Gives me flashbacks of the mid and late 00s, in clubs in Tokyo and Rhode Island. Not all of the memories it brings up are pleasant ones, though I suppose I have the music to thank for making me sort through them again.
Better than I thought it would be but I still had to listen to it in shifts. The memory of the songs of theirs that I really like... Hazy Shade of Winter, Cecilia, Sound of Silence, 56th St Bridge Song... propelled me through, and I do like their vocal harmonies, but I think this is one band where I can honestly say I like their greatest hits, and not much else. Respect them? yes.
Liked the deep cuts more than the singles, though that could also be because of over-saturation. I think this one is winding up in my regular playlist.
I remember liking this as a teenager and being fascinated with the videos, but I rediscovered it again as a young sailor in the 90s, a year or so before Bat Out of Hell II came out. It's nice re-rediscovering it again and falling into the uber-dramatic lyrics.
Oh man… why didn’t anyone tell me that “Living For the City” was such a banger? (Okay, I might not have listened…) And the chord progression and piano melody lines in “Misstra Know It All” are amazing. I already knew how good “Higher Ground” was, but I definitely didn’t know that was not the best song on the album.
Not bad. I still think I prefer trip hop but this is worlds better than the albums on either side of it. I wish they’d kept on going in this direction.
It definitely belongs on a list of great sophomore albums.
Pretty decent. I knew the first song of course, and I remember reading about "CTA-102" in Carl Sagan's discussion of the discovery of that pulsar, but the rest was new to me, and better than I had expected. I'd probably give it 3½ stars, but I decided to round up.
Innovative and well-made, but it just wasn't terribly exciting. I could use this as background music but not for intentional listening. It reminds me of the difference between Moby's *18* and *Play.* *18* is not bad at all, but it doesn't make me drop everything and pay attention like *Play* does.
[LATER] On the other hand, I couldn't shut it off, either. I carried my phone around until the last notes of "Pray Up, Stay Up" played. Maybe I liked it more than I initially thought.
Starts strong, and I found at least one or two songs that I probably wouldn't turn off if they came on. Otherwise, the album just didn't do much for me... though as depressed and negative as I was as a teenager, I'm sure I would have LOVED it then.
#10, and the second one that I own. The first half (ESPECIALLY "Fountain and Fairfax') is still more powerful than the second, but I'd also forgotten how much I like "My Curse" and the last song. Great listening to this again.
Had to dig through my album stash for this. I've been listening to Black Sabbath for just about 40 years, since I picked up a cheap cassette of *Black Sabbath Live at Last* at K-Mart. Their first seven albums have followed me ever since. Still, this and *Never Say Die!* might be the albums I've listened to the least, so I'm glad to give it another few spins today.
Not bad jangle-pop but nothing stood out for me. I wouldn't turn it off but I probably won't go out of my way to play it again, either.
Listening to this right after 16 Lovers Lane was a night and day contrast for me. I knew the name but I'd never much listened to anything of hers. I will fix that. This is music that sounds like it might get put on to relax or to have something playing in the background, but within a song or two, it takes over everything else.
I have trouble giving this four stars, since I'm Jewish and also not a fan of attention whores. But, I have to vote the music, and the music surprised me with how well-made and entertaining it was. He sings and composes pretty good for a man with his head up his ass.
I kind of liked the Flaming Lips before I bought this album in '99. I kind of liked their stuff after this. I love every single note of this album, and I think I still would even if it weren't drenched in nostalgia.
Oh man, where do I begin, besides that I really wish I'd heard this in the 00s. Bands like Sophe Lux and Dresden Dolls always struck me as "almost there," and not until today did I realize that THIS is what I'd been looking for. Five stars, easily. Also, I'm glad I listened to the EP first... I sought that out before listening to the album.
I'd heard their earlier stuff and didn't think much about it. This is pretty interesting, and I think it's going in my regular playlist.
I'd never sat and listened to this one before. I can't say it's my favorite Bowie album, but I like it better than some, and I can see where some of my favorite ones came from, now.
Grew up hearing the first record of this two-record set on the radio, but this was the first time I'd listened to the whole thing. I don't know if I'm going to go out of my way to listen to the second record again, but I will say that he and Taupin crafted some amazing songs for the back half of this set.
I have had this on cassette, special edition CD, and vinyl. It is tied for first place with *Meddle* for the title of "Favorite Pink Floyd Album." I will never be upset about the opportunity to listen to it again.
Reminds me of the baroque pop my Mom used to listen to in the mid-70s. I might have liked it a little more had the lyrics been like Scott's. Also, I can definitely hear the influence on bands I liked in the 90s like Divine Comedy and Pulp. ("Live Bed Show" would fit unnoticed on this album.)
I'd only heard *Trout Mask Replica* and I have to say, I wasn't a fan, so I was a little apprehensive going into this listen. I needn't have worried. THIS was great. I thought it was a fun slab of blues rock with just enough weirdness to make it stick. I might have to get this album myself.
I was living in San Francisco and going to a lot of East Bay shows (Berkeley Square RIP) when this came out, and, for better or worse, this record is a snapshot of what the scene was like. This is definitely closer to what club shows sounded like than two other bands that came out of that time period and region, Third Eye Blind and Train. I don't think I've listened to this from front to back since the late 90s, but it was a pleasant return.
I preferred "The Mr. T Experience," but that's a story for another time.
Bruce Springsteen was always one of those artists that I could listen to in the background but never quite connected with. I'm not even sure I knew that this album existed, though I do remember him playing in the post-9/11 concerts. My review, though: it's not bad. I could see having it on once in a while, I suppose.
Well, apparently my Spanish is better than I thought… I could understand quite a bit of this, or at least get the gist of what he was saying. I’ve rated some other albums on this list, 2.5% of the way in, as “good background music.” This album starts that way but it’s insidious in how it works its way into the foreground. Also, the rapping on “Lágrimas de Oro” is insane.
Gorgeous, but I don't know if I can finish it. I made it through the first disc alright, but I had to stop during "Ghosteen." I'm going through a bit of depression myself, and hearing him sing about his son with such a heartbreaking voice is a little too much for me right now. I suppose that means it's definitely a great album.
I'm pretty sure I saw this movie back in the early 80s, but I've never sat down and listened to the soundtrack. I'd put this up on the same shelf as Marvin Gaye's *What's Goin' On.* They're both great explorations of the scene in the early 70s. Now that I think about it, they would probably make a great double album together.
I still think I like *Screaming for Vengeance* more, but that could also be because that was my first Judas Priest album. Also, that album might not exist without this one. "Living After Midnight" is still an awesome song, but, like Kiss's "Rock and Roll All Night," the album version sounds like a demo compared to how it's played live. Still a great album, though I'm wondering if I'll run into *Vengeance* later, as that's not only a fiercer album, it marked when they captured MTV.
I remember when her cover of "Lady Marmalade" came out. I was struck by the quality of her voice but thought the whole song sounded neutered and tamed compared to the original. The song is about a New Orleans prostitute and her rendition just sounded like it was from a music class. I feel the same about this album. Her lyrics and singing voice is impeccable, but there's just something that doesn't quite grab me.
I grew up with two parents who loved the Beatles' early work, but while they wouldn't turn off a solo Beatle song on the radio, they didn't have any of their records, either. I have to say: I'm really enjoying these. More important than The Beatles' albums? No. Better? You know, maybe.
I don't remember if my Dad ever listened to this, but it sounds mostly like something he would have sang along to. The part that doesn't is the early bits of noisy guitar and feedback that creep in from time to time.
I'll have to give this another spin later.
I still think "Hell's Ditch" is their best album but I understand why this is their most popular. Unfortunately, I'm going to be singing "Sally MacLananne" in my head the rest of the day. Though I will say that "And the Band Played 'Waltzing Matilda'" might wind up in my History curriculum sometime in the future.
My first impression was that this was alright, something that I wouldn't turn off but also wouldn't go out of my way to play. Then the last four tracks started playing, what would have been the second vinyl disc. I can understand why they weren't released on their own, but they were incredible, from Cold Irons Bound to Highlands. I'd say 4.5 stars... 4 or even a high-3 based on the first seven songs, and 5 for the last four.
Better than I remember it being. Of course, the popular songs (Walk of Life, Money for Nothing) were overplayed, and I wasn't in the mood for the deep cuts. It definitely hit differently now than when I was part of the MTV/ College Rock generation.
Not bad but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this one. Except for “Transylvania Blues” the album reminded me of second or even third rate Nick Drake.
I listened to it twice, back to back, and then went on to his next solo album. I knew two of the songs from growing up in the 80s but I'm not sure I'd thought about them since. This album is in my permanent list, now.
I remember listening to this in 1981 and liking it, but then I got hardcore into heavy metal and punk (and later, jazz) and decided that it wasn't cool to listen to it. I got it again about ten years ago, though, and I still think it might be his best album from cover to cover. *Thriller* might have a few better songs on it, but this album doesn't have a single weak spot.
Some of the songs reminded me of Billy Joel B-sides, or even tracks that he'd left in the vault on purpose. Some were amazing. I'm going to listen to this one again to see if I come around about the songs I didn't care for as much.
This was hit-or-miss for me. Some of the songs I really liked, and some I'd definitely skip if I owned the album. It was better than I thought it would be, though. For that matter, I might have to actually get the album... "Wipe Out," "Animist," "To the Moon's Contractor," and "Feb. 4, '99" were definitely highlights for me.
I've mostly listened to Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play over the last decade, but this was the album that I used to play a lot my Senior Year of High School, and I'm sitting here wondering why it's been so long since I've really played it. "My God" and "Hymn 43" are amazing still... maybe even better than I remember them.
Wow. Just wow. I don’t know how I made it this far not hearing this before. (Except for Night Train.) I can’t imagine how awesome it would have been to be at this show.
Ry Cooder helped midwife an album better than Buena Vista Social Club and Let It Bleed? Who knew?!?
Another one I'm glad I discovered through this list.
As a big jazz fan, I've always been okay with saying that, while I love the musicians he recruited and got into the mainstream (John McClaughlin, Herbie Hancock, for starters), I never much cared for his own music, with the exception of *Kind of Blue.* Well... it looks like I have to say I like TWO of his albums, now.
RHCP was always decent background music for me in the 90s. I think the only album of theirs I bought was *One Hot Minute* but I also think I donated it. I knew the first four songs on here, though, plus the singles, and, well, it's not bad. I think I like it better than their other 90s albums... at least, from what I can remember. "Emit Reemus" was a standout for me during this listen-through.
I knew of Graham Parsons before... "Crazy Eyes" by Poco is probably the best progressive country rock songs ever. But, this was the first time I really sat down and listened to him. In a perfect world, this would have been the western country rock that took over the world, and not whatever slop the Eagles put out on vinyl in between world tours and coke benders.
The melodies and the raps were pretty good, but the spoken interludes ruined it for me. It would have been a high-3 or 4 stars even, but that dropped it down to 2 for me.
I got this album when it came out and quickly decided that it had a couple of good songs and a lot of filler. My opinion hasn't changed. Not bad but not my favorite either.
Decent. It's in the category of "records I wouldn't shut off but won't go out of my way to listen to."
Aw man, I loved this album in the 90s, and it's tied to a lot of memories... first serious long-term girlfriend, first serious attendance in college, first bipolar breakdown. Listening to it again showed me that it might actually be better than I remembered.
I knew at least Spinning Wheel, and I knew enough o their music to recognize them, but this album was still eye-opening. The opening version of Eric Satie? Those drums? This is amazing.
Better than I thought it was going to be. I was never a huge fan of the singles that I'd hear now and then, but listening to the entire album as an album was great.
One of the best, most underrated albums of the post-punk revolution. I listen to this every few months, and still, nearly fifty years later, can barely believe just how good it is.
I remember this one... in the mid 90s I was all about post-punk, power-pop, and jazz. This (and US3) were the albums that pointed me the way to acid jazz, which I still love. It was fun revisiting it.
A few highlights but it didn't really capture me. The music was decent but didn't really stand out. The vocals were excellent, though.
I still remember the first time I really LISTENED to "...the Village Green Preservation Society" and most of my memories of the band I knew for "All Day and All of the Night," "You Really Got Me," "Lola," and "Destroyer." This album is doing the same for that. THESE are what The Kinks should be known for, and not so much their garage rock proto-punk singles.
Well, this is another album I will have to buy. I knew the singles, of course... I grew up in southern Michigan in the 70s and 80s... but I had no idea how good the rest of the album was.
As much as I like New Order, one of my great "what-ifs" involves either Ian singing New Order material or Bernard singing Joy Division. It's still an incredible album, though.
I had to listen to this (and Joy Division's CLOSER) sandwiched between some cheerful albums, partly because of the content and partly because of the memories of what was going on in my life when I first listened to this. Great songs, great performances, but I don't know if I could put this on my regular playlist.
I liked this more than when I first heard these songs in the 80. That is some sick bass playing.
I just realized that I've only listened to compilations by Siouxsie and the Banshees... Once/ Twice Upon a Time, their box set. Honestly, I think the deep cuts are better than the ones that I knew from this. Great album, and I'll be returning to it a lot... there's somehow something more positive in this than The Cure's Pornography and Joy Division's Closer, other post-punk albums I've listened to recently because of this project.
Bill Evans and his Trio are amazing musicians, and this is a great change from all of the depressing goth I've been listening to on this project. But, it's a little TOO smooth for my tastes. Nothing really stands out between the different songs, and even less stands out between the different takes. I'm a fan of jazz, and of Bill Evans, but this could have been better, I think.
I'm looking forward to discovering other Miles Davis recordings through this project. This album was and is and will probably always be my favorite by him, though.
I've always been ambivalent toward Patti Smith's songs, respecting her work and influence more than enjoying her music. I should have dug into her earlier stuff more.
I went through a Bee Gees phase in 2nd and 3rd grade. I think the only albums I had were "Gold" and "Greatest," but I think I would have been all over this back then. The song or two that I knew already were perhaps the weaker songs on this album.
Not bad. Tom Petty was always one of those artists I didn't mind having on in the background, and his music reminds me of my time in northern Florida. Probably won't go out of my way to listen to this again, though.
Such a fun album. Wish it had been bigger in the US around the time I was getting into Madness and other Ska-Revival bands in the early 80s.
I've worn out two copies of Let it Bleed and a copy of Beggars Banquet. I knew most of the songs here but this was the first time I really dug in and listened to it. So amazing.
Not sure how I missed them in the 90s... I was into a lot of similar bands. Glad I can make that up, now.
I bought a "Greatest Hits" album of his in my early 30s, but it was mostly the softer-rock (though well-executed) that he was perhaps more famous for. This album was what I would have appreciated a lot more. It's on my regular playlist, now.
I knew OF Van Halen by the time this dropped, when I was 12 and a half, but this made me, and just about everyone else in my class, a fan. Still great to listen to it, and my daughter even said she's "absorbed" most of the songs.
The first country album I bought on my own. I went through a long period of time where I didn't like country. Turned out, I didn't like Nashville Fiddle-Pop. Country... hard music by hard people... was and always will be a worldwide staple. Always a joy to listen to this again.
My big "what ifs" for 90s music involve Trip-Hop and New Jack Swing... I wish that style of rap had become dominant rather than Gangsta Rap
Still prefer Ziggy Stardust but this isn't bad. A little too smooth for my tastes, but his singing is great, as always.
This would have been a good album even if he hadn't died a week later. I think it's going in my regular rotation.
Sometimes I think this album would have been better as a single LP with an LP's worth of B-sides, and sometimes I think that it shouldn't be a half-second shorter than it is. This re-listen was one of the latter times.
I knew this band because of their title song on the TRAINSPOTTING soundtrack; I had no idea that was likely the worst song on this album. (And, it's still good, too.)
In the category of "I probably wouldn't turn it off" but it didn't strike me as memorable.
Damn, I was a huge fan of The Buzzcocks in the late 80s... they were more punk than pop metal/ glam rock, but melodic. For some reason, though, I never got around to listening to Magazine. That was not a good decision.
Wish I'd known of this album back in the 80s when I had dubbed copies of "All Day and All of the Night" and "You Really Got Me" and some other singles. This is amazing.
Not bad, I guess. I was living in Rhode Island around this time and this sounds like what I was hearing everywhere.
This is the album that everyone should know about. Not Born to Run, not Born in the USA (though that album was part of the 80s zeitgeist in an big way) but this.
Okayish. I think I liked the songs on this more when I was a teenager. Now, they just remind me of bowls smoked and time wasted.
Not bad. I grew up with my parents playing Simon and Garfunkel, but this was my first real deep dive into his solo music.
I usually stay away from Davis's free jazz period (or indeed, just about any free jazz) but I'm glad I took a chance on this one. John McClaughlin and Chick Corea do a great job of keeping everything on track and providing a great background for the solos.
Good background music, but there's nothing like his live performance of "Suspicious Minds" on here.
I remember when this FIRST came out, and sometime in March 2011 I heard an interview with some song clips on I think NPR, and I wrote down the singer's name so I could look her up. Suffice to say, I had no problem remembering her by April. This was my first time listening to the entire album, and while I think the singles were the best songs on it, the rest of them would have been just as famous if "Rolling," "Rumour," and "Someone" were not on it.
Alright... decent background music. I do like the music she uses, and her singing isn't bad by any means; it just doesn't really catch my attention.
I think I might like this more than *Brothers in Arms*, even though the latter was a part of my High School years.
