Solid but unimpressive. Over all too mellow without being memorable enough to make it more than something to fall a sleep to. A handful of good tracks like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Marrakesh" not enough to raise album above OK.
First time hearing Hugh Masekela. At first thought it was going to be the type of experimental jazz I dislike, but quickly realized it was more of a smooth jazz/funk fusion. Enjoyed it. Good background jazz with a jazzy rhythm. It wasn't amazing but would listen to more of the artist.
Was hesitant about this but ended up really enjoying it. Monae reminds me of a mix of James Brown, David Bowie and Lena Horne. A classic R&B sound mix with funk with a touch of rap. The highlights for me were "Tightrope" and "Neon Valley Street". I also love the overture breaks. There is a sense of style very reminiscent of Bowie who is one of my all time favorites. Now that she is on my radar I will have to listen to the other albums I hear are in her "Metropolis" series.
Interesting look at proto funk. Very clear to see its influence on the Funk that was to come. That being said It was a bit too tame for me. More like background studying music than that type of funk you just need to move to.
Some strange tracks took me out of it at times too. One track featured yodeling of all things, lol. Overall solid but not exceptional.
Now this is the good stuff! It would be easy to mistake this album for a best of compilation but it isn't. It's just an amazing album made by one of the masters of the genre at the height of his career. A major tonal shift from his previous album "In the wee small hours of the morning". While that album is probably his best artistically, it had a dark, melancholy introspective feel to it. This album almost seems like a return to the light for Frank. Upbeat, hopeful, even the slower tunes have a certain sense of light, ironic wistfulness. You could loop this in my home all day and I don't think I'd get tired of it.
Interesting look at 70's ZZ Top for me. I grew up with 80's ZZ Top and although I know most of the hit's from the 70's my knowledge of that era for the band is limited. This definitely has a rougher edge than "Eliminator" which was a smoother Rock/Blues to me. Over all I liked the album despite their not being a pop out single other than La Grange which I already knew.
When I saw this was my daily album my first thought was "Some unknown 80's band" Then I instantly recognized the first song, "Dominion" as one of my favorites from GTA IV, lol. Some other tracks I enjoyed were the slow ballad like 1959 with it's beautiful piano, and the toe tapping "This Corrosion". Overall a decent find. I may look into more of the bands albums.
It's strange that a band I have never even heard of before can make me feel so much nostalgia for a past time in my life. This album is dripping with early 90's garage band feels. The guitar reverb alone invokes a dozen bands I grew up with from 91 to 95. That being said the album really threw me with it's short song lengths. At a certain point I realized a song I was listening to was actually three songs that just kinda ran onto each other. The album is 41 minutes long with 28 tracks. That means each track averages 1:28 seconds. Each song feels like a preview of a full song I might have liked when I was 14 but just when I am getting into it the preview ends and the next preview starts. I feel unfulfilled , lol.
Beck's "Odelay" was a staple in my teen years alt CD collection but I don't think I listened to much beyond that. As an adult I grew to enjoy Bob Dylan very much. Now that I have that appreciation and have gone bock to listen to this album I see an unmistakable similarity between this era Beck and the Great Dylan. I will have to review more of what Beck did after "Odelay".
Good stuff here. Growing up in the Boston area in the 80's one of my childhood memories were lazy weekend mornings of my mother doing household chores or making lunch while listening to "Oldies 103" and Paul Revere and the Raiders were a staple. "Kicks", "Good Thing", "Indian Reservation", "Louie Go Home"... all pieces of my childhood nostalgia and this album very pleasantly dug some of those memories up for me.
In the late 80's early 90's my introduction to punk was my cousins hand me down cassettes. The Ramones, Black Flag, The Dead Boys, The Clash, The Stooges...just to name a few. I was aware of Minor threat but since my cousin didn't have the tapes, I never heard them. This is my first real listen and to be honest if had heard it then I would have loved them, but as a 47 year old man it just gives me slight anxiety ,lol. But I think that's what punk is SUPPOSED to do to 47 year old men, lol.
Solid early U2 but I don't think they had hit their stride yet. "Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby" will always be peak U2 to me. I even really enjoyed "Zooropa" which I saw as a brave exploration of where they could push their sound to. "War" is good but not the greatness they would later reach.
This is a tricky one for me to rate. I have never been a house music guy but I am a go with the flow guy so I took an edible, popped on the album and played video games. I really dug it while it was playing. Got into a decent grove. But even as I was listening to it in the back of my head I felt something was lacking. Next day I am thinking to myself how unmemorable the album was overall. No one track stood out, Nothing pulling me back to revisit the album or even seek out more from the band. It feels like it was only something for a particular moment and I am pretty sure without the edible I wouldn't have even had that moment. So I guess my review is I appreciated the moment but now it's gone...like tears in rain.
This was a revelation for me. I have already started looking into more AIR albums. Perfect grooves to relax to. Not soporific, but also not Manic. Something to chill to but still get stuff done. This porridge is just right for me. It's finds like this that make this site a daily must visit.
I like the Beastie Boys but could never be considered a hardcore fan. I am aware most fans think this is their best album. I am not one of them. It's good but I don't think it's even in my top 3. Still it has been years since I listened to it and I enjoyed it.
Hell, it's the king so it can't be bad. His voice was still strong too. But with the exception of "In the Ghetto" their weren't any standout tracks for me, and tbh this version of that song wasn't the best I've heard.
Meh. Just didn't move me. Not awful for what it is but it's one of those listens I will forget about by bedtime.
Owned this as a teen, but haven't listened to the whole album in years. Great stuff. I sometimes wonder what Rap music would have been like if P diddy were shot and Biggy lived to today.
Listened to this whole album last month actually. This is great music for anything. Working from home, house chores, driving, or just taking an edible and playing video games, lol. The rhythm just flows over and around you. I don't think I have ever been in a bad mood with Bob Marley on.
Was aware of Morrissey but never actually listened to anything from him. I think he was bigger in England. Ok though. It's a vibe.
First let me say that this was a hell of a performance. It is shocking to listen to this knowing Cobain would be dead shortly after. But I must say I am in the minority of not liking this album quite as much as others. The covers were nice especially the Meat Puppets "Lake of Fire" and Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" but personally there was a lot of dead weight songs for my taste. I mean THREE Me Puppet Covers??? I suppose not wanting to include some of their hit singles was an "artistic choice" but from the first time I saw this on MTV as a kid I felt there absence. A few of those songs and this would easily be a 5 star review for mo.
Didn't like this album when it first cane out. It was too experimental. "Sure Shot" and Sabotage were great but a lot of the other blues, funk inspired stuff felt out of place. Now hearing it year later I think I have a better appreciation for this album than I once did.
Not familiar with Buck Owens name but his sound is from my childhood memories of the old guys working on their cars next door. That happy, bouncy country of the 50's and 60's. My mom used to call me he little Buckaroo. I wonder if she got it from this.
Went into this thinking I didn't know anything from this band then was surprised to know 2 of these songs, "Poison Arrow" and "Look of Love". This is just fun solid 80's brit-pop.
I didn't recognize the name Donald Fagan but as soon as I heard the first song I knew this was the guy from Steely Dan. I like Steely Dan and I liked this record. A slightly more funky sound but almost just another Steely Dan record. Not a lot to set it apart. But that is not an awful thing, Steely Dan is good.
A little too hippy, jam band, esoteric for my tastes.
One of the main reasons I love this site is because of the hidden gems I find that I otherwise wouldn't. The Flamin Groovies is one of those. Their Blues/Rock sound and the lead singers vocals all give a very Rolling Stones feel. If I were around when they hit the scene I would have been a big fan. As it is I look forward to listening to their other albums.
Smooth stuff here. Really sets a mood. I went into this listen knowing how influential it was. I enjoyed most of it but I have a little pet peeve about music being interrupted by a long talking monologue. I know it is not unusual for this genre and time period but it still takes me out of the groove when a guy just starts telling a story over music. It didn't ruin the album for me but it did affect my enjoyment of it somewhat. Overall though it was a great listen.
My prime youth here in all it's angsty glory, lol. Great album with some solid tracks and only minimal filler. All Apologies is still my favorite Nirvana track after all these years.
When I tried to listen to this on spotify the audio was awful. Then I tied on youtube and it was the same. It just seemed poorly mixed or perhaps badly compressed as a digital file. Did a little research and it seems the only really good way to listen to this album is on vinyl due to the way it was mastered. With that in mind I have to say I did not enjoy my listening experience. Vocals too soft then too loud sometimes in the same song. One of my biggest gripes with music is when vocals are too low in the mix and that has never been more of an issue for me than with this album. I am sure it is some sort of artistic choice but it ruins it for me. Maybe I am just an Audiophilic Philistine.
Classic. Can't say much other than it's considered one of the best live performances ever recorded for a reason.
Put this on in the background as I worked on the laptop. Nice stuff if not super memorable. Lead singer has a nice voice that is very 80's Brit pop. The one standout song for me was "Bonny". It made me stop what I was doing just really listen.
This is a vibe. There were one or two tracks that tonally were jarring to me but overall I quite enjoy this. Good laptop work music.
I came late in life to Depeche Mode. I had always heard of them as a kid and teen but my musical interests lay elsewhere. In my 40's I have been discovering bands I missed in my teens and Depeche Mode is at the top of those I have grown to like. Violator has become one of my all time faves. That being said while I liked this album I didn't HOOK me the way Violator did. I just fell short of the mark for me. Still solid but not great.
I am not a fan of most modern country, but I grew up with a granddad who loved country. He listened to basically everything from the 40's right on through to the earl 80's. His country tastes more or less stopped with anything that came after the "Outlaw Country" of the late 70's early 80's and I more or less inherited his tastes. But i wish he had heard Steve Earle. I know he hadn't because if he had we both would have been big fans. This is just great country/blues, ol' time rock n' roll music by an amazing songwriter. I now consider myself a Steve Earle fan an look forward to exploring the rest of his catalogue.
This was a a surprising miss for me. I love classic rock and have enjoyed the supertramp and have enjoyed the few songs of theirs I have heard but this left me kinda blah. I can't even really put my finger on why. I may have to go back at another time and give it a second chance.
Smooth if a little somber. Beautiful voice. My knowledge of Chapman didn't really extend beyond "Fast Car" and while this album didn't blow me away I will probably look into more of her work.
Timeless. Van Morrison's voice works in any decade. Mellow with a light growling edge at times. One of the premier American singer/songwriters of all time and this album is him in fine form. I actually am trying to listen to every album on the most recent Rolling Stone top 500 of all time list and listened to this album just last month. I have mostly skipped relistening to albums on this list if I have recently heard them but Astral Weeks is so good I gave it another spin. Top notch stuff.
If I had heard this album 30 years ago I would probably have been a big fan. As it is I enjoyed it, I just feel like I would have appreciated it much more at 18.
Just top notch stuff. Real classic rock. Almost any CCR album comes close to a greatest hits record.
Smooth and Revolutionary. This album essentially created the Soul/Funk fusion that drove Motown into '70s. This is great round the house music if you are in the dancing while you get things done mode.
Smooth classic R&B. Really enjoyed this album. Till now my only knowledge of Womack was the song "Across 110th street" which I liked, but this really opened him up to me. I will be looking for more.
Grew up a big fan because my dad would play them in the car all the time in the mid 80's. Knew their greatest hits but it has been fun going back and listening to the albums to discover new stuff. This album was great. "Mind" "Cities" and "Heaven" were all new to me and I loved them!
I love me a good early 80s band, and I am a fan of the band's single "If you leave" but it seems that song is not representative of there overall style. I have noticed this happens often with bands... their one breakthrough hit being the least like their overall sound. This album was nice in spots but a whole lot of heavy, orchestral synth the varies from droning to bombastic without finding a middle. Wasn't all bad and I will probably listen to another album of theirs but this missed the mark for me.
Smooth and sharp at the same time. This album is perfect for chilling out but also not letting you tune it out, because as chill as it is, it's still go teeth. Good stuff.
Great early Elvis album which introduced me to a few I had never heard before. I don't think I have listened to a bad Elvis record yet.
Great googly moogly!!! Funk at it's finest!
Nice chill vibe. Very enjoyable.
To me Simon and Garfunkel is just OK. Easy to listen to, non-offensive background music. I have never been moved by it as others have, nor do I consider it sleep inducing emptiness as still others do. I don't think I have ever purposefully sought out their music (other than for this site) but have never changed the channel or turned it off when it was on. The best thing I can say about S&G is that some of my favorite songs are covers of their songs by others.
To me Simon and Garfunkel is just OK. Easy to listen to, non-offensive background music. I have never been moved by it as others have, nor do I consider it sleep inducing emptiness as still others do. I don't think I have ever purposefully sought out their music (other than for this site) but have never changed the channel or turned it off when it was on. The best thing I can say about S&G is that some of my favorite songs are covers of their songs by others.
One of his bests and and a good look at early pre pop michael in his disco era.
Smooth as hell. This is some late night funk chill stuff that has a life and fame of it's own detached from the movie it was created to serve. While the movie is dated, this soundtrack never gets old and feels more vibrant than half the stuff produced today.
Smooth, low key and calming.
Calming if a bit unmemorable.
Not their best but better than most. CCR always lays it down.
Not perfect but still a seminal pop album of the 80's.
Some real bangers on this one. Top 80s king of pop here.
When in found its grove it was pretty cool, but the constant talking/storytelling just ruined a lot of the songs for me. I am gonna guess it was for a certain time and place but today it is just annoying. Also this album is just to damn long for what it is.
Enjoyed this. I was aware of the Byrds but had to look up Gene Clark. A solid album, if a bit Dylanesque, but that's fine by me being a big Dylan fan. A good mellow listen for lazy afternoons or evening relaxing.
A near perfect album and one of my all time faves. It hits all the right spots for me...perfect length focusing on quality of track over quantity, no one track drags down the rest of the album, a beautiful flow from track to track...this album is just a template for what rock albums should be.
I am a huge soul/R&B lover. I love motown, quiet storm, blue eyed soul and even new jack swing. I am a huge fan of Marvin Gaye and this album does have some bangers on it, but I have to say that I am not as impressed with the totality of this album as many others are. I know this often ranks high, if not at the very top, of many greatest album lists, but to me there is a lot of filler on this record that cannot be balanced out by stellar tracks like "What's going on", "Mercy, Mercy me" and "Inner city blues." I personally feel "Let's get it on" is an overall better album. I know this put's me in a small minority but her I am.
