A bit too experimental for me, especially with some of the vocalizations, but they were at least listenable bc of how great of a voice Kate bush has. I really liked the use of different drums throughout the album; coupled with her unique vocalizations it gave the album an almost tribal feel to it, which I haven’t really heard in pop music before so that’s was cool.
I’m also starting something with this where I make a playlist consisting of my favorite songs from each album. Todays best song pick: The Big Sky
This is quintessential Brit pop. There’s some really cool arrangements, and I really liked the use of violins throughout the album. Singer’s voice is also very soulful and did a good job of matching the emotion of the arrangement. Best song: Bittersweet symphony
It’s solid, pretty cool hearing the guitar sounds that were unprecedented at that point. Unfortunately they are precedented in my mind, can be repetitive throughout the album, and since it’s a Monday morning and I’m grumpy so this is getting 3.49/5
Honestly I liked this a lot. It covered a wide range of feelings that i could feel simply from the music, and the lyrics matched. I wouldn’t have expected U2 to make an album that didn’t sound the same after a while, but this one exceeded my expectations. Would listen to again if it came up, 3.9/5.
Favorite song: mysterious ways
Very fun sounding music, and it was a really unique use of a lot of different instruments and very clever lyrically. That being said, I just never got super into any of the songs. 3/5
Fav song: Grass
Great guitar playing, but seriously rush? Your first song had to be 20 MINUTES?? It’s made of like 7 different songs anyways. I get that you want it to tell a story but maybe just… tell the story w 7 different songs?
Musically I enjoyed this album however, and I’d be willing to bet money that my dad got stoned and listened to this album at least once when he was in high school. 3.3/5.
Fav song: a passage to bangkok
Thank goodness I’m not here to be objective bc this was right up my alley and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Here’s 4 reasons why I liked this album:
1) “Damaja” is a sick rap name
2) album cover is kinda nuts for reasons that Jeru couldn’t have possibly known (or did he)
3) a lot of really clever, socially conscious, and also humorous lyrics
4) changed up his flow throughout individual songs and across the whole album
The production and beats are the only things that keep this from being a 5, and I honestly think the former is just a consequence of its times.
4.3/5
Fav song: Da Bichez + My Mind Spray
Solid album, kinda annoying it was another U2 one in the week but oh whale. Pretty great collection of songs, but didnt make me feel anything in particular. 3.8/5
Fav song: With or Without You
Super fun music , I felt like I was in a club undercover on a spy mission in a 2000s tv show. Take me out is obv a banger, and there were a few other songs I’d go back and listen to. A tad repetitive at times, but overall a pretty solid album. 3.4/5
Fav song: Take me out
Holy shit was this hard to get through lmao. First half had some solid songs like 5/4, Clint Eastwood, and rock the house. Other than those songs this was some boring ass music. I like gorillas next album demon days so I was expecting a lot more from this than I got. 2.1/5
Fav song: Clint Eastwood
Really mid classic rock IMO, seemed to take elements from a lot of the great rock groups at the time but didn’t do anything spectacular w it.
Fav son: Wildflower
Felt a little let down by this album. It’s been hugely influential, but if we’re just talking abt listenability here I’ve gotta give it a three. It’s Tricky and Walk this Way are BANGERS, but I don’t love the shouting style of delivery that they use. For being as old as it is I was actually a big fan of the beats and production side of things. Unfortunately just not enough from the other songs in the way of lyrics/flow to bump this up to 4. 3.4/5
Fav song: It’s Tricky
This was a terrific album, there’s a lot of different influences you can hear throughout the album, and a lot of different emotions evoked by individual song. My first 5 star review.
Fav song: Starlight
This was really cool music, I’ve never really heard anything like it before so I had to give it a second listen the next day and it was much better than my first listen. Not really much analysis to add since idk all that’s going on w the music, but this guy sure knows how to use it a catchy song together. 3.4/5
Fav song: Taj Mahal
Really good songwriting, I always appreciate when songs have a clear message but are still “musical” if that makes any sense. Giving this a 3.1/5, it was a solid listen but didn’t really do much for me.
Fav song: Wild World
Honestly this one surprised me, I wouldn’t expect an album of slow songs to not be repetitive but each song was unique for the most part. 3.9/5.
Fav song: yellow
This one was pretty polarizing imo, and I’ll start w the bad. I can’t stand the beastie boys’ delivery, I’m not a fan of yell-rapping, especially when it’s all they do. I’d be able to stand it more if they changed up their flow at all. Lyrically, it was pretty ok, some really clever lines in there from time to time which are a plus. The only thing that kept this from being a 2 was the production. It’s crazy they were able to use that many samples in an album back then, and it was really cool to hear samples layered from so many different genres. 3/5
Fav song: Lookin down the barrel of a gun
Pretty enjoyable music, very nice to have on in the background, but not something I’ll go out of my way to listen to. Thought it was cool that “walk on by” is sampled in “6 inch” by Beyoncé on lemonade, always cool hearing the same sounds in a different song.Bonus points for Isaac Hayes being in South Park. 3.4/5
Fav song: walk on by
This shit was so bad I could not get through it lmao.
Also I accidentally hit “did not listen” for let it bleed so I want to say I meant to give that a 4/5, with my favorite song being “Gimme Shelter”
In the words of DJ Khaled, “Another one”. I just didn’t understand the point of this, like it wasn’t instrumentals that pleased my ears and why was the singing so quiet?? Dumb. Couldn’t get through it
Ace of spades is a great song, but beyond that there was not much to write home about. Some of the lyrics were also just downright gross to listen to (jailbait for instance) so I’m giving this one a 2/5.
Fav song: Ace of Spades
Surprised at how much I liked this. I really enjoyed the concept on the front side of the album, it was really easy to follow but you still felt the emotions captured by each song in each “stage” of life depicted (also America is just such a beautiful tune). Voices of old people probably cost it a 5. The rest of the album was pretty good too, with a bunch of previously unreleased singles that were mostly pretty catchy, especially Mrs Robinson. Overall, 4.1/5.
Fav song: America
Pretty solid stuff, kinda sounded like a Christmas album but not in a bad way. Songs got a lil repetitive. 3.4/5
Fav song: oh lonesome me
Definitely a shock, but I guess that’s kinda the point of punk rock? The vocals were something else, but it was honestly really impressive that the songs never seemed to fly off the rails, thanks to a really steady rhythm section. The guitar was pretty awesome sounding, and I could recognize some of the riffs in later on punk rock as it got into the mainstream, so there’s no denying this was definitely an influential album. Plus Joan Jett produced it so bonus points for that. 3.0/5
Fav song: Land of Treason
Couldn’t get through it all, just wasn’t a fan of the beats at all. His flow wasn’t great either, I just don’t think British ppl should rap all that much tbh. 1.7/5
Solid stuff, not too much to write home abt. Green onions always makes me think of the Sandlot scene where the rich baseball team pulls up on their bikes
Fav song: Green Onions
Interesting stuff, and annoyingly catchy. 2.1/5
Fav song: Spacelab
Straight ass, im curious tho how many drugs were done over the course of making this album.
Kinda cool, pretty mid tho
Pretty good, getting a little tired of all these British alt rock albums, but this one at least had some really great guitar. 3.2/5
Fav song: There She Goes
Love me some Bowie. 3.9/10
Fav song: Jean Genie
Eh, some cool sounds were made but wasn’t a huge fan. 2/5
Fav song Sugar Kane
Great album, reminds me a lot of what my dad would play in the car. 4.0/5
Fav song: teach your children
This was really fun and groovy sounding, and socially conscious too for a movie soundtrack. Made me wanna check out superfly. 3.8/5.
Fav song: Pusherman
They all kinda sounded the same unfortunately, but it was good guitar playing at least. 3/5
Fav song: Jet Set
Did finish, really wasn’t anything super exciting or groundbreaking? I feel like there’s been 10 other albums like this in the month or so we’ve been doing this. 2.5/5
Fav song: Minnesoter
This was fun lol, liked it a lot. 3.8/5
Fav song: El Paso
Didn’t get all the way through, but have listened before . The yell-rap genre isn’t my favourite, but I gotta give them credit for how direct they were w the message. 3.2/5
Fav song: don’t believe the hype
No matter how many times I’ve listened to this, I just don’t see what’s so great abt it. Maybe it influenced some other bands, but there’s just really nothing that sticks out abt it to me aside from the uniqueness of the singers voice, which can be annoying. 2.2/5
Fav song: Disorder
Masterpiece, no notes. Love SZA and this album so much, her voice is so good and lyrically it’s very honest. 5/5
Fav song: Drew Barrymore
Pretty cool music, this guy sounded a lot like the moody blues singer, and this came out around the same time as them so I’d have to imagine they probs influenced each other. It was cool hearing an old pop album but with meaningful lyrics. 4.1/5
Fav song: the Old man is back again
This rocked, it was such a fun listen. 4/5
Fav song: papa bonheur
Great album, doesn’t get more protesty than this, and it’s cool to see that rage hasn’t really ever gone against their social justice ethos. The music is great too, the singers voice is perfect for his message and Tom morello’s guitar riffs make it sonically appealing as well. 4.3/5.
Fav song: Killing in the Name
Solid stuff, they have a good collective sound but only one major hit on here so it stays a 3.4/5
Fav song: bad moon rising
Listened to it twice, and def appreciated it more the second time around. My biggest knock against it is that so many songs sound the same and I think it can be shorter. I think there sound is really unique but also polished, which made me go back and listen again. The he dreamy production style was really nice to listen to and the singers really added another layer to that soundscape. Gonna give it a 3.0/5, the redundancy of it was kinda hard to get past.
Fav song: take care
Didn’t listen, but I’ve listened to this one in the past and remember not liking it very much.
Like eh, wasn’t bad but there wasn’t too much that felt groundbreaking or spectacular. 2.6/5
Fav song: All I know
Wanted to give it a 5, but I think it was just a tad too long. It’s really cool to hear something take bits of all different genres and meld them together into something sonically pleasing and also unique. 4.4/5
Fav song: Mr Blue Sky (duh)
Great album, so many good, unique songs and also so many layers to it lyrically. 5/5
Fav song: Green Light (hard to pick one, though)
Eh, didn’t do much for me. 3/5
Fav song: search and destroy
