Pretty sure I'm going to be an outlier, but there was a lot to like for me here. I'm partial to the folk/blues elements and I'm all for quirky, adventurous instrumentation. That being said, this feels like a case of too many ideas creating a disjointed listening experience. You can really feel some sort of tension between different creative visions or directions. The lyrics are also...yeah... Overall, nostalgia bumps this up for me a bit - a lot of these guitar riffs sound like home.
Highlights:
- Feelin’ Alright?: Ultra nostalgia blast - the most commercial song on this album. Reminds me of riding in my dad’s truck with all the windows rolled down on a summer night. This was the first time the vocal style really connected with me and who doesn't love a saxophone?
- No Time to Live: Ultra moody with a heavy dose of weird soul - this was right up my alley, even with the quasi-whale noises.
- Means to an End: Hell of a gear shift, but that guitar and blues grit really worked for me.
- Medicated Goo: Feels the most emblematic of the whole album. Slick guitar, some really solid harmonies, but weird-ass lyrics.
Lowlights:
- Vagabond Virgin: What…? Okay, the flute can stay, maybe.
- 40.000 Headman: Someone had fun in toddler percussion class…
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush: :/
An opera gal’s listening journey through Goo:
Dirty Boots: Good opening to the album. Feels like a bait and switch, though. Clearly, I’m in danger here.
Tunic: Oh, come on… EdgyTM. Ugh. Guitars that sound like angry bees.
Mary-Christ: :( for the instrumental breaks, but I don’t hate hate this.
Kool Thing: Iconic feminist song, but…I don’t think so.
Mote: Ugh – nails on a chalkboard. NOOOOO! I have never more viscerally wanted to throw my computer against a wall to make something stop.
My Friend Goo: Eyeroll.
Disappear: This one’s slightly more tonal, so it’s not totally hateful.
Mildred Pierce: Neverending and it was only 2 minutes long.
Cinderella’s Big Score: Why?
Scooter and Jinx: WHY?!?!?! Make it stop!
Titanium Expose: Okay, this can stay. Maybe. Except for the end bit.
Like a cheese grater to the face, so are the 50 minutes of this album.
Is this the best Joni Mitchell album? No. But it's Joni, so even her worst is other people's best. Some of these tracks feel a bit lyrically overstuffed, but she's a storyteller at heart, so it's hard to mind too much. Vocally, she's sensational. A true master of vocal flow and power. It's really refreshing to hear such a healthy, full sound that can pull of so many unique vocal colours. I'm also a huge fan of the instrumentation choices here. You can really hear her evolution into jazz.
Highlights:
Court and Spark - I just really love the vocal line here - beautiful and timeless
Help Me - just an excellent track with great vocal freedom
Down to You - brilliantly complex writing here - the harmonies are magical and the instrumental interlude is about as close to perfect as anything she's ever written. I love how texturally complex this is.
This album took me forever to get through, in part because it's too long, but also because of something more personal. Context: Elton John was my one of my Dad's favourite artists. Since he passed last year, I haven't really been able to listen to the music he loved. This took me about 7 sittings to get through.
Look, I get that this album was a bit like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, but when it hits, it hits hard. Those first several tracks are all iconic. The raw talent here is palpable, if a bit self indulgent. I do think this could've been easily edited down into a 5-star album.
3.5 actual stars, but rounding it up to 4 for Dad.
This is honestly more like a 4.5 for me. Bombastic, gritty and real - this grabs you by the neck and doesn't let go. I loved the theatricality of this one, the eclectic samples and the rawness of the sound. The storytelling was next level, with both humour and heart, and it didn't overstay its welcome. It's really hard to imagine hip-hop today without this one.
Highlights:
Can It Be All So Simple - love the Gladys Knight sample here. Both nostalgic and current.
C.R.E.A.M. - definitely rewards repeat listens. This one hits hard and rattles you.
Tearz - next-level soul sample with great lyrics and storytelling.
It's Neil Young, so it's not bad, but it's not overly good either. Nothing really stands out to me apart from the interesting album structure. I can see why this was influential for a lot of folks, but it's not really working for me.
Es ist nicht sehr gut. Take one idea and run it repeatedly into a wall for 2 to 12 minutes: the album. Sometimes it made me sad that I have ears.
Krautrock: If deep sea bioluminescence emitted sound, it might sound like this? Amorphous.
The Sad Skinhead: Marimbas were a choice.
Jennifer: She took a wrong turn somewhere. What were the last few minutes?
Just a Second (Starts Like That!): More undersea space noise. What’s with the weird bubble/bird distortion?
Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux: Some lovely melody at the beginning before it melts into madness. At least the instrumentation was nice-ish?
Giggy Smile: At least this one was a bit more mellow, but it didn’t really go anywhere.
Lauft…Heisst Das Es Lauft Oder Es Kommt Bald..Lauft: Church bees: The Musical.
It’s a Bit of a Pain: Nice-ish song gets interrupted by someone unsuccessfully doing home repairs, a phone call and a teenage boy screaming into a fan.
A solid, chill album that's great for a Friday night at home. It's not perfect (looking at you The Murder Mystery), but it has a timeless quality that will definitely have me revisiting it.
Highlights:
Pale Blue Eyes
Candy Says
