First few songs did nothing for me - they were not musically exciting until "Flight of the Rat". I could hear what would become the "Deep Purple sound" - great guitar riffs with a great rhythm section keeping it all together.
I thought "Into The Fire" and "Living Wreck" were highlights as well. Oddly enough, I heard a lot of Rage Against The Machine in those two songs - they both had a heavy groove. Overall, the album was OK with glimpses of what would make the band great over the next few albums.
Not my favorite style of music, but I will admit I really enjoyed the album. The songs were short but well crafted - not your usual folksy 3-chord songs. There was a lot of depth and heart in each song. A great listen!
Didn't do anything for me. Very cliche and predictable. Production value was good so I give it 3 stars.
Great album! Tight, powerful, guitar-driven songs. Only knock is that some of the riffs sound repetitive.
Not familiar with salsa music and whether it is good or not. I did enjoy listening to it but became bored after the first two songs. I did appreciate the production which was crisp and tight.
Iconic album. Changed the music world.
I wanted to like this album but I just couldn't grasp my head around it. Every song was painful; I wanted to slit my wrists.
I liked the opening song, but every one afterwards sounded the same. His voice sounded like a bad imitation of Bob Dylan...I don't like Bob Dylan.
Reading the background of the album and knowing that it was a recreation of 60's sound, my expectations were not high as its been done before. I had only heard the single "Rehab" so I had a sense of what the album would sound like. What I did not expect was the crisp production and soulful vocals in the songs. OK, there were a lot of cliche riffs but it didn't seem to matter. I enjoyed it very much.
The songs were interesting enough that I went back and listened to the album again to hear what I missed the first time. There are not a lot of albums that I do that for. I loved the production - there was an open, airiness to the songs. The horns and strings on some of the tracks added a sense of glamor to the production. I enjoyed it a lot.
I have no words. I certainly know after listening to this album that I am not a fan of this style of music.
Would have given it 5 stars but always felt that even though it's a great album, the solo tracks (other than The Fish and Mood For A Day) are lackluster and bring it down.
Not sure what to expect, not being a fan of Morrissey. First track was interesting but then it just became standard, cliche and not interesting. The production was good (hence the 3 stars) and some of the lyrics kept my interest for a bit but I wasn't a fan of the album.
Album was great! Loved the energy from not only the band but the crowd. Band was tight and I never realized what a great voice BB King had.
Boring. Every song sounded the same. I'm always amazed how artists get rapped up (no pun intended) in sounding of the times (gated snare drum , bad synth sounds). This album screams 80's and sounds old and dated. Not sure why this is a "must listen".
Keeping an open mind for this one, I wasn't surprised or disappointed. It was 70's pop through and through. Songs were well crafted but goofy IMHO. Listen to the Wondermints version of "Knowing Me, Knowing You", an awesome, ballsier take on the song.
Never thought I would say this, but I actually liked something by Lou Reed. I do not like his "talking" style of singing. However, with this album it works for me. I thought the songs were clever and the music/arrangements were very good. Doesn't hurt that he had an all-star band (Steve Winwood, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Tony Levin) playing on the tracks.
Enjoyed this more than expected. Ella's voice was incredible; her control and her phrasings were amazing. The recording and arrangements were impeccable. The only knock is the length of the entire collection - it became exhausting as the songs started to blend into one long song. I broke it up into separate listening sessions but still had the deju vu feeling when listening. All in all, its an awesome collection of one of the greatest female voices of all time.
Why is this album on the list??? Totally unimaginative and boring.
Now I know who to thank for all of the crappy music today. It's like they just learned how to say "Fuck" and couldn't say it enough. Couldn't even get through two songs. Not my thing.