Downtempo electronica out of France... really like it... good songs are good songs no matter the genre... so chill and groovy... Bass playing is standout...
One of my all time faves... brilliant musicianship... great songs... fantastic album from start to finish... a masterpiece.
some duds amongst the firecrackers... strong overall... a bit annoying after listening to them ten songs in a row... they stay stuck in the same lane... grating punky vocals over Beatle esque progressions... it's ok... i thought i'd like it more...
if i were reviewing this album back when i first heard it... when i was 14... i would've said it was one of the greatest albums of all time... now, as an old man, my review of it has somewhat tempered a bit... 20 songs... which if pared down to about 15 would be at the very top of every list... oh but those five... they now seem like preachiness... and a bit overdone... but, musically it is like a trip through the world of R&B's many stylings... "I Wish", "Isn't She Lovely" and "Sir Duke" were all timers... but my favorite song was always "As"...
hate it... no stars... heard it long ago... and no need to revisit this drivel that, somehow, has become a legendary record we all should hear... lol... amazing what repetition and mind control can accomplish... some good players in this band... the lyrics are comical... the singing is grating and amateurish... the fake "bravado" is laughably weak to a real man... who did this scare? lol... pass... hard...
a classic album... every song is a banger... five stars... Don Henley was established as the lead singer... of the 8 songs, he is lead singer on five... one each get Frey, Walsh, and Meisner... and they all hit homeruns... a first ballot hall of fame album.
DEBASER... good punky tune... lyrics are total nonsense... but fun... TAME... is idiotic... but has energy... WAVE OF MUTILATION... must make sense... to someone... lol... not to anyone of my generation, unfortunately... I BLEED... did that very thing... to my ears... the "message" in this record is weird... and seemingly nonsensical... HERE COMES YOUR MAN... ok, now i'm starting to get it... these guys are like The Velvet Underground... but more modern version... this had to be the hit single... i'm guessing... a bit like The Lemonheads... almost too close... hmmm... but it's EASILY the best song so far... DEAD... makes no sense... lol... i guess it's for shock value... fail... MONKEY GONE TO HEAVEN... again... Velvet Undergound-esque... and musically and lyrically not that stand out... like faux intellectuality... i guess... MR GRIEVES... second time the lyricist mentions "neptune"... i guess that makes it acceptable for college professors to like the record... i guess... CRACKITY JONES... i guess is about crack... it is so bad musically that i don't want to find out... LA LA LOVE YOU... must be a take on the dating life of young folks in 1989... no idea... and not interested... the song is kind of catchy... but not enough for a second listen... NO. 13 BABY... a take on Los Angeles chicano life... i'm guessing... horrible music... THERE GOES MY GUN... is a waste of time... HEY... another Velvet Underground impression... like hey, i'm down here in the gutter... don't you like it here with me? lol... pass... SILVER... i guess makes sense to someone... not me... pass... and finally... the last song on the record... thank GOD... GOUGE AWAY... a take on the Biblical story of Samson... they gouged his eyes out... lovely... so some chick hurt you... lol... no need for this drivel... the best thing about this album... is the ridiculous amount of songs... are, mostly... short in duration.
i'm the exact age that i SHOULD love this record... in fact, i actually knew guys who were in bands playing this type of stuff that exact year... unfortunately... instead of being in L.A. like these cats... or Manchester, like the Hacienda roster... my buddies were in Tampa... lol... The B-52's, from Atlanta, did this kind of thing before this... this is a bit harder than them...
WELCOME TO THE WORKIN' WEEK!! what an opener... i know it don't thrill you, i hope it don't kill you... lol... MIRACLE MAN... another banger... bam... bam... now this is rock n roll... bop city baby... NO DANCING... hey not every song can be a homerun... but not a bad little doo wop, throwback tune... almost, dare i say it, Springsteen like... BLAME IT ON CAIN... straight up banger... it's like EC is running through all the old versions of RnR... and giving it a punky overtone... ALISON... a standard... and what a vocal performance by Elvis... one of the great songs of my lifetime... SNEAKY FEELINGS... another cool rockin' throwback... i think he may be doing a Van Morrison impression here... THE ANGELS WANT TO WEAR MY RED SHOES, LESS THAN ZERO, MYSTERY DANCE... three of the best songs of the era... PAY IT BACK... another throwback sounding RnR tune... I'M NOT ANGRY... not a homerun, but strong... WAITING FOR THE END OF THE WORLD... straight up Banger... and a classic tune... and the album closer, WATCHING THE DETECTIVES... a reggae tinged, all timer... what a great album... five freakin' stars... he looked like a punk... but was a real rock n roller... Elvis Costello... legend.
"Tommy" by The Who... i was a very young boy, when i heard the strains of "Pinball Wizard" on WLCY here in Tampa... it was a few years later, when a friend who was older than me, had a brother who was even older... and we were Beatles fanatics, but the guy's brother told us... The Beatles were good, but they could never touch The Who... and he loaned me his copy of this Album... in another lifetime, i was a tennis coach... and on a few different occasions... my students, in a rain delay or something, would listen, mouths agape, at thier coach singing every word of every song, in order to this album... at first they would laugh... then they would listen... then they would ask me, Derek what is that you are singing? and i would say... "Tommy' by The Who... something you need to hear in your lifetime... They made a movie out of it... and the Soundtrack, while pretty decent, is nothing like the original record... Pete Townshend... card carrying GENIUS songwriter, performer.... The Ox, John Entwistle playing like the virtuoso he is... Roger Daltrey... in peak mode... and Keith Moon... the driving force... listen to it beginning to end... straight through... and the scale only goes up to five stars.... but if any record deserves six... this is the one... listening to YOU, i get the music... gazing at YOU, i get the heat... Following YOU, i climb the mountain... i get excitement at YOUR feet... Amen brother, Pete
Interesting blend of "grunge" with almost Beatle-esque undertones... or a touch of sixties Psychedelia... Sitar type sounds juxtaposed with pounding punk drums and grungy guitars... you can tell the singer is about my age, because he's doing his best "jim morrison"... I was NOT a big fan of the grunge era... Nirvana were good... never dug Pearl Jam... and Soundgarden were so minor... and only a bit better in my opinion... nowadays those bands are treated with reverence... but this record, actually is a MUCH better representation of the genre... in my opinion, whatever "genre" you do, do it in a way where i can tap my foot, and maybe want to hum along... after making me want to listen to it more than once... "Look at You" is a standout track... an actual grunge ballad... and not the only one on the record... I think they enjoyed making grunge real rock n roll... Mark Lanegan, and Screaming Trees did it as well, or better than anyone... a solid four stars.
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, entry for the day: The Avalanches "Since I Left You"... hmmm... it's pleasant music... but, it's a DJ/Producer type thing... loops that are spliced together to make a "song"... I used to do this type of thing on Maloa Warriors when we first started... so, i know it's an art form... and it takes time and effort to do that type of work... i have to respect it... but when you realize it's two guys on turntables with maybe a real bass and drums... it is cool, but not a monumental piece of art in any way... can you dance and groove to it? yes... is it cool background music? yes... should it be on any list with Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, et al??? oh hell naw... lol... i give it two stars... one for the chutzpa... two for the result... pass... PS... who did these people pay to get on this list? lol... zzzzz...
Back in 1996... I was driving from Tampa to Atlanta... a song came on the radio... that song was NOT playing on any station in Tampa... and it was "Firestarter"... i had not heard anything like it... and even though it was not really my style or cup of tea... it sounded like a HIT to me... it was like punk rock... but it was Dance/Electronica too... as i predicted, to myself, The Prodigy, or just plain Prodigy to us Americans... burst on to the USA music scene and became MTV staples... i think they had a couple hits in their home UK before that song... "Breathe" was the next song i heard by them... and it was even better to my ear... and some young folks i was coaching tennis to at the time, had this album, and brought it over... they were flabbergasted i knew of the group and the record... but i had only heard two songs... they put the CD in, and the first song, "Smack My Bitch Up" came through my stereo speakers... and i KNEW these mofos were kings of their genre... it had the impact of a heavy metal or Led Zeppelin record... but also had the funky danceability of the best of the electronica genre... when something is original... and makes you shake that tail feather... it's always going to be ranked very highly... every track on it is strong... the three songs, i mentioned before are the best of them... i have to give this album... five stars... that may surprise some...
"Into My Arms"... the comparisons to Leonard Cohen must be made on this one... i'm guessing, as i've always heard about Nick Cave... he's a few years older than me... but, i've never really gotten into his stuff... i'm not sure he ever really made it here in the USA, i could be wrong... but my first real listen to him had a pretty good opening... "Into My Arms" is a strong song... a bit downer for an opener... but, hey... "People Ain't No Good"... shows his artistry... i have to admit, my first foray into his stuff, has made me get a respect for his songwriting... and his sparse arrangements are cool... i'd rather listen to this than Leonard Cohen.. ANY DAY... lol, i know a lot of people would think i'm daft... but, anyway... there is also a sort of Christian/religious aspect to his writing... "There is a Kingdom" is exhibit A... "(Are You) The One I'm Waiting For"... is in that vein... this is deeply personal stuff... a man wrestling with himself and putting that out to the world... which, obviously, a lot of people would respond to... if you don't need a poppy hook... if you don't need toe tapping... if you don't care a bit about booty shaking... this guy is for you... "Green Eyes" is the closer... a really cool song... in conclusion... my assessment... is... is it an album you must hear before you die... maybe... if you are in the melancholy mood a lot... if you like wallowing in self introspection... a big yes... if you like witty, personal, and a bit profound lyrics... ok... but, if you want any hummable songs... toe tappers... goose bumps... or any groove at all... that's a big HELL NO... lol... i'll give it three stars... the three for the people who relate... and the other stars go unmarked... for the rest of us... lol... zzzzzzz
One of the great albums of all time... no doubt... the critics didn't really like it or them... a lot of their musical peers talked them down... but... they are the PEOPLE'S CHAMP... lol... you could NOT argue with the sold out STADIUMS... the records that were broken all over the USA... for me, it was the perfect timing of hormones in my body, and "pheromones" in this monumental record... if you are a red blooded male, or female for that matter... then you literally, viscerally, felt this album... Led Zep's first record was GREAT... and their third and fourth are classic... but this is NUMERO UNO when it comes to what they and their sound was all about... the pounding of John Bonham... the classy versatility of John Paul Jones... the over the top front man with the frilly blouses and tight jeans, (who cared if he had all his teeth?), Bobby Plant... and the maestro, and band leader, the legendary Jimmy Page... they just popped you right in the mouth with "Whole Lotta Love"... that one song would put you in the RnR hall of fame... but when the following cuts are: "Thank You", "Heartbreaker" into "Livin' Lovin' Maid"... "The Lemon Song... "Ramble On" et al... then what you have is a true all timer that BELONGS on this list... and at the very top of it... FIVE STARS... Six if i was allowed.
These guys are my exact contemporaries... Bono is a year older than me... you would think that i would relate to their music more... but, in fact, i LOVED their first three records... "Boy", "October" and "War" were great albums... they had an energy that was undeniable... i saw them live at a point where they were not yet ready to do stadiums... and they were great live... Bono hoisting a bloody white flag and all that... since those first three records, i don't have much use for any of this group's music... it's not bad... it's just not great... i would NOT put any of those records on this list... this record is a bit of a comeback effort... with some Beatle-esque tunes, but not great in my book... "Even Better Than the Real Thing" is strong... but derivative... "One" was a hit... i never liked it... lol... most people would think it's an anthemic standard... not me... lol... "The Fly" was an immediate "turn the channel" when it came on MTV... anyway... is it a good album? yes. is it one you must hear before you die... no. Three stars... for some decent radio hits...
Don't get it... at all... weak vocals over boring beats... are the lyrics clever? no idea... can't get past the music... is it sort of pleasant? i guess... i actually know people who love these guys and buy all their records... all i can hear when they play is "West End Girls" over and over again... it baffles me that these guys had a career past that song... who did these guys pay to be on this list? this is just a travesty... lol... the first song is even called "Being Boring"... obviously autobiographical... lol... it may be a UK/Euro thing... but, this "music" is antiseptic... soulless... does it make you tap your foot? a bit... would i rather listen to this than Death Metal? yes... one star just for that...