Incredible stuff - never gets old. Awesome songwriting
I'm def not a REM HATER per se, but this also didn't turn me into an REM lover - very hit or miss w/ some great tracks and some less attractive ones. Fun listen overall tho tbh, great twangy guitar new wave/post-punk with some cool song structure and production
Politically-charged lyricism, incredible song composition, a good mix of more traditional reggae textures with fun instrumentation/fusion feels mixed throughout - so much more than just a reggae album
Some really high highs, with a few not-so-outstanding lows, still a cool listen and an interesting blend of what I'd say plays within the confines of a 60's pop sound but obviously still expands on those structures to create such a special album - I bet this was mindblowing when it dropped
Not much I can say about this album - not even close to being one of my Sade favourites and its still so important as the genesis of the band's eventual evolution into a genre-blending/R&B fusion powerhouse. Such a treat to listen to this one <3
Pretty lackluster in my opinion, a really redundant sound that while a lot heavier and grungier than what they'd eventually morph into later down the line, just doesn't provide the stimulation I needed to enjoy this
Not bad, but not great. I find with Beach House generally but with this album in particular, the sound is almost TOO cohesive? Just did the Foo Fighters self-titled yesterday and ran into the same problem - it's mastery over a distinct sound but at what cost? Many of the songs on this project feel like they don't have their own identity necessarily but only exist as an extension of the album in-full. A nice listen nonetheless, but I feel like there's a fine line between loving and hating Beach House. Would love to give this a 3.5/5 but this stupid website doesn't allow for half ratings
Really cool engaging listen, fun and inventive jazz fusion that definitely serves as the blueprint for successive projects of the same tone. By no means an easy listen really I wouldn't think unless you're a Zappa fan, but if you can get into the space to want to listen to stuff like this then this should be on your radar. Very cool soloing Frank :)
Initial three-track run is ELECTRIC man sm good stuff jam-packed into that trio of songs... Unfortunately it kinda starts to run out of steam the further you get into the LP, which is not to say its a BAD album but I think sometimes the experimental sounds that the group were hoping to explore don't always pay-off (i.e. 2-4-2- Fox Trot). Still great, and so important to the development of the folk and psychedelia sound that The Byrds helped shape in the mid to late 60s. For ME, I lean a bit more towards their early-70's country/bluegrass stuff, but this I still really really like! :)
all this girl wanna do is party
this one's for the cougars
This album is so great - between the project's construction/track listing and beautiful storytelling/writing, it has such a cinematic or literary quality to it. Strikes a great balance between the 'outlaw' style of country that Willie was so integral in developing, and very tender lyricism. I think just as a tribute to the way that the album creates atmosphere it is deserving of 5 stars - its a truly complete body of work as opposed to just a collection of songs.
I'd like to give this a 2.5 but I actually just can't because of how this site is set up, it wasn't bad but then again, when the best song on the LP is a cover, that's not a great look. I'll take The Chieftains any day of the week over these guys.
very fun very groovy, and usually I think that Summer Breeze kinda stinks, but these guys made it so good smash that like button if you like Summer Breeze pt 2 more than pt 1 yall
What a blast - the production on this thing is actually insane. Seeing these dudes team up on tour with RUN DMC must have been all-time. 4.5/5 (but I can't because of how the rating system works)...
Terribly mid I'm afraid :( a few standout singles and the rest kinda just gets left in the dust, I'll have to listen to Vacation sometime soon and give them a second chance!! 2.5/5
I guess you have to acknowledge how far this pushed the needle when listening to this project, even though it doesn't really appeal to my/modern sensibilities too much. A few good songs on here, but just doesn't offer much outside of really technical, profanity and shock material-laden bars - the production to me feels a bit dated and isn't super exciting, and the amount of skits on this thing is egregious. 2.5/5.
Starts off slow with the first two or three tracks, but really picks up the tone and energy as it continues after that. My first full front-to-back listen actually and I wouldn't rave about it the same way that others do, but there's certainly something here to revisit at some point. 3.5/5 for the time being, but who knows? Maybe I could learn to love this one even more?
Some cool stuff on here, with nice songwriting as well, but sonically it just wasn't for me.
"It's gonna be a no from me dawg"
- Randy Jackson
While I by no means consider myself much of a nu metal/screamo appreciator, there's lots about this that I DO like - powerful, driving guitar lines, and really amazing percussive arrangements. I don't think I can really say anything innovative about this album that hasn't already been said, but it features such a seamless blend of traditional/regional Brazilian sounds into such a harsh format, and for that should be applauded. However, I just can't get past the vocals, which are great for what they are, but really just don't do it for me.
This was an interesting listen, and although I didn't actually make it through the full 16 SONG RUN (crazy), the 6 or 7 songs that I listened to were sweet. It wasn't necessarily an enjoyable listening experience, but I can appreciate what the band achieved with this LP; because of this, it's kinda hard for me to put a numerical value on this project, because it was like a 2/5 for listenability, but a 4+/5 in terms of construction and sonics. With that being said, I will settle on a 3/5.
Signature Roxy Music groove, I thought it started to run out of steam as the album trudged along though. Wild that some of yall think this is the best Roxy Music album when it's quite obviously Stranded...
4/5 - I can imagine this is a Bob Dylan-type situation where Nico's vocals on this project can be incredibly polarizing, but it works for me. Really nice kind of hypnotic guitar loops paired with her singing makes for what can be an unsettling experience, especially on more abstract, longer-format tracks; think It Was A Pleasure Then. The orchestral accompaniment that litters a number of the songs in this project adds a great dimension to many songs that in its absence would be much more flat - it greatly helps to elevate the folk sound. I'd say this is a album defined considerably by its highs, but can be a bit more of a challenging listen unless you really have the appetite for it - I feel like you really need to be in the mood to wanna listen to this one.
