"The best things i can say about this record... are... they are not auto-tuned... they wrote the songs... and, luckily, there are no radio hits... but, that is all i can say that is good... to the American ear, this "band" sounds like the very worst of Eurovision or "The Spanish Station" drivel... one star... for being somewhat "original"
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...
Four stars. some of his earlier albums were way better... 'nuff said... next...
Now here's a record that you just won't ever hear one like... before or after... as a little kid, i knew of Laura Nyro's work from hearing her songs performed by Barbra Streisand or The Fifth Dimension... whenever Barbra appeared on a show, i usually changed the channel... lol... unless she sang "Stoney End"... which was a stone HIT, it's not on this album but anyway... Laura, her real name Nigro, was a really unique songwriter... the chords, hooks, parts, were so uniquely put together... and her songs always had an element of GOSPEL in them... like a half Italian half jewish girl from NYC learned her chops in a southern baptist African American church... her songs are POP... but not pop... they are GOSPEL... but not sanctified... they are HOOKY but not stock... This album is not all home runs... but they all at least reach the warning track... and it's always ART... "Sweet Blindness"... is great... "Eli's Coming", a big HIT for Three Dog Night, is a classic... "Stoned Soul Picnic", a huge hit for The Fifth Dimension, is another banger... the other cuts are all top notch... her singing is a bit quirky, but i really like it... it may not have been radio friendly, but it was totally expressive... and had trememdous character and soul.. a big FIVE STARS... a masterpiece.
would i listen more than once? no. would i make it all the way through one? also a no... two stars for some singing talent and a few ear worms.
three stars... actually a pretty weak effort from Neil... i'm surprised it's on this list at all.. "Harvest", "After The Gold Rush" and "Comes A Time" are all WAY better... and deservedly on this list...
You Would Know is a cool song... You Can't Quit Me has some interesting bass playing... but, mostly this record is grungy, semi-hard rock... all instruments except drums by one guy, and it sounds like it... is it horrible? no... i found my head bopping a bit at times... these guys are 10 years younger than me... or i should say, guy, Josh Homme... and i remember, in the 90's i hung out with a lot of people 10 years younger than me, and while they LOVED my music... whenever they would excitedly ask me to listen to some of theirs, i never got it... i would think that this younger crowd had a lot of angst, and inner turmoil... lolol... i don't get this record either... it would probably get five stars from people in their late 40's early 50's... but, from me, it gets three... for artistic intent. any record this tuneless, grooveless, plodding, etc that gets three stars from me... is a miracle in itself... zzz
Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, The 59th St. Bridge Song... were the big hits on the record... the other cuts, Patterns, For Emily Whenever, Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine, A Poem on and Underground Wall, Cloudy, A Simple Desultory Philippic, Flowers Never Bend, and 7 O'Clock News... are all killer cuts... The Dangling Conversation is a cool piece of art... Three Grand Slam Homeruns... a few on the warning track... and a few that didn't quite get there... for those i have to deduct a star... four stars...
OMG... waste of time... all i can think about while listening to this cow patty, is what album got knocked off the list by this piece of S***?
I DISTINCTLY remember hearing this album for the very first time... heck, it was Pink Floyd... so you KNEW to take that precious record to your room... put it on the stereo... get your headphones on, and spark up your... um... relaxation method of choice... ahem... and as the kids say, "get into it"... if you are not of a certain age... if you are not used to being ENGULFED by a sonic piece of ARTWORK... the beginning of this record will hit you differently, but to me... it was the ULTIMATE way a record should start... "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"... is a masterpiece in and of itself... from it's opening strains... to when the whole band kicks in... it's like when "The Wizard of Oz" turns technicolor... The Drums... the arrangement... everything... BEAUTIFUL... PERFECTION... and when you think, how can this get any better... "Welcome to The Machine"... wow... EPIC piece... number two... and then... "Have a Cigar" sung by Roy Harper... they say Roger couldn't sing it, and David turned it down... turned it down??? lol... whoa... anyway... all three songs to begin the record were tape measure HOMERUNS... and then you heard the beginning acoustic guitar part of... "Wish You Were Here"... one of the greatest songs of my lifetime... and you knew Roger meant Syd Barrett... the crazy diamond, himself... poignant... beautiful... and then close with "Shine On..." as a reprise/curtain closer... an absolute breathtaking piece of art... Five stars... six if it were allowed.
When i was a young man in my 20's... i would always find myself in my car... for a job... or just driving... and at 2 or 2:30 PM every Tuesday, i think it was, a show would come on... "Afropop Worldwide with Georges Collinet"... and i started making sure i had it on and listened to every show... i learned about zouk... and soukous... juju... etc... and that's where i first heard the genius music of Fela Kuti... this album... is GREAT... it has four "songs" all over 12 minutes long... even though his lyrics are political... and being American i had no idea about that... but... the grooves... the beats... the playing... the singing... the pure joy of music... even though there is an underlying tone of anger... is truly amazing... FIVE Stars...
horrible... not a good song on it... and i love Bowie....
ok album... good singer... average songs... three stars for being better than Adele...
oh come on... this is total shite... the aural equivalent of a waterboarding... two stars... for both balls it took to put this one out... all i can say is.. nein...
Neil Young... former rock star... now big, dumb blowhard... but, when he was hot he was hot... five stars for this one... Cinnamon Girl, Down By The River, Cowgirl in the Sand... need i say more? the title track is a banger... the other songs top... to know that he has a FEW albums that are way better than this one, is a bit awe inspiring... gotta give it up...
"Mr. Soul"... "Expecting To Fly"... and "Broken Arrow" are absolute gems in the Neil Young catalogue... "Bluebird" was a cool song too back in the day, which is a Stephen Stills tour de force... "Rock and Roll Woman" is another Stills all timer... as are "Everydays" and "Hung Upside Down"... Richie Furay chips in well with "A Child's Claim to Fame"... which could easily be a Poco tune... and the lovely "Sad Memory"... the drummer, Dewey Martin even wrote a cool tune, "Good Time Boy"... a big FIVE stars.
a masterpiece.... "Sloop John B" huge hit... "Wouldn't It Be Nice"... a classic... "God Only Knows" divine... "Caroline No" another all timer... such a great sound... the only thing is the Beach Boys didn't hardly play a note on it... they all SANG on it for sure... other than one song were Dennis plays drums, and Carl playing guitar on two cuts... so, the session guys sounded great... the boys sang perfectly... and that it influenced Paul McCartney and The Beatles is in full evidence... Five Stars.
Actually a pretty good effort... sort of reminds me of early David Bowie...surprisingly... the two guys in the group say they have the Talking Heads in their blood... but, i heard NONE of that... lol... but, i did hear Donovan... and T Rex a bit... modernized with sampling of course... fairly strong tunes... "kids" being the "hit"... but the record peters out at the end... four stars... a score that could be five if you are under 40... and three if you are over 60...
When i was 11-12 years old... a song came on the radio... it sounded like nothing else in the US top forty or on Rock radio... to my American ear, i heard "fun fun fun on the Autobahn"... lol... my dad, who had been stationed in Germany at the tail end of WWII, said he had actually been on the Autobahn... which is a highway in Germany, where, basically, there is no speed limit... i think... but, whatever... the song was a HYPNOTIC groove... that was THREE minutes of joy on the readio... but 22 minutes long on this album!!! which is a good thing... it's a great song... and like a long "TRIP" down the Autobahn... which must be nice, if it's anything like this song... the instrumentation, now passe, was totally different than anything that was blasting from my speakers before... "Wir fahr'n, fahr'n, fahr'n auf der Autobahn"... we drive drive drive down the autobahn... was what they were singing... the rest of the German lyrics just describe the road and that they turn on the radio and listen while they drive... lol... exactly like you were doing back then... genius... anyway... think of this record as a single more than an album... side one... 22 minutes of "Autobahn"... side two... the "B" side... and if you are INTO electronic music and its origins... you give this FIVE STARS... if you are not, side two... is VERY B... lol... and you ONLY Play side one... therefore... a rating of three stars... Five stars for side one... deducted two stars for side two...
If you ever... thought to yourself... man, i haven't had a good headache in a while! well... i have the record for you... put this cow patty on... and let nature take its course... if you like headaches... if pain is what turns you on... if grooving, or being sexy is NOT your thing... if you think it's cool and rebellious to whine over a cacophony of "sound"... to my, old fuddy duddy, ear... it reminds me of Jane's Addiction... but less tuneful... so basically... if you enjoy that sort of thing... you would give this album five stars... "Spike Island" is a pretty good song... easily the best on this hockey puck... "Kiss Like Lizards"... lol... is this a mating call for young folks back in the early 2000's??? all i can say is it take major COJONES... and a dodgy ear to have the chutzpa to go and put this sort of thing out... i would imagine this song is like the anti viagra... for young folks with too much wood... listen to this... and bring it down a couple notches so you don't kill your girlfriend during a netflix and chill... on the bright side... "Getting Bright At Night"... is sort of good... but 9 minutes long... "Big Sleep" is a pretty good rocker... must be said... as is "White Devil"... the opener "Up Against the Wall Motherf*ckers"... is an ok opener... the rest of the record is noise... i THINK they were trying to make a more modern Exile on Main St... but... The Stones were raw... and TUNEFUL... with swagger... and panache... where this one is the opposite... five stars if you are under 45... two stars for me... for the songs i mentioned...
three
Now this is an album that rocks... "Miss Judy's Farm"... a heck of a rockin' opener... written by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood... you can hear the boogie woogie style Ronnie always was good at, and was perfect for The Stones later on... "You're So rude" is a cool boogie rockin' number with Ronnie Lane singing... "Love Lives Here" has some sweet playing by Wood... lovely vocals by Rod the Mod... a bit of an R&B ballad feel... foreshadowing "Fool To Cry" i believe... "Last Orders Please" and "Debris" are good Ronnie Lane efforts... a pretty cool take on Chuck Berry's "Memphis"... "Too Bad" and "That's All You Need" are dirty rockin' gems featuring Rod... and i saved "Stay With Me" for last... one of the best rock songs of all time... a true Rock and Roll STANDARD... and guaranteed MONEY MAKER SHAKER... c'mon honey... FIVE STARS...
"on the level" is a good song... other than that... this is a cow patty... i'm sure people think this artist is great... he sure seems to be TRYING to be deep and artistic... but, that's all i can see... a man TRYING... and expecting you to think because he croaks... and talks some kind of pretty prose... that you might fight off boredom and suffer through it and then call it great.. and make fun of all the folks who now listen to it because you said so... lol... to compare this guy to Bob Dylan... is like apples and oranges... one guy is a genius SONGWRITER... who can rock and roll... the other one is Leonard Cohen... stock... hack... let me throw in some esoteric Biblical terms, etc... to seem "profound"... five stars if you are a fan... one star for one ok song from me... is that harsh? not enough... lol... zzzzzz
One of the best rock album of ALL TIME... "carry on" a great opener written by Stills... into... "teach your children" the Graham Nass all timer... "almost cut my hair" by Crosby... "helpless" by Neil... then the ensemble take on Joni's "Woodstock"... and that's just SIDE ONE... "deja vu" a lovely track opens side two... by Crosby... Nash once again chimes in with an all timer... "our house"... the HAUNTING "4+20" by Stills... the MONUMENTAL song, "country girl" by Young... and the hippie dippy closer the ensemble track "everybody i love you" written by Stills/Young... if i could give a record ten stars this is it... FIVE STARS..
"Roadhouse Blues"... need i say more? opens this great record... if this song doesn't get you fired up, you have no soul... Jim Morrison gets all the press, but, the band is very underrated as a rockin' group... killer guitar... bad ass piano... bass by Lonnie Mack... and that's just the opener... "Waiting For The Sun" is Hippie gold... a snapshot of the times back then... the garage band esque "You Make Me Real" is next... "Peace Frog"... if you don't like this song... you don't like groceries... "blood in the streets of the town of Chicago..." wooo! another snapshot of the times... "Blue Sunday" is Morrison at his spooky best... "Ship of Fools" while not as good as the Grateful Dead song of the same title, is strong... that's side one... side two... is another story... not nearly as strong... side one is Five stars... i deduct one for side two... FOUR STARS... and an album you must hear before you die... at least side one... ; ))
This is comedy gold... on the comedy scale.. five stars... musically... i give it three stars... for the chutzpa it took...
cow patty... hockey puck... two stars for Beth and Shout it out loud...
Five Stars... Side one would get 10 stars... side two... well... it gets saved by "A Day in The Life"... a lot of people consider this to be the Beatles best album... i don't... but it's great regardless... special shout out to George Martin.... one of the greatest albums ever, even with a few duds on side two...
These guys are my age... so, i should like them right? when i first saw them, they were doing a song called "real men don't kill coyotes"... and the song was pure punk... the video wild as heck... and i thought they were a novelty act that would have one video and be gone... but, i was wrong... that song was so un-tuneful, that i figured that's what they were all about... as more of their songs were released, i started to hear a really tight, groovin' band... that were influenced a lot by funk... and R&B... the lead "singer" is basically a rapper... but he's a TRUE front man with attitude... and that goes a long way... the other three guys are top musicians... "Around the World" is a great opener... "Parallel Universe" really gives Flea, the bass player, a showcase... "Scar Tissue" is one of those songs that stays with you long after it is played... a radio HIT... "Otherside" is another killer song... "Get On Top" is like "Real Men Don't Kill Coyotes" in that it's punk but a lot more groovin'... a bad ass band... gettin' down... and the singer tells you he's the big bopper... lol... and get on top! lol... right on... the title track "Californication" is a mellow ear worm... a little acoustic guitar in there to give it that Cali vibe... "Porcelain" is a sweet ballad that breaks the record up nicely... "I Like Dirt" is a pure R&B funkified workout... "Purple Stain" prove what i said before... the front man is a rapper... like a hard rockin' Jamiroquai... "Road Trippin'" is the closer... let's go get lost... let's go get lost... what are those? strings??? lol... by the end of this record, you realize the singer is a pretty darn good lyricist... FIVE STARS... a star for every member of the band... and one for good luck...
Ah the Madchester (Manchester, UK) sound... it had to have a start... and this record is it... pop/rock music with a nod to the sunshine pop of the 60's... but what it really is, is a collection of good songs... and a couple grand slams in there... "I Wanna Be Adored", "She Bangs The Drums", "Made of Stone", "Waterfall", "Song For My Sugar Spun Sister" and "I Am The Resurrection" are all top songs... and if you get the expanded verson, you are TREATED to their best song.... "Fools Gold"... Five STARS.
When i was a kid... i heard some cool songs on the radio... like Space Oddity, and Changes... and the DJ would say that was David Bowie... and he wold pronounce it like "BOO ey"... like the knife... lol... anyway... we would all later know it was pronounced "BO EE"... imagine an 11 year old boy loveing those songs, then seeing him on "The Midnight Special" and watching him perform in complete drag, including a corset... i had no idea what i was watching... but, it sure sounded great... anyway... the album opens up with a rave rockin' GEM, "Watch That Man"... the rest of the album is a rock n roll experience... "Drive In Saturday"... "Cracked Actor"... "Time"... "The Prettiest Star"... a raucous cover of The Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together"... and the now standard "The Jean Genie"... Five Stars.
if any record had the singles "Stand", "I Want to Take You Higher" and "Everyday People"... it would be a first ballot hall of famer... but when you add "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey"... which sounds racist, but, the next line in the song is "don't call me whitey, nigger"... totally nailing the "war" of words that the "man" uses to divide us... The Family Stone... were black... and white... male... and female... "Sing a Simple Song" and "You Can Make it if You Try" are both stand out... This Album... is a Five STAR extravaganza... Five STARS...
The year was 1985... hardcore punk was almost passe... The new wave and electronic era were next... the first time i heard Tears For Fears... the quality of the vocals were stand out... as were the songs... "Pale Shelter" was the first song i ever heard by them... and i LOVED the album "The Hurting"... which i would easily give FIVE STARS... This is the album, however, that most people, at least in the USA, were introduced to Roland and Curt... "Songs From The Big Chair" is more polished than the debut... and has some killer songs, singing, and playing... "Shout" into "The Working Hour" into "Everybody Wants To Rule the World" into "Mother's Talk" is as good a four song stretch as any record in the 80's... "Head Over Heels" was a natural hit... and the best of the rest of the songs on the record... i give this one 41/2 Stars... some weaker tunes and whiney lyrics take away a half star... still a TOP album and one you MUST hear before you die...
i gotta say... i was pleasantly surprised by this album... some cool electronica songs, but with some cool bass and pristine production... great vocals... like a more modern Tears For Fears... with U2 and Talk Talk thrown in with Muse as well... there are no hall of fame first time listen HITS... but the album as a whole is a really nice aural experience... use headphones... i'm an old fuddy duddy, so i give it Four stars... i'm sure the younger whipper snappers will give it Five... xoxo
As a young boy... a song came on the radio... what made it different was it was kind of country, yet ALL ROCK n ROLL... and... it was almost TEN MINUTES LONG!!! and they played the whole thing on the radio.... why... because how can you edit all the great parts in "Free Bird"... which over the decades has become a punch line, and a bit cliche... but, back then... it was magical... the vocals... the guitar ATTACK... solos flying in from everywhere... the piano, bass... and the DRUMS... it was ELABORATE, yet right... not a note of it could nor should be deleted... "Free Bird" was like Faces' "Stay With Me" or The Stones "Satisfaction" in the fact that all red blooded kids would immediately start belting out the chorus... and play air guitar to the solos... or air drums, which was the case a lot of the time lol... when you add a great opening track like "I Ain't The One" and then "Tuesday's Gone"... THEN you do "Gimme Three Steps" and "Simple Man"... wow... "Things Goin' On", "Mississippi Kid", and "Poison Whiskey" are not hits, but solid rock workouts... and country rock virtuosity... and then the record ends with "Free Bird" what more do i have to convey? FIVE Stars, son... it's a whole lotta fun... ya boi d
How many stars am i allowed to give to a record? if someone asked me what would be my top five all time albums... this one would get major consideration... every song a home run... all the singing and playing perfect... "Baba O'Riley"... "Bargain"... "Love Ain't For Keeping"... John Entwistle's "My Wife"... "The Song is Over", "Getting in Tune", "Going Mobile"... "Behind Blue Eyes"... then... then... i'll say it again... then... comes the piece de resistance... "Won't Get Fooled Again"... one of the greatest songs in world history.... to end one of the greatest RnR records in history... Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, The Ox, and the incomparable Keith Moon... Five Stars to infinity...
hockey puck... ear bleeding, horrific cacophony of a cow patty... one star... for the sheer cojones...
The opening track, the title track.. is an epic instrumental... and it kicks off this psychedelic masterpiece quite well... "Afterglow" shows Steve Marriott at his vocal best... "Long Ago and Worlds Apart" is great one, featuring the keys man, Ian McLagan... the rest of side one is just as strong, and "Lazy Sunday" is bad ass... Side Two is a six song cycle about "Happiness Stan"... Narrated by Professor Stanley Unwin... about recovering the "lost half of the moon"... um... talk about psychedelic lol... "Rollin' Over" is a RnR bad ass workout... "The Journey" really shows off Ronnie Lane's playing... this is just a great record... and a great example of a concept album with great playing, singing, writing, etc... if you are British... this is Five stars... if you are from anywhere else... Four strong ones... I'm not British but, Five for me... xoxo
five stars forever!
one of the best albums of all time... every song a banger... total class.. five stars...
Some really cool British Isles music... described as "folk punk"... a good album from start to finish... Elvis Costello produced it... highlights are the vocal by Cait O'Riordan, "I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day"... "A Pair of Brown Eyes" is a GREAT song by Shane MacGowan... Elvis plays some mandolin on it... side two only has one original on it... but the covers and trad songs are top notch... a great, sparse rendition of "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" closes out this journey through the sound of Celtic punk... Five Stars.
shit
This is a masterpiece... when i think of "the sound of Philadelphia" i think of R&B... and i hear so much of that in the sound of Todd Rundgren aka the Runt... when i reviewed Laura Nyro a few records back, i raved about her sense of pop hooks, etc... well, Todd has all that and more... this album has bonafide tape measure homeruns, like "Hello, It's Me" and "I Saw The Light"... "Couldn't I Just Tell You" and "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" were minor hits... and "Black Marie" a rockin' concert staple... i could name more... but, there are 25 songs on this album... lol... and it is never boring... you hear big Rock songs, with great lead guitar... you hear song with chords and hooks like the best of R&B but without being rote or trite... this album goes from The Temptations to Stevie Wonder to Deep Purple to Frank Zappa to Psychedelia to Beatle-esque joy... Five Stars... all day...
a Rock music master work... Jeff Beck... the guy who made sounds on the guitar like no other... long before he got bored with Rock and went jazzy... "Let Me Love You" is a great example of that... "Shapes of Things" opens the record up... and both songs feature the great vocalizations of Rod Stewart... the cover of "Morning Dew" is next... and then, if you thought this record "reminded" you of Led Zeppelin, "You Shook Me" comes on... and you remember that this album PRE-DATES Zep!!! "Rock My Plimsoul"... "Beck's Bolero"... and it all closes with "I Ain't Superstitious" a Rock standard... Five Stars... all day long...
What an album! it's jazz... but it's world music as well... Masekela, known for his flugelhorn playing and composing... with two African musicians... sax man Dudu Pukwana, and drummer Makhaya Ntshoko... match them with jazz veterans, Larry Willis on piano (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Nat Adderley, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, etc), and Eddie Gomez on bass (Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Billy Cobham, and too many more to mention)... bad ass, thought provoking, groovin', interplay... Masekela only wrote one song, "Maseru"... five songs written by Hugh's fellow South African exile, Caiphus Semenya... and a few others... all well crafted... and STIMULATING to listen to... Five Stars!
shit.
meh... this artist has been compared to Tricky and Massive Attack... and i like those acts quite a bit... for me, she sounds a bit like Portishead too... but... unlike those aforementioned acts, this album is minus SONGS... are there some cool SOUNDS? yes... is it cool on headphones? yes... but would you put those phones on again and again? not me... when an album gets five stars from me, there is no doubt... i FEEL it... this is a talented singer... making some cool sounds... for that i give it three stars... and i'm being generous...
"Right Here Right Now" opens this album up... and what a song to do the job! Norman Quentin Cook is about my age... and he knows what it takes to get a booty shakin'!!! Before he became this monster DJ, he was the bassist for The Housemartins... that explains his ability to groove... Trip Hop... Nu Funk... indeed... as anyone knows, i'm a real instruments, real vocals, no frills kind of guy... but, i love good music... whether it be jazz, soul, or classical... and this is good music... how do i know? i feel it... "Right Here Right Now" GETS THE PARTY STARTED! "Rockefellar Skank" is next... right about now... the funk soul bruver... lol... if you don't like this cut, you don't like groceries... fat boy slim is fucking in heaven!! lolol... "In Heaven" is next... bad ass groove again... the use of cameo vocal snips, and jazzy breakdowns, and flat out dead air for a second, are some of the delights of this album... "Gangster Trippin'" keeps it goin'... every cut is cool... for example "Soul Surfing" into "You're Not From Brighton" into... the blissful "Praise You"... which turns a simple piano riff and bass pattern into an uplifting experience... if you are not dancing to this you must be injured... the way the piano and bass change into a Beatle-esque extravaganza and back again is just PURE... is every song a homerun? no... but... it gest Five big Stars from me...
"I love this record... i know it intimately... as a teen boy i had a lot of trouble falling asleep... and late at night, there were two albums i could put on and not disturb my parents... "Days of Future Past" by The Moody Blues, which i'm SURE will be on this list... and this one... Willie was at his peak in my opinion... he had done "Red Headed Stranger" (which WILL also be on this list)... and "Waylon and Willie" (ditto)... the arrangements... the song choices... and the VOICE of Willie Nelson... "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael starts it off in a very hauntingly beautiful way... then comes the ONLY version of "Georgia On My Mind", not sung by Ray Charles, that i ever want to hear... Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" is next and is done to perfection... "All of Me" and all the rest of the tracks, sublime... every song a STANDARD... and every performance a tour de force... "Someone To Watch Over Me" closes this GEM... probably one of the best "cover" albums of all time... FIVE STARS forever..."
"When i was a kid, an older friend had the first two Black Sabbath albums... i hated them on first listen... and i've stayed true to form ever since... are there some good musicians playing? yes... some unique, evil riffs? yes... but i never got into "costume" acts... unless it's a cowboy hat and a Nudie suit... please lay off the cos play, K? of course i understood Led Zeppelin... and Deep Purple were pretty good, and could really sing and play... but these guys? nah... RIP to the so called prince of darkness... out of tune, fake scary, wimpy drivel... one star."
"when i first heard John Prine... it was on a PBS special... and at first, i thought he was country... then, i started to hear Bob Dylan... or, like Bob Dylan, but different... this was GREAT SONGWRITING... it was simple... and memorable... with all kinds of soul and heart... and compassion... and humor... "Illegal Smile" opens up the record... a great song about drug use.. "Spanish Pipedream" is just as great but in a humorous style... then comes two of the saddest, best songs in RnR history "Hello In There" and "Sam Stone"... "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" is another humorous gem... the glorious "Angel From Montgomery"... and another really sad one, "Donald and Lydia"... every track is unique, and beautiful in its own way... FIVE STARS... for the debut of one of the greatest songwriters in American History...
A great album... but once again... Neil has better ones... that will come up on this list... is every song good? yes... it's Neil... he rarely, if ever, misses... "Walk On" opens it up... and is a great song to open with... then comes "See The Sky Above"... classic Neil melody... on the electric piano no less... "Revolution Blues" is this album's "Southern Man" or "Down By The River" rocker... Neil growls it out ala Bob Dylan... then comes a masterpiece unto itself... "For The Turnstiles"... for me, one of the greatest songs of his career... or anyone's... it made me have goosebumps back in the day, when i first heard it, and i've recorded it myself, multiple times (shameless self plug)... "Vampire Blues" is just bad ass... "On The Beach" is another blues song with a lil Neill twist... "Motion Pictures For Carrie" is a folk/country, romantic pine... "Ambulance Blues" closes this album out... a bit of a "downer" feel ending, but classic Neil... he never gives you exactly what you expect... FIVE STARS. and he's done even better... stay tuned."
When the indoctrination centers, er, schools are not getting the job done... enter the alternatives... i can think of no other reason for the entire genre of so called "rap" "music"... Eminem, NWA, Snoop, etc use hyperbole, and humor... so i would probably be more lenient toward them... but... zero stars.
five stars... 59 songs... all gems... amazing.
This is a great album... the debut of The Doors... it starts off appropriately with "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" killer playing by the band... Jim Morrison bursting on the scene... Ray Manzarek tickling that Vox Continental... "Soul Kitchen" is next... what a bad ass groove... the bass being played by Manzarek... John Densmore drums, and Robbie Krieger on guitar are essential... "The Crystal Ship" takes us along this psychedelic voyage... "Twentieth Century Fox" and "Alabama Song" lead into the EPIC "Light My FIre"... which NEVER gets old... one of the greatest songs in RnR history... but if that's not enough the album ends with "Back Door Man" into "The End"... a brilliant debut... and all timer... FIVE STARS.
12 songs... mostly of the boogie woogie RnR vibe... all strong songs... none of them all timers or homeruns... but a good album of some doubles and triples.... so, in baseball vernacular... it is a solid effort... i give it Four stars... i think in the UK they'd give it Five...
"Wall St. Shuffle" opens this album up... a really cool opener... some great playing... great vocals... and so uniquely quirky... the clean production of the record is really stand out... especially when you know it's from 1974... every song after is unique in its own way... these guys really had a great time in the studio... getting sounds... perfecting the arrangements... making sure it was always fresh... they sound like Queen (or is it the other way 'round?) at times... Beatles or, i should say, George Martin like creativity... you have to really know music... and really know a studio... to make a record like this one... as you go... you will hear songs that will make you think that Queen might've been inspired to do "Night at the Opera"... i'm sure they must've been fans of this record... i'm guessing... by the time you get to the end of this album, you realize you heard a piece of WORK... no big hits or real homeruns... but FIVE stars for the cumulative affect...
"Wow... every once in a while you get a pleasant surprise... my first time hearing this act was this morning... and i really like this record... 28 songs! lol... but... the good news... they average less than 2 minutes long... the obvious comparison is early REM... but these guys have HOOKS GALORE... and they get the idea over... in under two minutes... that is amazing... the closer you are the quicker it hits ya... lol... as they sing in "Closer You Are"... one of longer songs at one minute, 56 seconds... "My Valuable Hunting Knife" is a two minute pop gem... etc... "Blimps Go 90" is also a highlight... The album closes with the longest song, almost THREE minutes! lol.. "Alright" is and EPIC closer... applying the theory of relativity... lol... also, i love this record because it was recorded like i record... in a home studio... some genres, artists, etc sound better when recorded and produced with the maximum amount of cleanliness... this record is raw... like RnR should be... it's politically incorrect... it's punk... but it's pop... and it's 100% RnR... Robert Pollard is the singer, and songwriter... FIVE STARS."
"Let Me Drown" is a pretty bad ass way to open an album up... admittedly, the grunge genre is not my cup of tea... usually... i think Nirvana were ok, and i never liked Pearl Jam at all... Soundgarden on the other hand... seems to have a lot more of the older influences that it takes to get my fancy... The title track is a highlight... if you like Led Zeppelin you will appreciate this band... they have some of that moxie... Chris Cornell, RIP, handling the vocals with a wide range... of notes and emotional rage... a lot of the songs on this album pre-date bands that would do this kind of sound... Alice in Chains springs to mind... all the players in the band are mofos at their instruments... i must admit... the pounding of John Bonham... the everywhere guitar stylings... like Jimmy Page, etc... "Black Hole Sun" is the big hit of the record... unfortunately, for me, it sounds the most like a Pearl Jam song... lol... but it also has elements of early Elton John in the vocals... "Spoonman" is like a Zep song... "Limo Wreck" is like a full out rock operea in six minutes, reminding me a bit of "Dazed and Confused"... punk, hard rock, and other merriments ensue... to grunge fans this MUST be one of the top albums to you... and you would give it five stars... for me, a curmudgeonly older fellow, i'll play nice... and give them FOUR... Five for when they sound like Zeppelin... deduct one for the ones that sound like Pearl Jam or Alice in Chains... ; ))"
"The opening song is "Blueberry Hill"... need i say more? "Honey Chile" is next... every song on this is a gem... when younger generations hear the term "rock and roll"... and they think of Metallica... or... Nirvana... it makes me cringe... it's like when someone who is not country, claims to be a country artist... it's incongruent... THIS... is Rock 'n Roll... Rock and Roll... even CLASSIC ROCK realizes it needed to shorten the term... Chuck Berry... Jerry Lee Lewis... Little Richard... THAT is Rock n Roll... and that's exactly what this record is... it DEFINES the genre... in fact this record is not only rockin'... but REELIN' and a rockin'... just having "Blueberry" and "Blue Monday" on the same album make it special... but, when every song is a piece of nostalgia, that MUST be preserved... FIVE STARS... all day... every day..."
One of the greatest country singers... and writers... ever... and one of the ORIGINATORS of the "Bakersfield" sound... he writes six of these great country songs... including "Cryin' Time"... the title track was a big hit... with the Buckaroos... and his main man, guitarist, vocalist, Don Rich... this is just pure country pleasure... Five Stars... all day long... yeeeee hawww...
"This album opens up with an old type barrelhouse blues tune... "I Love Your Lovin' Ways"... then the preaching starts... lol... "Four Women" is the kind of song, that Nina Simone became known for... a song about plight... but instead of breaking stereotypes... promotes it... even WITHIN the black "race", etc... and the big ending, "my name is peaches"... what? ok... anyway... "What More Can I Say" is what she is pretty good at, which is singing a jazz song in a unique way... her instrument, voice, is rich and very expressive... and her piano playing is great... "Lilac Wine" then starts the downer, pity party... how a woman did things she shouldn't have.... all because of you... lol... "That's All I Ask" gets back to music... and is a good jazz performance.... she is NOT a technical artist, ala Sarah Vaughan, but an emotional and artistic performer... "Break Down and Let it All Out" is back to preachin'... lol... how much rage this woman has about being... oppressed??? i don't know about you, but when someone a lot richer, and limousine'd to where she has to go, tells ME how i oppress HER... lol... i remember why i never got into her stuff back in the day... unlike Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Cassandra Wilson, who go hard, yet refrain from the "sermons"... and editorials... "Why Keep Breaking My Heart" is comical... and just plain bad... sorry Nina fans... lol... the title track "Wild Is The Wind" is a nearly seven minute aural waterboarding... where she tries to prove she can get you to sleep faster than Sominex... her playing on it, is Liberace-esque... must be said... "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair"... is an attempt at racializing an old Appalachian folk song into a statement about the oppression of African Americans... surprise! "If I Should Lose You" is a cool vocal workout... and sounds like something i would do, jokingly, to entertain myself here in my den/studio... and the album closes with the optimistic, "Either Way I Lose"... lol... letting you know... whether you are black or white... that... due to "oppression" you cannot win... in love or life... i give this album THREE STARS... for some rich vocals and cool piano playing... i deduct two from five for the whining and complaining of this rich, limousine ridin', lobster eating... um... artist... and DO NOT TELL ME, it's a good example of Jazz in any shape or form... meh."
In the morning, one of the first things i do is check what album is next up on the 1001 list... and this morning, i was PLEASED to see one of my all time favorite records... AJA is a masterpiece... from the songs... to the performances... to the QUALITY of production... Donald Fagan is a genius musician... and Walter Becker, RIP, is another... and i've been lucky enough to see them live... and man, can they do it... but, in the studio, they are even more MONSTROUS... using fantastic studio musicians and ROCK STARS to play even minor parts... or to TRY a part... and see if it stuck on the record... lol... "Black Cow" opens... and what an opener... "drink your big black cow, and get out of here"... lol... for you youngsters a "Black Cow" was a root beer drink back in the day... with ice cream... and Fagan was a regular at soda shops back in the day... Becker does not appear on the song... Chuck Rainey (bass), Larry Carlton (gtr), Joe Sample (keys), Tom Scott (sax) and Paul Humphrey (drms) are the band... whoa... some acts get studio musicians to cover them up, and some acts use LEGENDS... like Steely Dan... then comes the title track "AJA" where Steve Gadd is the drummer and Timothy B. Schmit, and Denny Dias join in... and who is the sax man???? Wayne freakin' Shorter... damn... how much money was involved in this production???? and it was well spent... "Deacon Blues" has the LEGENDARY Bernard Purdy on drums... Lee Ritenour on guitar... "Peg" is the other track that Becker is not on... Fagan is joined by Michael McDonlad on bv's... Rick Marotta on drums, Steve Kahn on guitar, and more... "Home at Last", and "I Got The News" are the two least known tracks on the record... and they are great... with all those players... and the album closes with "Josie"... "she's a live wire... she plays like a Roman with her eyes on fire..." heck... "She's the pride of the neighborhood" lol... Fagan as Dylan... having fun with words... but in a rock, yet still jazzy, setting... FIVE STARS... forever..."
First off... i love War... i loved them when Eric Burdon fronted them and they did "Spill The Wine"... one of my all time favorite radio songs... this album is so funky... it starts out with "The Cisco Kid"... which was all over the radio in 1972... the funkiness continues with "Where Was You At"... and then 13 plus minutes of a funky workout in "City Country City"... "Four Cornered Room" is a slow burner for almost nine minutes... then comes the album version of "The World Is A Ghetto" at over 10 minutes long... these guys have the groove and the chops to pull all this off... and then it ends with the funky, fine "Beetles in the Bog"... Five Stars..."
"Wow... once again i'm surprised... but this time... not in a good way... lol... before i listened to this, i was already preparing to pan it good... but, i had NO IDEA how worthless this cow patty was... it has been said that this album has been compared to Brian Wilson, in that it encapsulates the experience of youth for the respective times of their work... well, then i feel very sorry for the youth of 2012, when this sorry hockey puck was released... i couldn't find one groove... or any talent on it... EVERY word sung is auto-tuned to the point of sounding robotic... making me wonder if Frank Ocean is a real person or just some AI avatar... one of the songs is called "Crack Rock", which you need to smoke a bag of to like it... "White" has John Mayer playing some random guitar on it... and he's white... i guess is the reason for the title... who knows? "Bad Religion" tells us... for the UMPTEENTH time, that religion - bad... yay... what groundbreaking stuff, huh? "Pink Matter" has Andre 3000 on it... oh my... absolutely NOTHING could save this record... and lastly, i'll mention the song "Fertilizer" which is what this album is... if these lyrics move you, or mean anything to you, you... and i... are different... ZERO stars."
"The best things i can say about this record... are... they are not auto-tuned... they wrote the songs... and, luckily, there are no radio hits... but, that is all i can say that is good... to the American ear, this "band" sounds like the very worst of Eurovision or "The Spanish Station" drivel... one star... for being somewhat "original"
"Every once in a while a band doesn't hit here in the States... but should have... and the main man of the band, The Jam, Paul Weller, i think is a pop music genius... i don't care whether it was the first album by The Jam, or any of his solo records... i seem to appreciate the artistry of every song... it even makes me a bit angry at how easily he seems to make good records... this, their third album, is another fine example... it's punk, but pop... it's rock... and it's good songs done by a good group... "David Watts", "In The Crowd", and "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" are all bangers... they rock... they even slow it down... i have to give it... Five Stars..."
The Cure... really Robert Smith... and some good musicians throughout the years... despite being what i consider a "dress up" kind of band... imagine if Mr. Smith ever went out on stage dressed like a man of his actual age... lol... it simply wouldn't go over... in my opinion, The Cure were about creating a vibe or creating an atmosphere where they could play some cool music... and they always had good songs... so many danceable singles... none of which appear on this album, alas... what does appear is music that i think was influenced by them opening for Siouxsie and the Banshees... it is a very moody, ominously dark album... it's like new wave or alternative's take on a heavier sound... if you are a Cure fan, you know they started to sound a lot different after this one... more party in their game... less seriousness... anyway, back to the album... Robert Smith is a performer that NEEDS to have a matching LOOK... to sing like he does, it almost begs to have him looking a bit crazy on stage... and he does.. i've seen them live... and he is a total pro... sounds just like the records... and has BAD ASS players playing Cure music... and for the vocals, i put Robert Smith in there with David Byrne, as being a quirky, yet genius singer... a one off... unique... is it in tune? who cares? it is the perfect voice for this music... his music... the driving drum sound on this record is because of Lol Tolhurst, who actually, later, became the keyboardist... and a producer... there are NO HITS on this record... and the songs are well played and done with serious intent... and other albums by them, i'd give five stars to... and Robert Smith is a singular talent... but, for my American ear... and my taste... i give it a strong THREE stars... is it an album you must hear before you die? maybe... but is it an album you would put on repeat? aw hell no... but big respect for Mr. Smith... and i'm sure when another of "their" records shows up on the list, it will get more stars"
"Time To Get Away" is a bad ass song... if you can get past the opener... a seven minute, meh fest... "Get Innocuous"... the album starts sounding like the LCD i know... "North American Scum" is a raucous, party workout... as the album goes along... "All My Friends" is another seven minute song, that sounds like a more alternative anthem type song, ala The Killers... the instrumentation is always fresh with these guys... you don't quite know what's real, what's loops, or whatever... but, sometimes, not all the time, they get into, what i think is their signature sound... like "Daft Punk Is Playing In My House", which is not on this record... but, "Time To Get Away" is in that vein... as is "North American"... "Us V Them" is also in that groove... it's like if Kraftwerk had a love child with CAKE... "Watch The Tapes" is also what i expect from these guys... the album ends with the downtempo song... "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down"... which picks up and becomes an epic ending to the album... then slows down and the curtain comes down... is it an album you must hear before you die? yes... Five Stars...
The entire first side of the album is the piece, "2112"... in seven movements, they play the heck out of their instruments... and rock and groove in their inimitable way... you are either a fan of Geddy Lee's voice... or you are not... no in between... and some of the lyrics are a bit out there... "we are the priests... of the temple... of Syrinx"... what???? but, when you are playing complex music, it needs some, um, profound (?) lyrics i guess... anyway... this piece goes all over the place... and all the places are good... the bass playing the guitar, and yes, the drums... are epic... dare i say it... Zappa like... i bet Frank, might've been a fan... i don't know... "A Passage To Bangkok" starts side two... some great riffs by Alex Lifeson... rapid fire fills by Neil Peart, of course... the next songs are more of the same... then comes "Tears" a tender ballad sung well by Lee... his solo composition... sounding a lot like a Supertramp song and Roger Hodgson... the record ends with "Something For Nothing"... which starts out sweetly, and erupts into an epic closer... if you simply can't take Geddy's voice, you might not understand the reason... i give this record... Five Stars... despite the corny lyrics and goofy album cover...