I mean what’s there to say? Perhaps the most iconic opening to an album. Cash at his peak. Candid moments of laughter and snatches of conversation. Very well recorded and preserved. 10/10

Tonal and twangy, this felt like a secret show at a honkytonk. They saved the listener from the usual “3rd Act Drag” by tossing in some truly solid covers and changing gears from blues to rock to surf and back. This feel was also a drawback for me, as it felt like friends goofing off sometimes, not a studio album. This all feel like one-takes, outtakes or jam sessions that went well. So much talent, though, that maybe you accept that and be glad you’re in the room?

“cookiemonster, the musical“ meets “Randy Newman‘s least greatest hits“ meets the deranged lounge singer-esque rantings of an extremely sad clown. It’s so unserious it’s almost genius. At least I hope he wasn’t serious. I know Tom Waits from movies, but is he famous for this??

It plays like the soundtrack to a 90s movie that never was. Constantly changing but never losing the thread. This is only my second Pixies album but won’t be the last. Unless they only have 2…

“The Cure! Now with 10% More Self Loathing!” I hear a lot of The Cure here. Which makes some sense, considering this album was released several years after Cure’s debut. The name, notwithstanding, I would almost think they were a Robert Smith side project. I was never really into the Smiths. I recognize the talent, but never vibed with their music. That hasn’t changed, but I can see why some would place this album on this list.

This one is interesting. Its predecessor Parachutes is a straightforward, moody piece with acoustic bass and some laudable lyrics. And this album has some of that too. But it starts to sound self aware in a bad way. It’s edging towards trying to be good vs just being good. Politik is a little too loud. In My Place a tad too dreamy. And so on. It all makes for a solid sophomore album and I enjoyed revisiting it. I actually went to Cincinnati with an old girlfriend back in 2003 to see them perform this album (she made me) and though it a great show! It’s all kind of sad though, considering the schlock they’ve become.

20 songs of pure delight! Bits of Beatles and Zeppelin and shades of Queen. Almost every track was upbeat, even when it’s talking about heartbreak. They seemed to really enjoy making music. You can really hear it. As far as when my first time sitting down, listening to an entire ELO album and I get the love fans have. Groovy!

This is a good album. Honestly musically, they are incredibly tight. Corey Glover‘s vocals can be incongruously soulful, but that often works really well in a rock setting. See Soundgarden/Alice In Chains. But listening to the whole album at once made me realize that they were lyrically a little sophomoric. It wasn’t a lot of pros or depth to what they were saying. Which you don’t always need. Because there are definitely some hits. But when you listen to a song like Landlord or Funny Vibe, there is a lot in there. Some of the pieces like their cover of should I stay or should I go really makes you want a lot more punk out of this band than what you get. All in all, not bad.

Lyrically and musically masterful. This has never been my style of music though. With a few exceptions, this is the kind of music that, if I were taking a nap and woke up to this, I would fall asleep again immediately. But it’s clear why they were at the top of their game when this music was dominant. Geniuses in their own field.

Pretty badass. Opening the album with Mannish Boy was perfect. It let you know what you were in for. This kind of music is great, but without some variation, it could get pretty boring. Which is why I was pleased to hear livelier, different songs like I Want to Be Loved and “swampy” tunes like Down in Florida. This reminds me a lot of of my childhood and where I was born. And also the Blues Brothers, which is never a bad thing.

I’m pretty familiar with this album. I discovered it a couple years ago and listened to it a few times. Although I like what he does and I love his voice, this album has always felt unfinished to me. And considering he lived another two years after this album‘s release, I don’t really understand. There are a lot of mis-strummed cords, meandering, guitars, and quick little instrumentals that just felt like warm-ups. So although I really like a lot about Nick Drake, I can’t say I like this album.

Well. There’s a lot that can be said about this album and this group in general. The heavily layered samples, relentless, scratching, dense, and poetic lyrics, and the fact that when you get to the end of the album, you are still hearing legendary song. That’s really unusual. Most albums load up their best songs in the first five or six track and by the time you get to the end, they really lost the thread and are just filling in space. But considering the last third of the album contain night of the living bass heads, rebel without a pause and black steel in the hour of chaos, this is crazy. There are better, public enemy, albums, but that doesn’t change the fact that this album for its time was near perfect.

I’m slightly ashamed that I’ve never listened to this album, considering they are a local band. When I first started listening to this one, my first thought was “this feels a little dated“ and then I realized the album is almost 18 years old. So I apologize to them for that thought. Having said that, this album is kind of mediocre. There are a few big hits on it, but most of the deep tracks are pretty repetitive. They rely heavily on the same tinny sound, repetitive guitar chords, and are banking on the lead singers soulful vocals to carry them through. I picked up another two or three songs that I had not heard before and will listen to again. The rest, not so much. And can we please stop writing nostalgic love songs about minors?