Killer start. Played the start of this to CDM, realized it would be the same if mom and dad had spun up the best albums of 1931 when was a toddler. Very nearly all killer. Heartbreaker is used in TV/film more than I realized (at least lately,) but feels the most underrated track here.
3.5 is more dialed in, rounding up to give credit for how much this caught me off guard. Have clearly slept on— at least not had a clear picture of— MK. Production on a few tracks (“Rolling” jumps to mind first) stopped me in my…tracks. Was then not super surprised to see Danger Mouse produced the whole album.
The cards just never fell in the right order for this to have landed for me as a truly great and consequential album. But damned if it doesn’t always hold up. First time it’s ever really registered for me that the majority of the album (not just “Apple Scraps”) must be a massive influence in the jam-band world.
Almost in the No-Skips class. (“All the Nasties”) Had never listened to this whole thing but it’s excellent. Love the slide guitar, zydeco bits, and mandolin. Do not give early(ish) Bernie enough credit for his lyrical chops. More like a 4.5, but not a 5. Favorite: Madman Across the Water
“Smoke on the Water” still kicks ass, but it doesn’t seem I was missing much of Deep Purple otherwise. Pretty much sounds exactly how you imagine all early 70s “metal” bands from England must have sounded. Which is very deeply not for me. Favorite track: “Smoke on the Water”
First half is one of the all time greats, back half hits a lot less often for me. Favorite track: “Houses of the Holy” Least: “In the Light”
Nope nope nope. Even w/r/t the big hits (“Message in a Bottle,” “Walking on the Moon,”) I vastly prefer other folks’ covers over these originals. Nothing else on this one feels worth considering again.
Fun, but not quite my thing. Favorite: “Groove is in the Heart”
Had forgotten how much of the blues is all through this one. God bless my fellow mayonnaise whites, who do there best to provide vocals on one track but mostly just highlight JH’s greatness as a performer. Watchtower and Voodoo Chile (SL) are just so singular. Favorite tracks: Watchtower, “House Burning Down”
I apologize, Eddie. I was not familiar with you game. Favorite: “Run to the Hills”
Still like a lot of this one. But, boy, was I ever overly optimistic about the future of UK hip hop when this one first dropped. (See also: the first big Stormzy album.) Favourite: “Numbers”
Crazy to finally listen to a full album by the band I primarily know for making a cameo in Black Sheep. Good fun. Favorite: “You Got It (Keep It Outta My Face)”
5/5. No notes. Favorite: “Search and Destroy”
In the Canon of course. Only a 4 personally because it would be bullshit to say I appreciate jazz enough to make it a 5.
How in the fuck did this get in here?
No skips. Favorite: “Help Me, Rhonda” R.I.P. Brian Wilson.
“California Dreaming” is an all-timer, the rest is just fine. It’s fine.
Wow. Surprised that I’ve never heard Costello (or at least this album) really talked about as an influence on Vampire Weekend. Can hear a link to later-era Old 97s, too. What a find. Favorites: “This Year’s Girl”; “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea”; “Living in Paradise”; “Radio Radio”
Hell yeah. The official album of “dudes rock.” Favorites: “Jailbreak”; “The Boys Are Back in Town”; “Don’t Believe a Word”
Long-time favorite. Favorites: “The Corner”; “Chi-City”; “The Food”
The standard is the standard. Favorite: “Under My Skin”
Chill. Favorite: “Gloria’s Step”
A couple interesting swings mixed into what is primarily the most dog-shit attempt to make a late era Beatles album. Favorites (relative): “Marley Purr Drive”; “Give Your Best”
3.5 Another one that was often reference but I’d never gotten to hear. Surely had a good influence to better country/americana, and Emmy Lou Harris sounds phenomenal, but reminds me most of Jackson Browne and suffers a bit in that comparison. Favorites: “Cash on the Barrelhead”; “Love Hurts”; “Ooh Las Vegas”
4.5 Go ahead in the rain.
Vibey. To my great and eternal shame, I’m pretty sure I thought “Cisco Kid” was a Steely Dan song. Favorites: “Cisco Kid”; “Beetles in the Bog”
Good, but does sort of fade into the background, for me.
1.5 Shouts to Carol King, but this is some of the most boring “drug music” I could imagine.
3.5 While it’s a pretty long and distinguished list, the show think I would most want to go back in time to see at CBGB’s is the Talking Heads. Especially this album’s closing pair, “Psycho Killer” and “Pulled Up” Other favorites: “Uh-oh Love Comes to Town”; “No Compassion”; “Don’t Fear the Government”
4.5 Grew up listening to Sam Cooke, but “Let’s Stay Together” was the first soul track that really blew me down. Other favorites: “So You’re Leaving”; “Old Time Lovin’”
Dude rock. (More or less.)
Absolutely DNF. Confounded by a lot of the “Brit” rock on this list.
3.5 The middle really sags for me, but starts and ends with some of the 90s’ best rock. Favorites: “Girls and Boys”; “End of a Century”; “Bank Holiday”; “This is a Low”
3.5 Favorites: “Superstition”; “Blame It On The Sun”; “I Believe”
One of the best, all vibes “Dudes Rock” album since Dire Straits?
What? CW-ass album.
3.5
Lots of respect for Sinead as an activist, but this is a prime example of 90s stuff that just misses me entirely.
In fairness, should be at least 4.5. But I really, really can’t stand “Don’t Stop.”
It’s okay? I want to say “I get it,” even though it’s not for me; that I can hear how thing I love were influenced by mbv. But at the same time I might just have that one Silversun Pickups song I like stuck in my head.
Wow, what a blind spot on my part. Could’ve convinced me this was Zeppelin when I first started learning about them. Favorite(s): “Snowblind”; “Cornucopia”