5/10 Managed to have a good listen through. Liked it, didn’t love it. Some really good playing in there and some of the tracks were great, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. As previously stated, sounds like a random assortment of tracks, rather than an album. Some really odd recording choices, particularly in Manenberg Revisited. Overall, I think there are some tracks in there that I’d come back to, but the album as a whole didn’t really grab me. Mandela - a bit too loose Song for Sathima - sort of reminded me of a much better Weather Report track (A remark you made) that I’d prefer to listen to. Manenberg Revisited - Like this track, but one of the instruments is recorded in a really off-putting way, like it’s clipping a ribbon mic the whole way through, but is then turned down in the mix. Tuang Guru - Like this, much better. Swings really nicely. Water From An Ancient Well - Loved this one. Smooth and playful. Plenty of little sections for each player to have a little bit of fun with the theme. Maybe a bit too long. The wedding - Nice enough, but I’d be pretty sad if this was a representation of my wedding. Quite melancholy. The Mountain - Again, nice enough, just a bit dull. Sameeda - Liked this one. Bit of a sudden change a couple of minutes in, but had a good swing to it. As previously mentioned, the muted trumpet is lovely. Bit meandering in places.

6/10 I listened to this twice, first time I enjoyed it more than the second, but I was concentrating less. It kind of washed over me in a kind of (like Jimbo said) ‘enjoying at a festival’ way. Second listen, I found it to just be a bit too ‘Indie Band with synths writing festival anthems’ for my taste. It also often relied on the same, or very similar basic chord structure or rhythm through both verses and choruses that made it a bit uninteresting in places. I think I wanted to like it more than I did actually like it. What it really screamed out to me is that they found or programmed some interesting arpeggiated synth patches, but didn’t know how to transition to and from from those patches between different sections of a lot of the songs, so a lot of them just kind of relentlessly persisted throughout. A bit like yesterday, liked it, didn’t love it. Zero - Decent kick off. Not massively keen on the driving synth that dominates the mix. Heads will roll - Liked this more than the first. Soft Shock - Decent song, but doesn’t do anything that interesting. Skeletons - Another, more low-key anthem. Dull Life - Really like this one. There’s a bit more to it, more dynamic and stylistic range, Shame and Fortune - Like this one a lot too. Not as interesting as the last one, but it’s got a great groove. Runaway - Good song, a bit samey throughout. Dragon Queen - Loved the groove in this one. Doesn’t really go anywhere with it though. Hysteric - A bit dull. Little Shadow - Nice, also a bit repetitive. Faces - Like it, didn’t love it. Similar to the rest of the album, it was just a bit repetitive.

7/10 I think the overwhelming feeling I have when listening to this is awe at the absolutely stunning vocal harmonies that are just all over the album. They elevate some good little pop songs into something much more special. It’s a bit of a mixed bag and definitely an album that works on vinyl more than other mediums as it’s very much an album of two sides. I think the cover tracks do stick out a bit. Listened to in context with the rest of their work, I’d say the quality of this could be a little overlooked. It’s no Pet Sounds, Friends, Surf’s Up or Smile, but what is? Assessed on its own terms, it’s a solid effort. I feel like the lyrics are maybe one aspect that lets things down as they’re fairly ‘lyrics by numbers’. Brian’s work is often elevated when collaborating with a separate lyricist to refine his lyrical intentions. I do love some of the choices Brian makes with his compositions though. He doesn’t always pick the more obvious chord changes and I love that. Best one we’ve had so far to me. Do You Wanna Dance? - Neat little pop song opener. It’s a cover, but the harmonies are a nice addition. Good to My Baby - Bit of a filler track for me. Nice enough, but nothing standout. Don’t Hurt My Little Sister - Fairly routine early Beach Boys fare, but lovely harmonies. I absolutely love the pre-chorus. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) - Interesting twist on more classic Beach Boys love songs with the less standard instrumentation. Has beautiful moments. Help Me Rhonda - A brilliant, brilliant pop song. Great momentum and the harmonies are so lush. Dance, Dance, Dance - Another great pop song. Please Let Me Wonder - Quite an introspective ballad. Brian is starting to open his soul and it’s a sign of what’s to come. I’m So Young - Another cover. Nice enough, and elevated by the vocal arrangements. Kiss Me, Baby - That moment when the group vocals come in… Ooof So good. A little bit too on the nose as a ballad, but still lovely. She Knows Me Too Well - This is a proto ‘Don’t Worry Baby’. Lovely, but a little basic from a structural point of view. In The Back Of My Mind - There’s something Beatlesy about this. Some of the background percussion is also _very_ Pet Sounds. Nice little introspective closer. Bull Session With “Big Daddy” - They must have had time to fill. Pointless.

6/10 I expected to like this more than I did. The opener and closer are stone-cold classics and lift it from a 4 to a 6. But everything in the middle just doesn’t really connect with me. I like individual bits of quite a lot, but I don’t think that all of the component parts actually gel together into a completely satisfactory whole except for on Baba and Won’t Get Fooled. If they did a whole album that used those as a starting point and went from there, they could have made something very special. Side note - Roger Daltrey just seems like a bit of a try-hard in places. Overall, it’s not bad, but I don’t think I’ll go back to many more tracks than the two aforementioned ones. I just think there were quite a few bands doing the more straight-forward rock stuff a lot better than this. Baba O’Riley - Banger. I’ve always thought the folky fiddle bit at the end is a bit weird though. Bargain - Decent bluesy rock song that lost me a bit in the softer parts and was too long. Love Ain’t For Keeping - Liked this one. Had a good groove and didn’t outstay its welcome. My Wife - This just wasn’t very interesting. The Song Is Over - I wish it had been over sooner. Somehow seems to meander along despite Keith Moon trying his best to inject a bit of drive. Thought it was finishing and it was only half way through. Getting In Tune - Paul McCartney seemingly took the best bits of this wrote ‘Live and Let Die’. It wasn’t bad and had a decent groove in places, but as a whole it just didn’t really do much for me. Going Mobile - Liked some of the Instrumental parts, but didn’t grip me as a song. Behind Blue Eyes - Again, a decent enough rock song, but not a keeper for me. Won’t Get Fooled Again - Another Banger. Didn’t feel as long as some of the much shorter ones because it was actually interesting and all of the transitions and sections were much more coherent.

6/10 I enjoyed this one. The rhythm section is so tight. Really not an album for people who don’t like guitar solos though! So many of the hooks and grooves were really good, but I don’t feel like there was much development of the themes as the songs went on, though most tracks were pretty short so they didn’t drag too much. I think this one might be a little hard to judge outside of the context of the era. They were obviously doing something very American Deep South vs bands like Led Zeppelin, and I liked it, but I also don’t think a lot of the songs were that memorable outside of a few riffs here and there. I don’t expect I’ll come back to this often, but I did enjoy it for what it was. Waitin’ for the Bus - Loved the groove on this one. Not much to it, but it doesn’t hang around long enough for that to be a problem. Jesus Just Left Chicago - A bit more plodding. Pretty standard blues fare, but it’s pretty clear they have a great command of their instruments and a sense of groove. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers - More driving, I like this one. Vocals do a bit more on this one, though still plenty of time for some soloing. Master of Sparks - Another good groove, it just didn’t feel like it went anywhere with it, really. Hot, Blue and Righteous - Nice change of pace to end side one. I enjoyed this one, particularly as a counterpoint to the rest of the first half of the album. Move Me on Down the Line - Another tight groove. Another fun solo. Precious and Grace - Good bit of attitude to this one, but ended up being a bit repetitive. La Grange - The quintessential southern blues riff. Great song, even though it again doesn’t really do much beyond a great riff, a solid groove and a bunch of soloing. Sheik - Another great groove and I really dug the vocal swagger on this one too. Have You Heard? - This one actually developed a few different ideas early on which was good, but it was a little bit plodding.

8/10 Well I was really not expecting to love this as much as I have. As a complete stylistic juxtaposition to the ZZ Top album yesterday, where they wrote one good riff and stuck with it, Genesis seem to have a hundred ideas and somehow combine them all into one coherent (to my ears), if a little bit batty, whole. It’s going to sound like a very odd comparison, but this reminds me in some ways of the Aphex Twin album Drukqs (One of my favourite albums of all time) in that it is so frenetic at points and often doesn’t settle on one idea for very long, but also has these little breathers sprinkled around, like More Fool Me and the ending of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight that just give you a minute to collect your thoughts before it lets loose again. I mention this during one of my track summaries, but this album feels like living in my brain. I can walk into a room with the intention of doing something, end up getting distracted, doing four different things before, ten minutes later, remembering what I started doing in the first place and then getting back to it. Anyway, I can really feel the folksy influence of traditional England that they’re trying to reference and I think the concept of the album does come through quite clearly. It’s obviously pretty self-indulgent in places (it’s a prog record) and it could probably have been made a bit tighter without losing anything, but all in all, that was a really fun ride that I’ll definitely be coming back to. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight - Love the way this tempts you in with a few builds that then just drop away, before it eventually goes balls-out. The change in tempo, time signature and dynamic at various points is great. This song feels a bit like my brain when I’m trying to do a simple task. It ends with a nice bit of reflective palate cleansing too. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) - Feels like they’ve listened to some of the Beatles more experimental tracks and said “you think that’s weird? Hold my beer.” It’s a more straightforward song than the first, but scattered with an undercurrent of lunacy. And that low mellotron note on the intro and outro is beefy and nasty. Love it. Firth of Fifth - The first minute or two of this is more what I was expecting from Genesis. Nice piano intro into a more straight forward rock section. I love the light and shade of this and the rhythm section really punctuates the rest of the music nicely. And it just drifts into various different ideas again and again while still sounding like a coherent whole. But does get a bit self indulgent in the second half. More Fool Me - I feel like this is them going, oh by the way, we can all sing too. Harmonies remind me of the Bee Gees. Lovely little track and another great palate cleanser. The Battle of Epping Forest - I’m a sucker for an irregular time signature. The way this track keeps changing emphasis is wonderful. The beauty of this is that, if you just had it on in the background and weren’t listen to it properly, you might miss how strange it is. Has enough little hooks to keep it from being too much of a jumble, at least to me. After the Ordeal - Another palate cleanser. Nice little track, if a bit cheesy. But I think these little bits of respite are key to the flow of the album. The Cinema Show - Quite a delicate intro and then it kicks in nicely. The drums sound amazing here, especially the little ghost notes on the snare. So deft and crisp. I feel this is a bit ponderous and, while there are bits of it I like, I felt like it maybe drifted a bit too much and maybe didn’t justify the track length. Aisle of Plenty - A pretty little coda. The overlapping vocals are nice.

6/10 This was a decent one. There are definitely echoes of this in a lot of music that would follow it, from Nine Inch Nails to the Pixies and some of the more abrasive Nirvana tracks. It was pretty non-stop, partly because of the (obviously) metronomic and unstoppable drive of the drum machine, which made it quite a lot to take in in one go. Some of the tones they dragged out of their instruments were absolutely epic, especially as a three piece, like metal being wrenched apart. While I did enjoy this, it was definitely wearing me out by the end. I think I’ll probably go back to it here and there, but listening to it a couple of times round for this was definitely a lot. Jordan, Minnesota - This is pretty relentlessly driving. Really sets the tone for the rest of the album. Vocals are oddly low in the mix. Passing Complexion - The sound of this is great, like the red mist that clouds your senses when you’re absolutely furious about something. Reminds me of Pixies quite a lot. Big Money - Liked the riff in this one. Another non-stop track. Kerosene - This one had more distinct verse/chorus sections and there was a great groove, especially after the chorus. Maybe not as balls to the wall as other tracks, but I really liked it. Bad Houses - There was a bit more dynamic to this one. There is always the almost threatening undercurrent of the drum machine driving away, but that almost emphasised the change of pace from the rest of the instruments. Fists of Love - This one had a ‘Scentless Apprentice’ feel to it. Back to the more driving, breathless stuff. Stinking Drunk - Loved the riff on this one, as well as the breakdown near the end. Solid track. Bazooka Joe - I really liked bits of this, but it felt like it was just a bit too long. Maybe the non-stop nature of the album is tiring me a little but. Strange Things - A bit of Oi! Punk. Again, pretty relentless and things are starting to feel a bit too repetitive for me at this stage. Cables (live) - I had wondered if the could pull off the massive sound of the record live. Turns out they could. Abrasive, noisy and relentless.

2/10 This sounds like a distillation of 90s pop-rock with all of the edges sanded off. I mean, it’s ok if you’re out shopping for dungarees at Top Shop, but as a ‘must hear’ album, I just don’t really get it. Her voice isn’t great, both from a control, or from a tonal point of view. It sounds like a mediocre open mic singer-songwriter that’s been given a decent budget to hire a band of pros, but made sure that she kept the reins on so they don’t do anything too interesting. With that in mind, I’ve no real idea why so many of these songs are over 4 minutes long. Aimee Mann’s fans are probably now all 50 year old women with ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ etched into bits of driftwood adorning the walls of at least 50% of the rooms in the house they kept in the divorce. It’s pretty well produced, although her vocal is a bit high in the mix and perhaps a little dry in places, which doesn’t help her. The band seems very competent too. It’s not offensively bad or anything, it’s just uninspired and dull. And way too long. I Should’ve Known - What a strange intro. Sounds like they forgot to trim off the bit where the band were pissing about before they started recording. 30 seconds in and the 90s appear. It’s got that 90s toe tapping rhythm to it, but it is bland. It’s also too long. Fifty Years After The Fair - This is twee and her slightly nasally voice that she doesn’t have great control over just helps it to sit in ‘mediocre pub band’ territory. I think she probably loves REM. 4th of July - I think this is supposed to be an anthemic ballad, but it doesn’t have a discernible hook. Meandering. Could’ve Been Anyone - The first 10 seconds sounded like something different might be happening. Then the song started and it was just the same stuff again. Real middle of the afternoon small stage at a festival stuff. Put Me On Top - I think she’s trying to do some more interesting stuff here with a few of the transitions, but this is the most blah 90’s chorus makes sure we don’t forget that this isn’t actually interesting. Stupid Thing - Boring thing. Say Anything - This actually sounds like the band are trying to do something a bit more exciting in the first half, but then it just gets worse and worse. The ‘I’ve heard everything’ bits are so so bad. Jacob Marley’s Chain - Sombre song referencing Victorian literature - check. Plodding and repetitive. Mr Harris - I think there’s a half decent song in here actually, the execution just isn’t right. Vocal isn’t strong enough and is also too high in the mix. I Could Hurt You Now - Strange verses that sound like it’s trying to be ‘dark’. Chorus is more bland pop-rock. I Know There’s A Word - That word you’re looking for? Boring. I’ve Had it - There are places where she just doesn’t hit the notes. This is another really boring one. Way Back When - Certainly not the worst verse on the album. A bit of whimsy that’s not too twee, and then the chorus is just rubbish. Forget what I said. The outro is way too twee. Piss off Aimee.

7/10 I’ve never really listened to much Neil Young outside of the radio hits, but I liked this. I do listen to a bit of early blues here and there and there are obviously big echoes of some of that music in here. The title track is a bit of a standout for me, but there are some other really good tunes in there too. In retrospect, Walk On is a bit of an odd album opener as the rest of the album is definitely more melancholic and bluesy, even on the more upbeat cuts, but perhaps that just goes to emphasise the emotion throughout the rest of the album. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back to this one as I enjoyed my second run through more than my first. Walk On - What a great little opener. I really like the transition between the pre-chorus and the chorus. It’s got a really nice swagger. See the Sky About to Rain - Big echoes of Heart of Gold in the vocal for this one for me. Nice song though. I’m a sucker for an electric piano and the Wurlitzer on this is lovely. Revolution Blues - A nice change of pace, this is a really great track. It’s got a good groove but is also somehow a little sinister. For the Turnstiles - I like this too. It’s got an old-school blues sound. Simple, but effective. Lacking in anything bassy which makes it sound a bit thin. Vampire Blues - Another decent bluesy number. Really like the chorus on this one. On the Beach - Immediately sounds more melancholic. This is one for when you’re wallowing in your own self pity. I love the dark, smoky atmosphere this evokes. There’s a little bit of hope and optimism that seeps through here and there. Dark times with a hint of dawn in the distance. Motion Picture (For Carrie) - This one was ok. A bit more pedestrian without the depth to some of the other tracks. Liked the harmonica solo. Ambulance Blues - I liked some aspects of this, others less. Liked the violin, but I’m not keen on this type of harmonica playing. That sort of rhythmical blowing on chords without picking out a note just sounds a bit lazy to me. This was too long as well. Thought int was finishing and there were three minutes left.

6/10 This was a very nice album. Paul Simon always seems like he’s singing from the heart and there’s nothing bad on this album at all, but there’s also not a lot of songs that would be troubling his ‘best of’ selection in my opinion. Honestly, I feel this is one of those ones that’s quite an odd inclusion on a list like this. It’s not his first album, it’s not even his first debut album (although his first only had a limited release), it doesn’t really do anything that groundbreaking, as far as I can tell, and it’s definitely not his best album. His voice is wonderful, his delivery is excellent and he’s clearly a very good songwriter. I did really enjoy listening to this one, though I still think I’m more likely to pop Graceland or Bridge Over Troubled Water over this if I’m in the mood for some Paul Simon. Glad to have been handed this one on a Monday morning though. Mother and Child Reunion - Nice enough reggae track. I like the melodies and the groove, but it does seem like a bit of a white boy distillation of a relatively new (at the time) music from Jamaican culture. Duncan - This is a more classic Paul Simon cut. I do like the way his vocal melodies move. Though I like it enough, I don’t think it does anything that interesting for a 5 minute song. Everything Put Together Falls Apart - A beautiful little piece of vocal work. Lovely. Run That Body Down - Another really nice track. He has such a great voice and I do like the way his vocals don’t always stick to the expected rhythm with the rest of the track. Armistice Day - Less keen on this one. There are elements that I like about it, but it never really lands on a memorable hook. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Love this tune. This is the one I knew best from this album beforehand and it really is a standout. Joyful. Peace Like a River - Quite a tonal shift from Julio. Very pretty song with a sombre edge and some really nice guitar parts. Papa Hobo - A pleasant enough song, but it does kind of feel like we’re on a wind-down now. Hobo’s Blues - Jaunty little intermission. Paranoia Blues - A good little bluesy number. Good, but not really standout. Congratulations - A bit of an understated closer. Again, very nice, but it doesn’t really do anything to stand out.

9/10 Stevie really is one of those artists that, while being one of the most highly-rated musicians of all time, could still be considered under-rated. Yeah, he wrote (or co-wrote) some of the greatest songs ever, he’s a virtuoso on anything with a keyboard and he’s got one of the greatest (and most versatile) voices in popular music. But he also played nearly all of the main parts on the album too. All of the drums - Stevie. All of the bass (except the opener) - Stevie (playing a Moog). Oh, and he was the lead producer too. I feel like there are some very slight lulls in this album and it’s probably my 3rd favourite of his albums, but it’s still an exceptional piece of work. While a couple of the songs won’t be troubling my favourites lists, as a part of the album as a whole they combine to make something that flows so beautifully and really encapsulates the concept an album as a coherent singular piece of art. That opening to side two is just ridiculous too. The one, two punch of Superstition and Big Brother? Do behave yourself. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - It’s a love song, but it’s got such a funky little undercurrent with the gorgeous Rhodes and Bass that just walks all over the place. Beautiful harmonies too. Maybe Your Baby - Again, the staccato funk from the combination of clavinet and Moog is so good. I love the way Stevie’s vocals just dive around all over the place but never seem set-indulgent or overdone. He doesn’t sound like he’s being a try hard, just that he can’t help his should taking over. That being said, this is too long. You and I - A more understated track. It’s nice, but not spectacular. Tuesday Heartbreak - Now we’re talking. What’s better than the Rhodes in track one and the Clavinet and Bass in track two? All three together. I’m not sure it’s possible to listen to this without at the very least tapping your toe. If you manage it, you’ve got no soul. You’ve Got It Bad Girl - This has some really beautiful harmonies. More of a jam piece than some of the tighter tracks on the album, but there’s so much talent in there that it’s a jam I’m happy to listen to. Superstition - I mean, it’s Superstition. The Clavinet does so much to bring the groove. The vocal is fantastic. And Stevie played everything on the track except the horns. Big Brother - Another absolute banger. Such a groove, and political Stevie somehow manages to be both funky and biting in his delivery. I love Stevie playing the harmonica and while it takes more of a backseat here than it does in some of his other tracks, it’s still so so good here. Blame It On The Sun - Slowing down the tempo for a love song, but there is so much going on here, it’s still fantastic. Little trills all over the place from the piano, guitar, even some lovely drum fills. And it still grooves. Lookin’ For Another Pure Love - The different instruments wash in and out of focus in this so nicely. Oh, and here’s a solo from Jeff Beck. I love the way all of the vocal lines compliment each other and again, the musicianship on show lends more of a jam feel to this one. I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) - Bit more of a cheesy closer, but the way this ebbs and flows is great. And the vocal layering that builds in the second half is just great.

4/10 While I enjoyed this as a background listen, I find it quite an odd inclusion on this list. A collection of songs that weren’t written by the artist and, in every case that I could find, had been released by a different artist prior to this album being released. There also wasn’t much to differentiate these from the originals either. To be fair, that was just part of the way things were done at the time, but it hardly screams ‘must listen example of the art form’ to me. Dusty obviously has a lovely voice and when she got to stretch it out a bit it was really enjoyable to listen to, but I did find there were a few too many bland songs that didn’t really do a lot for me. I’ll happily listen to a few of these tracks again in the future on a playlist, but I doubt I’ll be actively seeking them out or bothering with the full album again in a hurry. Mama Said - I do like the vocal melody on this. It’s a nice little pop song. You Don’t Own Me - I really like the transition between the brooding versus and the more uplifting chorus. Another good little song. Do Re Mi - Another nice pop song. It’s like the way the bass moves the track around and it’s got a good groove. When The Love Starts Shining Thru His Eyes - In the chorus, it felt a bit like the lyrics had been written and then forced into the song despite the fact that they didn’t quite scan properly. OK, but not really interesting. My Colouring Book - This was a bit boring. Mockingbird - This was also a bit boring. Didn’t do a great deal. Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa - This was a bit more interesting, but I do feel like I’ve heard a lot of songs that sound quite similar to this but do it better. Nothing - Better groove to this one and she’s got the chance to showcase her vocal control a bit more. I did like this, but again it did remind me of something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Anyone Who Had A Heart - Nice enough. Again, a bit boring. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - This one’s a bit of a classic. Great tune, but we’re also going to hear it later in this project sung by the original composer, so… Wishin’ And Hopin’ - Another nice pop song but a bit bland. Don’t You Know - Strong closer. A good groove and she got to really work her voice on this one.

6/10 Looking at this purely from a modern angle, one could consider this to be pretty tame, but given that it was released in 1973, I suspect it was far more of a fresh and heavy sound at the time. It seems to take a lot of older rock ’n roll stylings and throw a bit of aggression and attitude over the top of it. It worked better in some places than others, but I thought the general vibe was good. You can definitely hear a load of things across the album that are direct influences to bands that would follow. I bet these guys were an absolute riot live. From a musical point of view, I think you’re either going to gel with the vocal style or absolutely hate it. As someone who listened to a variety of punk growing up, it worked fine for me, except when he tried to actually sing in a more traditional way, when it just fell to pieces. On my second listen, I felt the second half of the album was stronger, but maybe I was just getting into it a bit more. I’m definitely glad to have heard this and I did really like a few of the songs. Not one for the regular rotation, but a great pick for the project. Personality Crisis - This is quite fun. A bit of bluesy r&b slapped about with a proto-punk attitude. Looking For A Kiss - This is a bit more tame and doesn’t really pull off the attempted attitude as well. Vietnamese Baby - A decent Little Rock ’n Roll number. Nothing that special but ok. Lonely Planet Boy - A softer song like this really exposes the singers voice. It works for the more punky, heavy stuff, but it doesn’t sound good here. Boring song too. Frankenstein - Again, this one doesn’t do anything that interesting. The attitude and vocal works better here and I don’t mind it, but it’s just a bit samey. Trash - This is a weird crossover between punk and jangle-pop. I can hear elements of a lot of things that were to follow in this track alone. Fun if a little too repetitive. Bad Girl - The structure of this was less repetitive and I quite liked it. The vocal worked really well with a song like this. Dirty Rock ’n Roll. Subway Train - Another decent one. There was a nice groove to it and it had a good dynamic change between the verse and chorus. Pills - Anther good one. It’s a fairly straightforward bluesy rock ’n roll number, but it’s good and has a nice bit of attitude. Private World - Another good little tune. Maybe a bit too similar to the songs that surround it, but decent nonetheless. Jet Boy - This one seemed to be going the same way as the last few tracks, but it really hit its stride about a minute and a half in. Good riffs, good pace and a good mix of vocal styles from the lead to the backing vocals.

6/10 This has always been the one out of Stevie’s golden period that I was never really sold on. It’s just a bit too pedestrian for me and I typically think that his more laid back love songs don’t stand up in comparison to his more upbeat, funky and jazzy stuff. I think they can work as part of a more varied and more structured album selection, but these aren’t some of his better slow songs, in my opinion, and there are just too many of them in one place. There are little touches here and there that I just love, but I will nearly always find myself reaching for Songs in the Key of Life or Innervisions over this. I think the mix of the album doesn’t actually help it as some of the tracks just seem a little busy and the groove gets a bit lost, which on an album with quite this many slower songs doesn’t help to give it the juice it needs. I don’t think it’s a bad album, I just don’t think its up to the standard that he can hit, which makes it a little bit disappointing. Smile Please - Nice, smooth opener. It’s a cool little track and the little nuances give it interest. It’s got a subtle groove that I like. Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away - There are elements of it that I do really like, but it does drift a bit too much. That being said, I did find myself toe tapping for the duration. Too Shy To Say - This is more boring. Nice enough, but just doesn’t do enough for me. Boogie On Reggae Woman - Classic. Such a tune. The different rhythmical elements of this track just give it so much groove. I love the way the jazzy piano just drifts in and out of focus too. Always dig a Stevie harmonica solo too. Creepin’ - Again, elements of this that I enjoyed, but it was just a bit pedestrian and not that engaging. You Haven’t Done Nothin’ - Another great groove on this one. Doesn’t really offer much in the way variety through the track though. It Ain’t No Use - I like this track. Good groove, nice layered vocals, but overall just doesn’t grab you the way his better work does. They Won’t Go When I Go - This one’s just a bit dull, especially for a 6 minute run time. Bird Of Beauty - There’s a decent shuffled rhythm to this, and it has hints of that Stevie staccato funk, but it just doesn’t have enough of a drive to my ear. It sort of lands somewhere between two worlds and ends up sounding a bit muddled. Please Don’t Go - Again, there are bits here that I like, but as a whole it doesn’t quite click for me in the way my favourite Stevie stuff does. It ends up sounding a bit too cluttered towards the end too.

7/10 This is a funny old album. It felt like a bit of a pick and mix at the beginning and the interstitial pieces didn’t really bring much to the party, but boy does this grow as it goes. Honestly, if you’d had started at Super Rich Kids, I think I would be ranking this much higher. Albums with little micro-tracks and interstitials can sometimes work really well, like in ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae, where they tie the concept of the album together, or in Boards of Canada albums where they just add little musical flourishes, but here, I think they don’t necessarily add much to the overall feel of the album. His voice is like cream in places, although there were times (particularly Thinking Bout You) where the vocal line didn’t work for his voice. There were also quite a few moments where his voice was way too dominant in the mix, but I think that’s probably due to the hip-hop production style. First time I listened through, there were bits that I liked, but on the second listen, I really started to groove with it, especially during the second half of the record. I think there’s a *really* good 35 minute album in here. But he released a 55 minute one, which just drags it down for me. Start - It’s an intro. Like he pocket dialled when turning on his arcade machine. Thinking Bout You - The verses have a nice groove, but I cannot gel with his falsetto in the chorus on this at all. Sounds so thin and forced. Fertilizer - The snippet of tune here is actually quite good, but I don’t really get the point of it. Sierra Leone - This has some potential, but it doesn’t really seem to settle on an idea until half way through, and then it’s over too quickly. Sweet Life - It feels like we’re getting into the swing of things now. The lead vocal is oddly high in the mix and the rest of the track gets a little bit lost because of it, which is a shame. Otherwise, this is a good one. Not Just Money - This interstitial seemed to actually have a bit more of a point to it, particularly followed up with the next track, but it was also hard to hear what was being said. Super Rich Kids - Another good track. His vocal is definitely at its best here. A good blend of hip-hop and Neo soul, and a nice juxtaposition between the very staccato rhythm and the smooth vocal during the sung parts. Pilot Jones - The falsetto sounds a bit better here. Again, there are elements of this that I really like, but it does seem to build momentum that then drifts away a little too much. Crack Rock - I liked this one too. A nice groove, but I didn’t feel like it added enough variety to different sections of the song. Pyramids - I really love some of the stuff in this track. Went a bit ‘dance floor rave synth’ in the middle, which I was less keen on. But as a whole, this was pretty strong for a ~10 minute track. Lost - This is a great track. A good groove, smooth vocals and all tied together with really nice instrumentation. White - Nice little instrumental. Not much to write about, in reality. Monks - I liked this one too. A little disjointed in places, but it was decent enough. Bad Religion - This is a great track. Soulful, a powerful vocal, a solid groove and plenty of dynamic in the backing. Really good. Pink Matter - Another good one. Again, a powerful, soulful vocal. The bass slaps (literally) in this one too. The track (minus the vocal) sounds a bit like it was pulled together from some Prince deep cuts, or something from The Plant Life. Like it. Forrest Gump - Another nice one. Perhaps a bit less interesting than some of the preceding tracks, but it’s not bad at all. End - A little drift away from the tail end of the album. Worked as a closer.

2/10 This doesn’t really do much for me. I think there are much better examples of similar music of the time, like Simple Minds or Tears for Fears, both of which had already released better music by the time this had come out. Weirdly, the label were apparently interested in the singer, but not so keen on the rest of the band. I think he’s the worst bit. He’s not a bad singer, but his delivery is all over the shop and lyrically it feels a bit like a teenager who thinks they’re deep. He’s also really having to work to fit some of the lyrics in with the rest of the song. I think there are some kernels of quality hidden in some of these tracks that having a really strong producer might have teased out, but even the production is a real mixed bag. I started getting more annoyed at this towards the second half of the album. Funnily enough, the version I listened to on Qobuz had a bunch of bonus tracks. They were way better than anything on the album and the production was SO much more subtle. But we’re not here to judge them by their outtakes. Overall, I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I don’t think it was as bland as Aimee Mann. But I also think that her album was more consistent and had better production. I’ll have to rank them equal. Bury Me Deep in Love - This sounds like it’s supposed to be epic and massive, but it just seems hollow. Likewise, the main lyric seems like it’s supposed to be really profound, but just feels awkward. This track was used in Neighbours for the wedding of Harold and Madge. Seems about right. Kelly’s Blues - This is a better song, but it’s also not that interesting. It’s very 80’s. A Trick of the Light - Some truly awful keyboard/synth tones on this. Very meandering and the lyrics seem somewhere between try-hard and didn’t try hard enough. Hometown Farewell Kiss - There are some nice ideas in this one, but the execution and the production just let those ideas down. And it gets more cheesy the longer it goes on. Unmade Love - This seemed to be building up, but never actually arriving anywhere. Just a bit dull. Open For You - This is just terrible. Sounds like a bad children’s Christian rock song. Holy Water - Some really odd choices in this one. A sort of steel drum synth patch and then some church bells followed by a terrible synth flute. And the lyrics are woeful. He couldn’t even be bothered to write some of them and just did do-do-dos. Underneath it all, I don’t think it’s actually a bad song, but it’s been produced to sound half way between a Christmas song and a calypso. Blinded By the Hour - Again, there are some decent elements to this one. But overall it’s a bit boring and doesn’t execute very well. And then it’s got a piano ;playing out of key in the background near the end. Vagabond Holes - Another one where there’s something decent in there somewhere, but executed poorly with bad lyrics. I particularly dislike the machine gun snare drum. Jerdacuttup Man - I quite like this one actually, but it really reminds me of something else that I can’t quite put my finger on what. The vocal delivery feels a bit try-hard and there’s too much reverb. Calenture - This is a strange little interlude. Don’t really see what it adds. Save What You Can - A ballad with tortured lyrics that sounds like the cleanest pop production of the whole album? Why not. It’s quite boring.

7/10 Radiohead are a unique band. In my opinion, it’s all of the thought that goes into the smaller elements of their songs that really elevate them, the little samples or synth parts that just emphasis a section or provide sonic interest or depth. While a lot of bands will repeat a verse with different words, Radiohead often have some completely different ear candy that separates one section or verse from another. How much of this comes from the band and how much from Nigel Godrich, I could only guess, but he’s essentially a band member at this point really anyway. This album was created out of the sessions for Kid A and released only 8 months later. To me, this does show and, while there’s a lot to like about some of the tracks, it overall does fell a bit like a b-sides and outtakes record. The highs are high indeed, but it has a less coherent sound than some of their other albums. Overall, I think this is very good and some bits of it are top tier, but they are capable of much better than this, and we’ll be hearing a few of them further down the line. Packt Like Sardines In a Crushd Tin Box - I love the staccato nature of the rhythms on this track, set against the smoother, flowing tones from the lead vocal and other instrumentation. There’s plenty of interest in the ever-changing accompaniment if you listen more deeply. Pyramid Song - I absolutely love the way the piano drags the rhythm in this track. It’s a really beautiful piece that just swells and then ebbs away again. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors - I really like elements of this. You can definitely hear the Aphex Twin influence in this one. But it is a bit samey. These types of tracks can really work in an album, but I just think it’s a bit too long for what it is. You And Whose Army? - A decent song and it builds nicely, but it’s not one of the better ones on the record. I Might Be Wrong - That guitar riff is great and some of the rhythms here are great. There is some interesting elements that come and go through the track too, but it is a little on the repetitive side. Knives Out - Sometimes Radiohead thread the needle between sounding utterly depressed and somehow uplifting at the same time. This is one of those. Great track. Morning Bell/Amnesiac - A worse version of a track from the last album. Strange choice and only emphasises the ‘Kid A Offcuts’ nature of this album. Dollars and Cents - Quite an understated one here in some respects, but it’s got some of those great harmonic backing vocals and does the ebb and flow thing nicely again. Doesn’t sound like there’s too much going on if you just let it wash over you, but there are a load of interesting nuggets if you listen more closely. Hunting Bears - I don’t mind a palate cleanser here and there on an album and this one’s ok. Nothing too interesting really, but settles you for the next one. Like Spinning Plates - Radiohead do unsettling really well, and this is a great example. The flickering rhythms, the slow drifting of the instrumentation and vocal. Lovely stuff. Life In a Glasshouse - I feel like this one’s just a bit disjointed from the rest of the album. There are elements of it that I like, but it just feels a bit disorganised. Not bad, but just not great.

5/10 There was some stuff on here that I did really like, and it’s clear that this has had a significant impact on the emergence of the grime scene and the empowerment of disenfranchised people, which is only to be applauded. That alone makes its place on this list valid. But from a personal point of view, I found the production of quite a few tracks to be grating. There were some odd choices to have some elements of tracks dominate the mix to an extent that they were distracting from what was a decent track underneath. There were also times when the repetitively of a track just made it tiring to listen to. A two or four bar loop for 4 minutes without much variety around it just doesn’t do it for me. I often found myself thinking that if the vocal was more prominent and there was a bit more variety between verse and chorus, I would appreciate some of these tracks much more. When he got it right, though, there were some really good moments. Fix Up, Look sharp, Round We Go, Jus’ A Rascal were all great tracks, for example. I feel like if this had a more experienced hand in the producers chair and if the album had been stripped back to 10 tracks, this could have really floated my boat more than it ended up doing. Sittin’ Here - There are bits about this that I like, the overlapping vocals, the cadence of the beats, but the main melodic hook does just get a bit tiring after a while. Could do with more variety. Stop Dat - More variety on this one. The tonal elements seem a bit disjointed, but the focus is always on the vocals, beats and bass, which is always the main driver in this type of music. I Luv U - There’s more structure to this one and it probably works better because of it. I’m not massively keen on some of the sounds, but it’s a decent track. He self produced this age 16. Brand New Day - There’s a bit of theme building now. The synth bell tones that kind of dominate the mix just don’t do it for me. Under that there’s a pretty decent tune, but it is getting swallowed a bit by something that is slightly annoying and too much of a focus. 2 Far - It’s less dominant here, but there is a ‘Uh-Uh’ sample that is too loud in the mix and too relentless. I actually really like the track apart from that, the flow of the rapping is great and it’s got a good bet, but that sample is so distracting. Fix Up, Look Sharp - This is much better. The mix isn’t dominated by anything annoying. The vocals sit front and centre, the beat is beefy, if simple, the structure is good. Nice. Cut ‘Em Off - The production gives this an interesting vibe. It’s dark and brooding with a layer of aggression. Not bad, but perhaps a bit too repetitive. Hold Ya Mouf - I like this one. The beat has got a groove and there’s a bit more variety to different sections of the track. That being said, the melodic motif that runs through the duration is a bit annoying, but less dominant than on other tracks. Round We Go - Back to having a bit more of a sectional structure here and it really helps. Tracks like this one are the best ones on the album. Good grooves, great vocals and enough variety to keep things interesting. Jus’ A Rascal - This is a banger. Aggressive and driving. Wot U On? - Decent tune. That kick drum / bass is too much though and it’s quite long and relentless because of it. Jezebel - This one’s a bit annoying. The lilt of the beat/vocal/pizzicato strings just jars with me a bit. Seems 2 Be - This was ok. I feel like the nature of the album is starting to drag on me now though, to be honest. It’s not got a great deal of variety to it. Live O - Another one with an over-loud and repetitive element that dominates the mix. Does that high-pitched tone need to be that loud and insistent? Do It - I really like the vocal in this one, but I’m definitely getting to the point of being tired out by the musical content being a two bar loop that just repeats for the duration.

10/10 This album is so punk despite not really being punk at all. They do drift into a more punky sound on Shadowplay and Interzone, and you can clearly hear that influence, but the album as a whole is something else entirely. They’re clearly quite raw musicians, but they manage to produce some immensely evocative music. You would never get an album that sounded like this released today, because all the little fluffs and oddities would have been tweaked out of it before release, but to me it really adds to the overall vibe of the album. It feels like the band are teetering on the precipice of madness and trying to scream back how it feels to those further from the edge. Even Ian Curtis’ vocal, which frequently grasps quite loosely at the edge of tuning, just adds to the sense of anxiety that permeates the whole album. The production is magnificent too and was, I imagine, quite groundbreaking at the time. The little ear candy pieces like smashing of glass, and other sonic oddities that add variety and ambience to the music really help elevate it, and are clear influences on the later production of Radiohead in particular. This album feels like a real pillar for what would follow, with the emergence of alt-rock and grunge, and I really don’t think we’d have had bands like Pixies, Nirvana and Radiohead in the same way without this. Despite what others may see as flaws worthy of lowering the rating of the album, I feel that everything just melds together into something that is way beyond the sum of its parts. A brilliant, brilliant album. Disorder - Good track that’s both melodic and intense. There are some weird choices and mistakes(?) in the bass line, but the overall vibe is great. And it gets even more intense and massive as it crescendos. Day of The Lords - There’s a sense of brooding dread about this. It’s very atmospheric and massive sounding. A really great track. Candidate - This is more sparse and scatterbrained, but in a brilliant way. It drops down to almost nothing, in places but with these echoes of terrifying ambience in the background, but sweeps into cacophany now and again. Insight - Sonically, this is quite interesting, from the vocal that sounds like it’s being sung into a cardboard box, to the synth resonance sweeps. Lovely stuff. New Dawn Fades - This is quite a beautiful song to me. It sounds so full and atmospheric and builds from contemplative and melancholic to distraught and then just drifts away to a lonely beat. She’s Lost Control - Great riffs, great production, haunting vocals. Great track. It really drives, and the cluttered nature of the parts just flow over one another in quite a chaotic but visceral way. Shadowplay - Another great track. It ebbs and flows in a really nice way. The vocal harmonies are great too when they appear. The guitar sounds really good, despite being quite different than much of the rest of the album. Wilderness - Another one where it builds and drops, but with that swirling drum beat always driving it forward. Interzone - The call overlapping call and response of the vocal and how it follows the guitar line is great. The guitar recalls more of the sound from Shadowplay again with its more punk style. There’s a good groove to this one and it’s probably the most punky song on the record, but it still has that unmistakable Joy Division sound. I Remember Nothing - A dark and brooding track. The dissonant vocals that overlap one another add to the eerie ambience of the track. It does expose some of the weaknesses in Ian Curtis’ voice, but that does lend an element of madness to the sound. I really love the vibe of this one. It’s like a glimpse into the mind of someone desperately trying to hold it all together. A fitting end to the album.

7/10 This was an enjoyable listen. I felt like it got so close in places, but often didn't quite stick the landing for me. There was often a drifting quality to the songs that frequently didn't quite land on a hook that was completely satisfying. It was also a bit of a patchwork that didn't really flow that well through all of the styles it touched on and did seem to jump around quite a lot. There are big echoes of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu in places (a very good thing), but the consistency wasn't quite there for the duration. It's clear she has a very special voice and understanding of how it works with the rest of the music, but this really has the hallmarks of a debut that she hasn't quite grabbed hold of her own style for quite yet. That being said, it's absolutely stacked with potential. Intro / Stronger Than Me - Not sure what the point of the into bit is. But the actual song is great. A nice blend of soul, jazz and hip-hop. She moves so nicely between smooth and biting on her vocal delivery. You Sent Me Flying / Cherry - the first half drifts around nicely enough, but doesn't really land anywhere until almost three minutes in. I feel like she over does the singing on this one and it gets a bit too warbly and 'look what I can do'. The Cherry bit is a nice little mini track. But why isn't it a separate track. Weird. Know You Now - This reminds me quite a lot of Lauryn Hill. I like it, and it has a good groove, but it doesn't quite land on something completely satisfying to me. Fuck Me Pumps - great track. It's fairly simple, but it has a quite naive, playful tone, which contrasts nicely with the lyrics. I Heard Love Is Blind - another one that's nice, but doesn't really find a solid hook for me. Moody's Mood For Love / Teo Licks - This one's a cover, so doesn't suffer from the same drifting nature of some of the others. I like the dub edge to the production, and it's just a satisfying jazz number. As with Cherry, I don't quite understand why these little inter-track nuggets aren't separated. (There Is) No Greater Love - A jazz standard. Really shows of her vocal in a more subtle way and she's not trying too hard on this one. Lovely. In My Bed - This is a good track. Much more hip-hop from a production point of view. Quite a lot of interesting instrumental elements too. Take The Box - another really nice track. The horns are used sparingly but beautifully. And she saves the vocal gymnastics for key moments. October Song - back to something with a bit more drive. It's another one that sort of drifts around a bit and never really lands on anything too hooky, but it is very good. What Is It About Men - this is quite reminiscent of Erykah Badu. I like it, but it's another drifter. I kept waiting for it to land on a solid chorus that never came along. Help Yourself - Hurrah, a chorus! This is really good. Light hearted, leaves good room for Amy to do her thing, but again, she doesn't overdo it. Really nice. Amy Amy Amy - another Erykah Badu-a-like. It's a good track, but another one that doesn't fully land on anything particularly special for me. Outro - It's just a bit of outro stuff. Nothing exciting. Brother - this has got a great groove to it and the vocal is top notch. Surprising that this is a hidden track as I'd say it was stronger track than a few on the main run. Mr Magic (Through The Smoke) - this is great. Hits all the right notes for me. Great groove, solid vocal, great hooks and a funky sax solo. Might be the best on the album and it's a real odd one to hide!

6/10 This is a bit of a funny album. To start with, I was really enjoying it, but I did feel it started to drift after the first few tracks. It’s very ronseal, in that it’s kind of the perfect music for the chill out room at a rave, a relaxed DJ set or an after party. Smokers delight indeed. I would happily have this album on now and then as background accompaniment, but I did have to keep skipping back while doing my song-by-song, because it frequently failed to cling onto my full attention. Some of the tracks really didn’t have enough variety to keep my mind fully engaged. Perhaps that’s partly the way my brain works, as I did have a similar complaint about overly repetitive motifs in Boy In Da Corner when we listened to that one. I suppose I’ll likely never stick this album on to just listen to it, and there are trip-hop albums that I certainly would do that with, but I can definitely see its place and it’s a very good album when placed in the right environment. A little hard to pick a rating for this one, but I think shooting somewhere down the middle is probably fair, and it’s getting 6 rather than 5 for that touch of nostalgia. Nights Introlude - A great little groove of a track that really sets the tone for the record. A good deal of this is sampled from Summer In The City by Quincy Jones, but NOW translates the vibe into something fresh. And the pads and strings that swell through sections are so 90s electronica. Dreaddoverboard - I used to run an electronica night at uni and played this one a lot. This has edges of dub, but sits firmly in the Trip-Hop wheelhouse (although NOW would disagree). The sections ebb and flow nicely, but there’s a nice drive that keeps the flow going throughout. Pipes Honour - A sparser arrangement here and a groove largely lifted from The Soul of a Black Man by Maceo Parker (legend). This is so chill and groovy. Me And You - Nice little interlude. Nothing special. Stars - Back to something more dub edged. This one’s a little too repetitive for me in places. The electric piano is a bit relentless. Wait A Minute / Praying For A Jeepbeat - Bit of a weird one. Just a sort of cluster of bits and pieces really. Groove Street - This is ok. A bit too repetitive and long, so got a bit boring. Time (To Listen) - Another interlude (Man) Tha Journey - This one’s definitely got more drive to it, but there are sections where I wanted it to throw in a bit more variety as it was getting a bit samey. Bless My Soul - A nice chilled groove. It’s not the most interesting, but it’s ok. Cruise (Don’t Stop) - A bit more variety and interest here. A nice bouncy beat and some of the samples add some nice lilt to the groove. Mission Venice - A nice, shorter track, The idea is decent, but it’s just very samey throughout, despite the dub mixing of the different parts. What I’m Feelin (Good) - This was better. Another short one, but it felt like there was just more variety to keep the momentum up. Rise - Another nice one. Not the most interesting of tunes, but a decent, relaxing little number. Rise (Reprise) - Not sure why we needed to have another 1:46 of the same track really. Gambia Via Vagator Beach - This just doesn’t really go anywhere. Too much like a hippy drumming circle in the park for me.

7/10 This feels like a big transition album looking back to the Motown of old on the second side, but working with the fresh new sounds that Sly Stone was introducing on the first side. The grit and funk on Cloud Nine and Runaway Child is just fantastic, and the grooves just drive. I think as an album, its beneficial to look at this one as a record with two sides as they are very different to one another, but it was perhaps a bold choice to order the sides the way they did, as old school Temptations fans may not have got on board with side one, but for me it really works. The second half is more trad Motown sound, and they are very good at it, despite the fact that it doesn’t really break new ground in the way that the first half did. I was toe tapping, finger clicking and head bobbing my way through it all and, although it lulled a little in the later tracks, really came together again for the closer. Cloud Nine - This is a great tune, really leans into the psychedelic funk side of things and makes me think of Funkadelic, Sly Stone and that type of music that was starting to emerge at the time, rather than the more traditional Motown sound. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - A Motown classic. Not my favourite version, but the doo-wop swing on the vocal is great. It definitely has its own feel and sounds like they’re having a lot of fun. Runaway Child, Running Wild - Back to the more dirty funk side of things, this is just great. There’s plenty going on and it evolves through its runtime into so many different areas and pushes and pulls so nicely without ever loosing the thread of the groove, whether through the half with vocals, or the instrumental half. Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing - This takes us back to some more traditional Temptations fare. It’s still great, of course, just not quite as energetic and exciting as side one. Hey Girl - This is smooth. I love the way they’re able to rotate lead vocal duties between songs to give a different flavour across an album. Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go) - This swings so nicely and is a proper finger clicker. The lead vocal on this is SO good. Love it. I Need Your Lovin’ - Another great track. A bit more low-key, but it just grooves. Great harmonies and the way the backing vocals intermingle with the lead is just lovely. Don’t Let Him Take Your Love From Me - There’s something very James Brown about this vocal. It’s perhaps one of the weaker songs on the album as it doesn’t do anything too interesting, but it’s by no means bad, just not as good as what came before. I Gotta Find A Way To Get You Back - Lovely grit to the vocal here, and it’s got a nice drive to it. It’s another good track, but not one of the top rankers. Gonna Keep On Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love - Closing the album in style. This is great. That strolling bass line is fantastic, the horns do some lovely little things and the vocals are just excellent, both lead and backing.

6/10 There are bits of this album that I really like. Our House is a massive highlight for me. I’m a big fan of an understated little piece of ‘everyday life’ music. Stylistically, it’s a million miles away, but it makes me think a little of Starfish And Coffee by Prince. Anyway. When they got a bit more bluesy-rock, I enjoyed that too, but I’m not a massive fan of the overuse of the type of block ‘wall of sound’ vocal harmonies that they use. They work in when used sparingly, but to my mind, the mixing of them dominates without providing a satisfying amount of space for the lead vocal to shine. With that in mind, the tracks I’d likely return to would probably be those with a more clear lead vocal, and with a bit of rock ’n roll grit to the track, like Almost Cut My Hair. In all honesty, while I did enjoy this, I feel like there’s music out there that I’d go to first that focus more on the elements I did enjoy. Glad to have heard it though. Probably a 5, but Our House just tickles my sentimental fancy, so it pops up by one. Carry On - This is a good start to the album. The opening guitar line bursts with enthusiasm and the harmonies throw a great vibe over it. Could do with a bit more movement in the harmonies, but they’re still good. It then moves into decent groove half way through. Nice little guitar licks that pop up here and there through the track, and that wah tone is great. Teach Your Children - This one’s a bit more saccharine. It’s nice enough, but it doesn’t really have the grit or drive that I liked from the first track. Definitely more meandering too, though it does have a nice toe-tapping rhythm from the guitar. Almost Cut My Hair - The vibe to this one is more back to what we had from Carry On. Kind of sits somewhere between Hendrix and The Eagles in terms of feel to me. I think the more driven guitar really works here and there’s plenty of space for them to have a bit more fun with their playing. Nice to hear a bit of variety from the vocal too and less emphasis on the harmonisations. That might have got tiring if it stayed for every track. Helpless - It feels like a theme is developing here. Back to a more of a softer ballad-esque track now. Again, it’s nice. The vocal has a vulnerable edge to it that I like, but I just wasn’t really that grabbed by this one. Woodstock - The theme continues. Back to something with a bit more of a rock ’n roll edge and a bit of drive. The interplay between the organ and the guitar is really nice. The backing vocals are more subtle through the verses, which gives the lead space to breathe, although they definitely kick in on the chorus. There’s a nice ‘I’m having fun over here’ guitar solo too. Deja Vu - I thought they were going to change the formula. Nice driven start for a minute and then bam. Slow song again. I do like the groove of this one and the dynamics build nicely too. Some interesting little nuggets from the different instruments too as the track progresses. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are elements of this that I do really like. Our House - I love this tune. Written by Graham Nash on Joni Mitchell’s piano about the everyday happiness of their relationship. I like the innocence of it and the celebration of the satisfying mundanity of an established relationship. The vocal harmonies actually have more movement and less of a ‘wall of sound’ approach than on most of the rest of the album, which is way better. Sometimes simplicity is beauty. 4 + 20 - Nice enough piece of melancholy. Doesn’t really go anywhere, but it’s short enough. That ending is pretty good though. Country Girl - I think the album is getting a bit tired by this point. This has some nice enough moments, but it doesn’t really shine and we’re definitely on the wind down at this point. It feels like they’re trying to go with something epic, but it just seems busy and loud rather than big and grand to me. Everybody I love You - Lets finish off with some fun. Back to the more wall-of-sound harmonies. This lets loose a bit more and they get to have a bit of guitar fun, but it’s not the most interesting.