Jun 04 2025
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian; this is how I got to Isabelle Campbell without really listening to them. At the time they were the darlings of the Indie music scene.
1. "The State I Am In" 4:57 - excellent opening. Opens slow, then into a mid temp acoustic strum. Nice organ and dynamics. 4*
2. "Expectations" 3:34 - Double bass. Oooh brass! Nice. Mid temp strumming again. 3*
3. "She's Losing It" - 2:22 - Cute. Nice Nashville guitar flourishes. Love the brass, more prominent than "Expectations". 4*
4. "You're Just a Baby" - 3:40 - A whiff of Velvet Underground. Organ is nice. Good rolling guitar line. Vocals aren't grabbing me. This is a nice, pleasant listen so far. 3*
5. "Electronic Renaissance" 4:50 - Odd electronic intro, out of keeping with the album so far. Oh , some Accordion! Trying to be edgy towards the end. 3*
6. "I Could Be Dreaming" 5:56 - Atlantic "Sam and Dave" styled intro but then the muted, droning, vocals. The vocals really needed to go somewhere and they didn't. This is a little one paced now. Lacks dynamics. Is it the mix? Because the guitar at the end is rocking. Oh here come the dynamics, lift off? Not really. All nice and pleasant. 3*
7. "We Rule the School" 3:27 - Excellent Piano intro. Suites the vocals. Nice melody. Ahh there's Isabelle Campbell. Best track so far. I really like this. Oh that Flute, beautiful. Echoes of CSN and "Our House". Best rack so far. 5*.
8. "My Wandering Days Are Over" 5:25 - Nice harmonies. Strumming is back but so is a beautiful brass melody. 3*
9. "I Don't Love Anyone" 3:56 - Quirky. A bit more up tempo. Nice vocal hook. 3*
10. "Mary Jo" 3:30 - Nice flute intro, then into a late 60s influenced strum. Nice vocal melody. 3*
In isolation, each song is pleasant enough. The vocals lack dynamics and range. This has all the elements that I should like but doesn't quite get me to where I won't to go. It peaks my interest but then doesn't quite fulfil. I can understand why the had/have the following they do.
Would I listen again? - Perhaps
Would I buy the album - No!
3
Jun 05 2025
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
1. "Respect" - Iconic. 5*
2. "Drown in My Own Tears"- Great vocal performance. Bluesy song. 4*
3. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" - 5*
4. "Soul Serenade" - 4*
5. "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" - Jazzy. Of it's time. Has a Burt Bacharach feel. Nice vocal melodies. 3*
6. "Baby, Baby, Baby" - Again, the voice is great. Nice horns. Bluesy ballad. 3*
The end of what was side one. A pleasant listen. 24/30
7. "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" - Slow blues. Ok. 3*
8. "Good Times" - Ahh, some boogie woogie. Slightly lifting the tempo. 4*
9. "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" - Now this is lovely. Superb. 5*
10. "Save Me" - Now, this is brilliant. 5*
11. "A Change Is Gonna Come" - A famous song. 5*
End of side two - 22/25
Album score 46/55
Great voice (of course). Soul is not my preferred genre. There's blues here. Much of the Soul genre, does little for me. I like it when it has the R&B backdrop, and not R&B in the modern sense. Again, for someone who isn't a natural listener of this genre, this album started to repeat on itself with tracks 6 & 7. Individually, good to excellent songs, with excellent vocal performances. Side two is better and finishes with three brilliant performances.
Would I listen again? No!
Would I buy the album? - No.
4
Jun 06 2025
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
1. "Take a Bow" 4:35 - A nice intro. A nice blend of electronica. Grand. Dynamics are excellent. 5*
2. "Starlight" 3:59 - Great bass intro. Lovely piano. A super pop tune. The album title is taken from this song. 5*
3. "Supermassive Black Hole" 3:29 - A funky rocker and one hell of an riff and then bang and explosion. Great falsetto vocals. Super pre-chorus before the chorus comes in a lower register. Probably my favourite track on the album. Probably! 5*
4. "Map of the Problematique" 4:18 - Great harmonies. driving electronica rhythms. 5*
5. "Soldier's Poem" 2:03 - Slower paced. A lullaby like melody. Vocally the Queen influence comes through here in the harmonies. 5*
6. "Invincible" 5:00 - Love the military percussion for the intro. 4*
7. "Assassin" 3:31 - And we're rocking again. Great rhythm section again. The harmonies are back. Wonderful riff. 5*
8. "Exo-Politics" 3:53 - Mid tempo. Excellent 'pop' tune. Works in the context of the album. 4*
9. "City of Delusion" 4:48 - Acoustic guitar intro. A nice change from the electronica and guitar riffage. Wonderful rhythms. And then the guitars crash in. Brilliant orchestration and then trumpet! This song is nuts. 5*
10. "Hoodoo" 3:43 - A nice Spanish guitar intro, crooning vocals, evoking a smoky, Jazz night club and then it switches. To have carried on in the vein of the intro would have been wonderful but this is Muse, so the dynamics kick in. Wonderful stuff. 5*
11. "Knights of Cydonia" - Epic. Brilliant. Boy does it rock, it positively gallops. Nice nod to the Tornados and Telstar. Nice horns, evoking the Sergio Leone western films. At 3.21 the vocal interlude leading into the epic guitar solo at 4.13, with the boogie riff. Gives me goosebumps. They opened with this when I saw them on this tour! 5*
53/55 A 5 star album
Would I listen again - Yes!
Would I buy this album - I did! when it came out. Saw them on the tour as well. They played the whole album but in reverse!
Overblown? I would say grandiose. Near perfect. Their last great album? Weird artwork! A brilliant blend of electronica and rock, with a strong pop sensibility. The first four tracks really hit you between the eyes. The rhythm section is brilliant throughout. Hooks galore.
5
Jun 07 2025
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
This is my first totally new experience on this list, having not previously heard of Songhoy Blues, or this album, "Music In Exile". Perhaps I have heard them along the way without realising it?
1. Sourbour - Nice bluesy riff. Good vocals. Good percussion. 4*
2. Irganda - Uptempo. Danceable. Nice guitar. 4*
3. Al Hassidi Terei - This has a 60s feel to the guitar lick to it which reminds me of the Slade cover "I Hear You Calling". 3*
4. Sekou Oumarou - Nice swampy opening riff. A subdued number. 3*
5. Nick - A good opening riff again. The guitar reminds me of the 1950s blues, John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters. 3*
6. Al Tchere Bele - 3*.
7. Wayei - 3*. Pretty guitar melodies.
8. Petit Metier. Ooh acoustic guitar. Very mellow. 3*
9. Jolie. Another melow number. The guitar is rolling along. The backing vocals are excellent, adding some dynamics, with the ending coming to a crescendo and abrupt halt. 4*
10. Desert Melodie - Gives the sense of drifting along, or even day dreaming. 3*
11. Mali. Nice folk style, guitar intro. 3*
36/55. Three stars.
Blues mixed with African rhythms. It has a clean, bright sound. A pleasant enough listen. A little low key, perhaps. This didn't grab me. Lacks dynamics, and a little danger and/or despair. They maybe singing of this but it doesn't come through in the sound. At no time did I get the sense that they were in despair because their woman left them, or that they would knock you on your arse if you stole their woman. It could do with a Billy Gibbons or Muddy Waters growl hear and there. Nasty up the guitars a touch.
Would I listen again? - Yes.
Would I buy this album? - No
3
Jun 08 2025
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
You would have to be living under a rock not to be aware of Coldplay. That said, I have not heard this album, or any other album of theirs, apart from their debut album.
1. "Politik" 5:18 - Percussive guitars, in the "yellow" style for the chorus. Trundles along nicely. It's nice. It has the Coldplay guitar flourishes. 3*
2. "In My Place" 3:48 - I recognise this and I don't seek Coldplay music to listen to. Nice guitar riff, simple but effective, dare I say Radiohead inspired (No Surprises). Nice vocal melody for the chorus. I don't want to give half stars, and will try to accentuate the positive, so 4*.
3. "God Put a Smile upon Your Face" 4:57 - Again, like the opening track. Pretty melody, nice, bright guitar riff/run. But, it lacks something. 3*
I've heard the next two songs before. They're very well known and popular.
4. "The Scientist" 5:09 -Love the piano intro and accompanying vocal melody. Vocally Chris Martin is excellent on this, instead of the mournful style he has. Nice build. Reminds me of U2 when the guitars come in, and then vocally of Bono. Those are compliments. This is a great song. 5*.
5. "Clocks" 5:07 - Nice piano motif to start things, that then repeats. I struggle with Chris Martin's vocal's. Not that they are poor, but they are so mournful. I might mention that again! I know this is a famous song, and one loved by their fans, but it does little for me beyond the pretty piano hook. 3*
6. "Daylight" 5:27 - Musically, this sounds pretty. Nice orchestration. Doesn't really go anywhere though. 3*
7. "Green Eyes" 3:43 - When I saw the title I instantly thought of the song "Green Eyes" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This is not that. Again, nice enough, it's not a poor song or a poor performance, but ultimately forgettable. Nothing to grab me, vocally, lyrically or musically. 3*
8. "Warning Sign" 5:31 - Slow paced. Nicely produced. I waited for something to happen, the big reveal or chorus. No, verse two, same again. This is a somewhat dull. 2* (the first time I have issued this).
9. "A Whisper" 3:58 - An improvement from the previous track, but just. These songs aren't really doing anything for me now. Again, nice enough, on its own, but as part of a listening experience for an album it's dull and uninteresting. 2*
10. "A Rush of Blood to the Head" 5:51 - The title track has more dynamics that the previous two. Slow paced verses, with the chorus kicking things up a notch or two, albeit with the stabbing guitars in the vein of "Politik". 3*
11. "Amsterdam" 5:21 - Echoes of U2 here, both vocally and musically. 3*
34/55
Overall a three star album. It's pretty, nice, but somewhat dull. Chris Martin's vocals just don't do it for me. He doesn't stretch himself. They're safe. Tracks 6 onwards just drifted along, and didn't elicit any emotional responses.
Would I listen again? No.
Would I buy the album? No.
I felt the need to add the following, as I felt that after awhile for me this album was dull and bordering on mediocre.
1-2 stars: May signify a song or album that is not particularly enjoyable, possibly disliked, or considered mediocre.
3 stars: Often represents a song or album that is decent, enjoyable, or worth having in a library.
4 stars: Typically indicates a song or album that is well-liked, enjoyable, and perhaps one that the listener would regularly revisit.
5 stars: Usually signifies a song or album that is a favourite, perhaps an all-time favourite, and one that is considered to be of exceptional quality.
3
Jun 09 2025
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
I totally get why this is revered as an album and it held my interest as a listening experience. I certainly didn't dislike it. Sparse musically. The spoken word dialogue I found interesting, along with the interspersed sound clips from Martial Arts movies. The last four tracks I found the best, but ultimately this just isn't to my musical taste. 3 stars.
Would I buy the album? - No.
Would I listen again? - As a whole album, no! The odd track? Possibly!
1. "Bring da Ruckus" 4:10 - 3*
2. "Shame on a Nigga" 2:57 - 3*
3. "Clan in da Front" 4:33 - The intro did nothing for me. A noise. But then morphs into a groove. 3*
4. "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" 6:05 - Love the spoken word intro. Love the mournful, spooky piano sample. 3*
5. "Can It Be All So Simple" 6:53 - Change of pace. The music evokes summer. It's a little dull though and too long unless it changes up. It doesn't until it gets to the spoken word narrative. 2*
6. "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" 4:48 - This kicks in hard. 3*
7. "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit" 3:36 - They've found the bass! Good chorus. 3*
8. "C.R.E.A.M." 4:12 - Nice piano loop. 3*
9. "Method Man" 5:50 - The best track so far. More depth and fuller sound. Bass. There's even a hint of melody. 3*
10. "Protect Ya Neck" 4:52 - 3*. Following in a similar vein to track 9.
11. "Tearz" 4:17 - Nice vocal sample. 3*
12. "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II" 6:10 - I found this to be the best track. 4*
36/60
3
Jun 10 2025
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
This is a lovely album. I have this, though I first listened to it in my late teens after hearing CSNY on the Woodstock album. I have played this album many times, but I have to be in a 'listening' mood. It has great songs, harmonies and melodies. Vocally superb. I listened to this again, trying not to take it for granted, as I'm familiar with it. It's a 5 star album (just).
Would I listen again - Yes. I don't listen to this enough
Would I buy it - Yes. I have it.
Side one
1. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" 7:25 - Wonderful. Great tune and harmonies. 5*
2. "Marrakesh Express" 2:39 Showing Simon and Garfunkel influences. Super song. Very catchy. 5*
3. "Guinnevere" 4:40 Nice song. It doesn't grab you quite as much as the previous two. A nice electric guitar forms the backbone of the song. 4*
4. "You Don't Have to Cry" 2:45 - A nice song, intricate vocal harmonies and lovely acoustic guitar. 3*
5. "Pre-Road Downs" 2:56. A nice pop song. Great guitar. 3*
20/25 4 stars
Side 2
1. "Wooden Ships" 5:29 - This is classy. Great guitar. A very laid back tune. Could be a Neil Young song! Absolutely super. 5*
2. "Lady of the Island" 2:39 - Slow, mournful ballad. Beautiful vocals. 3*
3. "Helplessly Hoping" 2:41 - Nice finger picking introduction. This grabs the attention with the vocals. 5*
4. "Long Time Gone" 4:17 - ooh this is good. More of a rock song than folky. Great vocals. A nice bluesy feel. Great guitar. 5*
5. "49 Bye-Byes" 5:16 - A nice song. It has touches of everything from the previous 9 tracks. 4*
22/25
42/50 for the album. It just squeaks 5 stars
5
Jun 11 2025
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
An eclectic, sprawling, wonderful double album. Wonderful. 5 stars.
Would I buy this album - I did, upon it's original release.
Would I listen again? Most certainly.
Disc one: Abattoir Blues
1. "Get Ready for Love" 5:05 - Rollicking, sprawling, rocking and loud. This type of Bad Seeds song hasn't been heard for a while. Great backing vocals. What an opener. 5*
2. "Cannibal's Hymn" 4:54 - Slower paced, dissonate sounds, lovely melody. The percussion is great. Great vocals. 5*
3. "Hiding All Away" 6:31 - Another in the line of Bad Seeds story/narrative songs. It sounds desperate, aggressive, dangerous and loud. 5*.
4. "Messiah Ward" 5:14 - Back to the more mellow sounds. Nice groove and melody. Subtle backing vocals. Good chorus. 4*
5. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" 5:17. - A truly wonderful song. 5*
6. "Nature Boy" 4:54 - This song whizzes by and seems short, but isn't. It's to the point. 5*
7. "Abattoir Blues" 3:58 - Percussive, musically, drums and Piano. slower paced. Nice backing vocals. 4*
8. "Let the Bells Ring" 4:26 - Uplifting and up tempo. 4*
9. "Fable of the Brown Ape" 2:45- Interesting. Great dynamics. 4*
41/45
Disc two: The Lyre of Orpheus
1. "The Lyre of Orpheus" 5:36 - Brilliant. It has that "Bad Seeds" sound. You know it's them before the vocals kick in. 5*
2. "Breathless" 3:13 - This is a super song. Romantic and beautiful. 5*
3. "Babe, You Turn Me On" 4:21 - Another stunning beautiful song. Love the lyrics. 5*
4. "Easy Money" 6:43 - Warren Ellis influenced. Another wonderful song. Languid in its sound, not necessarily lyrically. 5*
5. "Supernaturally" 4:37 A change of mood, tempo and rhythms. Great chorus. 4*
6. "Spell" 4:25 Another slow, atmospheric number with lovely backing from the Bad Speeds and a haunting Violin in the background. 4*
7. "Carry Me" 3:37 Swirling, dramatic introduction that carries on through the verses. Lovely call and response between Nick Cave and the backing vocalists for the chorus. Soulful. 5*
8. "O Children" 6:51 - Ah, what is now known as the 'Harry Potter Song'. Just fantastic. Emotional and beautiful 5*
38/40
79/85
5
Jun 12 2025
Brothers
The Black Keys
An album I had heard before, as my youngest son has a copy. The Black Keys are played in our house a lot. Nice mix of blues, rock and pop. Dan Auerbach has a distinctive voice that is made for blues. A very good album, with good to excellent songs. But fifteen tracks! 10 tracks or even 12 would give a tighter listening experience, and increase the impact, as the last few tracks were good but my attention drifted. 4 stars.
Would I buy this album? Already own it.
Would I listen again? Yes.
1. "Everlasting Light" 3:24 - Sounds like T.Rex. That's a good thing. 5*
2. "Next Girl" 3:18 - It's a good song with a great chorus that lifts it. 4*
3. "Tighten Up" 3:31 - A super poppy song. Who doesn't like whistling in a song? 3*
4. "Howlin' for You" 3:12 - Superb. 5* Great guitar hook. Glam Rock drums evoking the days of Suzi Quattro, The Glitter Band et al. 😊Love the solo. One of their best songs.
5. "She's Long Gone" 3:06 - If "Howlin' for You" is sonically a little on the light, poppy side of things, this is a great rock track with an excellent riff. Great solo too. The bass is grooving. 5*
6. "Black Mud" 2:10 - 3*. Good.
7. "The Only One" 5:00 - A soulful song, lovely vocals. The keyboards remind me of Blondie 4*
8. "Too Afraid to Love You" 3:25 - This just sort of drifted along for me. Pleasant enough. 3*
9. "Ten Cent Pistol" 4:29 - The verses have a 60s feel to them. Excellent song. Love the guitar in this. 5*
10. "Sinister Kid" 3:45 - The percussive guitar is a nice touch. 3*
11. "The Go Getter" 3:37 - Nice delay and chorus on the guitars, again giving a 60s vibe. Chorus is good, under pinned by a nice guitar run. 3*
12. "I'm Not the One" 3:49 -Slow blues. Nice keyboards 3*
13. "Unknown Brother" 4:00 - 60s vibe intro. I like this one better than the last few. Nice harmonies. Nice dynamics. Silence! A good old fashioned fade-out. 4*
14. "Never Give You Up" 3:39 - The vocals sound very feminine (a good thing). Good song. 4*
15. "These Days" 5:12 -Slow, subdued. 3*-
57/75 4 stars
4
Jun 13 2025
Smile
Brian Wilson
I got this to review the day after Brian Wilson died. Spooky! It's a hard album to review in many ways. Firstly the songs are good to great, ignoring the odd interlude numbers. Possibly, it should be rated as a whole, rather than the individual songs? It was a good listening experience. Very much an album out of time, as it retains its essence of the late 60s. Lovely vocal arrangements and beautiful melodies. The second movement was good, pleasant enough but nothing memorable for me, the same for the third.
Ultimately I liked this a lot when it had its 'Beach Boy' moments. This album did make me Smile. 3*
Would I listen again? Yes
Would I buy this album? No.
Movement one
1. "Our Prayer"/"Gee" 2:09 - Nice choral introduction. Beautiful harmonies. As a track on it's own 3*. - In the context of this album it fits 4*
2. "Heroes and Villains" 4:53 - This is a well known song and is quite brilliant. 5*
3. "Roll Plymouth Rock" 3:48 - Nice enough. Interesting soundscapes and instrumentation. Harmonies are good. I won't repeat that. Nice repeating melodies. 4*
4. "Barnyard" 0:58 - 3*
5. "Old Master Painter"/"You Are My Sunshine" 1:04 - 3 *
6. "Cabin Essence" 3:27 - 5* This is a great song.
Movement two
7. "Wonderful" 2:07 - 3*
8. "Song for Children" 2:16 - 3*
9. "Child Is Father of the Man" 2:18 - 3*
10. "Surf's Up" 4:07 - 3*
Movement three
11. "I'm in Great Shape"/"I Wanna Be Around"/"Workshop"1:56 - 4*
12. "Vega-Tables" 2:19 - 3* Silly nonsense. Made me smile!
13. "On a Holiday" 2:36 - 3*. Quirky
14. "Wind Chimes" 2:54 - 3*
15. "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" 2:27 - Silly nonsense again, to begin with. It then gets interesting. 4*
16. "In Blue Hawaii" 3:00 - 3*
17. "Good Vibrations" 4:36 - 5* all the way. Superb song. Iconic.
3
Jun 14 2025
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
A fantastic rock album with an iconic cover. 5 stars all the way. One of my favourite albums.
This is such an influential album, and a real change of direction, both musically and vocally, in what was their fourth studio album. They altered course into a Hard Rock sound that didn't really exist before this album. A lot of what became Heavy Metal was influenced by this this album even though Sabbtha get the plaudits for this. This was Ian Gillan and Roger Glover's first studio album in what became known as the Mark 2 line up (Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice and Blackmore). Vocally, Ian Gillan was night and day from the previous Deep Purple Vocalist Rod Evans.
Would I buy this album? Yes, I own a copy
Would I listen again? Yes, I do, regularly
Side One
1. "Speed King" 5:54 - What an opener. Like nothing that Deep Purple had recorded before. A statement of intent. 5*
2. "Bloodsucker" 4:16 - What a groove. Hard rock but with melody. Those vocals! Great guitar solo and that Hammond Organ. 5*
3. "Child in Time" 10:20 - Stunning. An iconic rock track. Vocally this influenced so many rock and metal singers that came afterwards. Ian Gillan's calling card. The rhythm section of Ian Paice and Roger Glover, hold this song down well when Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore take off into the stratosphere. Just wonderful 5*
15/15
Side two
4. "Flight of the Rat" 7:57 - Given the preceding track, a change of sound and feel was required. A great guitar riff. Dare I say, this has a little more of a pop sensibility in the verses until Jon Lord lets loose on the Hammond Organ. Interesting solo from Blackmore, with Hendrix influenced wah. The bass guitar is fantastic. And a drum solo to finish from the wonderful Ian Paice. Brilliant. 5*
5. "Into the Fire" 3:30 - A little more mid tempo. Excellent riff. Ian Gillan's vocal melodies really do sparkle on this album. 4*
6. "Living Wreck" 4:34 - This is a great song but goes under the radar somewhat. This has a great groove, a little funky. 5*
7. "Hard Lovin' Man" 7:11 - A galloping guitar riff and bass guitar (Iron Maiden were listening). Dissonate keyboard solo. Great guitar solo, with hints of what was to come two albums later. This was way out there for the time. 5*
19/20
34/35
5
Jun 15 2025
Headquarters
The Monkees
This is a nice enough listen but it's not a memorable album. 3*
Would I listen again? No.
Would I buy this album? No
Side One
1. "You Told Me" 2:25 - Love the studio chatter. 3*
2. "I'll Spend My Life with You" 2:26 - Mickey Dolenz has a lovely voice. 3*
3. "Forget That Girl" - 2:25 Davey Jones has a lovely voice. 3*
4. "Band 6" 0:41 - 2*
5. "You Just May Be the One" 2:03 - Mike Nesmith has a good voice. 3*
6. "Shades of Gray" 3:22 - Nice harmonies. 3*
7. "I Can't Get Her Off My Mind" 2:27 - Quirky piano and melody. This is the best song so far, a very good pop song. 4*
21/35
Side two
1. "For Pete's Sake" 2:11 - A pleasant listen. 3*
2. "Mr. Webster" 2:05 - A pleasant listen. 3*
3. "Sunny Girlfriend" 2:33 - A pleasing listen. 3*
4. "Zilch" 1:06 - Oh this was sampled. "Mister Dobalena, Mister Bob Dobalena". 2*
5. "No Time" 2:08 - Old fashioned Rock n Roll. 3*
6. "Early Morning Blues and Greens" 2:35 - An agreeable listen. 3*
7. "Randy Scouse Git" 2:40 - The only song I had previously heard from this album, not including the sample from Zilch! The best song on the album. 4*
21/35
42/70
3
Jun 16 2025
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
I probably lose a lot by not understanding the subject matter as I don't speak Spanish, that said, musically, my interest dissipated as the album progressed. It is a solid album but not to my taste. There's little that is poor about the album but there's also little that raises it above "okay" or "decent". 3*
Would I listen again? No!
Would I buy this album? No!
1. "Plástico" Rubén Blades 6:37 - The orchestration at the beginning was excellent, and I thought we would be taken into something akin to the Philadelphia sound. Instead Salsa rhythms. 3*
2. "Buscando Guayaba" 5:43 - Who knew Cowbell could be so annoying? Once you hear it it, that's it. 3*
3. "Pedro Navaja" 7:21 - A little different to the previous two tracks. Vocally, the singer has a nice enough voice. The cowbell is back! 3*
4. "María Lionza" 5:27 - 3*. Oh some funky bass comes in half way through. "More Cowbell?" The horn section is nice. 3*
5. "Ojos" 4:50 - 3*
6. "Dime" 6:59 - 3*.
7. "Siembra" 5:21 - Now this starts dramatic, almost like a theme tune to an American, 1970s, TV Cop show. Orchestration is nice. Best track on the album. 3*
21/35
3
Jun 17 2025
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
The story telling on this album is wonderful. The titles of the songs make you want to listen to the album. I get Bob Dylan is not for everyone and his voice will be like Marmite to some, but vocally I think he's excellent on this album. I particularly like the soaring end to the vocal phrases on the first few numbers. To me this is all at once, a wistful, romantic, and bitter album. The first side of the album is perfect. It's just brilliant. This is one of Dylan's best albums, but don't let anyone tell you that this was his last great album. 5 stars all the way.
Would I listen again? Yes.
Would I buy the album? I have it.
Side One
1. "Tangled Up in Blue" 5:42 - Lovel acoustic guitar introduction and riff. Dylan's vocal phrasing is excellent. The narrative of the song is wonderful. 5*
2. "Simple Twist of Fate" 4:19 - Plaintive, mellow introduction. Again, the vocal phrasing is excellent. The bass guitar is understated and excellent. Again, the story telling is compelling. 5*
3. "You're a Big Girl Now" 4:36 - I'm going to stop mentioning the story telling. 5*
4. "Idiot Wind" 7:48 - There's a bitterness here. Less of a story telling narrative and more of a dissection of an 'ex'. It's compelling. 5*
5. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" 2:55 - The introduction immediately sounds more upbeat than 'Idiot Wind'. But is it? The lyrics could be interpreted as either complimentary or the exact opposite. A super listen. 5*
25/25
Side Two
1. "Meet Me in the Morning" 4:22 - Bluesy. Excellent. 5*
2. "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" 8:51 - This always had a sea shanty feel to me, probably due to the keyboards. Nick Cave, Shane McGowan and others must have listened to and been influenced by this song. The story is excellent. Musically it doesn't quite grab me as much, especially for a long song, even though it is up-tempo. 4*
3. "If You See Her, Say Hello" 4:49 - Sad and wistful. "Tell her she can look me up if she's got the time". 5*
4. "Shelter from the Storm" 5:02 - Lovely acoustic introduction. Excellent bass guitar, complimenting the song beautifully. Lyrically excellent but also vocally! The story is quite superb. A song of regret? This is probably my favourite track from the whole album. "Beauty walks a razor's edge, someday I'll make it mine, If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born. Come in, she said I'll give ya shelter from the storm". 5*
5. "Buckets of Rain" 3:22 - Such a beautiful opening to the song. Again, vocally excellent. Wonderful guitar picking. That subtle bass work is excellent. There's also a degree of humour here, "I like your smile
And your fingertips. Like the way that you move your hips. I like the cool way you look at me. Everything about you is bringing me misery" 5*
24/25
49/50
5
Jun 18 2025
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
A super album. 5*
This album is a great mix of Folk, Rock and Blues. Rod Stewart's vocals are brilliant, and of course very distinctive. He also writes the two best songs on the album, an album that has some excellent cover versions.
What a run of albums Rod Stewart had from 1968 to 1976 taking in The Jeff Beck Group , The Faces and his solo albums. Stunning output.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes
Would I buy this album? Yes, I did.
Side One
1. "Every Picture Tells a Story" 6:01 - Oh boy this swings. Lovely acoustic introduction. And Stewart's vocals when they come in really hit you. Soulful backing vocals. 5*
2. "Seems Like a Long Time" 4:02 - Very soulful. Great lead guitar. A bit rough around the edges, which I like. 4*
3. "That's All Right / Amazing Grace" 6:02 - Oh this rocks. Great slide guitar. This arrangement is far from the famous Elvis version, and then a beautiful version of Amazing Grace 5*
4. "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" 3:43 - A good cover, of a good song. The band are on top form. The slide guitar is wonderful. Stewart's vocals elevate the song. 4*
18/20
Side Two
1. "Henry" 0:32 - Beautiful. Doesn't out stay its welcome. 5*
2. "Maggie May" 5:15 - Oh that guitar introduction, and then the drums kick in (crack, crack), "Wake up Maggie". Stunning song that swings and rocks. Lovely guitar solo. Lyrically brilliant. 5*
3. "Mandolin Wind" 5:33 - Stewart's finest song. The best song on the album. 5*
4. "(I Know) I'm Losing You" 5:23 - The Faces at their best. A brilliant cover of a brilliant song. From the funky guitar introduction, to the throbbing bass, the wonderful piano and then Rod Stewart's soulful voice comes in. And then a drum solo! Then it rocks. 5*
5. "(Find a) Reason to Believe" 4:05 - Vocally superb and a wonderful arrangement. Oh that Violin solo. 5*
25/25
43/45
5
Jun 19 2025
En-Tact
The Shamen
This is a 2 star album for me. Nicely produced, the toe taps occasionally. On the third track it started to struggle to hold my interest. I like electronic music, and dance music, but this is not something that I would listen to again, or would drive me to seek out more from the discography. It is somewhat one paced, and lacking any drama. The album is too long, a common fault at the beginning of the CD era and from track 9 or so it didn't hold my interest.
Would I listen to this album again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1. "Move Any Mountain" (Progen - Beatmasters 7") 3:28 - Fun. This was a single . 3*
2. "Human Nrg (Massey)" 4:39 - This is OK. I like Electronic music and this is easy on the ear, but it is a little dull. 3*
3. "Possible Worlds: Deep PSI" 3:44 - 2*. Somewhat dull. Nice guitar.
4. "Omega Amigo" 4:44 - This drifted along. I started to lose interest. 3*
5. "Evil Is Even [Edit]" 4:23 - Starts promising and different from what has gone before. That said, it doesn't go anywhere. This album is struggling to hold my interest now. 2*
6. "Hyperreal Orbit" (Early Fade) 5:22 - OK. 3*
7. "Lightspan" 4:39 - A brighter sound with the keyboard flourishes. 3*
8. "Make It Mine" (v1.3 Lenny D Vox) 3:32 - Oh some dynamics. Nice guitar. But then the verses don't deliver on the guitar riff. 3*
9. "Oxygen Restriction" 3:49 - I lost interest . 2*
10. "Hear Me" (O My People) (Edit) 5:11 - I do not like the vocals on this track. Over long. 2*
11. "666 Edit" (Move Any Mountain) 4:48 - This does not "bang to the beat of the drums" for me. Is the pace going to pick up? Just. This does nothing for me. Dull and pointless remix. 2*
12. "Make It Minimal" 3:18 - The beginning keyboard riff had me thinking we would launch into something like Freeze's IOU. No. Again doesn't really deliver. 2*
13. "Hyperreal Selector" (Edit) 4:01 - Dull. 2*
14. "Lightspan Soundwave" (Edit) 4:19 - Dull. 2*
15. "Progen 91 [I.R.P. in the Land of Oz]" 5:21 - More of the same. 2*
Average 2.4
2
Jun 20 2025
The Rise & Fall
Madness
This was a pleasant surprise. It's a good album but no more than that. It just doesn't have the impact or hold the attention like those first two albums. 3 stars overall.
Would I listen again? No
Would I buy this album? No
Side One
1. "Rise and Fall" 3:16 - 3*
2. "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" 3:10 - Excellent tune. 4*
3. "Blue Skinned Beast" 3:22 - A little jarring musically. 3*.
4. "Primrose Hill" 3:36 - This has the 'Madness sound' and references. 4*
5. "Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word)" 2:59 - Quirky. 4*
6. "Sunday Morning" 4:01 - 3*
21/30
Side Two
7. "Our House" 3:23 - 5*. Classic song. A big hit.
8. "Tiptoes" 3:29 - Nice keyboards. Good song. 3*
9. "New Delhi" 3:40 - 3*
10. "That Face" 3:39 - 3*
11. "Calling Cards" 2:19 - 3*
12. "Are You Coming (With Me)" 3:17 - The piano is good on this. 3*
13. "Madness (Is All in the Mind)" 2:53 - One of the better tracks on the album. Jazzy. 4*
24/35
3
Jun 21 2025
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Before listening to this album I had not heard any Iggy Pop beyond the obvious hits. I really enjoyed it. Bowie's influence is all over it. The second side is weaker for me. Nice to have a short and to the point album. 4*
Would I listen to this again? Yes
Would I buy this album? Yes, probably!
Side One
1. "Lust for Life" 5:13 - Hard to listen to this with fresh ears. Excellent. Great drums, bass and guitar. Super build to the opening vocals. 5*
2. "Sixteen" 2:26 - Guitars are razor sharp. It has attitude. Great rock n roll. Yes, I've read the lyrics. I read them as Teenage angst. "Sex, and drugs and rock n roll". 5*
3. "Some Weird Sin" 3:42 - 4*. This is a very good start to the album.
4. "The Passenger" 4:44 - You would have to be born under a rock to have not heard this. Simple riff. Excellent song. 5*
5. "Tonight" 3:39 - Later released by Bowie. This version is better. 4*
23/25
Side Two
1. "Success" 4:25 - I like this. Vocally interesting. Good melodies. Good drum sound. The bridge is excellent. 5*
2. "Turn Blue" 6:56 - Slower paced. OK. 3*
3. "Neighborhood Threat" 3:25 -3*
4. "Fall in Love with Me" 6:30 - Interesting song. I like the keyboards and guitar. Guitar sounds familiar; Earl Slick or Carlos Alomar? 4*
15/20
4
Jun 22 2025
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
"We are Motorhead, and we play Rock n Roll". Yes they did. I miss them and they were fantastic. This is the third of three great albums on the spin, and probably their best. It's brilliant from start to finish, with no miss-steps. 5*
Would I listen again? I do. Regularly. I've just put it on again.
Would I buy this album? Yes. I did.
Side One
1. "Ace of Spades" 2:48 - Thundering bass introduction. Then the opening riff kicks in. A tale about the love, and perils, of gambling. Great guitar solo. 2.48 of pure rock n roll. One of my favourite songs. 5*
2. "Love Me Like a Reptile" 3:23 - A love song. ( 😊 ). Fantastic riff. Great melody, yes melody. Great chorus. Wonderful closing solo. 5*
3. "Shoot You in the Back" 2:39 - A tale about Lemmy's love for "Western Movies". Crushing opening riff. A real toe tapper. This rocks. Great drum fills. This swings a little. 5*
4. "Live to Win" 3:37 - Great bass guitar introduction. Motorhead were never afraid to put the bass front and centre. A little slower paced. Believe in yourself, go for it and don't let anyone put you down. Probably one of the lesser known tracks, a deep cut. A change of tone from the 1-2-3 of the first three tracks. 5*
5. "Fast and Loose" 3:23 - Great opening riff. A tale of being horny in the early hours of the morning! "Don't get up, get down instead". 5*
6. "(We Are) the Road Crew" 3:13 - An ode, and thank you, to Motorhead's road crew. Great lyrics, wonderful lyrics and super drums. The wah-wah solo is fantastic.
A fantastic first side of music.
Side Two
7. "Fire, Fire" 2:44 - Again, probably one of the lesser known cuts. Backing vocals in the chorus. Pure rock n roll. 5*
8. "Jailbait" 3:33 - For as long as rock n roll has been around, the desire for teenage girls has been written about. Yes, it's at best dubious and no doubt some will get in a twist over this. But, this is a great song. 5*
9. "Dance" 2:38 - Great bass guitar underpinning the song. Again, the riff on this song is great. 4*
10. "Bite the Bullet" 1:38 - Fast paced and punky. A song that leads excellently into the next track
11. "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" 4:18 - A mid-tempo song that swings, and has a real groove to it. The pre-chorus has a wonderful underpinning boogie woogie guitar riff. The song then has a nice break-down before rising to the closing solo. This would be a great album closer, 5*, but....
12. "The Hammer" 2:48 - And they're going out at 100 mph. They had already influenced what would become "Thrash Metal" before this album but with this track, the influence is clear. 'Philthy Animal' Taylor is fantastic on this. 5*
59/60
5
Jun 23 2025
Protection
Massive Attack
Nicely produced. This is a slow, one paced album. Nothing wrong with slow, but it must hold your interest. The last three studio tracks were very good. The less said about the cover of 'Light My Fire' the better! 3 stars.
Would I listen again? I have it, and I rarely listen to it.
Would I buy this album? I did. For life of me I can't recall doing that.
1 "Protection" Dreamy. Nice sounds. Slow. - 3*
2 "Karmacoma" Good vocals and sounds. Catchy. - 4*
3 "Three" Slow Paced. Nice vocals - 3*
4 "Weather Storm" Lounge music? Didn't hold my interest. - 2*
5 "Spying Glass" A little Dub helps. Nice vocals. The music is a little more intertesting. - 3*
6 "Better Things" Nice vocals. Good bass line. - 3*
7 "Eurochild" Oh this is good. A little faster paced. Best track so far. This grooves. - 4 *
8 "Sly" Lovely smoky vocals. Nice rhythms. - 4*
9 "Heat Miser" Good soundscape. Pulsing electronic sounds, with lovely piano. It threatens to get to a crescendo but doesn't quite get there. 4*
10 "Light My Fire" (live) The version I have doesn't have this track. It's unnecessary and lacks the dynamics of the original. It's not very good. 2*
Total Score 32
Average 3.2
3
Jun 24 2025
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Neil Young at the peak of his popularity. The solo songs are excellent and beautifully performed. On the solo side he sings quite superbly (I like his voice!). The Electric side is the weaker of the two, but still has some quite brilliant songs. 5*.
Would I listen again? Yes, I do regularly.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1 "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" 03:45 The acoustic version. Wonderful song, beautifully sung. - 5*
2 "Thrasher" 05:38 Again, a beautifully sung tale. Excellent lyrics. Neil Young's acoustic guitar playing is wonderful to listen to. - 5*
3 "Ride My Llama" 02:29 The narrative on the songs are interesting, including this one. - 5*
4 "Pocahontas" 03:22 A fantastic song. Brilliantly sung. I love the rhythm that you can hear Young slapping/keeping on the guitar. - 5*
5 "Sail Away" 03:46 Excellent. Lovely melody. - 5*
6 "Powderfinger" 05:30 The electric side. This is a great song. Brilliant guitar from Young. The solo is very melodic. - 5*
7 "Welfare Mothers" 03:48 The Horse does Garage Rock. This starts off and I think "Why is this here? Spoiling what has come before." That's partly the point I think. The strange juxtaposition of "D-i-v-o-r-c-eeee" with the music makes me smile. Great guitar. - 4*
8 "Sedan Delivery" 04:40 More Garage Rock. Has much the same effect on me as Welfare Mothers. Riff driven. - 4*
9 "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" 05:18 The electric version. Stunning. Heavy. Brilliant. - 5*
Total - 43/45
Average - 4.78
5
Jun 25 2025
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
The songs are theatrical, dramatic, romantic, bombastic, full of melody, fun. The last two songs are a little overlong, especially the last track. Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman never quite matched the consistency of this album again. 5*
Would I listen again? I do, often.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1 "Bat Out of Hell" 09:48 - Wonderful. Superb guitar and great melody. And that's all for the dramatic opening. Builds to a great finale. What an opening track. - 5*
2 "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" 05:04 - Camp, silly and brilliant. The drum crack after the spoken work introduction is brilliant and then into a quite fantastic song. Phil Spector inspired production. - 5*
3 "Heaven Can Wait" 04:38 - Beautifully sung. Lovely piano. - 5*
4 "All Revved Up with No Place to Go" 04:19 - Great saxophone. A straight ahead rock tune but then that finale. - 5*
5 "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" 05:23 - Lovely song. - 5*
6 "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" 08:28 - A fun song. Straight rock n roll. Funny interlude. When I first heard this I loved it but over time I find myself favouring other tracks on the album. - 4*
7 "For Crying Out Loud" 08:45 - Beautifully sung. It eventually springs into life, full of bombast. A tad overlong. - 4*
Total - 33/35
Average - 4.71
5
Jun 26 2025
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
An album that I've never heard before. Sonically very good. Noisy. Great production. Interesting samples. Hip-hop and rap aren't really a 'go to' for me, and with 20 tracks I though this wouldn't hold my attention, but it did. Some good, to very good songs, with a few excellent songs. 4*
Would I listen again? Not as a whole album
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "Contract on the World Love Jam" (Intro) 01:44 - I like this. I like the audio samples and the groove. - 4*
2 "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" 05:07 - Lively. Toe tapping. - 4*
3 "911 Is a Joke" 03:17 - The pace so far is good. There's an urgency. Vocally good. - 4*
4 "Incident at 66.6 FM" (Interlude) 01:37 - Albums with interludes. Very Frank Zappa! - 4*
5 "Welcome to the Terrordome" 05:25 - Funky. - 4*
6 "Meet the G That Killed Me" (Skit) 00:44 - 3*
7 "Pollywanacraka" 03:52 - Great title. Nice laid back vocals. - 3*
8 "Anti-Nigger Machine" 03:17 - Just as this song was getting dull and repetitive, they switch it up. - 3*
9 "Burn Hollywood Burn" (featuring Ice Cube & Big Daddy Kane) - 02:47 - 4*
10 "Power to the People" 03:50 - Best track so far. The backing vocals are excellent. "Power to the people". Play loud. Woolfie Smith would approve 😉 - 5*
11 "Who Stole the Soul?" 03:49 - Good vocal hook. Rolling percussion is good. - 4*
12 "Fear of a Black Planet" 03:45 - Funky again. That's good. - 4*
13 "Revolutionary Generation" 05:43 - And they up the funk. - 5*
14 "Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man" 02:46 - Almost a pop song - 3*
15 "Reggie Jax" (Freestyle) 01:35 - 3*
16 "Leave This Off Your Fuckin' Charts" (Interlude) 02:31 - The title is brilliant. The funkier tunes are appealing to me on this album. The audio samples fit really well. - 4*
17 "B Side Wins Again" (Remix) 03:45 - oooh a guitar sample! 4*
18 "War at 33⅓" 02:07 - Faster paced. - 4*
19 "Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned" (Outro) 00:48 - 3*
20 "Fight the Power" 04:42 Excellent song. Just brilliant. 5
Total - 77
Average - 3.85
4
Jun 27 2025
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
This album has a Punk attitude running through it in spades. It's a very good album that in places is excellent. Put it on, turn it up loud. 4 stars.
Would I listen to this again? Yes.
Would I buy the album? Yes, I did.
1 "Smack My Bitch Up" (featuring Shahin Badar) - 05:42 - What a groove, then the drums kick in. This is a great song. Few at the time thought this was about promoting the physical abuse of women, especially if you watch the music video. At the time I thought this was a drug reference, which I don't care for, but nonetheless this is a brilliant song. - 5*
2 "Breathe" - 05:35 - Two brilliant songs on the bounce. I bought this as a cd single. Keith Flint is excellent on this. This has a punk attitude with great musicality. "Breath with me" - 5*
3 "Diesel Power" (featuring Kool Keith) - 04:17 - The pace drops a little. Again great samples. Rap vocals can be hit or miss for me but this is good. - 3*
4 "Funky Shit" - 05:16 - Great electronica rhythms and samples. This always made me smile. - 4*
5 "Serial Thrilla" - 05:11 - A straight ahead rock song, with a great riff and driving beat. Flint's vocals are excellent. - 4*
6 "Mindfields" - 05:40 - The electronica intro is excellent. - 4*
7 "Narayan" (featuring Crispian Mills) - 09:05 - Ah Crispian Mills of Kular Shakar. I love the chanting in the breakdown. Nice keyboard melody. - 4*
8 "Firestarter" - 04:41 This is an iconic song. A great video accompanied it. Keith Flint's vocals are brilliant, aggressive and menacing. I believed him when he said he was the "Firestarter" 😊 - 5*
9 "Climbatize" - 06:38 An excellent instrumental. - 4*
10 "Fuel My Fire" (L7 cover; featuring Saffron) - 04:19 A good cover. Straight ahead rock. - 3*
Total - 41/50
Average - 4.1
4
Jun 28 2025
Blunderbuss
Jack White
Musically, some of this album was interesting. The use of Piano throughout this album really struck me. It was as if they had hired a Saloon piano player from a Cowboy, Western movie. A nice listen. 3 stars.
Would I listen again? No
Would I buy this album? No
1 "Missing Pieces" - 03:27 - Catchy melody. Jack White's voice always seems to take me by surprise, if I haven't listened to him for a while, and I haven't. It doesn't always rest easy on my ears. Great keyboards/organ. - 3*
2 "Sixteen Saltines"- 02:37 - Good riff. - 3*
3 "Freedom at 21"- 02:51- Interesting song. I don't quite know why but it had less of the Jack White signature sounds, so I guess that's it. - 4*
4 "Love Interruption"- 02:38 - A little more bluesy. Nice melody. - 3*
5 "Blunderbuss"- 03:06 - Oh, nice introduction. Lovely piano. Nice song - 4*
6 "Hypocritical Kiss"- 02:50 - 3*
7 "Weep Themselves to Sleep"- 04:19 - Again, lovely piano introduction. - 3*
8 "I'm Shakin'"- 03:00 - Dramatic. The best song so far. The use of Piano, again, is excellent. If you played me the guitar solo, in isolation, it would have been instantly recognisable as Jack White. - 4*
9 "Trash Tongue Talker"- 03:20 - Rock n Roll. Nice backing vocals. - 3*
10 "Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy"- 03:03 - Nice jangly piano - 3*
11 "I Guess I Should Go to Sleep"- 02:37 3*
12 "On and On and On"- 03:55 - Part of the vocal and piano melody reminded me of "On Broadway". - 3*
13 "Take Me with You When You Go"- 04:10 - This has a 1960s Burt Bacharach feel to the melody, until the guitars kick in but vocally it jars at this point. - 3*
Total - 42
Average - 3.23
3
Jun 29 2025
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
What a delight. We have Ella Fitzgerald's beautiful voice and vocal phrasing. Then we have the genius that was Nelson Riddle, for his orchestrations, and his wonderful Orchestra. Lastly, the wonderful songs of George and Ira Gershwin. 5 stars.
Originally released as a 5 album Long Player (LP) box-set in 1959. The albums were also released separately, so you could choose to buy them separately, one at a time, as your budget allowed. The orchestration is by the great Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra. For those daunted by listening to all 54 tracks I suggest just reviewing one of the volumes, as there's a lot here to take in. There's a high level of quality across the whole collection but the third volume just shades it for me.
Would I listen to this album again? Oh yes!
Would I buy this album? Yes. I bought it immediately after listening to it.
Vol. 1
1 Sam And Delilah - Wonderful. - 5 Stars
2 But Not For Me - Great lyrics. Oh that voice. - 4 Stars
3 My One And Only - 4 Stars
4 Let's Call The Whole Thing Off - Excellent. - 5 Stars
5 Beginner's Luck - 4 Stars
6 Oh, Lady Be Good! - 5 Stars
7 Nice Work If You Can Get It - 5 Stars
8 Things Are Looking Up - Swing baby! - 5 Stars
9 Just Another Rhumba - 4 Stars
10 How Long Has This Been Going On? - Beautiful. - 5 Stars
46/50 Average 4.6
Vol. 2
1 S Wonderful - Fantastic. - 5 Stars
2 The Man I Love - Just wonderful. What a voice. - 5 Stars
3 That Certain Feeling - Super. - 5 Stars
4 By Strauss - 4 Stars
5 Someone To Watch Over Me - Just beautiful. Romantic. - 5 Stars
6 The Real American Folk Song - Rag time. - 5 Stars
7 Who Cares? - 4 Stars
8 Looking For A Boy - Lyrically brilliant. Nice, gentle swing. - 5 Stars
9 They All Laughed - Like a lot of these songs, instantly recognisable. Brilliant. - 5 Stars
10 My Cousin In Milwaukee - 4 Stars
11 Somebody From Somewhere - Achingly beautiful. - 5 Stars
52/55. Average 4.73
Vol. 3
1 A Foggy Day - The orchestration on this is brilliant. - 5 Stars
2 Clap Yo' Hands - A little more uptempo. Swings. - 5 Stars
3 For You, For Me, For Everymore - Luscious. - 5 Stars
4 Stiff Upper Lip - Delightful. - 5 Stars
5 Boy Wanted - I'm running out of adjectives! - 5 Stars
6 Strike Up The Band - 5 Stars
7 Soon - 4 Stars
8 I've Got A Crush On You - Sultry, romantic and quite brilliant. - 5 Stars
9 Bidin' My Time - Playful. - 4 Stars
10 Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did? - Blissful. Naughty. Frisky 😉. Goose bumps when the orchestra kicks in, in full swing. - 5 Stars
11 Of Thee I Sing (Baby) - Goose bumps again. Nelson Riddle was a genius. - 5 Stars
53/55. Average 4.82
Vol. 4
1 The Half Of It, Dearie, Blues Bluesy. Ella Fitzgerald's call and response with the Orchestra is brilliant. Oh those horns. So mournful. - 4 Stars
2 I Was Doing All Right Swing baby! Wonderfully sung - 5 Stars
3 He Loves And She Loves I'm running out of things to say….. - 5 Stars
4 Love Is Sweeping The Country - This is so romantic. I wish love was sweeping my country, and indeed the World. - 5 Stars
5 Treat Me Rough Oh my! Naughty and wonderful. - 5 Stars
6 Love Is Here To Stay Such a famous song. Brilliantly sung. - 5 Stars
7 Slap That Bass Indeed. They way the orchestra comes in is superbly done. Jaunty. "zoom, zoom, zoom" - 5 Stars
8 Isn't It A Pity? "let's forget the past, let's both agree, that I'm for you, and you're for me and it's such a pity we never, never met before". What a brilliant song. - 5 Stars
9 Shall We Dance? - 4 Stars
10 Love Walked In - The love songs on this album are fantastic. Ella Fitzgerald's vocals are brilliant but equally the star of the show is Nelson Riddle. - 5 Stars
11 You've Got What Gets Me - It's up tempo again. A little bit of swing. - 4 Stars
52/55. Average 4.73
Vol. 5
1 They Can't Take That Away From Me - A very different interpretation, and arrangement, from Frank Sinatra's. 5 Stars
2 Embraceable You Sultry. - 5 Stars
3 I Can't Be Bothered Now - 4 Stars
4 Boy! What Love Has Done To Me! - The humour in these lyrics are delightful. - 4 Stars
5 Fascinating Rhythm Dramatic opening. - 4 Stars
6 Funny Face - 4 Stars
7 Lorelei Smooth. Wonderful melodies. Lovely clarinet. Beautiful vocals. - 5 Stars
8 Oh, So Nice - Drift along, on a lovely cloud of music with that beautiful voice. Jazzy piano solo. - 5 Stars
9 Let's Kiss And Make Up Frisky. - 5 Stars
10 I Got Rhythm There's a sprinkling of scat Jazz throughout this album, and there's a sprinkle here. A great way to close out the collection. - 5 Stars.
46/50. Average 4.60
Total /265 - 249
Average for whole album - 4.70
5
Jun 30 2025
Life's Too Good
The Sugarcubes
Quirky but lacking the cheekiness and fun that say the the B-52's had. The second half of the album was stronger. Musically, this is good, but vocally it's hit and miss for me. This was OK but not something I would listen to again. 3 stars.
Would I listen to this again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "Traitor" - 3 Stars
2 "Motorcrash" - 3 Stars
3 "Birthday" - 3 Stars
4 "Delicious Demon" - 3 Stars
5 "Mama" - 3 Stars
6 "Coldsweat" - 3 Stars
7 "Blue Eyed Pop" - Catchy. - 4 Stars
8 "Deus" - On this track Bjork's lead vocals compliment the music and the co-vocals very well. Even the "whoop, whoop"! - 4 Stars
9 "Sick for Toys" - This reminds me of Siouxsie and The Banshees. Best track so far. - 4 Stars
10 "Fucking in Rhythm & Sorrow" - Another very good track. - 4 Stars
11 "Take Some Petrol Darling" (hidden track) - 3 Stars
Total /55 - 37
Average - 3.36
3
Jul 01 2025
Bad
Michael Jackson
An uneven album, that ranges from excellent to bland. 3 stars.
Would I listen again? No
Would I buy this album? No
Side One
1 "Bad" - Lyrically the chorus is a bit naff "really, really bad". "Shamone," is a nice nod to Marvis Staples". Musically, it's very good and catchy. "Who's Bad?" - 4 Stars
2 "The Way You Make Me Feel" - More in the vein of 'Off The Wall', and even 'Thriller'. A very good pop song. The best song on the album. - 5 Stars
3 "Speed Demon" - 3 Stars
4 "Liberian Girl" - 3 Stars
5 "Just Good Friends" - 3 Stars
Side Two
6 "Another Part of Me" - 3 Stars
7 "Man in the Mirror" - This is all about the chorus, which is very good, and the chorus carries the song. The drums sound awful. - 3 Stars
8 "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - 2 Stars
9 "Dirty Diana" - A very good song spoilt by a clunky title and chorus. Steve Stevens guitar is immediately recognisable. - 3 Stars
10 "Smooth Criminal" - Now, this is more like it. - 4 Stars
11 "Leave Me Alone" - 4 Stars
Total - 37/55
Average - 3.36
3
Jul 02 2025
American Pie
Don McLean
This is a nice enough album. It is dominated by its two most famous songs. The rest of the album is Ok, a pleasant enough listen but it doesn't reach those hights. I found this album difficult to rate overall. I rated each song individually, and to my surprise found it just squeaking in to be a 4 star album, but as an overall experience it felt more like a 3 star album.
Would I listen to this album again? Every now and then.
Would I buy this album? I did. I rarely play it.
1 "American Pie" -
An iconic song. It is quite superb, especially if you like the music of the late 1950s and 1960s, and the story this song tells, with regard to that period of music history, albeit rather cryptically through its lyrics. It's fun guessing who the characters are and trying to catch the references. What often gets overlooked are the dynamics of the song, the performance of the band, the song has a great pop hook, and it is as catchy as it gets. An odd choice to open an album. - 5 Stars
2 "Till Tomorrow" - A lovely song beautifully sung. Hard to follow track one. - 4 Stars
3 "Vincent" - What a wonderful tune. Just sublime. - 5 Stars
4 "Crossroads" - 3 Stars
5 "Winterwood" - 3 Stars
6 "Empty Chairs" - 3 Stars
7 "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" - A little more up tempo but it sounds forced. - 2 Stars
8 "Sister Fatima" - This is an interesting song. Nicely sung and played. 4 Stars
9 "The Grave" - There's more dynamics in this song. Dramatic. 4 Stars
10 "Babylon" - 3 Stars
Total - 36/50
Average - 3.6
3
Jul 03 2025
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
This is not the type of music that I would actively seek out, so in that regard listening to this album is just the sort of challenging experience that I'm after by doing this exercise. There's nothing unpleasant or inherently bad about this album, and I can appreciate why some folks would find this a fabulous listen, but it just doesn't hit like that for me. 3 stars
Would I listen to this again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "Part I" - 3 Stars
2 "Part II a" - A little more up tempo and engaging to begin with. - 3 Stars
3 "Part II b" - 3 Stars
4 "Part II c" - 3 Stars
Total - 12
Average - 3
3
Jul 04 2025
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
I had completely forgotten about Rocket From The Crypt. "Scream, Dracula, Scream!" is a great title for an album, that conjures up images of the music contained within. Therein is its first issue, as for me it doesn't accurately convey the contents! There's lots of loud guitar and catchy choruses. It's well produced. It's well played. A nice 1990s 'pop punk' album. 3 stars.
Would I listen to this album again? No, not as an album. The odd track perhaps.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "Middle" - Loud - 3 Stars.
2 "Born in '69" - Thrashy guitars, there's melody here though. Reminds me of the Hives in the chorus. The chorus makes this. Catchy. - 3 Stars.
3 "On a Rope" - I had forgotten about this song and band. Very good. Again the chorus is as catchy as hell, if a bit repetitive. - 4 Stars.
4 "Young Livers" - 3 Stars.
5 "Drop Out" - 3 Stars.
6 "Used" - 4 Stars.
7 "Ball Lightning" - 3 Stars.
8 "Fat Lip" - 4 Stars.
9 "Suit City" - 3 Stars.
10 "Heater Hands" - 3 Stars.
11 "Misbeaten" - 3 Stars.
12 "Come See, Come Saw" - 3 Stars.
13 "Salt Future" - Great guitar riff underpinning the song but the verses don't match it. - 3 Stars.
14 "Burnt Alive" - A little different from what preceded this track. The best rack on the album for me. - 4 Stars.
Total - 46
Average - 3.29
3
Jul 05 2025
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
This album still sounds great, it's full of nice, layered harmonies and lush strings. When this album is at its best it is excellent but it's too long, which ultimately detracts from the listening experience. This is a five star single album struggling to get out of a three star double album. Three stars.
Would I listen again? - Only the hits.
Would I buy this album? Yes, I did, on a whim.
Side one
1 "Turn to Stone" - Nice fade in. Lush melodies and strings. Great chorus. Excellent. - 5 Stars.
2 "It's Over" - 3 Stars.
3 "Sweet Talkin' Woman" - Brilliant. Fantastic chorus. - 5 Stars.
4 "Across the Border" - Faster paced. Again, this has all of the elements that ELO are famous for. The Mexican sounding horns are a nice touch. Some of the keyboards sound a little dated. - 4 Stars.
Side two
5 "Night in the City" - Nice opening to the song. - 3 Stars.
6 "Starlight" - 3 Stars.
7 "Jungle" - This is interesting and a little different to what has gone before. - 4 Stars.
8 "Believe Me Now" (instrumental) - Pointless? - 3 Stars.
9 "Steppin' Out" - I found this dull.- 2 Stars.
Side three (Concerto for a Rainy Day)
1 "Standin' in the Rain" - 4 Stars.
2 "Big Wheels" - 3 Stars.
3 "Summer and Lightning" - 3 Stars.
4 "Mr. Blue Sky" - A brilliant slice of pop. 5 Stars.
Side 4
5 "Sweet Is the Night" - 3 Stars.
6 "The Whale" (instrumental) - This just drags on. - 2 Stars.
7 "Birmingham Blues" - 3 Stars.
8 "Wild West Hero" - 4 Stars.
Total 59
Average 3.50
3
Jul 06 2025
Play
Moby
A promising first eight or so tracks. The best known songs are front loaded and carry the album as they are very good to excellent. The album ultimately runs out of steam. The last seven tracks are quite dull and lack the impact of the preceding tracks. Three stars.
Would I listen again to this album again? No, not as an album. Yes, for selected tracks.
Would I buy this album? I did, at the time. I still have it. I don't play it often.
1 "Honey" - The main vocal loop and its repetitive nature loop detracts. The song doesn't go anywhere. It's catchy though. Very good. - 3 Stars.
2 "Find My Baby" - The bass comes in well, and then the keyboards. The repetitive vocal loop is a little more interesting that the first track. - 4 Stars.
3 "Porcelain" - This is dreamy. - 4 Stars.
4 "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" - The male, bluesy, vocal line gets your attention. - 4 Stars.
5 "South Side" - I'm finding the percussion loops and beats a little to similar across these tracks. I actually like Moby's voice on this track, similar to Neil Tennant. - 3 Stars.
6 "Rushing" - 3 Stars.
7 "Bodyrock" - The opening hits like a good rock song but the song then drifts a little and loses its initial impact. - 4 Stars.
8 "Natural Blues" - Again the initial impact is high at the start of the song but the remainder of the song has some variety to it. Excellent. 5 Stars.
9 "Machete" - 3 Stars.
10 "7" - 3 Stars.
11 "Run On" - 3 Stars.
12 "Down Slow" - 2 Stars.
13 "If Things Were Perfect" - This is quite drab. - 2 Stars.
14 "Everloving" - Pretty. - 3 Stars.
15 "Inside" - An ambient loop that takes 2 minutes to do something, when the piano comes in, and then drifts off into nothing. 2 Stars.
16 "Guitar Flute & String" - 2 Stars.
17 "The Sky Is Broken" - 2 Stars.
18 "My Weakness" - 2 Stars.
Total - 54
Average - 3.00
3
Jul 07 2025
John Prine
John Prine
I like country music, but with a few exceptions, not sung by male vocalists. Instead I prefer the female vocalists. I just don't like the affected tone of the male country voice. I just might add John Prine to the small list of exceptions. Lyrically this is excellent, and the songs hold your attention from the first track to the last, as each tells its story. Musically, the songs are engaging too. Four stars.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes.
Would I buy this album? Yes.
Side one
1. "Illegal Smile" – 3:10 - What an excellent opener to an album and a great song title too. - 5 Stars.
2. "Spanish Pipedream" – 2:37 - 4 Stars.
3. "Hello In There" – 4:29 - 4 Stars.
4. "Sam Stone" – 4:14 - "With a Purple heart and a monkey on his back". This is a briilliant, tragic, sad song. - 5 Stars.
5. "Paradise" – 3:10 - 4 Stars.
6. "Pretty Good" – 3:36 - This is a superb song. The dry humour in conjunction with the stark subject matter. - 5 Stars.
Side two
1. "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore" – 2:51 - My word this is so relevant today. - 5 Stars.
2. "Far from Me" – 3:38 - 4 Stars.
3. "Angel from Montgomery" – 3:43 - 4 Stars.
4. "Quiet Man" – 2:50 - 4 Stars.
5. "Donald and Lydia" – 4:27 - The coda to this song is beautiful. - 4 Stars.
6. "Six O'Clock News" – 2:49 - 4 Stars.
7. "Flashback Blues" – 2:33 - A little honky tonk. - 4 Stars.
Total - 56
Average - 4.31
4
Jul 08 2025
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
An enjoyable, fun listen. 3 stars.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes.
Would I buy this album? No.
Side one
1 "Medley: Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody (and Nobody Cares for Me)" - Joyous. I recognised this immediately. - 5 stars.
2 "(Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby" - 3 stars.
3 "The Lip" - 3 stars.
4 "Body and Soul (instrumental)" - 3 stars.
5 "Oh Marie" - 4 stars.
Side 2
6 "Medley: Basin Street Blues / When It's Sleepy Time Down South" - 3 stars.
7 "Jump, Jive, an' Wail" - 4 stars.
8 "Buona Sera" - 4 stars.
9 "Night Train (instrumental)" - 3 stars.
10 "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You" - 3 stars.
Total - 35
Average - 3.5
3
Jul 09 2025
Dummy
Portishead
The music is atmospheric. This is a very low-key album, too low-key for me at times, and I have to be in the mood to listen to this album all the way through, otherwise it doesn't hold my attention. It's not go-to music for me. That said, Four stars.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes.
Would I buy this album? Yes, I did.
1 "Mysterons" - Great title. Mysterious noises (Theramin). - 4 Stars.
2 "Sour Times" - Sounds like a 1960s spy tv or film theme. Lovely mournful voice. - 5 Stars.
3 "Strangers" - 3 Stars.
4 "It Could Be Sweet" - 3 Stars.
5 "Wandering Star" 3 Stars.
6 "It's a Fire" - 3 Stars.
7 "Numb" - 4 Stars.
8 "Roads" - 3 Stars.
9 "Pedestal" - 3 Stars.
10 "Biscuit" - 4 Stars.
11 "Glory Box" - Saving the best until last! Excellent, gnarly guitar. - 5 Stars.
Total - 40
Average - 3.64
4
Jul 10 2025
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
The sum of the parts is greater than the whole? Perhaps! This has never been my favourite Stones album, they have much better albums. That said, 4 stars.
Side one
1 "Rocks Off" - 4 stars
2 "Rip This Joint"- And they do "Rip this joint"! - 5 stars
3 "Shake Your Hips"- Sleezy - 5 stars
4 "Casino Boogie" - 3 stars
5 "Tumbling Dice" - The best track on the album. Country tinged. Wonderful opening riff. The guitar positively slurs, a bit like Keith Richards speaking! - 5 stars
Side two
1 "Sweet Virginia" - Wonderful. - 5 stars
2 "Torn and Frayed" - 4 stars
3 "Sweet Black Angel" - 3 stars
4 "Loving Cup" - 3 stars
Side three
1 "Happy" - Indeed, happy! - 5 stars
2 "Turd on the Run" - 3 stars
3 "Ventilator Blues" - 3 stars
4 "I Just Want to See His Face" - 3 stars
5 "Let It Loose" - 3 stars
Side four
1 "All Down the Line" - 3 stars
2 "Stop Breaking Down" - Love this song. - 5 stars
3 "Shine a Light" - Super song.- 5 stars
4 "Soul Survivor" - 3 stars
Total - 70
Average - 3.89
4
Jul 11 2025
Clandestino
Manu Chao
A hotch pot of styles, and too many songs, that didn't hold my interest. Two stars.
Would I listen to this album again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "Clandestino" - 2 Stars
2 "Desaparecido" - 2 Stars
3 "Bongo Bong" - 2 Stars
4 "Je ne t'aime plus" - 1 Stars
5 "Mentira..." - Nice riff. - 3 Stars
6 "Lágrimas de Oro" - 2 Stars
7 "Mama Call" - Catchy. - 3 Stars
8 "Luna y Sol" - Up tempo. Nice horns. - 3 Stars
9 "Por el Suelo" - 2 Stars
10 "Welcome to Tijuana" - 2 Stars
11 "Día Luna... Día Pena" - 2 Stars
12 "Malegría" - 2 Stars
13 "La vie à 2" - 2 Stars
14 "Minha Galera" - 3 Stars
15 "La Despedida" - 3 Stars
16 "El Viento" - 3 Stars
Total - 37
Average - 2.31
2
Jul 12 2025
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
I thought that I would like this more than I actually did. It's an ok album, an enjoyable listen, but ultimately not to my taste. Three stars.
Would I listen to this album again? Probably not, no.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "The Kid from Red Bank" - 3 Stars.
2 "Duet" - 3 Stars.
3 "After Supper" - 3 Stars.
4 "Flight of the Foo Birds" - 4 Stars.
5 "Double-O" - 3 Stars.
6 "Teddy the Toad" - 4 Stars.
7 "Whirlybird" - 4 Stars.
8 "Midnite Blue" - 3 Stars.
9 "Splanky" - 3 Stars.
10 "Fantail" - 3 Stars.
11 "Li'l Darlin'" - 3 Stars.
Total - 36
Average - 3.27
3
Jul 13 2025
Zombie
Fela Kuti
On an album (?) of just two tracks it was two tracks too many. "Mister Follow Follow" hit my ears as an unwelcome noise until the vocals started, which was 7 minutes or so into the song. One star.
Would I listen to this album again? No.
Would I but the album? No.
1 "Zombie" 2 Stars
2 "Mister Follow Follow" 1 Star
Total - 3 stars
Average - 1.5 stars
1
Jul 14 2025
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke had great voice, there's no disputing that, and this is a good listen but it's no more than that for me. This album lacks variety, with most of the songs sounding somewhat similar. Also the cover of this album is awful. Three stars.
Would I listen to this again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1. "Cry to Me" (Bert Russell) – 2:27 - 4 Stars.
2. "Just Out of Reach" (Virgil Stewart) – 2:46 - 3 Stars.
3."Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" (Wes Farrell, Bert Russell) – 3:16 - 3 Stars.
4. "If You Need Me" (Robert Bateman, Wilson Pickett, Sonny Sanders) – 2:29 - 3 Stars.
5. "Can't Nobody Love You" (James Mitchell) – 2:30 - 3 Stars.
6. "Someone to Love Me" (Sonny Burke) – 2:59 - 3 Stars.
7. "You're Good for Me" (Don Covay, Horace Ott) – 2:45 - 3 Stars.
8. "Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)" (Joseph Martin, Winfield Scott) – 2:31 - 3 Stars.
9. "Hard, Ain't It Hard" (Woody Guthrie)[10][12] – 2:45 - 3 Stars.
10. "You Can't Love Them All" (Bert Berns, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Nugetre) – 2:40 - 3 Stars.
11. "Beautiful Brown Eyes" (Sonny Burke, Bert Russell) – 3:42 - 3 Stars.
12. "He'll Have to Go" (Audrey Allison, Joe Allison) – 3:16 - 3 Stars.
Total - 37
Average - 3.08
3
Jul 15 2025
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
A great debut album. Just imagine how it would have been to have listened to this album for the first time in early 1969! 5 stars.
Would I listen again? Yes, I do regularly.
Would I buy this album? I did!
Side One
1 "Good Times Bad Times" - A great introduction to the album. It starts, sounding very much of its time but then it veers off. Great drumming. - 5 Stars.
2 "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" - Lovely introduction. The dissonate acoustic guitar catches the attention after the introduction. - 5 Stars
3 "You Shook Me" - Oh yes they did! Brilliant. Straight blues. The solos of Organ, Harmonica and then guitar are quite wonderful. Robert Plant is the star of this track though. - 5 Stars
4 "Dazed and Confused" - The menacing, spooky opening bass line is iconic. By the time we get to this track we know we are dealing with something special. Great solo , Bonham in the background and then back to the riff. - 5 Stars
Side Two
1 "Your Time Is Gonna Come" - Lush organ and keyboards. I've always thought the chorus to be a little off, or clunky, compared to the rest of the song. - 3 Stars
2 "Black Mountain Side" - Nice instrumental with some excellent guitar and bass guitar. Adding some musical diversity to the album and indication of future intent. - 4 Stars
3 "Communication Breakdown" - And we're back! Punky riff. Dazzling guitar solo. - 5 Stars
4 "I Can't Quit You Baby" - Brilliant Blues rock. - 5 Stars
5 "How Many More Times" - What a bass line. My favourite song on the album. - 5 Stars
Total - 42
Average - 4.67
5
Jul 19 2025
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
I like the Beastie Boys, and have their anthology "The Sound of Science", which I enjoy. This is a good album but ultimately I think the Beastie Boys will remain a "Best of" band for me. Three stars.
Would I listen to this album again? Selected tracks.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "Rhymin & Stealin" - Excellent. The reason this resonates is probably the samples from Zeppelin, Sabbath and The Clash. - 5 Stars
2 "The New Style" - 3 Stars
3 "She's Crafty" - Two Zeppelin samples in the first three tracks! - 4 Stars
4 "Posse in Effect" - The vocal delivery is now getting monotonous, with similar vocal melodies. - 3 Stars
5 "Slow Ride" - 3 Stars
6 "Girls" - 2 Stars
7 "Fight for Your Right" - This has humour, dynamics and vocal melodies. Oh and guitar! - 5 Stars
8 "No Sleep till Brooklyn" - One of their best songs. - 5 Stars
9 "Paul Revere" - 3 Stars
10 "Hold It Now, Hit It" - Dull. - 2 Stars
11 "Brass Monkey" - 3 Stars
12 "Slow and Low" - Excellent song. - 5 Stars
13 "Time to Get Ill" - One track too many. - 2 Stars
Total - 45
Average - 3.46
3
Jul 20 2025
Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
A nice enough listen but nothing memorable. 3 ⭐
Would I listen to this album again? No!
Would I buy this album? No!
1 - Squares - 3 ⭐
2 - Al Sharpe - 3 ⭐
3 - Human Being - 3 ⭐
4 - Gone - It's beginning to be a touch monotonous - 3 ⭐
5 - Dragon - These are now all too similar, with the mellow, dreamy sound. - 2 ⭐
6 - Broke - 2 ⭐
7 - Quiet - A little more dynamics provided by the drums! Best track so far. - 3 ⭐
8 - Alleged -A sweet little ditty. - 3 ⭐
9 - Life -2 ⭐
10 - Eclipse - 2 ⭐
Total - 26
Average - 2.6
3
Jul 21 2025
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
Old school country and Bluegrass. Musically, this is OK, as I like country Music but the Male Country voice, with a few exceptions, does little for me, and this is a duo harmonising with the Country Music vocal twang and drawl in abundance. Musically, the songs are executed in a similar fashion, with 3/4 time being prevalent. Consequently, there's a lack of variety and dynamics, and the songs end up sounding dull rather than tragic. It's an album very much of its time. 3 ⭐
Would I listen to this album again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 - "Kentucky" – 3 ⭐
2 - "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight" – 3 ⭐
3 - "Let Her Go, God Bless Her" – 4 ⭐
4 - "What Is Home Without Love" – 3 ⭐
5 - "A Tiny Broken Heart" – 3 ⭐
6 - "In the Pines" – 4 ⭐
7 - "Alabama" – 3 ⭐
8 - "Katie Dear" – 3 ⭐
9 - "My Brother's Will" – 3 ⭐
10 - "Knoxville Girl" – 3 ⭐
11 - "Take the News to Mother" – 3 ⭐
12 - "Mary of the Wild Moor" – 3 ⭐
Total - 38
Average - 3.17
3
Jul 22 2025
Imagine
John Lennon
For me, this is the first Beatles related album to crop up in this exercise. . I've never been made keen on the production of this album, and the mix now sounds somewhat dated. That said, it's an excellent album with a number of truly great songs on it. The other songs are at worst 3 star songs but being a fan of The Beatles and their solo work I rate them a little higher (see ratings definition below). This is a 5 ⭐ album.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1. "Imagine" - An iconic song. It's just a lovely, mournful, ballad with a beautiful sentiment. - 5 ⭐
2. "Crippled Inside" - A Country, Rock a Billy sounding number, that has a jauntiness that cleverly disguises the lyrical meaning. - 5 ⭐
3. "Jealous Guy" - Arguably the best song on the album. - 5 ⭐
4. "It's So Hard" - 4 ⭐
5. "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier[nb 4]" - This still sounds fantastic. - 5 ⭐
6. "Gimme Some Truth" - Visceral. - 5 ⭐
7. "Oh My Love" - 4 ⭐
8. "How Do You Sleep?" - Was he glad that he got this off his chest? This is a fantastic song. Great slide guitar solo by George Harrison. - 5 ⭐
9. "How?" - 4 ⭐
10. "Oh Yoko!" - 4 ⭐
Total - 46
Average - 4.6
1-2 stars:
These ratings typically indicate dislike or indifference towards the music. The listener might find the music uninteresting or even unpleasant.
3 stars:
A 3-star rating often suggests that the music is "okay" or "decent." The listener might find it enjoyable, but it's not something they would actively seek out.
4 stars:
A 4-star rating indicates that the music is well-liked and enjoyed. The listener would probably listen to it again and would consider it to be a good listen.
5 stars:
A 5-star rating represents the highest level of appreciation. The music is considered exceptional and often holds a special place in the listener's heart.
5
Jul 23 2025
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
A very good album. Very consistent in building up a mood. The percussion is the stand out across the whole album. A 4⭐ album.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes
Would I buy this album? Possibly, yes.
1 "Spellbound" - Excellent opener. - This was a single at the time. - 5 ⭐
2 "Into the Light" - 3 ⭐
3 "Arabian Knights" - 4 ⭐
4 "Halloween" - 4 ⭐
5 "Monitor" - 4 ⭐
6 "Night Shift" - 4 ⭐
7 "Sin in My Heart" - I loved this. Atmospheric, with great rolling percussion. The vocals are like a manic prayer or enchantment. - 5 ⭐
8 "Head Cut" - This album is finishing very strongly. Great bass line. - 5 ⭐
9 "Voodoo Dolly" - Wonderful doomy closing track. Great percussion. 5 ⭐
Total - 38
Average - 4.22
4
Jul 24 2025
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
This album came up for review the day after Ozzy Osbourne passed away. I am very familiar with the Black Sabbath and Ozzy solo catalogue. For those interested in exploring further, any of the first six, Ozzy fronted, Black Sabbath albums are worthy of inclusion in this list, as are his first two solo albums. Black Sabbath Vol 4, with its iconic album cover, is one of the best of those first six albums.
Vol 4 is a diverse, progressive and heavy album. Yes, in places, this album is supremely heavy, with great riffs abounding. But, there is light and shade too, something that Black Sabbath are not given enough credit for.
Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler are fantastic, and rightly lauded for being icons of their respective instruments. But for me, Ozzy Osbourne never got enough credit for his vocal abilities. It is hard to imagine anyone else singing these songs as well as him. His vocal melodies are great on this album. Bill Ward also doesn't get enough credit for his drumming, for me he is up there with the great Rock drummers of this or any other era.
This is a wonderful listen. If you can, play loud. This is a 5 ⭐ album.
Would I listen to this album again? I do, regularly.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1. "Wheels of Confusion"- This has dynamics and was/is very progressive sounding. - 5 ⭐
2. "Tomorrow's Dream"- A crushingly heavy riff. This is in my top 10 Black Sabbath songs. Oh, and it grooves mid way through, before the riff kicks back in. - 5 ⭐
3. "Changes"- This song brings variety and shade to the album. This song is now getting the recognition it deserves. When I first listened to this album, many years ago, this was a surprise, an odd surprise. Now I see it as a delightful song. Just wonderful. - 5 ⭐
4. "FX" (instrumental)- It was not all crash, bang, wallop and crushing riffs as the preceding track and this track testify to. The calm before the storm - 5 ⭐
5. "Supernaut"- What a riff. Bill Ward's drumming is excellent. What a great groove. - 5 ⭐
6. "Snowblind"- 'Stoner Rock' before Stoner Rock was coined as a phrase. Brilliantly heavy. - 5 ⭐
7. "Cornucopia"- This song has a number of excellent riffs and tempo changes. Even a gong! But in places it's jaunty, almost jazzy. - 5 ⭐
8. "Laguna Sunrise" (instrumental)- And again we have a nice change in mood, with some delicate acoustic guitars in this instrumental. - 4 ⭐
9. "St. Vitus Dance"- Interesting, poppy, 60's style hook. 4 ⭐
10. "Under the Sun"- 'Doom Metal' before Doom Metal was coined as a phrase. Superbly heavy, with great changes in tempo. - 5 ⭐
Total - 48
Average - 4.8
5
Jul 25 2025
The Poet
Bobby Womack
The Poet is a nice listen and a 3 ⭐ album. It's a great sounding album, from a mix and production perspective. Bobby Womack had a good voice, not being too smooth, with just a bit of grit to it. The guitar and bass are stand-outs. Some of the guitar fills are quite tasty. Ultimately, there wasn't any tracks on this album that grabbed my attention, got my foot tapping, my head nodding and stirred the soul; nothing to make me want to listen again or explore further.
Would I listen to this album again? No.
Would I buy this album? No.
1 "So Many Sides of You"- 3 ⭐
2 "Lay Your Lovin' on Me"- 3 ⭐
3 "Secrets"- 3 ⭐
4 "Just My Imagination"- 3 ⭐
5 "Stand Up"- 3 ⭐
6 "Games"- 3 ⭐
7 "If You Think You're Lonely Now"- The best track on the album.- 3 ⭐
8 "Where Do We Go from Here"- 3 ⭐
Total - 24
Average - 3.00
3
Jul 26 2025
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
This is a great debut album. The band are dynamic, aggressive and exciting. Axl Rose is superb, displaying a great vocal range, and interestingly, a different number of voices or tones across the songs. The drum sound on this album is fantastic, it really hits you hard. The album holds your attention all the way through despite the second half of the album not being as strong as the first half. The songs themselves range from good to fantastic. If they had made this a 10 track album it would be a 5 star album. Overall I'm going for 4 ⭐
Would I listen to this album again? Yes.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1 "Welcome to the Jungle" - Thrilling. Wonderful introduction and build into a fantastic groove. One of the best opening tracks, to a debut album, ever! - 5⭐
2 "It's So Easy" - This rocks to high heaven. Axl Rose's lower register is quite sinister. Aggressive. - 5⭐
3 "Nightrain" - Probably my favourite track on the album. Straight up Rock n Roll. Love the boogie in the guitar riff. - 5⭐
4 "Out ta Get Me" - This doesn't quite have the immediacy as the preceding tracks. Nonetheless it is a very good rocker with a great vocal performance. - 4⭐
5 "Mr. Brownstone" - Great riff. Both Izzy Stradlin and Slash are fantastic on this. Vocally this is interesting too, with Axl Rose using a different voice so to peak. Great solo. "Yowzah" indeed. - 5⭐
6 "Paradise City" - One of three songs on this album that are likely to be well known beyond a Rock audience. Wonderful introductory guitars. The opening lyrics immediately get your attention. This song has a number of great riffs. The change in Tempo is masterful and then it rocks, boy does it rock. Brilliant. Izzy Stradlin's rhythm work is great. Best use of a whistle in a Rock song? - 5⭐
7 "My Michelle" - Change of mood for the introduction but then into a great riff and groove. I've always liked the 'poppy' chorus. - 5⭐
8 "Think About You" - 3⭐
9 "Sweet Child o' Mine" - A brilliant song with one of the most famous guitar riffs in rock history. The guitar solos are spine tingling great. Stunning actually. Lyrically the song is superb. - 5⭐
10 "You're Crazy" - 3⭐
11 "Anything Goes" - 3⭐
12 "Rocket Queen" - Infamous. Great song. 5⭐
Total - 53
Average - 4.42
4
Jul 27 2025
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
What a pleasant surprise to see QOTSA represented in this list with their debut album. The intent on this album is clear, and it has has all of the hallmarks that would be more fully formed on later QOTSA albums. This is a fine album, with "Regular John" and "Mexicola" being stand-out tracks for me. I reviewed the 14 track version of this album rather than the 11 track original running order. 4⭐.
That said, it's not the album I would pick to represent QOTSA in this list, that would be either "Songs For The Deaf" or "Rated R". If you are new to QOTSA I would start with "Rated R".
Would I listen to this album again? - Yes.
Would I buy this album? - I did
1 "Regular John" - What a great opening track. Very dramatic with a wall of guitars. It has that distinctive QOTSA sound from track one. - 5⭐
2 "Avon" - 4⭐
3 "If Only" - 3⭐
4 "Walkin' on the Sidewalks" - The riff gets your attention. Vocally this is very good. Then it gets heavy. - 5⭐
5 "You Would Know" - 3⭐
6 The Bronze - 3⭐
7 "How to Handle a Rope" - This has the QOTSA groove and then into a thrashy chorus. - 4⭐
8 "Mexicola" - 5 ⭐
9 "Hispanic Impressions" - 4⭐
10 "You Can't Quit Me Baby" - 4⭐
11 "These Aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For" - Great title. Off kilter riff, it deliberately jarrs. - 4⭐
12 "Give the Mule What He Wants" - Nice bass introduction. - 4⭐
13 "Spiders and Vinegaroons" - 4⭐
14 "I Was a Teenage Hand Model" - 4⭐
Total - 56.00
Average - 4.00
4
Jul 28 2025
Is This It
The Strokes
This is a good album, perhaps not quite so good as the press at the time made it out to be. Clearly influenced by 70s American music such as Iggy & The Stooges, Television and even Blondie. There's little variation on the album, but it does have a certain charm to it and is enjoyable. It just squeaks 4⭐
Would I listen to this album again? Yes, I should play it more.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1 "Is This It" - Great bass line. Odd choice to open an album. - 4⭐
2 "The Modern Age" - 4⭐
3 "Soma" - 3⭐
4 "Barely Legal" - 4⭐
5 "Someday" - 4⭐
6 "Alone, Together" - 3⭐
7 "Last Nite" - This is a great song, - 5⭐
8 "Hard to Explain" - 3⭐
9 "New York City Cops" - Musically good and interesting compared to what has come before but the chorus spoils what would otherwise be an excellent song. - 4⭐
10 "Trying Your Luck" - It's as if they suddenly realised that the album needed a touch of variety, and added it to the end of the album. - 3⭐
11 "Take It or Leave It" - 3⭐
Total - 40
Average - 3.64
4
Jul 29 2025
Queen II
Queen
The album in which Queen's vision becomes more realised, but isn't quite there, that comes next . If you are only familiar with Queen the icons and their hits, then this album will come as a surprise, even a shock. It's Progressive and Heavy (in places). Ambitious and influential. Its production still holds up today. Brian May is on fire throughout. Seven Seas of Rhye is probably the most well known song on this album, and the hit, reaching #10 in the UK charts. This album is from 1974, so very much of its time, times that were my formative listening years. This is one of my favourite Queen albums, so for me, just qualifies for 5⭐.
Would I listen to this album again? Yes, I do, regularly.
Would I buy this album? I did.
1 "Procession" - If you're coming at this albums backwards through the Queen catalogue you're going to think "what the hell is this?" Very much a 'Progressive Rock' introduction for a heavy 'Progressive Rock' album. - 4⭐
2 "Father to Son" - Gloriously heavy. - 5⭐
3 "White Queen (As It Began)" - "A delicate little number". - 5⭐
4 "Some Day One Day" - 4⭐
5 "The Loser in the End" - This is a real deep cut. This is heavy and features Roger Taylor on vocals. It has a groove about it, with the riff being similar to "Children of the Revolution". Brilliant. - 5⭐
6 "Ogre Battle" - Fantastic. Brian May is quite superb as is John Deacon and Roger Taylor. Great riff. Crikey this song is heavy. And a gong! I love a gong. - 5⭐
7 "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" - Great title. - 4⭐
8 "Nevermore" - 4⭐
9 "The March of the Black Queen" - This is where you can really hear where Queen are going to go with their sound. The dynamics and vocals are quite wonderful. The whole band is brilliant. - 5⭐
10 "Funny How Love Is" - This has a lovely vocal melody. - 4⭐
11 "Seven Seas of Rhye" - What a great song. I wish it was longer! - 5⭐
Total -50
Average - 4.55
5
