Woah. Don’t know what I was expecting but that wasn’t really it. Started to sound like Tom Petty about four songs in. Very Lite 100.5 at points, but rocked a lot harder than I’d anticipated. One thing I didn’t like was the fade-out of some of the songs. Some Bowie and Stones vibes, too. Fave parts were probably the drums in the first two songs and the guitar in Strangered In The Night. I also really liked the huskiness of Mystery Man and the emotionally-charged strain Petty puts in his voice in Luna. Those two songs reminded me of something that I can’t quite place. And American Girl is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! “She couldn’t help thinking that there was a little more to life somewhere else; after all, it was a great big world with lots of places to run to.” The album finished on such a high note it’s made me blind to anything I disliked earlier on in that initial listen.
Damn, I was so skeptical of M1 A1 at first, but it just started rocking SO HARD, oh my gosh. This album has been super back and forth for me so far. I really, really liked Slow Country. A couple songs that I wasn’t a big fan of when they came on. Maybe not the best album to listen to front-to-back, feels like one you just pick a few songs from that you like, but it’s not necessarily one collective storyline or style. Definitely a LOT of variety, which I think Gorillaz is known for. The Spanish song also caught me by surprise but was super cool! And then I chided myself for being surprised because this is Gorillaz hahhahaha. The Suzuki Method song was pretty cool, too, I guess. Excited for this last Clint Eastwood. Alrighty so looking back on it, Re-Hash was really good—I think it’s a spoof on Song 2, right? But of course even better. I don’t know, overall quite a bit of fun, but also some drags. Probably a 2 out of 5 as of right now. It does feel as though it might grow on me, however. :))
LOOONG album, oh my gosh. Here we go, though! I've been having more fun with The Love Below than Speakerboxxx. She Lives in My Lap was really, really good. Hey Ya! of course is a masterpiece. She's Alive also is really good. There were some really groovy tracks on side one, too, though, that I could definitely get down to. I'm not quite finished with the album yet. As of right now, on She's Alive, I'd give the album a 2 or 3. I'd give it a 2.5, but can't do that hahahha. It's not all my type of music. I can see myself going back to a couple of songs, but no way would I go through the full album again. Just a LOT of music that doesn't necessarily resonate with me all that deeply. I will have to listen to some more Outkast though; hopefully their other albums are shorter and more condensed! We'll see! On My Favorite Things now, and very excited for the Norah Jones track!! Meh. Halfway through the last track, bye.
Oooh, I’m having fun so far! It’s impressive! The style is so cool, and not something I’ve really listened all that much to before. I feel like I can hear a mesh of different styles and influences; I can pick out some Beatles influence, but it also sounds very modern for 1974. Almost akin to The Police, perhaps. I wasn’t even aware people were making music like this in the early 70s!! Really easy to listen to. I’m having a ton of fun with it so far. Almost soothing to my ears, as my head has been hurting so much for the past little while before putting this record on. Excited to see where the rest of it goes, on Asylum now. :)) A bit of the way through Rudy now, and I can definitely see myself going back to listen through this entire album again in the future!! I think I understand what prog rock is now lol. Ooh okay, I’m REALLY, really liking this album, which is not surprising, per se, but is a pleasant and exciting treat. Okay! All right! Very, very enjoyable album!! A solid 4 stars for me! :) Also sort of introduced me to a new subgenre that I wasn’t necessarily all that aware of/familiar with.
My opinion on the album flip-flopped a lot throughout. It felt like music I’ve heard before for the most part, but that’s probably because of how en vogue this type of music has been in recent decades. Nothing groundbreaking for me, but a couple of songs that I will gladly return to. A 3.5, but I might round it up to a 4 thanks to the fact that I wasn’t expecting too much from it. If I end up giving it a 3, that’s likely because it’s not a new, unique, or original sound to me. Okay, yeah. Even up til the last song my mind has been back and forth. There were a few really good songs!! Those were about halfway through the album. This last song already is dragging a bit, though, mostly because I feel like the singer’s voice doesn’t add very much to it. It also gives off debate meet vibes for some reason hahahha. Also the organs aren’t really for me. Maybe I’ll end up giving this album a 3—with the nuance that a handful of songs from it are solid 4 or 5 star songs!!
Hellll yeah!! You know that’s right!! Already excited to hear the rest of the album (as in, the songs I haven’t heard yet), and to revisit some absolute gems that I’ve already loved for so long!! Let’s go! Let’s get into this!! :) So far—one One Flight Down now—I’d give it a solid 4 stars. I think it does what it set out to do very well.
Oh hell yeah!! I grooved to this. Hard to go wrong with Latin American music. Sexy and sensual and strumming (if that makes sense---it doesn't really). I think a perfect album. Of course it's not an "on repeat" type of record for me, but I can sure picture myself jamming out to it in the future. It fits in exactly where it should in its own niche. Very fun and very energetic. Got me dancing a lot, which I value greatly in a set of songs. Loved it, very musically brilliant. Overall, really very nice!! :)) 9/10 perfect score!!!!
Already time for this?! Wow!! That came along quickly!!!! I mean… 5/5, what a remarkable album. Speaks very aptly on the human condition and all it entails. Also wasn’t expecting to enjoy the music/instrumentals of it so much. My expectations going in were that it would be great but not necessarily to my taste. However, I really throughly enjoyed it and can see why people say it’s the best ever, GOAT. It’s not my favorite album of all time, but I can completely recognize the genius behind it and the fact that it so gorgeously flowed from one song to the next. And for 45 minutes, that felt like 10. Magic, purely. :) I really loved the horn in Us and Them. It was SOOOO beautiful. Really, though, I do actually think all the musical elements of it were some of my favorite parts of the whole album. Along, of course, with some magnificent songwriting. Just lovely, all around. Also loved his voice at certain points (not always, but certain points).
Almost simpler than I expected. It was easily understood, as well. Thought it would be out of reach, only for those deeply involved in music and its creation. Yet alas, I was proven wrong, and the common layperson can indeed appreciate this album. 5 glorious stars. Let’s go!!
Overall pretty boring. Elevator music at times. SOME songs I enjoyed partially, but mostly, no. Just boring. Don’t think I’d do much with it. Maybe after a relisten I’ll like it more. But yeah, for now, a 2.
Ooooh okay, I'm vibing, girlypop!!
Meh, I'm already having way less fun on this second song than I was having on the first song.
I only listened to maybe half???? before I dipped. Kind of weird and like it wanted to be something better. Maybe upon a relisten (if I ever get around to one), it will click.
Oh, wow. One minute and twenty-one seconds of a standing ovation is only right. Really, really beautiful. The tone was absolutely impeccable; warm, while still retaining mystery and glamour. Just purely magnificent all-around. Perfect album.
Oooooh, I like it a lot actually so far!! On (I believe) the third song right now, and I'm finding a lot to enjoy about this album! Woop woop! Pretty good overall, I’m willing to give it a four, but for some reason it doesn’t feel quite right. Maybe a 3 with the nuance that it’s a very very high 3, and that I prefer a few of the songs way over parts of other albums that I’ve given 4s to. Guess we’ll see whether this receives a 3 or a 4 for a mark. Tata for now!!
P.S. I also think that upon further listening, I would enjoy it even more. So maybe, yeah just maybe, I’ll give it a 4. It has cool production and everything, and some standout songs with interesting variation throughout. Just some unforgettable, heard-it-a-thousand-times-before songs, though, unfortunately.
Oh wow. I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m already thinking I’ll give this a 5, and I’m not even a full song in. Huh, guess that’s just the power of French over me. Wait never mind lmao. It got really hardcore and that’s really not for me if I’m honest here.
What the fuck was I thinking lmao. 1 all the way (0 if that was allowed). It’s probably great for those who like this type of music, but I REALLY REALLY don’t. Whatever. To each their own, different strokes for different folks, etc.
1 all the way down/across the board.
It’s a really good album, but unfortunately the lead singer’s voice is a bit grating to my ears. I am sure I am alone in that opinion, but still.
OH HELLL YEAHHHH. Ready to get into this one 🤩🤩. Easy 5 stars. I mean, wow. Just wow. An incredible feat of artistry.
Oooh, for some reason I wasn’t expecting Cyndi Lauper on this list, but this is such a good pull. Excited, to say the least!!
Very, very fun!! And also very influential within the pop world, I’d say. The best songs are otherwordly; I mean, Time After Time is for sure one of the greatest songs of the 80s. Such a strong album.
OH HELL YEAH. Love Fiona Apple. Oh wow, her voice is capable of being so so buttery, or so so gritty, and you can tell she’s truly a master of control. (Also a master of songwriting). Her lyrics are very poetic and the style of the songs suits it—jazzier than I expected, perhaps, and much more akin to Norah Jones than you’d think. I do love the variation between the songs. Each one is its own unique being, and most are marvelous. In perhaps a rare occurrence, I prefer the second side and find it to be overall stronger. The last two or three songs are just fantastic, somehow even more so than the rest of the album (a feat that seems near impossible!!).
Wow! A surprising 5/5 for me right now! I’ve never listened to The National before, only heard of them in passing and I think they feature on a Taylor Swift song? But if my memory serves me well, I didn’t love that song when I heard it. So yeah, this album definitely pleases. Mostly I just can’t find anything to criticize it on. It just is a really engaging, exciting, interesting, captivating, and overall relaxing listen.
Singular, so far.
Only got through about a song and some change, but I wanna keep working through these, so I’m marking this a 3 as a placeholder for now to move onto the next.
A little bit "Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)" by Ben Gibbard, a little bit Wilco, a lotta bit fantastic. Right up my alley so far. Also partly River Whyless and maybe some LCD Soundsystem? I don't know exactly, but boy am I LOVING this. Feels like visiting Grandfather from New Mexico. Oh wow, I swear it just keeps getting better and better. I'm almost bitter at how long the album is, because it's so so many new fantastic songs that it's a lot to stomach all at once!! 5 stars for sure!! Not a single doubt in my mind.
Torn between 4 and 5. 4 only because the production was a bit muddled at time. Techno/electronic I can really get behind.
Oh I just know this is going to be so, so good. I think I’ll probably listen to it late at night tonight while I’m packing for Gdańsk. :)) Yupp. Easy 5/5. Wow, just wow. His voice and the production are both so silky and so, so emotive.
Loved some songs, really didn’t like some others. A fun album though, and I could definitely see it growing on me.
Wowzer gee, I just love Bowie.
OH WOW starting off strong!! Like right off the bat the first track is so good. Probably the best music I’ve listened to in a long while. Holyyyy folks. Okayyy on the second track now and I can definitely hear the post-punk sound, plus some pure 80s structure/synth. Almost reminiscent of Joe Strummer on Combat Rock? It’s fun! Some low points in the album—nothing distinctly bad, just less exciting than the standard set by the best tracks on the record, which is a compliment.
