doubt the defining and most unique singer of her generation. Side 2 is considerably less impressive in terms of songcraft. Even at only 34 minutes, I was kind of waiting for it to end after a certain point. Very strong 3.5
