RIP to the Prince of Darkness… This record serves as one of founders of heavy metal, and stands the test of time. The obvious classics are belters but I really enjoyed Planet Caravan and the mellow sections of Hand Of Doom.
Really relaxing soundscapes
Nothing particularly stand out, cool sound, very similar songs.
A comedy of an album, that doesn’t touch their self titled album. Last of the steam powered trains, is the standout song, and Do you remember Walter? and Monica, have replay ability, but the rest of the album I could probably never hear again quite happily.
Great beats and silky instrumentals throughout. Lyrics are absolutely wild. New fan.
Absolute 5* - has some of the all time great Dylan tracks
Thunder Road… enough said. 5*
I hate it… The opening track Overture sets the scene on this overly bloated concept album. Described by the band as a spiritual opera, it feels more like a self indulgent drug fuelled wank fest. Underture stands at an outrageous 9 minutes and offers nothing, other than making me want this album to end. I appreciate the musicianship, however it offers little to no enjoyment to my ears. The song Fiddle About, is grim, I didn’t need a song about molesting a deaf, dumb and blind boy… The album has Pinball Wizard, which itself is a 5* tune, but can’t save the album.
“it’s just another bombtrack…” Iconic and hype opening for one of the most important debut albums ever recorded. This served as a huge inspiration and paved the way for many bands. Tom Morello reinvented how the guitar is approached as an instrument. Bullet in the head is genius however I will say the ultimate version of that track is the BBC2 live recording, but the album version still cracks skulls. The bass tone and drums on this are a cohesive face punch 🥊
The album really shines when it leans into the up tempo glam tunes. The slower tunes don’t feel as interesting enough musically, maybe due to the vocal deliveries always being similar. The things this record wants to be, happened several months earlier on Ziggy Stardust.
RIP to the Prince of Darkness… This record serves as one of founders of heavy metal, and stands the test of time. The obvious classics are belters but I really enjoyed Planet Caravan and the mellow sections of Hand Of Doom.
Prior to this I have never heard of Todd, and I could have happily gone on that way, based on this album. The songs on the first side are nice enough, with tunes such as It Wouldn’t Have Made A Difference (a stand out track), sounding like a Bee Gees cut prior to their disco pivot. The album is designed as four sides, but once the spoken word Intro started, and he described a game to play, I found myself completely removed from the record. After that I listened to a few of the more well known tracks, which were underwhelming. Couldn’t finish, not for me…
Classic album, with multiple bangers. It’s not an album I would stick on all the time but it’s great to spin every now and then.
I had a skim listen to this, and it’s very non offensive and I could probably have it on in the background. Though it’s difficult to know a time I would opt to put it on.
I really enjoyed this album, and the songwriting is exemplified when listened as a cohesive body of work. I was so tired of Fast Car covers on X Factor, I felt I never wanted to hear Tracey Chapman again, how wrong I was!
My first time listening to Abbey Road in full and it quite clearly has some of the all time great Beatles songs. I particularly liked Side B, the medley side, the quick short songs keep it fresh and interesting and most of which I had not heard before. Oh Darling and She’s So Heavy are favourites. I really wish Octopus Garden, and Ringo in general would get in the bin…
This is a lovely little album with some great musicianship from an outfit I had not heard of. No particular favourite, however would listen in the background in the future.
Rebellious Jukebox, is a good tune and I can see the influence this band played on future bands such Modest Mouse, of which I am a huge fan. The guitar work throughout the record is rather interesting, however on the whole it is the vocals that make it a difficult album to enjoy, as spoken word-esque is not typically my style. I doubt I will listen to this again.
Smack My Bitch Up is just as good as ever, never fails to deliver hype with the great drums and that lovely vocal break in the middle. Didn’t know I knew Breathe until I heard that distinctive hook, unbelievable tune with really interesting noises panned off in the background. Love the suspense in this track with the spooky section near the send before that iconic hook drops back in. Diesel Power is the first time we get more vocals than just a hook, the bars were actually decent, and not what I’m not used to, with the Prodigy I’ve heard previously. It would have been nice for the instrumental to have varied more and been more interesting, but the driving beat and synths serve a purpose. Funky Shit is uninteresting to me, if I heard it in a club I’m sure I would enjoy it very much, but I can’t see myself sticking it on to do the ironing. From this point the album did feel slightly monotonous, very similar drum beats and bloated song lengths with minimal diversion from the main motifs. Tracks would work well in the live setting, no doubt. Firestarter springs us back to life, 5* tune, remember this video hype as fuck on Kerrang back in the day.
I absolutely love this album, it has the greatest rock guitar tones ever and the riffs are hype. Night Train is one of my favourite songs of all time in the genre.
The album is opens with a good pace with The Cutter, giving me The Cure vibes with a melancholic uplift. This whole record oozes 80s cliches and it really does it well at times, with ethereal synths, strings, and jangly guitar parts. The goth crooner shtick does occasionally gets tiresome on some of the slower / experimental numbers. There are better 80s album but it has peaked mg interest to listen to more Echo.
- Wow… I have really slept on this album! Absolutely excellent guitar work, the licks all over Brand New Cadillac make you wanna pull the fridge over. The percussion on The Guns of Brixton sound great, though I’m not sure on the “Bop It” sound. The blending of genres work well here and never feels too forced, though songs like Wrong Em Boyo, are my least favourite as they feel too playful. It’s a bulky album, and will need further listens but on first reflections I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
- Was expecting a Bee Gees album as I didn’t read it properly… What a surprise ! Glossy dream like keys on Punchbag which I really vibe with, and then the bouncy bass line driven Angry Man, with its infectious vocals. This genre bending record, keeps you constantly guessing where it is going, Sweet Like A Champion is a favourite and shows a darker side to The Bees song writing. Very relaxing, would use as background or travel music for sleep.
- A-Ha have written in my opinion the best Bond theme, with The Living Daylights, and the opening the track of this record is quite clearly a classic. Despite the outrageously good vocals, this album largely drifts by and doesn’t grab my attention until the in your face instrumentals around the 1 minute mark of The Sun Always Shines On TV. It then shifts back to drifting mode and doesn’t really pick up again.
This album is absolutely batshit. Genre bending and interesting, not every track is captivating but it’s a cohesive body that flows well. The strings are blissful on Broken Heart. The album feels older than it is. No particular stand out track, but musically it’s solid.
On A Rope is an absolute clsssic. One I havnt heard in years. The vocals mean that often the songs remain similar, and they arnt really my style, but they do what they do well and with infectious energy…
Great riffs on this thing, my only gripe is that the songs tend to run abit long for my liking, and I tend to lose attention. Them Bones is a standout
Immigrant song is one of the great Zeppelin songs, though I was surprised how folky and acoustic the rest was. Very nice.
This took me by surprise, absolute bangers all over this thing! Terrible shame it’s not on Spotify !
I am aware of this band from my younger days, however once the shock factor of the band, song and album names wears off, the music can become quite tedious. I appreciate that they were something of a spectacle as a live show. USSA is interesting and sounds like Death Grips. I’m not sure the O Men actually had any words. Replay ability in this album is approaching zero.
Big fan of this album!
Fav Tracks - Shake That Rump (PHATTTT), The riff on down the barrel of a gun (Mississippi queen sample!), Shadrach Didn’t know any of these BB tracks, great to hear them, the bars are iconic as per, and the samples/beats are smooth as. The album lacks a huge hit, like their other records have; eg: sabotage / no sleep til Brooklyn, but it makes it a more cohesive listen.
Fav Tracks - Last Days, You Ain’t the Problem I can see why this guy is raved about, really great songs and the instrumentation slaps.
Really enjoyed the vocals and the instrumentals, the horn sections were particularly great. Vocals at time give me Finley Quay vibes. The project is to the point which is a nice change from some of the albums. It’s nice to have on in the background, however listening to it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, as if I’m a white private school boy with dread locks who shops for clothes at Oxfam, and whose sole personality trait is an extensive knowledge of weed.
Happy meal II - the instrumentation is great but lyrically it falls flat for me. Fav Tracks - Been It, Lovefool (when this came on it took me but surprise, was not aware this was The Cardigans, a classic!), Iron Man (what an exceptional cover)
The only song I was familiar with off this, was Alright, which feels like an anthem of the 90s. I remember the iconic music video well. Caught By The Fuzz is another stand out track, the rest was alright but nothing that really caught my attention.
The pioneer of Rock N Roll! Great tunes, but they do all feel very familiar to each other.
There is some good tracks on this, I find that Nash’s voice can grate on me sometimes. Fav Track - almost cut my hair
⭐️⭐️ The laughs we had along the way, the friends we made, and the gang bangs we shared…
“$36 for picking flowers…” Johnny Cash is one of the great storytellers and his stage presence on this is electric, he has the prison eating out of his hand. The legacy version has a wider selection of tracks, and is most certainly better! I’m not the biggest fan of live albums, hence the rating, also I have no idea why this is censored. 4/5
Great background listening, nothing offensive. I can see how this influenced a lot of artists, even some of my favourites such as The 1975. Nothing particularly caught my ear but would listen to other music by them.
This was much better than I expected, however as with all Reggae, you do get many tunes that feel very similar to each other.
It is an interesting album, but it’s just largely not that enjoyable on the whole. The musicianship is obviously top level, though there are not many songs that grab my attention. Highlights - I Might Be Wrong, Knives Out, Pulk/Pull ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not a fan of live albums, and this just doesn't scratch the itch required when I want to listen to James Brown… Hopefully he has a few better selections on the list. ⭐️⭐️
Paris 1919 Who knew this guy founded The Velvet Underground and is bloody Welsh!! First track is Steffs festive anthem, without a doubt. This guy is the real deal, has produced and been involved with many of the all time great records, though for me, his solo tracks are meh, obviously vibes with the synergy of collaborators. The track Hanky Panky Nohow… enough said. Lyrics like “Andalusia, when will I see ya” make me want to punch myself. ⭐️⭐️
This is not The Beach Boys I know and enjoy. This more experimental, melancholic style just isn’t that interesting. Student Demonstration is a highlight! ⭐️⭐️
“We all need someone to cream on…” excuse me ?! Highlights - You Got The Silver, Gimme Shelter, You Cant Always Get What You Want ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I fell asleep during the second song and woke up during the title track, at the end. Great nap. On second listen, this is The Cure at their darkest, and they have forgone choruses and hooks, and replaced it with drone, the melodies are sparse and Smith is wailing over drum machines. The songs are repetitive and heavily layered. Aside from The Hanging Garden, these are songs that I’m not familiar with. It’s no Disintegration that’s for sure, but it is not intended to be. I’ll be happy to listen to A Letter To Elise afterwards to remind myself of the joy of melody. Highlights - Siamese Twins (fascinating lyrics), A Strange Day (great guitar parts) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never heard of this, and got caught off guard by the rich soulful vocals, and rich instrumentals. What Can I Do ?, features Rufus Wainwright and is a favourite. The Lou Reed spoken word intro on fistful of love took me by surprise, and somewhere on this record is a Boy George feature too. Great record, no wonder it won the Mercury. Not sure what the fuck is going on with the singer mind… worth a google. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Listening to the track Rehab with good headphones, makes you appreciate just how much instrumentation is going on, an absolute classic. A true master of story telling and crafting a musical journey, Winehouse is truly a great. Every tune is dripping with personality. Highlight - Tears Dry On Their Own, He Can Only Hold Her ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Brothers in Arms, is musical virtuosity on full display, and Money For Nothing and the Walk of Life almost make this instantly a 5*, however it seems to loose focus for me personally somewhere in the middle, but those lost moments are music other artists would die to have written. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
Very Kool - must check out more of their stuff !
Highlights - Other Voices, a bass driven track that has a persuasive drive and force to it, that keeps the song moving and allows for interesting musical motifs to be littered throughout. Call The Police, lyrically this is a really solid song, littered with melancholic guitars and synths, I enjoy the pacing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ear Therapy… hate Jesus though
I’ve always said they are a greatest hits band for me and this debut does no more to make me think otherwise. Big is a great tune and there are some other interesting tunes but just stick on the greatest hits and enjoy, as it doesn’t get better the deeper you go ! ⭐️⭐️
“James Bond was Hispanic, fuck that shit!” - Radio 7. Not my usual listening, but I enjoyed the vibes and the skits pulled it together and made the record feel cohesive and thematic, what that theme was, narcotics most likely. Highlights - My Mate Paul, Radio 7, Lets get Killed ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Occasional Flicker, is about the whole song too long, and for some reason has a rambling section about heartburn… The album doesn’t start strong and then the next song is an outrageous 12 minutes plus and opens with a un-inspiring monologue which goes nowhere and leads into a mopey vocal section, then like a weak clap of English thunder, POW, it kicks right off with a classic 80s snare hit, and we are out of the gates and out of second gear, finally! But only into third gear at a push, though it’s a marked improvement. The song is painfully stop start, but each time it picks up, it has something to offer, though it feels there must of been a better way segway these sections, rather than complete collapses in the song. The third track is a typical ballad, with a country taste, and the terrible spoken word bollocks that plagues this record. I must say my introduction to this band, is one of horror, it’s only 7 tracks, so it’s hard to believe it is this difficult to endure. One of Those Things, is just Sweet Home Alabama… If I had to pick a highlight it is Listen To This, the most focused effort on the record. ⭐️