3/5 - Nice and funky
Could have been a 4 based on some individual songs, but overall gets a 3 as it had some mid entries that kind of put of a lull in between.
Pretty solid throughout, could listen to multiple times without wanting to skip anything necessarily unlike Gorillaz.
Very good album throughout. Great songs mixed with very good songs. Would go above Led Zeppelin, so in this case a 5.
Similar to "The Doors" and "Morrison Hotel", this was a bit on the mellow side and didn't really move much away from the template in terms of style. Could see it as maybe a 3 at a stretch, but will receive a 2.
Some of the songs seemed a little all over the place, which might have been the intended style but not something that I would appreciate necessarily. It would receive a 2.5 if possible but will be given a 2.
Its definitely a trip/journey of an album, with a decent bit of variety. The singing wasn't too appealing.
Overall strong album, with a few classics. Some of the collabs were a little weaker, and it isn't quite up to his best album The Eminem Show.
Perhaps it is not something that is targeted towards me but listening to the album made it seem like one song played for 70 minutes. A single break from the funk came with Surprise Me Again, which took things a little lower which would have been an appreciated thing more often.
Surprisingly enjoyable, variety throughout the album helped keep things fresh during the listen through.
This was a pretty solid listen with some standout songs that could be easily listened multiple times. Nice variation and unique tone.
Pretty much a faultless album throughout. The album serves as a definitive mood listen, which removes some versatility. This would receive a 3.5 usually, but with the current scale will be rounded down to 3.
An album with some highs, mixed in with some more tame and lull periods as well, but a nice mixture nonetheless throughout. It would receive 3.5 but will be rounded down to a 3.
This was quite a middle of the road album, with not too much that stood out and would be quite easy to forget. The song "Heaven" was a nicer change but not strong enough to carry the album further than a two.
The skill in musicality was definitely evident in the guitar playing and composition, however more vocals would have pushed this above to a 4 and possibly above.
Overall, a decent listen especially for a Live album showing that Frampton wasn't just a recording artist. The use of the voice box was interesting as well and added to the music at times to push it just close to a 3.
In the same way that Techno without certain chemicals could be quite repetitive and boring, this album seemed to be the total opposite and reminded me of a Jackson Pollock painting of just random noises with the purpose of as much chaos as possible. At least it wasn't something that would not entertain you for the 30+ minutes so it get's a 2 star rating.
The quintessential middle of the road album. This would get a strong 2.5, however in order to differentiate it from the inferior 2s, the album gets a 3 even though it would be on the lower end of priority for listens amongst the other three's.
As far as Jazz goes, it goes without saying that unless it is along the lines of "In A Sentimental Mood" or "Blue In Green" then it will likely not be my preferred style of music. There was definitely a sense of direction to the chaos which lacked on Coltrane's album and thus made this slightly more palletable and thus earning a hard 3.
While a genre that is generally more favorable personally, this didn't quite hit the heights that were hoped for. It still earned a 3.5/5 which will be elevated to 4 for the purposes of distinguishing it from the other votes of 3 which it mostly surpassed. A better balance in vocal strength and instruments would have elevated the album, however the instruments at times over powered periods of vocals.
This was a promising album from descriptions but failed to live up to being the birth of Heavy Metal. Aside from a song or two which stood out, it wasn't enough to make this an album that could be listened to again.
Could have been a solid 3, with the titular song being a very strong opener almost serenading the listener. The songs in between had a mix of funk and rhythm which definitely was on the pleasant side but not necessarily enough to make the whole album a target for a re-listen. Then came Wars of Armageddon which definitely drops this album to a 2 as punishment for the assault of the senses with the different sound effects.
This was more enjoyable than expected, and could very well make it's way to a possible roadtrip playlist as a repeat listen. This will be receiving a 3.5, however it will be demoted to 3 a three as it does not quite hit the overall heights of a complete 4.
There is no question from the album that she is vocally talented and can be an enjoyable listen for a song or two. However, the entire album seemed to last too long and consisted of the same type of music just different iterations of the same 3-4 patterns in different sequences.
This is essentially a faultless album with every song being very strong and iconic for a reason. A slight dip in the song The Girl is Mine with Paul McCartney but aside from that the album seemed to have a theme of starting lighter and delving into darker tones starting with Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat It. An easy 5/5 overall.
This was a mellow listen with nothing that really stood out, but also didn't necessarily put you off the album. A solid 2.5 middling album.
A solid 3.5/5 album with some interesting entries. Don't Stop and the Backward/Forward compatibility was quite clever to be included in the album. I think certain things were left to be wished like a more lengthier "Elizabeth My Dear" or a less shorter Fool's Gold as it seemed to drag towards the end. Overall it will be bumped down to a 3 with it's rating as it wasn't as enjoyable as some of the other 4s so far.
Not sure how to really feel about this, the vibes had a bit of a rollercoaster feel throughout the album with some songs definitely hitting better than others and avoiding certain repetitions. The lack of consistent lyrics also made it teeter on the edge of an acoustical album yet not so with the occasional utterances. Overall, the album will get a 2.5 and be bumped to 3 to avoid direct comparison with the gang of two's.
Honestly, aside from the lyrics themselves the rapping parts really reminded me of a potential cypher or a rap battle going down in Hogwarts. The voices and pronunciation just couldn't let me escape the thought which definitely affected the songs from being taken as seriously as perhaps I should have. The melodies and the musicality also seemed mostly like walkout songs and not something that could necessarily be danced to. The highlights were definitely the female vocals across numerous songs and "Unfinished Sympathy" but overall the album will be getting a 2.5 overall which will be downgraded to a two as it was just a miss personally.
Another similar album to Neil Young, with no standout songs you would want to skip but nothing to really skip, hop, or boogie along to and is mostly just background noise while working. Giving a 2.5/5 rating which will be bumped to 3 to differentiate between 2s.
Very much a an easy to listen, easy to forget album. The musicality showed off in the instrumentals as well as the odd vocal riff, but there wasn't necessarily anything that stood out to me or got me to gravitate towards. This will receive 2.5/5 with a bump up to 3 to avoid mingling with the rightful 2s.
The first three songs up until Frankie were real bop-inducing and was pulling the album to a very strong 4-star start. But then as the album went on, the momentum was slowing down and the energy was fizzling out to leave it as a 3.5/5 in the end with a bump to 3.
A very pleasant surprise hearing the much darker and calmer tone of the album when initially seeing the folk genre classifications. The moddy dark tones and the lyrics were quite a good listen, and really suited the artist. Nothing much more to add but the album will be a solid 4/5.
This was a pretty decent album with some likeable darker tones which stood out in specific songs. It did just enough to put itself into the realm of a 3-star.
Personally, it was a lengthy album in terms of volume of songs which can be a double-edged blade as it can leave an album with a few winners quite poor overall due to too much "clutter" or "chaos" which happened here. Overall the album would get a 2 which might be bumped up by a half if less songs existed or more winners were present.
The Steely Dan style is certainly evident in the beginning of the album for the first 2/3 tracks. However, Donald then shifts the energy and vibes of the music elsewhere to try make it his own which personally I meshed with less. Otherwise still a good album with not too many songs you'd be encouraged to skip but not quite hitting the consistency of Steely Dan so a 3/5.
With the only personal highlight of the album being the song "Girl", this was mostly an underwhelming album but not necessarily with any songs that were atrocious. Similar to his other entry, I would rate this a 2.5 and bumping it to 3 to avoid the riff-raff.
For the genre of music which definitely is more suited personally, this album certainly left for wanting more. It will be a 3.5/5 but demoted to 3 as it wouldn't really belong in the echelon of 4s.
An enjoyable Blues performance, with a more jovial vibe which probably misses a little on the personal preference but not faulting the artist for it. 3/5
Aside from the song "Perfect Day" which was the standout in this album, it was mostly underwhelming considering the backing and the genre. With no clear negatives in the album but also not many standout songs this will get a 2.5/5 with a bump to 3.
While the formula is quite similar for the songs in the album, there is a reason people and companies are rewarded so highly when they come up with the "perfect" something. This album is an example of that with each song from start to finish being very easily enjoyable and repeatable on their own merit and could well be adapted to multiple different situations which are some the key aspects of a great album. This will get a 5/5.
While you can definitely hear some of the remnants of Nirvana in the album brought from Dave Grohl, you can also sense the lack of Cobain in the style which made the album a little "more to be desired". This will get a 3.5 which is bumped down to 3 as it didn't really hit the heights to be closer to 4.
The album definitely began to shine brighter in the second half, especially with the song "Shine a Light" which was likely the favorite song of the album. As a first listen of Rolling Stones, this definitely didn't disappoint but also didn't completely blow you away given the aura and acclaim around the band. Will give this a 3.5/5 and bumping it to 3, as it didn't quite hit the heights of other albums here.
I think this was a great example in which the execution of a genre you enjoy just wasn't great or at the very least your cup of tea and how it can affect the enjoyment. Skunk Anansie may have some level of a following, however their vibe and lyrics did very little to impress with the one saving grace being that at least Skin was vocally talented. I would not listen to this album again, nor any song individually for that matter so it will receive a 2/5.
Overall, this was an average album mixed with mostly upbeat and good vibey music. While I wouldn't probably listen to it again, the experience itself of the first listen-through wasn't negative so it will receive the average 2.5/5 and be bumped to 3.
Personally, this is an exercise on evaluating albums on their current quality and whether they have endured the test of time by still outshining everything else. Pet Sounds might have set a lot of things in motion back in the day and paved paths, but listening to it today, it was just average pop which didn't really impress at any stage. Similar to artists like Neil Young or David Crosby who invoked similar feelings but with a different genre, this album will receive a 2.5/5 and be bumped to 3. The saving grace of thee Beach Boys in this instance, is that the album didn't bore as much as Crosby and Young did so in spirit they are better even if the rating won't allow it.
I went into this album with curiousity as the only song I had heard before was the titular Hotel California which I received very well. Overall the album, was pretty much without fault in terms of the music however I was hoping for more songs that really hit. It happened once during Wasted Time, however afterwards the songs were mostly comfortable but nothing too special. I would listen to the album again but would likely find myself skipping more towards Hotel California and Wasted Time with the rest being more of a filler listen. This will receive a 3.5/5 and be bumped to a 3 as it did not quite hit the height of being able to bump it to a 4, which might have been different with one or two more "standout" songs.
The album started off as something that would mirror an earlier Bob Dylan album, with it being quite inoffensive but also not necessarily too engaging. However, as the album proceeded I felt like the composition of the instruments against her raw vocals started getting the brain active trying to catch the intricacies of matching melodies as well as where both were "competing" against each other. Some highlight songs were for sure the titular song "Blue" as well as "River" which leverage the tones and chords from the Christmas Song "Jingle Bells". However the seemingly intentional omittance and skipping of certain notes made the listener in a palce where they would be awarded for recognizing the patterns without paying the price of it sounding the exactly same throughout. This will get 3.5/5 but will be bumped to a 3 as it didn't quite have as many of those standout songs to push it to 4 but still quite a good and pleasant listen as an album.
When listening to older albums from the 60s and 70s, one of the key markers of a high-rated album is whether it has stood the test of time. With newer albums such as this, the inverse is applied by determining whether the album has built upon the work of the past and improved on it with all of the advancements. This was certainly not the case for Django Django, which aside from trippy-ish instrumentals and editing didn't really shine in any area and ended up being mostly a disappointing listen even if there were no songs necessarily that were atrocious. This will be given a 2.5/5 which is bumped to a 2.
While certainly funky with a plethora of effects, the overall album gave the vibe of an underwater dance album. Possibly a good listen if you are high or partying at Sandy's but personally this was not an album that I would in any case want to listen again as it took three days of starts and stops to get through it. As such it will receive a 2/5.
I think the album really kicks into gear during the song "Guiltiness" and pretty much rides the strong waves of Reggae vibes which are difficult to fault and shake during a listen. Personally, Reggae seems to be genre that has managed to create a recipe of music that is difficult to dislike with many songs having the potential to impact the listener in different magnitudes. As such, this album will get a 4/5 since the entire listen-through for the large part was enjoyable and could easily be repeated.
This is definitely one of those road trip albums with songs that make the legs and head bob. I would argue that perhaps the title of The Boss based on this album is a little exaggerated. Overall, this album will receive a rating of 3.5/5 with a bump up to 4 as it definitely deserves to be separated from other ratings of 3s.
An album full of unpolished, natural vocals which were very strong and versatile and excelled in every song in slightly different styles. Definitely a strong introduction to JJ and will likely gladly listen to any songs in the future. 4/5.
This was unfortunately quite disappointing as an album. The vocals similar to the energy in most of this album flatlined, with transitions from songs being almost unnoticeable due to the same tempo and voice saying different words in the same repetitive. Was a chore to get through at 60+ mins also, and thus will receive 2/5.
This album is what this whole experience is about and why it should be done. Never would this have crossed my radar if it wasn't for this, and it was a great listen throughout with extremely memorable and distinct vocals and great instrumental accompaniment mixed with the strong lyrics. It's difficult to give this quite a 5/5, but it will receive a strong 4.5/5 and be bumped to 4.
Quite an average listen, with nothing really capturing the attention nor really offending much. A middle-of-the-road 2.5/5 which will be bumped to 3 due to the lack of offence.
AS much as I am aware of their impact/influence on certain artists, their debut album certainly wasn't something that resonated with me. The style of "Yell Rapping" is not one for me, and the lyrics were mostly satirical or meant to be comedic. The beats hit quite well, and even ignited some past recollections of hearing them in possible samples so that certainly helped the album, but overall it will receive a 2.5/5, bumped to 3.
Overall, there was two highly stand-out songs: Visions and All in Love is Fair. The remaining album was smooth sailing of Wonder's runs and vibey music. It doesn't necessarily impress but also doesn't have any faults about it, other than having more standout songs. This will receive a 3.5/5 but will be bumped to 3.
You can definitely recognise that the vocals are good and that Nusrat is talented, however the type of music is not really a personal vibe and it would be interesting to hear him in other styles to see how the talent carries over. Overall 2.5/5 with a bump to 3.
This was frankly bizarre and quite a chore to listen to with it's run time of 60+ minutes. It was evident in every song that this was meant to be a trippy, "go do acid" type of music which really wasn't meshing personally. This will receive a 2/5 out of 5.
It's a Sin was the clear standout and even a potential 4/5 in terms of a song, but the rest was just the standard 80's pop/disco music. I don't think this has necessarily stood the test of time as well as for example MJ with Thriller and Bad in the 80s. It's albums like these that sometimes make me think that the Nostalgic oldies are trying to hang on to some "golden generation" of music. This will receive a 2.5/5 but not enough to push it to 3, and thus will receive a 2.
Personally, the second side of the album was certainly much stronger with a few highlights like "A Passage to Bangkok", "Tears" and "Something for Nothing" with the first die having "Temples of Syrinx". The second half of the album gave a lot of Supernatural (the show) vibes which was great as it has a strong soundtrack. Currently the album will receive a 3.5/5 with a bump to 4, however if the first side of the album had more songs similar to the first, it could have easily been touching a half-rating or a full rating higher.
I would personally rate the second album lower than the first. While there wasn't any songs which were duds, it did appear like some songs got filler added in of repeated noises, etc. that kind of took you out of the song. "Whole Lotta Love" from the start was an example of this with the "breathing"ish noises in the middle of the song. I would give this a 3.5.
Overall quite a "meh" album with nothing that really stood out to be overly enjoyable. I would give this a 2.5 with a bump to 2 as it really didn't impress enough to make it above average.
Quite an unexpected surprise for the album. Having listened to only "Royals" before which I had enjoyed, seeing her talent displayed in an entire album from a musicality, creativity perspective with the unique vibes for these songs made it a very enjoyable listen with each song being a standout on it's own and thus earning the album a 5/5.
Having seen the members of the band, especially Dave Navarro the album came with high expectations which due to stylistics choices really let this album down personally. I would give thiis album a 3/5
This was a pleasant surprise in terms of a listening experience. The expectations per the initial Wiki and the name of the album and band, directed the mind to go into a bog-standard poppy funk. But, it ended up having some highlights like Le Freak, Happy Man and At Last I Am Free which ended up making this a decent listen. I think the start with Cheer was quite weak but picked up from there. I would rate this as a 3.5/5 but bumping it down to a 3.
This was quite an easy listen, with some clear standouts like "Where Do the Children Play" and "Sad Lisa" especially the violin and string ensemble towards the end which was a real mood lifter despite the name of the song. There were some interesting techniques explored with the vocals, and overall the album as a whole receives a 3/5.
Regardless of their potential influence on the genre, and their vision for the time, this was not a very enjoyable album to listen to. It is likely largely associated with the genre and it's repetition not being something that I am a fan of and believe it can only be enjoyed when under the influence. This will receive a 2/5.
This was interesting and a little bit of a let down if I'm being honest. Having chatted about JT with others, I learned that he had been given the moniker and title of "Prince of Pop" which definitely raised the bar high.
However, after listening to the album in which the only actual standout in the sea of similar, high, breathy and bouncy songs was "Cry me a River" of course. This is not to say that the others were poor, but I'm not sure if it is exactly Prince worthy.
It may be an unpopular opinion and the genres aren't quite the same but I would have enjoyed 2/3 starting albums of Akon much more than this and as such will be rating this as a 3.5/5 with a bump to 4.
This was honestly quite a bore to listen to, so much so that while the songs weren't necessarily an assault on the senses, it will still receive a 2/5 instead of the usual as it just doesn't inspire anything other than some heavy eyes, which you would need to take some uppers to combat at which stage perhaps the droopy space music background here would also be more enjoyable.
Overall the album is immense, and is just scratching the line for a 5/5 album. Multiple highlights like Rolling In the Deep, Set Fire to the Rain and Someone Like You which have become classics, as well as songs like Turning Tables, Don't You Remember which were personal highlights. Furthermore songs like Rumor Has It which showed an interesting and brief tempo change 2/3 way through and gave slightly Bond-esque vibes foreshadowing a future Skyfall and One and Only which showcased some more raw vocals in mini-riffs.
There were also some more dud songs like Take It All and He Won't Go or I'll Be Waiting which were less of duds, but noticeable based on the heavy-hitting album.
As such, this will get a 4.5/5 being extremely close to a 5/5 but getting bumped down to 4 as 5/5 are exclusively reserved for a 5.
This was certainly more pleasant to listen than some other electronic-focused albums with focus on some Choir sounds and instrumental pieces. Highlights of the album were Porcelain, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, Natural Blue, Guitar & Flute String and My Weakness.
Overall, going to give this a 3/5 as it had a lot of songs on it and quite the listening time for a genre which isn't a typical fit but had some gems that I would certainly listen to again but in isolation.
Initially when the album started off with White Dress, the High, Breathy voice was quite weird especially when mixed with the Jammed/Forced cadence of some of the pre-chorus/chorus lines. However, getting deeper into the album, the voice did start becoming quite haunting even if the tone of the album remained quite similar but things slowed down and took slower and more melancholic turns. It is able to hold itself just about at a 3.5/5 but definitely not enough to be bumped to a 4 and instead will be bumped to a 3 instead.
This was definitely a pleasant listen without any songs truly standing out amongst each other for either being great or really poor.
I probably wouldn't listen to the album again, but wouldn't turn off any of the songs individually if they were to play at random elsewhere. Overall, I would give this album a 3.5/5 however, it would be bumped down to 3 as it didn't separate itself enough.
Quite similar to the previous listen of Vivid by Living Colour with no songs necessary standing out immensely for being great or poor. However it did lack a little something which Living Colour did possess and thus this album will be receiving a standard 3/5 rating.
More of the same drivel from Talking Heads that didn't impress when listening to "Remain in Light" album. The saving grace here was the song "Psycho Killer" which was immediately recognized and lightly mumbled along to especially during the "Psycho Kill-UR" pronunciation. AS it really isn't my music, this will get a similar 2/5 as their previous album in the generator.
If I had to personally give an opinion, then this would be much closer if not THE beginning of Heavy Metal instead of Vincebus Eruptum by Blue Cheer. And in terms of execution, it is quite strong for it's time even if some of the classics of the future to come definitely surpass it. As such, this album will receive a strong 3.5/5 which will be bumped to 4.
Having already listened to Blue from Joni, there was hope for this album to build further on the intricacies of the composition, however this album definitely didn't live up the previous listen. This album really didn't have any songs which stood out, or would warrant a re-listen and as such will receive 2.5/5 which will be bumped to 3 as there was nothing explicitly wrong with it also.
Overall, quite a strong Live performance from The Who. The entire album was vibey with a lot of musicality on display on the instruments. Some standout songs personally were Young Man Blues and My Generation. As an album this will receive a 3.5/5 but will be bumped down to 3 as it didn't quite hit enough to be bumped to a 4 with others.
Overall, the album certainly had a decent amount of favorites with songs such as: Come Together, Something, Oh Darling, Here Comes the Sun, Because, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers.
Maxwell's Silver Hammer was a weird song, but surprisingly enjoyable also. Personally, the 2nd side of the album was where a lot more "filler" was observed since the album has a total of 17 songs. Had the 2nd side of the album been less dense with songs that seemed to weave into each other with no real pauses, this album likely would have gotten a 4.5 or a 5. However, as it stands, this album received a 4/5.
I was looking forward to this after Abbey Road, as stylistically it suits my personal tastes more. While the instrumental side of things was exactly what I would have wanted, I will admit that vocally I am not as sold on the style. While the popular portions of rhythmic repetitions of syllables were interesting, it wasn't enough to push the album any higher than 3/5.
This was a great album from start to finish. A delicate balance of slowing things down as well as adding more energy just when it was needed. There wasn't a single song that wouldn't have been listenable by itself and therefore, this album will get a 5/5 as a definite listen again whenever it would pop up without a doubt.
I had never listened to much Take That, so I couldn't say whether this is a debut album in which he really re-invented himself as a solo artist, but the album itself is mostly very easily forgettable. The only stand outs were "Angels" and "Let Me Entertain You", the latter of which I had no idea was from Robbie Williams, having heard it on numerous occasions. Since the songs weren't necessarily off-putting but mostly dull, with the two exceptions this album will receive a 2/5.
This is a very difficult decision, in terms of how to actually rate this album. There is something oddly captivating about this album. While the tracks themselves are not really music at all for the most part, you seem to be drawn to it and just listen more intently than something that is more enjoyable but can be ingested with a more distracted mind. As a musical album, this would easily get a 1/5 but then again, as an experience from start to finish, I would be more inclined to give it a 3.5 or even a 4/5.
Good: Weeping (Weirdly calming, especially the plucking sounds), E-Coli (Nice long drawn out strings - Favourite "Track")
Weird: Hit by a Rock (Comforting Strumming), Dead on Arrival (Semblance of Music, almost like a single splices of a full song with the rest muted.), Hometime (Almost a Yin and Yang of the ominous tones, and child dialogue balancing each other.), We Hate you - Little Girl (Jesus Christ)
Meh: IBM (Annoying Shattering Noise), Valley of the Shadow of Death (Just a conversation).
Would I ever listen to this again, no but I would definitely recommend it to others who have not heard it yet.
This wasn't an unpleasant listen, but definitely did not stand-out at all. The only song which I could see myself listening on multiple occasions would be "Sharp Dressed Man". The remaining songs, I would never actively seek out, however they are also not off-putting enough to turn them off if they were to play accidentally. As the album was largely made up of these songs, this will receive a 2.5/5 and be bumped to a 3.
It couldn't reach the heights that Pretzel Logic hit, with the listen going by very uneventfully with not a single song standing out enough to even be mentioned as a great one. This one will be an easy 2/5, which won't be listened to again.
Aside from the two more enjoyable tracks "Bladerunners" and "Animist", this album was just a bizarre experiment in rap/hip-hop and did not make for a good listen, especially when committing listeners to 60+ mins. This would have to receive a 1.5/5 but be bumped up to 2 as it doesn't entirely belong in the realms of a 1.
This was a decent listen, with heavy focus on being vibey. It is difficult to specifically choose a favorite track, as the purpose of the album seems to just be kind of losing yourself in a bit of a wiggle as time passes which I caught myself doing a fair few times. Overall, I would give this album a solid 3/5 as nothing really stood out but it invoked a little groove every now and again and wasn't a bad listening experience.
This was an interesting album, as it followed right after Jamiroquai and "Emergency On The Planet". Both albums actually seemed to try and create a vibe but in very different ways. While stylistically, R.E.M.'s attempt was much closer to my personal preference, the nasal tone of the voice did start to take away from the enjoyment about mid-way through the album. As such it will also receive a 3/5 but could have been looking at a score closer to 4, had the voice been different.
Damn, the start of the album was extremely strong with "Ole Man Trouble" and "A Change is Gonna Come" which ended up being the favorite track of the lot. The start was hinting at a possible 5, but then the tone of the subsequent songs went to more livelier soul which was still absolutely fine to listen to, but it didn't necessarily transport me anywhere like the other two songs did. As such, this will receive a 4/5 rating.
And... another Talking Heads album. This is the 4th time that I have had to go through these and they genuinely always just don't do anything for me other than occupy the time it takes to finish their album while not offending too much. The first appearance with "Fear of Music" was the highest rated with a 2.5, with the rest all hitting a 2. This trend will continue to a degree with this album receiving a 2.5/5 but still being bumped to a 2 as it doesn't do enough to warrant an above average rating. Here's hoping that we have finished this quadrilogy...
This was quite a pleasant listen, having never heard of this group as well as not having listened to much music from this time. The vocals are definitely quite good, however I did prefer them employed in the more sombre, slower songs which diden't make a majority appearance on this album in exchange for more upbeat tunes along the lines of "Million Dollar Bash", and etc. As such, I will give this album a 3/5.
This album was very underwhelming with absolutely no standouts when it came to songs. The vocals seemed to have been dimmed down and masked with produced echoes or dampening like the band was underwater or far away for most of the time. The entire time was spent waiting on this album to end, and therefore it will receive a 1.5/5 which will be bumped to a 2 for now as the album didn't necessarily offend either.
This was a quick and pleasant listen, just like some albums should strive to be. The style was definitely on the lighter side of my preferences but it went by quick. Without any songs that necessarily stood out, it was a well-balanced experience from start to finish which will earn it 3/5.
This was quite similar from an enjoyment perspective to the previous album which came up called Aha Shake Heartbreak from Kings of Leon. I would have to say that this album started a little slower in terms of the stylistic match for me but the second half of the album definitely hit more of my preferences. As such this will get a slightly lower vote at 2.5/5 but still be bumped up.
Stylistically, I could notice some semblances of future rock being derived from here over multiple iterations. While the music wasn't exactly to my tastes, it was yet again quite a comfortable and non-offensive album with no clear winners or losers. As such, thjis will get a 3/5 as it's vote.
This was definitely an improvement from their first appearance in this selection with "Ritual De Lo Habitual" which was a bit of a let down. The album was stylistically more favorable in this case, and the vocals while could have been improved for certain didn't impact the album too much. I would give this a very strong 3.5/5 which will be bumped to a 4.
Pretty much the same experience as the earlier appearance from Massive Attack with "Blue Lines". This is just mostly repetitive and quite boring music, which it likely doesn't try to be be succeeds at accidentally. The saving moments are the female vocals in a select few songs as well as some of the instrumentals which are interjected between the percussive beats, but not enough to save this from a lower score. As a listening experience this album receives a 2/5.
This...album...was...too...long. This will be brightest memory of the album which is probably a shame as the individual songs themselves were for the most part really good listens individually, but it will be overshadowed by this pretty much combining three albums into one, with the final third being all instrumental, which again by itself could be a groovy listen called upon at the right moment for great effect but quite unnecessary here.
This will be one of those albums in which instead of a few bright spots helping it gain higher rating points, it instead starts at quite a favorable spot and will be marked down for the length. It will receive a 3.5/5 but on the lower end so not bumping up to a 4 but instead a 3.
This was a pretty enjoyable journey for an album, ending with the instrumental at the end. The tone was definitely quite bluesy but also more on the raw side which makes it easy to just kind of lose yourself in listening to it. While there weren't any clear standout songs, it was consistently good all throughout and as such will receive a 3.5/5 which will be bumped down to a 3 as it doesn't quite hit enough to make it to the threshold of the next rating.
This was definitely not my cup of tea, the vocals were quite muffled and the instrumentals and tones were just all over the place for me. When the initial song began, the intro gave some "Summer Wine" vibes which was encouraging but then the reality set in. It was a blessing that this album was only 29 minutes long so it didn't last too long but for the experience it will receive a 2/5.
This was a decent album to listen to, with the clear standout personally being 'Country Comforts'. I had of course heard of Rod Stewart, but never actually listened to a song of his consciously so this was a pleasant experience and a good testament to the benefit of this whole project. Overall, I think this will get a slightly above average rating so a 3/5.
I may be just not understanding the Beatles hype and definitely in a minority but this was a pretty average listening experience for what I have considered to be the most successful Beatles member after the break-up due to longevity and seeing the name. There wasn't anything that really stood out in the whole album but it wasn't also offensive in any way so it will receive a 2.5/5 with a bump up to 3, just cause it doesn't deserve the lower ranking.
Yeah quite similar to a lot of different albums that have already appeared here in terms of non-offending music that is okay to listen through but will it ever bring me back for another listen, even for a song or two... the answer would be no, and so this will get a similar 2.5/5 which will be bumped to a 3.
I think getting Throbbing Gristle quite early has spoiled me for "transformative" journey-based albums that are more of an experience than pleasant listening, which means any others following it will be seen as doing the same thing and just being unpleasant to listen to. It would have been fairer to have them ramp up in their eccentricity so they could be perhaps rated more fairly but unfortunately that didn't end up being the case.
Luckily, this album did have two decent songs towards the end with "Over My Head" and "Humor Me" which will pull this album up to a rating of 2 and have it avoid the the lowest scale, but overall this was not a great listen with the start already being painful.
As far as Jazz goes, this was certainly at least listenable in the sense that there was a direction and multiple journeys that you could sense were started and then brought to a destination, unlike some other Jazz that has already come up in which it was so Chaotic, it made me question whether any actual planning went into it. With that being said, this type of Jazz, certainly isn't my biggest cup of tea especially with no vocal backing and just instrumentals, so this will receive a 2.5/5 and be bumped to a 3, as it just didn't really do much either way.
I actually enjoyed thee stripped back, strumming, talk-singing vibe of the album. I think the songs themselves were really well written, and the whole atmosphere the album sets up is one of sitting at a campfire and just humming or singling along to songs or even like how parents would have used to try and sing to their children which gives it an warm and easy listening experience. That all being said, let's not also acknowledge that vocally, it is still not really impressive so it doesn't WOW you either with any song so it can't reach the heights in terms of rating. I think overall, I would give this album a 3.5/5 and bump it down to 3 as it seems fitting for an album that can be characterised as a glass of warm cocoa.
