bill ward is such a badass drummer.
this is what i consider proper rock and roll.
ozzy's vocals are so underrated. he's got the range of bono but actually making good music.
changed the course of rock and roll and also holds up today 55 years later as being heavier than the current hits while also still being accessible.
guitar in that lady is rad.
amazing rhythm. production is clean but not overpolished. can't believe i've never listened to this one front to back. absolute banger.
Holy shit I can't believe I've never listened to this front to back. Somehow both raw and polished at the same time. Amazing lyrics. I immediately restarted the album after I finished it.
The vocals over the instrumentation is some of the best shit I've heard.
Great album that I had never spent much time listening to in the past. Definitely will be coming back to it and will be in my regular rotation.
It's a good song but a bit much to play it 11 times in a row.
Taxman: iconic riff and one of my favorite guitar pieces by the Beatles or any band for that matter. Has a crazy good backstory and the wikipedia page for it is crazy long.
I'm Only Sleeping is my favorite Lennon song by leaps and bounds. Too relatable.
Here, there, and everywhere is probably my favorite McCartney song.
George's guitar throughout the album is just so perfect and underrated. He clearly had taken a next step in his musicianship and it shines.
i always thought mccartney wrote and your bird can sing.
this is definitely the best beatles album
it's crazy that the back quarter of this album feels less good but if it were a stand alone EP it'd be adored.
i feel like george's influence on john is underrated because john had such an ego he could never admit it. but the end of the album feels like john really got into what george was laying down and then kind of ran with it (could be totally off base).
"Europe Endless" sure lives up to its name. Not a good start.
Seems like it's important to have music history context to really appreciate this album. I imagine this sound was just not really existent prior to Kraftwerk but it is not my vibe.
Showroom Dummies is a bop. Read more about the history here and didn't realize that electronic music basically didn't exist before them so makes sense why this is a must listen. Apparently synthesizers were quite different back in these days and way more difficult to use.
Overall just not my cup of tea. I'm in the wrong but it is what it is. I only truly enjoyed one song on the track and the rest of it felt like a lot of repetitive filler.
It's basically impossible for me to review this album objectively. I have so many good memories associated with it and seeing the Flaming Lips live countless times.
The way they're able to go from silly and lighthearted to sincere and heartfelt is something very few bands can do. The music backing it has the same level of flexibility, going from jammy vibes with a lot of air and space to tight riffs matches the lyrical contents of the songs.
Wayne's vocals probably aren't for everyone but I personally love his voice and its imperfections. Waitin for a Superman is one of my absolute favorite songs of the 90s.
Learning about the Mokran mixes was also super interesting. Basically this guy was a super super successful R&B producer and the Flaming Lips wanted him to come in and mix a couple of their songs. I have to say, his mixes are definitely better than the original versions of the song. He polishes it in a way that doesn't rob the song of its soul. I'm going to give it a 5 because of my bias but I think it would be a very strong lock for a 5 if he had mixed all the songs.
I came into this album with pretty low expectations and was pleasantly surprised that a couple of the songs were decent and enjoyable to listen to. Good musicianship and some head bobbing moments for sure.
That said, for the time it came out, I think it wasn't really inventive, lyrics were super corny and trying to be edgy, songs were repetitive, and the ballads and parts of songs that got balladesque sucked.
If it came on at a shitty surburban bar while I was 9 beers deep on a Wednesday night I would definitely enjoy a couple of songs. But inevitably some guy chain smoking would start blabbing to me how he saw them 20 times in one year and nobody makes good music like this anymore before he inevitably says something super racist and I have to awkwardly step away.
Too many covers to give it anything more than a 3. Enjoyable listen.
couple of bangers. interesting album. might rate it higher after a revisit but a solid 3 for me.
Solid album. A lot of covers so it gets docked but I could listen to this any day. Love Keith's guitar and the tone of Mick's voice when they're young like this. Sign of great things to come and if it was stand alone it'd probably get a higher rating. But knowing what's next holds it to a higher standard than a lot of other albums with similar influence.
Had some absolute bangers that I will definitely come back to. That said, the creep vibe took it down a peg for me on a couple of songs. Some filler in the middle. The back third of the album was really good and surprising. Cool sound and glad I listened to it.
Lenny, you are absolutely not my man. I wish the Jazz Police would have arrested you for this album.
This man is an absolute genius.
Everything from production, to instrumentation, to lyrics. Just all stellar, diverse, innovative, and most importantly it's incredibly enjoyable to listen to. Whether you're looking for something meaningful or just a bop to enjoy. It has it all in almost every single song.
Can't believe I've never listened to this album before. So good.
So many just flat out badass songs. Amazing production. Couple that fall flat for me so can't give it a perfect but I still love this album.
Rock and roll just does it for me
perfect rainy day music. what a calming way to listen to a dude shred. wish i could sit in a house near the beach in mendocino and just have this on all day with a coffee.
I really like a lot of these songs but the production is just too much and takes away from the organic feel that would make them stand out. At times, the production takes the lyrics from being heartfelt and raw to sounding cheesy and superficial. It's a bummer because I think if this were taken by a different producer it would have been significantly better.
Apparently this was a sentiment shared by Aimee because she has stated in her later work she tried to shy away from the 90s clean production style. Would love to hear this remastered in a way that is more true to an 'artist recording in their bedroom' style.
Great voice and obviously exceptional songwriter. My dislike of the production might just be a me problem.
Immediately put it back on after it ended.
To be totally frank, I'm really unfamiliar with Tribe Called Quest and Q-Tip. This is definitely sending me down a rabbit hole.
Awesome album.
10/10. Amazing.
Such a diverse set of songs, all done exceptionally well. Amazing lyrics. So many deep cut references to other amazing songs ( ie Cop Shoot Cop... uses John Prine's 1970 lyric "There's a hole in his arm where all the money goes, and Jesus Christ Christ died for nothing I suppose"). The production quality and creativity is S Tier all the way through the album. Just amazing.
Only been doing this for a couple of weeks but this is by far and away my favorite album since starting this. Sorry brb gotta go listen to it for the 4th time in 24 hours.
