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...