The album has lots of potential. Iconic melodies, great riffs, and memorable solos. However, the length of the album makes some of the standout musicianship fade into a single jam sesh where the all songs blend into one long jam. I think if the ideas and songs were more fleshed out from long jams into a solid set of 10 songs, this album would be 5/5 stars. But, the length takes steam out of the sails and makes otherwise great songs forgettable.
Honestly better than I thought it would be. Classic sounding 80s synth and powerful female vocals. There were a few tracks with interesting deviations and they were a welcome change from otherwise similar sounding songs. Aside from personal preference and not being overly fond of that musical archetype, I was surprised by this album and found myself enjoying it more than I assumed I might.
A very theatric album with brief grandiose orchestral segments highlighting David Bowie's voice. The instrumentation and composition remain uninteresting through the album. There also feels like bit of stylistic confusion, swapping between sci-fi interludes back to traditional classic pop/ rock. 'Andy Warhol' is the only track that surprised me in a good way. The other songs feels a bit lackluster. The album seems like generic pop rock "good stuff" with nothing noteworthy or special.
A very jazzy album with technically impressive long solos. The instrumentation is complex and the musicians are very talented which leads to an exciting composition with a variety of styles and moods. The fact that it is played live and you can hear elements from the venue coming through definitely add to the aesthetic of the album and gives it a more organic intimate feel. The overall structure is a little too free form and meandering for my taste in jazz. Otherwise it's an excellent album that I could see myself listening to often while doing projects around the house, driving long distances, or while working.
This album has very unique and raw versions of classic Nirvana songs. The unfiltered vocals of Kurt Cobain give a powerful emotional edge to the albums already amazing tracklist. The album provided a cohesive tone and appeal throughout. Though there were no weak songs, there were several that were noteworthy. Specifically the cover of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World as well as the last three songs (lake of fire, all apologies, and where did you sleep last night).
This is my real experience with African music. Some of the instrumentation sounds inspired by 1980s synth pop rock/ soft rock. The vocals to me are the biggest difference. The cadence seems a bit sporadic at times and the melody contains semi tones and vibratos that don't entirely fit the accompanying music. Overall, the music is strange enough to dissuade me from listening again and not unique enough to warrant praise.
Great bass tone and riffing, functional supplemental guitar melodies, and okay vocals. Each instrument works individually and together. Does a good job of sounding new and modern without sounding dated unlike other albums from the early 2000s that either sound derivative or incredibly stylized to the time period. My only hesitation is the slightly disruptive vocals that distract from the otherwise interesting instrumentation. I also like that the album feels like a contiguous entity rather than a set of songs put together. There are some softer songs as well that add nice break in pace from some of the more upbeat and intense sections.
This album seems like it's heralding in the classic sounds of the 80s. Bright vibrant drums, chippy bass work, repetitive guitar work, and synth background sounds filling out the space and adding ambiance. The vocals seem a bit misplaced, slightly monotone bluntly sang, struggling to hit the correct notes at time as well. The bass tone is nice and deep, the drums and guitar sound a bit thin to me. The snare especially lacks the pop I'd like to hear. I think I would appreciate the album more if the chunkier riffs were heavier and a bit darker. None of the musicianship is poor, the mixing is just not quite what I like. Overall, if this albums mixing was better and the vocals more spot on this album would be great.
The Beastie Boys have such a stylized sound that it is very hard to hear their music without it sounding like a parody of themselves, in a bad way. I don't understand the appeal of the yell-rapping, especially doing it over one another, not very musical in my opinion. My favorite parts of this album were hearing all of the samples because it served as a distraction from the musical cacophony that was this record.
Honestly surprised by this album. Very simple yet compelling guitar work. The voice works well with the rest of the composition and the musicianship throughout every instrument adds to the overall sound to create a masterpiece of an album.
I'm liking the tone of the album, the overdriven guitar, orchestral and grand melodies, and ambiance that adds to the overall theme. Bowie's voice also does a wonderful job at sounding out of this world and spacy itself. Seems like he was able to find his sound a bit between Hunky Dory and this album as this has a more refined sound and actual substance. There are times where the excessive use of reverb/ delay/ chorus/ etc. become a bit distracting.
Listening to this album was a chore. Axl Rose's screechy voice assaulting my ear drums from start to end, Slash's sloppy guitar work, and over played riffs that spark the intrigue of under developed musicians. Never been a fan of GnR and was hoping to give them a chance, but this just reaffirmed my opinion.
I really liked the instrumentation of this album. The 60s sounding guitar, interesting bass work, and at times intricate drumming. The orchestral accompaniment fit in nicely and added a little more depth to the otherwise fairly simple songs. I also didn't mind that most of the album felt like repeating riffs/ melodies for the length of the song while the vocals (probably) told a story. What I didn't like was the vocals. The first song felt like poor mixing, I was intrigued by the composition until the voice came in too loud and took over. The woman voice repeating her name in the second track and laughing later in the album really took me out of it.
I really like the "beats" or the instrumentation/ competition over witch the artists are singing. I also think the female vocals are very pleasant. I think this style of R&B/ Hip Hop is very relaxing to listen to.
This might be the most vanilla, peanut butter & jelly, tasteless album I've ever heard. Every song is just too easy and no risks were taken. There's nothing wrong with the music it's just boring and not worth listening to.
Bob Dylan's voice works very well with his blues/ folk style, though I admit it gets old after a while. I also think he does a great job of sounding familiar but different. Meaning, he has a very specific sound and tone throughout the album without seeming repetitive. The composition is simple yet compelling and keeps the listener engaged throughout.
I'm a big fan of this album and was excited when it came up because I have it on vinyl but haven't listened to it in a while. The southern rock jams are great and never get old. I'm a huge fan of extended guitar solos so the jams are exciting. Everything on this album really comes together to produce a great classic rock masterpiece.
This is a classic metal album. Powerful vocals, rippin' guitar solos, and quick heavy riffs. This album has a couple of lesser known songs but a decent amount of hits as well. Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills are songs that I've heard many times and never get old. The gem of this album is Hallowed be thy Name, the pacing is phenomenal and the melodies/ harmonies/ solos throughout are amazing.
Aretha Franklin's powerful singing really excels on this album. At times it feels like the album was written solely to accompany her voice, which just means some of the other instrumentation seems a bit lacking. I do like the brass, organ, and piano that appears throughout the album, it definitely adds depth to an otherwise sparse back track.
This album sounds like something you would hear in a musical about rabid moles with lung cancer. It's musically incoherent and unnecessarily convoluted. It really seems like the music was an after thought to the stories being told through the monotone vocals. I cannot express how painful this album was to listen to. I actually couldn't finish. This was the first album recommended to me that I could not listen to all the way.
The singer sounds like he is plugging his nose. It's like these guys wrote some underdeveloped 80s tunes and got "a buddy they know" to come in and sing for them. I really think the singer gave 30% effort and only one take. I can forgive bad singing when there is good musicianship/ composition/ etc. but when you layer crap on top of crap you end up with...
I think this album really excels in its simplicity. The voice is nice and expressive and tells compelling messages. The accompanying instrumentation does a good job supporting the vocals and is relatively simple, not overstepping the main driving force of the songs. The songs are all pretty relaxing and laid back and is great for casual listening.
The guitar work is really peaceful and the vocals are phenomenal. The orchestral accompaniment also does a great job of adding to the arrangement without over stepping it's place. The effects thrown in are interesting and add depth to the songs without being distracting. I think there is beauty in simplicity and this is a great example of that. The drums on Road to Somewhere felt a bit unnecessary and didn't fit in my opinion. I think the song would have been better without the drums, or at least a very simplified version of them.
Decent tunes, a little goofy here and there. No this special, but nothing sucked either.
Never listened to Biggie Smalls, but I understand why he is one of the greats. I don't typically like rap, but this goes hard.
High energy and pep. The overdriven guitars and consistent bass really give off the classic alternative rock vibes, maybe even slightly punk influences in there. I like the duality between the male and female vocals, especially when they directly are playing off of one another. I do wish the songs were a bit longer, it feels like by the time I get familiar with the song the next begins. Some of the ideas could have been elaborated further. I think in the end though, the album felt pretty repetitive and a little uninteresting.
This one is slightly better than the other Baaba Maal album I listened to, but I still don't like the guys music.
Very subdued and pleasant. Sounds like music I would want to be carried down a river to. I like the longer songs and expanding on their ideas. I think the voice fits the music well and the whole thing is rather nice and relaxing.
Queen always seems overly theatrical to me. The guitar work is up beat and very classic 70s rock sounding, which I'm a big fan of, though the harmonies seem a little over the top and could probably be toned down. Freddie Mercury's voice is obviously amazing, but again the whole thing seems pretentious and extravagant. Not hard rock enough for me.
I don't love this album. In fact I don't even like this album. The vocals all sound lackluster and flat. The music is not very interesting. The songs are short but feel like an eternity.
The first song feels like a very long prelude to a great song, but we never get there. I like what the guitar, piano, drums, and bass are doing it's just that it goes on for quite a while and doesn't quite become the exciting song the instruments are teasing. Almost seems like a jam rather than an actual recording of a song. The guitar work at the beginning of the second song is beautiful. Moving into the meat of the song feels good too. They pick up the pace a bit and it becomes more lively. The second song's pacing is nice too, I like the backing rhythms chugging along waiting waiting for the right moment for Miles Davis and the drums to come in and play more excited. Starting and ending with the same guitar was lovely. The context in which you hear it changes between the first and the second and although it's the same melody it feels different, and I think that is an amazing thing to achieve in music.
