Did not really enjoy this as much as I was hoping. Some guitar sounds like Sabbath inspired stuff but not as good. I get what they're doing and how it was progressive, but none of it really connected or came together for me. Despite hearing so many elements of Bohemian Rhapsody, none of it is Bohemian Rhapsody. Yes, of course Queen had so much other stuff that's great, but c'mon, that's what the damn biopic was called...
Ultimately by my contemporary ears this album was very silly especially in terms of the singing style and lyrics. Musically I appreciate the guitar virtuosity. It's bombastic and over the top. Nuance is not a thing here and it's not supposed to be. Big skills on display and I like the dual lead guitar thing, but it's not something I'd personally want to listen to for straight enjoyment, rather for a laugh while doing a Beavis and Butthead impersonation. This is probably an age thing too. Born in 1980, I'd bet this hits a nostalgia button for folks just a tad bit older than me since I didn't get into thrash metal until I stole my brother's cassette of Metallica's black album...
A really, really great album that isn't a *perfect* album. I was excited when this was my album for the day and was honestly expecting that after I listened to it, I'd find it to be a perfect 5/5 album. As a late Gen Xer or early millennial (I'm the Oregon trail generation), this came out at a formative time for me. I wasn't huge into the beasties then, but damnit if sabotage didn't become an increasingly favorite of mine and has had way more staying power than one might have guessed when it was the hot thing on MTV. Many great instrumentals, and of course get it together is masterful, but there a few parts that, for me, lagged or didn't hit that notched this down a little more than I expected as a full album. Still great. So so great. I want it to be a perfect album, but it's not quite there.
Another one I was excited to check out since I hadn't actually listened to much of Cream beyond Sunshine...
I found the majority of this album to be completely "meh" for me. Sunshing of your love was the sure high point, and I don't know how much of that is just because the riffs are so iconic in popular culture at this point. There's some other decent elements, but not something I'll be revisiting. I appreciate the guitar skills in the same way I appreciated what Megadeth was doing - high skills but not something that connected to me in the same way that others of this era have.
This is an album that's significant to me. It came out when my wife and I were first dating and we got to see them when they came through town. Additionally, I can still remember perfectly the first time I heard. Take me out, arguably a perfect song. Later when my wife wand I were dating, she put a b-side track by them onto the first mix CD she made me. Needless to say, I have some sentimental attachment to this band and I think this album is quite stellar. Tight playing and song writing.
Couldn't even finish it. Not my thing.
Real talk: I was 18 when this came out. Ray of Light was all over the place, and I was not into it. I liked techno at the time, Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers, stuff like that. I loved the soundtrack to the Matrix and Fight Club (all a little after this if I recall without looking it up).
Listening to the album now, being older and less judgmental about the "cool" factor (I've since realized just how uncool I am and was), I can see that this album was probably kind of a big deal. Every track isn't knocking my socks off, but after the disappointment of Todd Rundgren in yesterday's album, this is a delightful thing to get, listen to, and appreciate for what it is. Still not really my jam, but less vapid than I expected it to be. That said, it got more annoying the further I got into it
2.5/5
Favorite tracks on this:
Mambo Sun
Cosmic Dancer
Girl
I love the cover for this album. Pretty iconic. The album's significance in the canon of guitar driven rock is appreciated. Some of the guitar riffs are pretty great. A fun, good album. Not a perfect album..
3.5/5
A perfect album. A perfect example of a perfect album. Opening heartbeat, bass, samples, blending into each of the next. Musically epic, this album is gushed over for a reason to the point of being a cliché. Ive loved this album and knew I'd be excited when it showed up on here. What I wasn't expecting is that it took longer for me to get to actually listening to this
than any of the other albums I've been given so far. I think this was in large part because of my history with and reverence for the album.
I'm not going to "review" this. That'd be silly at this point. I'll just happily chime in with everyone else- 5/5.
This was better than I expected. As I began listening to the album I sort of worried that I wasn't going to like it at all but as it progressed there were more interesting things being done, especially with the synths and production, that I though were really interesting and worth spending some more time with. I'm earmarking this one for a revisit, but in the meantime my initial take is a 2.7/5, so I'll round up and give it a 3.
Kinda ok but nothing I'm going to revisit. Cool to read their Wikipedia page and learn about them since I'd never heard of them before.
Ok. This music is not my jam. Also, I know it's really good and historically important. My father was a big fan. Though I don't expect this to be something I'll choose to listen to on my own when I'm just choosing something to listen to for enjoyment, I think it's still good enough to give a 4 and probably should be a 5.
I like this album more than I think I should. I'm not a Rush fan but I'm not a hater either, but I'm well aware of the stigma their fanbase carries, and I kinda feel bad for that because I get it, the band is really good and some of their stuff can really hit if you don't look too closely at the camp and somewhat cliché lyrics. This album should probably get a 2 but I'm giving it a 3. I'll go back to parts of it for sure.
Not my thing. I can kind of appreciate his voice and it's uniqueness, but the music feels kinda cheesy and doesn't grab my attention.
This album surpassed my expectations, especially the front half. Way better than I expected, however the lyrics seemed to become more sacchrine and on the nose as the album continued on, which wore on me.
2/5
Such a great album. I listened to the remastered version this time and liked it. The Clash aren't actually the "only band that matters," but they earn the title anyway. Strummer is in the top echelons of my own personal "cool artist" lists, alongside Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Bowie, and a select few others.
This album sounds fresh and great 45 years later. 4.8/5
A fun album to revisit from my teenage years. Some of it comes off a little more campy than I remember it, like most things I liked when I was younger. Ultimately though, this is a pretty great album of you've ever connected with any of the techno and rave culture if the nineties, and it's obviously an important album to that sound. Is it something I'll go back and listen to on my own? Probably not, but I'm glad I did here. 2/5
I'm on the fence about this being a 2 or 3 star album. I've had a friend trying to turn me on to this band for years but it's never fully clicked, though there's something there I should be into based on my other tastes... I'll probably continue to explore their stuff periodically.
Reggae just isn't my thing. I did enjoy the opening track, Concrete Jungle, quite a bit though.
1.5/5
I had a feeling it wouldn't hold up for me even though I felt nostalgic seeing it pop up.
I was right. Meh.
Some classics and some duds.
Music that sounds more fun to play than to listen to.
Better than the first one, slightly nostalgic for the Oregon trail generation, but ultimately a lot of meh.
The misogyny and subtle bigotry are of a time and make me feel uncomfortable in the same way I did with 50 Cent's first album, in part because they're also just so good. 3.5/5
The word noisy screaming parts were the best parts.
Obvious classic, much holds up for me, some does not.
Nothing I'd ever heard before. Not bad, little campy at times. 2/5
Just hasn't held up for me.
One or two tracks hold up. 1.5/5
Kinda fun but not my thing. Good dinner party music which sounds dismissive but I don't mean it to be. Might be just because of my English speaking, western acculturated ears.2/5
So good. A classic. Holds up. Love it. 4/5
The good songs on this album are great and classics, obviously. The other songs are annoying at best. But there's a lot of good songs. 3/5
Loved this as Funeral's followup when it came out. The organ destroys in the opening and closing songs. Saw this tour too. I really liked it. Since then my enthusiasm had waned, and that's without considering the ickyness of Wynn Butler's behaviors that have come out in more recent years. On its own though, it's still a really great, but not perfect, album. 4/5
I enjoyed this about 100% more than I was expecting to. Super fun listen. Went through it twice back to back. The horns are great. 4/5
I liked this album quite a bit. I try not to hold the character or actions of the artist against their art, but Kanye has definitely made that harder than usual, though some of that's certainly recency bias. All that said,, this album holds up quite well. It's satirical, smart, and funny, with some pretty catchy tracks to boot. 3/5 (can't help but think I'd be inclined to give it a 4 if he stopped making music and being in the public eye around 2010)
Outstanding production, mediocre vocals.
I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.
I knew this album because of Josh, who has great, eclectic tastes. He'd definitely give this 5 stars. If it weren't for him, I'd have probably given it 3.5, but previous exposure increased my enjoyment a lot of this. Not to mention how influential the Pogues have been to so many of my favorite contemporary artists. 4.5/5, and I'll round up for Josh.
It's really great. I'm a sucker for a concept album and love Bowie. It's not my favorite thing of his (Black Star is a perfect album), but this is certainly some of his most iconic stuff. 4.5/5
This album was unexpected for me. Hadn't heard of Slade and based on the cover I was expecting something cringe. It was campy, but also just silly fun. I don't know a ton about this area of rock, but this band seems like the bridge between Led Zeppelin and all the hair metal, glam rock bands of the 80's. 3/5
I found this to be nearly unlistenable. I know Prince is talented and very popular. For some reason I just can't find my entry point. I would've skipped most of The songs on this if it weren't for so many friends who love and sing Prince praises, but because of that I made it a point to listen to every song completely until the very last track. And once he started doing the cabin pressure announcement thing, I just couldn't go on. On. I know it's silly and what not but it just seemed so cringy.
I'd never really listened to much beyond their hits, but it's a fairly good listen throughout. Nothing too revelatory, but a good listen. I may go back and give it another listen just to dig a little deeper.
I'm not a Beatles fan but I recognize they're one of the most important bands in the world in modern history and I was honestly expecting this to push into "perfect album" territory. It came close but just didn't hit even when I was feeling really open to it. 4/5, with a .5 to make up for my bias and recognizing the importance of this album.
It's definitely heavy metal. Not my thing so hard to say how good it would be if I was into this stuff.
It's hard not to be uncharged by this album in large part because of Willie's image as a performer a musician in the outlaw country world as well as the way that he is aged in the public eye and remained a darling for hippies in traditionalists alike. I'm probably also a little biased towards Willie Nelson because of my father, so there's that. 4/5
I enjoyed this much more than I was expecting and the recording and fidelity sounded much more contemporary than I would have guessed. It would have sounded. 3/5.
Brought me back. Love the tracks I love and meh on the tracks I don't. 3.5/5. I'll round to 4 for nostalgia.
I didn't read anything about this and I've never listened to it before. Made it through the whole thing without feeling like I needed to skip anything, but I also didn't really feel like anything stood out to me. 2/5
