This was great. Funny, self aware, earnest. Great album flow too, never got old.
Bookended by two of the greatest songs of all time and some alright blues/country in the middle.
I mean, the title ain’t lying. Lyrically brilliant, musically both joyous and emotive. Just brilliant.
Musically very good, enjoyed parts of this - really liked the first track but not really my thing as a whole
Yeah this is fantastic. As raw as this album is, the melody and solid songwriting is what makes it. Classic.
Generational voice, the slow bluesy soul beat and progressions were a little samey after a while. But enjoyable.
Basically invented the ambient genre so have to give it props. Not really made to be an active listening experience but a good vibe.
First half is like DJ set, second is more spaced out. Loved this.
SBS is a tune, but the rest sort of blended into one - 40 was a decent album closer
Great! Loved the big band tales of country songs - maybe needed one more big and faster number midway through the second half to keep the pace up, but fantastic nonetheless
Song all time classics on this album - final song even went a bit prog!
Loved the first half, liked the second - decent flow, nice to have prog elements that are in a tightly written shorter song
Really liked the first half, felt like it lost its way around the second - never heard poop mentioned so much in an album before
Started really well, thought it was starting to lose momentum but then had an incredibly strong ending.
Never really grabbed me, similar pace. Saxophone seemed like the main instrument rather than the organ. Organ not as striking as, say, Billy Preston. Might be nice to have in the background
Some nice indie psychedelic rock tunes, never blew me away but a pleasant listen
Some absolute classics on this album. Deeper cuts are pretty good too!
Beautiful album, v nostalgic for anyone growing up in the 00s
Very fun tracks, varied too. The Stevie Wonder tribute song is hilarious. Raps are occasionally TOO simplistic but all round a fun album!
Couple of tunes on this but just not a big Pearl Jam guy. Very same-y in parts, wacka-wacka guitars, similar drum rhythms, Eddie Vedder’s signature vocal style.
Blisteringly fast first half and slower more groovy second - and ending with a hidden track and Shepard Tone?!
Been a while since I listened to this in full - Kanye used to be genuinely funny and brilliant and such a tonic to the Bling Era of rap. Such a shame listening knowing how it’s all ended.
Surprised that I wasn’t grabbed by this - I didn’t mind a few melodies but felt the songs were mostly bland. I love #1 Record and I Am The Cosmos though - maybe I’m more of a Chris Bell person
One of my favourites of all time. Simple as.
I’m a sucker for a strong melody, strong tunes with a strong message
A 3.5 star album for me but nostalgia made me bump it up. Captures the era very well.
Every song a banger. Sensational.
Sombre feeling throughout as it was one of her last recordings. Very same-y but very lush and pretty.
Wild! Really enjoyed from the start but it slightly wore thin towards the end. But the string sampling and technical effects were fantastic
I can appreciate its importance and I actually quite enjoyed the beginning but it got very tedious very fast for me. Much prefer a Black Sabbath over this.
This was great! Groovy, joyful, varied!
Does what it says on the tin! This might be sacrilege, but I didn’t like this as much as the debut. Maybe I wasn’t listening under the right conditions
Lovely. Still think Pink Moon tops this though.
Holy nostalgia! Personally, I think not as good as her previous two but there’s some undeniable hits on here
Tons of hits on here. Not perfect but very close.
The timing that this was the choice for the me the day after Ozzy died… but this is a hell of an album. RIP OZZY
Production is insane for 1957! Fun and groovy but never blew me away.
Started to like this then fell off for me v quickly. Some bizarre skits as well
So much energy here. Didn’t really care for the bonus tracks on the expanded version, but that’s not what I’m reviewing here!!
It pains me to put this, but this is an album that’s never fully clicked for me. It’s great, but I don’t worship at the alter that others seem to. I hope one day I will.
(Immigrant Song ends) YOU LIKE THAT?!!! THEN LET’S GOOOOO!!!! (Gets out acoustic guitar)
Great album. I met Tim Burgess on a train once and he was lovely so bonus points.
The flow on this is insane
Loved every bit of this. Amazing really how quickly punk changed.
I wanted to steer clear in this of the way Morrissey has decided to act in the past decade as I don’t want that to affect my judgement. But it is quite tricky. ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’ was once an ode about the nuances of dual-nationality but now feels jingoistic. There’s defo some bangers on here (First of the Gang to Die is a Top 10 Morrissey solo song of all time) but the navel-gazing that was so loved back in the day feels so petulant to me in light of his views in the last few years. Not my favourite of his albums, but good.
Potentially one of the biggest rug-pulls in music history. I still think the segue into Motion Picture Soundtrack is a little sharp, but … pretty faultless.
The first side is amazing. The second is pretty good (Mrs Robinson being the standout). But seriously, the Bookends melody returning at the end of Old Friends made me ascend.
I mean this has some of the greatest songs ever written on so it feels weird not giving it 5. But here I am giving it a 4.
V nostalgic album for me as my mum is a big fan and played SE a lot
‘Hell Yeah’: The Album.
Decent but if I have to hear another harmonised guitar solo, I swear…
Does what it says on the tin! Some really visceral imagery. Loved ‘The Curse of Millhaven’. Reminded me of The Pogues and then Shane shows up for the last number!
I just can’t shake the feeling it whiffs it slightly at the end! Still brilliant
Game changer. Wrote the blueprint for rock in the new millennium. And just full of great tunes
I like a lot of Beck songs but thought this dragged after a while. Hope it improves on a relisten.
Really great! Reminds me of Father John Misty (yes, I know this came first!)
For what is widely considered the first ever double album, it’s very consistent. Not huge on the bluesy moments but still great!
Hurt does a lot of heavy lifting to make this a ‘classic’ album. ‘The Man Comes Around’ is great too - the rest just feel like pretty nice covers. The Rick Rubin production gets predictable too.
Did not vibe with this one. Strange as I like Neil Young, but only really liked Tired Eyes here.
Really varied, just a whole heap of fun!
So varied! Good flow too. 3.5 for me but the sheer balls of this means I’ll round up.
So good, loved this as a kid. I don’t think it’s quite perfect, which pains me slightly, but still fab.
Chris Cornell had such an amazing voice!
Not my favourite grunge album, songs do bleed into one another after a while.
Basically 50% spoken word. Same song is played twice. Slightly janky editing. Should be a total failure. But it really does make you feel like you’re there! And A Boy Named Sue is still one of the best Cash performances of all time.
Liked the first half better than the second. Grunge voice slightly let it down for me, but nice melodies, some parts reminded me of a grunge version of Pixies.
Never fully gets going but groovy. Liked the more house influenced tracks in middle.
Another great album. Not quite up to the standard of his other 70s output though!
Willie, this is a lovely sounding album, but I got very bored I’m afraid.
Barely takes a breath, crazy and blistering. Vocals sound 80s power ballad at times
Nice but never set my world on fire
Listened to this while unpacking boxes in my new flat. Perfect accompaniment.
Great!! Gnarly production and incredibly powerful. Not quite perfect, second half slightly blurred into one for me.
Some of the jams go on for too long but some nice bits here
This is like an entire album of gorillaz deep cuts. Thought it started and ended well with a muddled middle.
Tricky one for me. I think the title track and the vocal parts of Shine On are fantastic but nothing else grabs me musically. It’s technically amazing and great at mood setting and I like the non-musical elements of all PF albums. Probs a 3.5 but leaning towards a 3 imo
Holy moly this bored me. 33 mins and felt like double.
Groovy sure but SO samey.
This man understand the flow of an album.
Really like the first few tracks but interested faded after a while. Might give this a relisten
Here it is then. The Mack Daddy. I’m not a huge Pink Floyd guy and even I have to admit this is pretty damn good. Perfect? Hmmmmm I dunno. But screw it’s near as dammit to 5 stars in my opinion. Nice work Floyd, they’ve got a big future ahead of them if they stick at it
Listened to this in English, think it would be better in the og Deutsch. Still, boundary-pushing bleeps and bloops.
Second half is held up massively by ‘Every Breath You Take’. Rest is pretty good!
Also ‘Mother’ defender here, I won’t hear a word said against it.
Starts super strong then slowly wanes. Nice moments tho
Anyone who says Dexys were a one hit wonder are fools. Great tunes here, and loved the album flow. Bonus tracks I liked quite a bit!
Second half is pretty good but pales in comparison to the first. But that’s because they’re some of the greatest songs ever written so oh well.
Real mixed bag this, some absolutely amazing tracks (that opening song was insane) and more long winded blues-y noodling that this list seems to love (c’mon guys did the Grapevine cover really need to be 10 minutes?). 3.5 but leaning towards 3.
Goddamn, these cats are cooking. Ughhh they’re swinging!!
Music to mosey to.
2.5 for me, but I’m feeling generous today, so 3 it is. Has a decent heart.
50% Psychedelic and 50% Blues. Would have preferred more of the former but an interesting mix!
Love Dusty, no absolute classics on here but some great renditions.
Something very satisfying to me about Costello’s songwriting. Can see where people make the pop punk comparisons, melody wise.
Man plunders music from all over the world then passes it off as his own - is this the most British album of all time? Catchy tho
The production on this is insane (very ELO) and releasing all your songs you wrote while being denied album space on Beatles albums on one massive solo album is the ultimate 2 fingers. Great for car rides and sunny days.
I’m counting the Apple Jams as bonus tracks but 11 minute blues jams that don’t make me wanna claw my eyes out are a welcome surprise.
Ran to Wikipedia to see if Rod Stewart got sued for lifting the melody of ‘Taj Mahal’ for ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy?’. Answer - yes, he did!
Anyway - holy moly this was great! Sun has just come out today, I’m inside at work and trying desperately not to groove at my desk. Putting this into the regular rotation.
Great stuff - pretty heavy for 1965!
This is hard for me as it sounds like something I should love but I’m just not connecting with it. I like a few JAMC tracks but I prefer it when they’re noisier, this feels very weedy and dreary without the emotional resonance to back it up. Seems like a more boring version of what Pulp were doing a few years later. Also I swear these guys only know two chords.
Couple of moments that were decent. Lush production too.
Cool. Could have done with a couple more bangers.
You know what, it’s got a good flow and a lot of bangers 🤘
An amazingly atmospheric and gloomy record without sacrificing what made the first album good. Second half is defo weaker tho - does The Asphalt World need to be over 9 mins?
This would be good to play to my dad to convince him I’m Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan.
Anyway, pretty fun. The shooby-doo wah refrain made me laugh. Never fully grabbed me though.
Hmm interesting! I like Gary a great deal and think he’s done some great work in his time. This is very early synth stuff here, so often a bit boring but when it hits, it REALLY hits.
Just some great synth-pop. Amazing flow too!
Holy moly, NOT my favourite Bowie era! Pretty bland funk for the most part, few decent parts. And the Across the Universe cover sounds like someone parodying Bowie singing
Longest elevator ride of all time.
Very nice and pleasant. I’m not totally in the right setting for it though. Need to listen on a beach.
Preferred the second half, felt a bit more droney and experimental. Thought the brevity of the tracks was occasionally frustrating but generally not bad.
Can see why David Lynch dug this.
What I’m learning about myself doing this list is I love an album that throws the kitchen sink against the wall and it all sticks.
A complete soup of an album, all over the shop and a poorly paced story. But occasionally brilliant. And obviously basically created (or at least popularised) the rock opera.
I know this album is a technical marvel and basically introduced the CD to the world, but almost every song is 2 minutes too long and there’s way too much noodling. Couple of bangers yes, but not enough to save it for me. Just not a Dire Straits fan.
Funny! Spooky! Groovy! Vibey!
Anyone got the lyrics for this one?
Harmonies to rival the Everly Brothers, heartfelt but not hokey
This is pretty sweet. I only knew The Bees as the Chicken Payback guys so this was a nice surprise, perfect for a sunny day. Some bits reminded me of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. And an Os Mutantes cover! Been getting into their stuff recently.
Timbaland is a genius.
Bring back artists just talking to the audience and taking about making the album.
Really liked the references to other songs and had some touching tributes.
Jesus, Muse used to be so great. This was the last of the truly great albums before it became slightly patchy (and then off the deep end bad).
Some all time classics on this and love the desert rock influence.
Starts amazing and ends amazing. Maybe it’s sacrilege to say, but I just don’t dig the middle. Or at least not as much. And it’s not the strongest concept of all time. 3.5 but I’ll round up as 3 is way too mean.
Jesus and Mary Chain have two song modes: slow 50’s style dirges and fuzzed-out rockers. Most of the time it works but occasionally you listen to one song certain that you’d literally heard the same one 4 songs ago.
Vocals are very lackadaisical which sometimes makes you cry out for them to put some welly into it.
The whole album utilises a level of reverb that makes the whole thing sound like it was recorded in a disused aircraft hanger.
BUT… a lot of it is very pretty and cool. Go figure.
Some people might say it’s the same song 12 times, to them I say A WOMP BOMP A-LOO BOMP, A-WOMP BOMP BOMP
