Don't really know them... oh fairytale from new York?? Aight starting the first song: .. I have to listen to an hour of this? 😭😭 not a great start tbh. Song 2 (hihi) ok actually kinda sick "riff" - I give up.. (4 songs in lol 😭) not my vibe at all
Song 1: great opening riff, sets a good mood and makes you want to listen, I like the voice, cool chorus, it does get a little less exciting throughout.. that guitar sound is amazing though
2: weird fucking intro ok, I get the vision but don't love the execution; the song itself is quite cool though, cool rhythm & vibe
3: piano ballad of course, but it's actually quite nice i mean he's the master of ballads I guess
4. More upbeat again, it is nice but I feel like it's missing something, it could do with more of a punch kinda, sax solo.. hm ok but it kinda works but it's also getting annoying over the singing now, it's picking up towards the end I like this
5. Slower song again, it's nice, kinda soppy, it's a bit boring towards the end but it has me bopping my head tbh
6. Yess guitar is back, more upbeat rocknroll vibe, but tbh I feel like it suits his voice less, ok it has a crazy cut in the middle I actually really liked that part but it lasted like 5 seconds, now were at sprechgesang again ugh
7. Last song is.. a ballad. I feel like ballads are fine but now necessarily as a closing song? Ok I thought it was over but there was a kinda transition, now there's violins which is ..fine, ok great it's picking up now I love that, great drums. Kinda disappointing ending though, it's just too slow
Final thoughts: it's very meat-loafey. He has got a certain sound & style that become apparent. The songs flow together nicely but the album doesn't feel very well-rounded to me. The songs all seem quite similar to me and there aren't a lot of highpoints or variations that stand out. The first track, which is the title track, seems the most promising, it offers a nice start to the album, with a great guitar sound and interesting melodies but it just isn't followed up by the rest of the album, which is disappointing. Even his piano ballads, which he is known for, don't really pick me up.
Some of the songs might be alright/ better as stand-alones but just get swallowed up in the ensemble.
Some songs might be added to my playlist but the album as a whole wouldn't get an s (spotify stream) or b (buy album) from me.
#1 really fun intro vibe with backing vocals in the yeah the vocals
2. Good filler ig, still a good and fun song just not as much of a standout as the others
3. Really fun song great song ofc once again the combination/ zusammenspiel of lead and backing vocals make it interesting and soft and they seem to play with vocals / add layaers with them more than other instruments
4. More mellow vocals kinda
5. More fun cranked up vocal with more instruments
7. More modern sounding lead vocals while melodies/ bakcing v/ instruments sound more old fashioned
8. Classic 60s rocknroll sounding riff and guitar sound, while hearing some more iconic beatles sounds (clapping hands as beat, oohs in the vocals)
9. Again more old fashioned rocknroll vibe
10. Really nice vocals, once again together with backing, vocals sound more modern even, while the instruments sound old fashioned esp syrong simple bass, some experimentation with the vocals even
11. Fun upbeat vibe, nice break away/variation catches you again
Rest is kinda similar to vibe before again
Summary: this 1963 album is definitely a document of the time, it has classic 60s rock'n'roll sounds, with vintage guitar tones, strong punchy bass accents and layered vocals. It is clear though that the group was transforming these classic traditional aspects, the guitar is becoming more rocky, the vocals sound quite modern even on certain songs and you can hear parts of their iconic sounds with beats being clapped out and guitars becoming more electrifying. They play with the vocals nicely, there is some experimentation in pauls vocals and the interplay between lead and backing vocals is so fun and a big part of what makes the songs and really engages listeners. Just for personal preference though, this gets a 3/5 i think.
2. I really like the sound of the vocals, the groovey bass line rrally adds something to the sound and engages you
3. The bass is really strong on this album, it really carries the melody/ adds a vital part
7. Definetly experimenting with v9cals and instruments more jazzy influences with eg sax or sth
11. Really nice song such a nice rhythm and sound
Overall a funky, soft rock Talking Heads sound. Not much variation/ not many breaks but just enough that it stays interesting. The mostly fast pace throughout helps aswell, it makes it more engaging and flow better also it keeps it interesting before slowing down again at the end to drag it out kina in a good way!
Overall the album has a funky, soft rock, Talking Heads sound. The pace and feel stay quite even and similar throughout, but there are nuances pulled from different genres that give it a certain edge and still keep it interesting. Aswell as that, the mostly fast pace throughout helps aswell, it makes it more engaging and flow better, before slowing down at the end to drag- and ride out the finale. The vocals are pleasant and some experimentation make them more interesting aswell. There is some experimentation with more jazzy and funky influences amongst others. The songs’ instrumentals are really carried by the bass, the strong and groovey basslines really support and add a vital part to the melodies. T before slowing down again at the end to drag it out kind in a good way! Overall the album really has nice rhythms and melodies and the bands’ signature iconic sound is rounded off well with nuanced experimental elements.
The album has a cool 70s punk sound, similar in parts to The Clash or even some Sex pistols in the riffs. The rhythms and overall sound are very upbeat and all the songs are quite fast and short, averaging at about two minutes each. They also have simple, easy lyrics and simple vocal lines as well as groovy drum fills and catchy riffs, which makes it fun to listen to and sing along, maybe even dance a little. There is a little variation in the details, sometimes the guitar fills have more of a vintage rock’n’roll feel instead of the classic punk sound, the vocals vary somewhat between punk, rock and more mainstream calm feels. However, after a while it does get a little repetitive and even though the album is only 34 minutes long already, perhaps it could have been split into two shorter EPs to avoid some of the more outstanding songs, like the iconic “Teenage Kicks”, being lost in the mix. The alternative would’ve been to add a little variation, even though the sound is cool overall and some might prefer it this way, the band does show the ability to add a complete break in the sound with the outro song and this is missed on the rest of the album.
Nice acoustic guitar sound, soft sound but political, authentic, raw
In the middle theres a slight durchhänger but overall its nice to listen to, nice slow outro
More fast/upbeat start
. Nice vocal only track
Overall, it is a nice, cohesive album. The vocals sound nice and raw-ish and are complemented really well by an interesting ensemble of instruments, with acoustic and electric guitars, piano, harmonica and brass instruments underlining the layered vocals.
The sound does shift from a more upbeat 70s intro, to rocky songs with sharp electric guitar solos that contrast the usual, softer instrumentals to softer but still fun piano pieces and even more melancholic harmonica songs.
For me personally it does get a little too folkey and bluesy at some point but there are some nice songs and overall the album is enjoyable and offers that 70s folk-rock sound than can be fun, too.
This album encapsulates the British Rock'n'Roll sound of the 60s perfectly for me and adds a lovely ray of sunshine to even the coldest, cloudiest autumn morning.
My favourite song, even there are a lot of great ones in here, is Sunny Afternoon.
Strong beginning with more upbeat songs but the rest is kind of boring to me with jazzy or slow songs
