I love Dinosaur Jr. I like other Sebadoh albums. I hate this.
1/5
Front loaded album where the 1st half comes out swinging, second half drags. Interesting to see the kinks getting worked out. Sonically crisp with lots of fun little percussion pieces punctuating the better bits. Good, not great, album that points to the highs to come.
3.5/ 5
A real summer groover whose iconic cover somewhat belies the low key flow it gives off. The album is a snap shot of the band transitioning from fantasy folk rock the glam rock superstars. That being said, I would rather stab my eardrums to death than ever listen to Lean Women Blues again.
All in all, it’s an underrated album from an under appreciated riff machine. Excellent primer for The Slider album that would knock it out of the park next. 4/ 5
Great variety styles that never stays in one spot long enough to wear out its welcome. Creative, original, and high energy with nods to the P-Funk past while weaving in and out of futuristic Radiohead-ish soundscapes. 4/ 5
Everything is well made, well produced, and well preformed, it’s just not that much fun. It’s a transitional album but it is clear that there was older material and newer material. The album never really gels between its two halves.
3.5/ 5
100% genuine article! Flawless album that is light years ahead of it peers.
Voodoo Child, recorded live in the studio (while the studio banter was added after) is nearly fifteen minutes, if I remember right, though it feels like five, and could played on repeat on its own.
This album also contains a Dylan cover so good he played the changes Jimi added to the song from then on.
The album culminates with possibly the most ferocious classic guitar rock tracks ever committed to tape. If you disagree he just may meet you in the next world to discuss, and don’t be late.
5/5
Hit after hit after hit. An album that plays better than most bands career spanning greatest hits, and it was only one of six in a two year span to boot!
5/5
Laid back hippie infused country.
4/ 5
From only knowing this album from its single, I liked it more than I was expecting. Great production with the machine precision fun typical of the 80’s. While each song was unique unto itself, the album still came together as a cohesive whole.
4/5
An important, influential album that I won’t spin many more times in my life. Great place to start for a budding Zappa fan but whatever it is you find appealing to your tastes in this album, you will get more of in later releases.
3.5/ 5
I want to not like this album so much but damnit! It is chock full of great songs with flawless production. The cocaine fueled obsession to every detail of the making of this album really paid off and is audible throughout.
To be a contrarian, I must admit, I prefer the Buckingham sung songs. So there.
Begrudgingly 5/ 5
Fun album with multiple nods to P-Funk throughout. It is a little bit lacking in variety in tone and structure. Any song you would start on would be just as good as the next, just not too different.
3.5/ 5
Enjoyable moody little fella. Nothing wrong with the album but nothing groundbreaking either. Sounds like a mashup of Cults and the Raveonettes.
3/5
Love the album though I’m no expert on its cultural significance. I feel like the album art should get a mention too! Maybe that’s a different list but I’m mentioning it anyways.
5/ 5
No one escapes the 80’s production!
No one!
Pretty good album otherwise.
3.5/ 5
Gateway drug Neil Young! Love every song on here. Yes, even the bombastic chorale bits.
Easy 5/5
Flawless debut album. The sound of the guitar being reinvented.
5/ 5
Just because you may be regarded as one of, if not the greatest guitarist of all time, doesn’t guarantee a great album. Nothing on this album stands out a calls for repeat listening. I can’t fault it for being Led Zeppelin Lite, but this album reaches its full potential less than a couple years later recorded with its proper lineup. Even Keith Moon sounds restrained on this album!
3/5
Love this smarty pants weirdos! All time great album covers that genuinely reflects the playfulness found within.
I find no faults here.
5/ 5
Couldn’t tell you why I don’t like this but I just don’t. Tried for years. It’s not you, it’s me.
3/ 5
A little clean sounding for my taste but it’s nice.
3.5/ 5
Tool for theater kids! Not in a bad way. Not my bag of tea but I enjoyed the writing and creativity.
3.5/ 5
Great album for a certain time and a certain mood that remains unfortunately relevant.
4/ 5
The sound of musicians really enjoying themselves. Muddy Waters has never been at the top of my blues list but his influence is undeniable, as are the good times given off by this album.
5/ 5
If you grew up skating in the 80’s you have heard this. Unique point of view musically and philosophically while not forgetting to keep it fun on top of all that.
4/ 5
Not a huge fan but an enjoyable album. They have their sound and it is their sound and if you don’t like their sound then your gonna wanna find a different sound.
3.5/ 5
Great album when you need to be down.
4/ 5
The music is fun and lively. Some of the reviews here have cracked me up. It is very much made in the 90’s and in turn, sounds very much of the 90’s.
I think the album would have benefited from a bit of editing. Taking some of the six minute plus songs down to three or four would have improved the pacing.
3/ 5
It is what it is; it bad at all and nothing to write home about.
3/ 5
It seems as silly now as it did then. Songs are great as long as you can clear the hurdles such as the lyrics, song titles, and the unfortunately stale skits.
4/ 5
Frank Zappa for stuffy folks.
2/ 5
This was not made for me.
2/ 5
Great album, top to bottom! Nearly flawless for my tastes and sadly the last of their album I can say that for.
I do miss the duo days. Then again, I miss Richard Swift.
4.5/ 5
There is no reason for any of these songs to be seven or eight minutes long. What could have been an ok album just turns into chore.
2.5/ 5
Love Jimmy Smith and this is a classic.
5/ 5
Important, original, with long stretches of boredom in between.
3/ 5
Fun and unique album with many highlights throughout. Have a ball, babe.
Nice voice with touches of 70’s era Neil Diamond here and there. Needed more hooks to keep it interesting.
3/ 5
For some reason I thought I didn’t like this album. Watch That Man is one of those all time greatest opening songs but I thought I dropped off after that.
I was wrong. It’s all killer.
RIP Mick Ronson
5/ 5
Great album of blues standards and originals. This is easily the best of any Clapton’s releases with Bell Bottom Blues standing out above his entire catalog. As for covers, Little Wing is a great take on a great song.
Hot take alert; Layla is a good enough song that happens to have a killer riff that should be half of its seven minute run time. Not to mention he didn’t even give credit to the poor lady who wrote and played the piano piece at the end.
4/5
Such a huge sounding album packed with hits. The only negative to the album is seeing a thrash metal band at the top of their game changing into a hard rock band at the top of their game, which is only a negative in retrospective perspective.
I own the Cast of Thousands album by Elbow and liked it well enough. After listening to this album for the first time, I wouldn’t be able to tell you which song came from which album. I couldn’t tell you which song was which from this album alone.
I feel like the back half of the album started to branch out a little in its song structure, if only just a bit, but it was too little too late. Interesting opening, big finish at the end, and monotonous in the middle.
2.5/ 5
This album has come to party!
3/ 5
Thin Lizzy has always been criminally underrated in the US outside of their two big hits. Even with constant lineup changes and their openness to different styles, they always put out killer guitar driven rock and roll.
Fantastic voice, fantastic band, and an iconic cover.
Easy 5/ 5
Post punk that is fun enough for a listen.
3/ 5
Very fun pastiche of sixties sounds. Never knew Darkness, Darkness wasn’t a Mott the Hoople original. This album was a pleasant surprise after only being aware of their big hippie anthem hit.
3.5/ 5
The sound of the last pieces of the puzzle falling into place so that this band could break into the big leagues with the next album. Huge sounding album for just a couple of fellas and some dinky keyboards.
3.5/ 5
I like all of the ingredients but I just don’t enjoy the cake.
3/ 5
Holds something more the average indie debut but surely could have benefited from label cash.
3/ 5
Beautiful, delicate, and not for me.
3/ 5
Not sure why this isn’t Kid A I’m reviewing. This album isn’t bad but it sounds exactly like what it is, the leftovers from an all around better album.
3/ 5
I can appreciate the musicianship and their love for their craft.
3/5
Great album that’s full of piss and vinegar. It’s inconceivable how “going electric” could be such blasphemy these days.
5/ 5
New jack swing white boy style. They are still kicking today and good for them.
2/ 5
Well that’s nice enough.
3/ 5
A fun time was had by all.
4/ 5
Mostly fun album. Great opening, a few dull dips here and there, with a strong finish.
3/ 5
Great album with a dark playful spirit.
4/ 5
The music does nothing for me personally but the writing is nice with a sharp edge to it.
3/ 5
Absolute masterpiece.
5/ 5
Don’t know enough about the genre to say much more than I love it.
4/ 5
Nothing to write home about.
Great lyrics with great songs makes for one killer album!
5/ 5
Nice album. Appreciate the changes. Plays like a Disney soundtrack for a grown folks movie.
I like the funkier side sneaking out. Has its moments but overshadowed by his other albums.
3/ 5
Freaky Styley era Red Hot Chili Peppers by way of Duran Duran. I hate prominence of that damn 80s sax but overall better than expected.
3/ 5
Fun and eclectic album with excellent production.
4/ 5
Killer shit to be banging at the skate rink! Maybe you had to have been there but, it was groundbreaking.
4/ 5
Experts in their field but it’s not a field I prefer to play in often.
3/ 5
I said it once I said it a million times; Bolan did it better! For my money Bowie was behind the curve in his funkier period. The titular track is most definitely a classic but the rest of the first half is just pretty good. The back half is interesting enough but a proper album it doesn’t make.
3/ 5
They are a personal favorite of mine and this album is pretty close to flawless to me.
Easy 5/ 5
Fun little number. I would have placed Cult of Personality more towards the middle of the album as it is the clearest standout. A little tweaking of the sequencing would have kept the remaining pretty good songs from sounding like a step down after that bold opening.
Great vocals, killer band, and very fun live.
4/ 5
I just don’t like these guys. But, wholly their own sound, so points there, and Mountain Song is a fun stomper.
3/ 5
Another flawless album.
5/ 5
It was there and then it wasn’t and I didn’t really care.
The further it gets from rock and roll the more interesting it becomes. Songs could use some editing in the front half.
3/ 5
Fun album by a fun band that keeps getting better with age.
3.5/ 5
This wasn’t made for me.
2/ 5
Primo 80’s! Fun, playful, but a bit indebted to the B52’s.
4/ 5
Better than I remember. Mostly good time.
4/ 5
With better production and mixing this album could be an easy four.
3/ 5
Was not what I expected from Supertramp. Very much enjoyed their more bombastic rock side compared to their more well known late seventies superstar side.
4/ 5
Not my favorite Neil Young and not necessarily revolutionary for his style but I love it all the same.
4/5
Good ingredients put in the pot with poor measurements. The songs just seem weak and uninteresting.
2/ 5
While this definitely isn’t in my wheelhouse it’s easy to see why Madonna was a 80’s hit machine.
4/5
George Clinton is a mad genius ringleader of the funkiest order! The strength of these songs save it from its very poor production leaving you free to explore a funky new world no one had ever dared to explore.
5/5
Like 1st album Clash without any of the hooks.
2/5
Nothing new, nothing memorable.
2/5
Like the Ramones without any gimmicks and a double dose of sleaze. Overall it makes for pretty fun straight ahead rock and roll.
3/5
The album has some great songs then some not so great songs. With a little ruthless editing this could be a killer album.
3/5
Has some positives but I would rather just listen to T. Rex.
3/ 5
No question about it, it’s a classic.
5/5
Fun evolution of heavy rock. It’s rough and raw and I imagine likely to have turned a lot of folks off at the time.
3/ 5
The vocal arrangements and instrumentation raise this album above its inner corny core though, if you listen closely, you can hear more personal lyrics beginning to emerge.
3.5/ 5
Enjoy the vocal and the harmonies. The instruments do their part but I’m missing the hook to keep me coming back.
3/5
Great old time good time music.
Editing. It just needs editing.
If this is the music you want to listen to it’s a perfect album. If it’s not then it’s not. Get off your high horses you pretentious punk bastards.
Rock and roll. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s perfect.
Beautiful country mood music.
I want to hate on this album for being so damn cheesy but then halfway through there is a song about everyone thinks he’s too cheesy. I’ll be damned if LL’s stupid charm didn’t win me over!
Is it for me? No. Can I appreciate what it is? Yeah, I guess.
I would take any of their four previous albums to this one. It has its moments but the zest is missing.
I do love her voice but the songs only occasionally speak to me. Not too bad but not writing home about it either.
I’m sorry, it’s only my opinion, but I hate this.
Liked this a good deal, more than I was expecting even.
All the delicacy of the instruments paired with the rambunctious vocals really did it for me. Would love to see the English translation of the lyrics too. Was someone playing a saw at one point?
The undisputed heavyweight champ of 80s rock and roll.
Did not like this at all but wish him all the best to this day.
Not my favorite album of theirs solely because of a few sound effect storytelling devices used that I would cut out. Otherwise, another killer album.
This album does take me back. It’s as silly now as it was in 1989 but it is non-offensive and casually fun.
I can appreciate what they are up to I just don’t care for it.
I prefer the sparse nature of the first album in this series. I think the magic slipped a bit more with each album following that first American release. Too much instrumentation here and the song selection is weaker. I still bought though, haha.
Not only one of my favorite Neil Young albums, but one of my favorite albums period.
Fantastic album of very British rock and roll. Great stories. Great guitars. Great drums.
Early U2 is fun and with a unique sound. Some songs sound of their time while others are timeless.
THE greatest of Christmas albums! Long live Ronnie!
There are moments that are enjoyable but I’ll be damned if I just can’t get into them.
Very formative album in my youth and probably the most expensive record in my collection.
I can appreciate the antiwar sentiment and the hippie vibes but the songs are at best second tier psychedelic.
I just sure do hate the Police.
I will probably never listen to this again but it was a real cool vibe with a unique sound that was their own.
Fantastic album from one of my favorites.
Pleasant power pop punk that makes an effort not to offend. Fun album that is just enough not to be bad but a far shot from great.
Here they go knocking out of the park again! I would have left any John Fogerty sung songs but that alone doesn’t detract anything from the album as a whole.
I hate Eric Clapton. A masterful guitar player, a music snob, and a big mouth.
I like Todd Rundgren more as a concept than I do any individual album. First song out the gate is iconic then the rest is just weird. Sort of enjoyable maybe sometimes kinda.
Fun album with a standout voice. She would only get more interesting with each follow up.
Masters of their craft continuing to grow their craft by adding more textures without ever loosing stride.
Just not that interesting.
Liked this a good bit. A little trimming around the edges and it would flow smoother.
Nearly every song is perfect. This is both the handbook of 80’s rock and roll and how to live life as a terrible person. As long as you can overlook the one the other is quite enjoyable.
Not really my style, but fun album regardless with fun song titles. I appreciate the bombastic nature of it all.
Pretty good album with that unique Jack White sound. Not groundbreaking or essential but fun and surprising in small spurts.
Loved this album! Have always heard of this band but just never bumped into them. Very conversational singing style, very down. You can hear nods to Neil Young, Lou Reed, and touched from contemporaries like J. Mascis.
For the quality and quantity of fantastic musicians this band always seemed to keep in stock, I don’t believe they ever succeeded in translating it in the studio into a proper album. I have a feeling seeing this live would have been much more interesting.
An album that has fun being aggressively not fun. Works in its specific time and place but isn’t something that begs repeat visits. I would love to to have an original copy on the shelf but it would rarely receive a spin.
Second times a charm! After a somewhat directionless debut Neil Young is confidently congealed on his sophomore solo.
Fun tale of a nasty little man.
Maybe the album best suited for this list. The sound of a groundbreaking band at top form making an abrupt 180 into completely uncharted territory. It’s a joyfully unrepentant tour of an emotional breakdown of both a nation and the individual dealing within it.
Boy howdy, I just don’t care for CSN! Glad Neil would soon escape this treachery.
It’s a full album coping Blue Jay Way. That being said, it’s not too bad.
Their first album had an odd psychedelic leaning to it that never seemed to gel but they damn near got it perfect second time out.
There will never be a situation where I will want to listen to this. It’s well made and it’s nice and shinny and not for me.
Never could get into this dull album. Seeing these songs live is a vast improvement making it hard to go back to the studio versions.
Definitive 90’s rock. Like Mick Jagger fronting Black Sabbath. Too many hits for one album!
Catchy songs. Still don’t like it.
A couple of fun hits and a couple of interesting songs. Not too bad, but would rather be listening to T-Rex Zinc Alloy. Bolan did it better!
I was surprised to discover how fun this album was. Seems someone in the band is very influenced by Elton John and it works pretty much perfectly with their sound. Extra points for dismantling the Pink Floyd sacred cow.
The best in the country music business at that time. He’s still a strong contender for that title today.
It’s a fun album even if it’s not cool to say it’s fun.
Very creative and original sound. Not my thing but good on ‘em.
Interesting blend of jazzy folk. It had some highs and lows but enjoyed it overall. Tellingly, the added live bonus track blew the original out of the water leaving me wanting more from the original album.
This the only Curtis Mayfield album from the 60’s or 70’s that I don’t already own or have heard, and I gotta tell ‘ya, it’s now my favorite! You can feel the Sly Stone influence in every song. It’s beautiful, sad, but still optimistic, and slinky funky. Listened to it twice today, and ready for more.
Holds up with time except for a few dated bits of tiny thin Casio keyboard bits near the end. He was a talented man, even if it’s not my thing.
Just couldn’t get into it. It’s like a watered down Depeche Mode.
