It sounds like someone doing Jeff Buckley impressions. Seriously though, nice melodies and Indian instrumentation.
The soundtrack of 2000's British comedy films. It's twee and British, every song is about scones and strawberry jam. Not really, but sort of. One of the songs has the same riff as the bass in Warning by Green Day. It's like sitting in a field watching cricket and drinking Pimm's. I feel a lot of bands sounded like this in the late 60's.
Immaculate and clean production. You can slide down it on your ass. There are layers upon layers of sound; most notably, MJ's multi-tracked vocals. I can understand why I thought this sounded like magic as a kid in the 80's. Is that key change at the end of Baby Be Mine auto tune? It should be. Human vocals shouldn't be able to do that. Chipmunk vocals on P.Y.T crazy! 42mins of condensed pop perfection.
The drumming is the star here. It engulfs everything in a thunderstorm of cymbal crashes and void-filling fills. That and the lyrics to the track Tattoo "Rooty-doot-toot tattoo". Aside from that I'm not the biggest fan of The Who but they definitely come alive in these live recordings - it's like this is how they are meant to be heard. Substitute is a banger, but some of the songs (Happy Jack/I'm a boy) are awful.
Surprisingly tight instrumentation despite the singers famously loose and snotty vocals. Each Track is like a swig on a bottle of whiskey and an enthusiastic stumble down the street. One song throws in some middle Eastern influences, another sounds like a noir detective car chase through Chicago - they certainly keep things interesting. 'Fiesta' is lifted straight from a Spanish fairground jingle which you will no doubt recognise from somewhere. Although other influences are thrown in to the mix, ultimately if you don't enjoy traditional Irish music, you won't like this - which is why I tapped out halfway through. But I appreciate the variety of this album. Oh, and this is the record with 'Fairytale...' on it, so that's probably why this one is on the list.
Everyone knows the sound of The Beatles' early Merseybeat records. The sound of US Rock and Roll and Rhythm and Blues can be heard throughout, particularly on the intricate and clever vocal harmonies. This is even more obvious with some of the cover choices (Please Mr Postman, Roll Over Beethoven). The music is stripped back in terms of instrumentation, keeping the vocals at the forefront. As a side note: some of the mixing choices on this remastered weren't great; panning the vocals completely to the right channel on some songs felt odd, almost distracting. Not my favourite era of the band, they are emulating a sound rather then their later more creative output but the vocals are crisp and enjoyable.
Even some nice arrangements, complete with piano and string sections, can never distract from the lack of variety on this record. If you like what Cat generally does with his songwriting and vocals then that's not a huge problem. But I had trouble picking standout moments on this record. The most noteworthy tracks come at the end of the record with Father and Son and then the title song, which finishes just as it threatens to get going. Serviceable, quaint but a little tedious. The cover art was apparently painted by Cat himself; it's terrible.
Americana, Country rock with organs, twangy guitars and honky tonk pianos. Not really my thing.
Each of these songs sounds like they had a thousand ideas and tried to cram them all in at one time. A bazillion notes and riffs. I feel a little sorry for the producer who had to track and mix all of this. The bass is front and centre and seems to be leading the band. Some nice guitar tones to pick from the thousands on offer. Although I wouldn't say I'm a prog fan, and can certainly see myself exploring some more Yes albums.
Not a fan of 90s/00s pop I'm afraid. This sounds like a typical showcase of Christina's vocal gymnastics. I was surprised at the heavy gospel/R&B influences and hip-hop beats and record scratching. Good if you like pop music.
Classic 90s Britpop. Swaggers between Rock and guitar ballads, lots of simple string samples/arrangements peppered in, the occasional 70s psychedelic guitar tones. You'll probably recognise at least one song on here. Bittersweet Symphony is an anthem of that era. The Drugs Don't Work has one of the most depressing lyrics ever ("like a cat in a bag waiting to drown.."). There is a definite dip in noteworthy songs after the opening few tracks with maybe the exception of Lucky Man. It sounds like the 90s.
I always assumed Steely Dan was country music. Turns out it's some really smooth 70's funk-soft rock fusion kind of thing. The bass is working overtime on its interesting and groovy basslines and each song has a soulful choir of background singers. It's incredibly 70's but I did find myself enjoying the toe tapping funky melodies.
Fast and frantic. If you've heard one Motorhead song (Ace of Spades) you've heard 'em all. Here is two hours of that.
A live album of jazz and soul vocalist Sarah Vaughan. What really made this enjoyable was how the singers personality shone through. A tight and brilliant snapshot of the time.
70s hard rock. Led-Zep meets Spinal Tap. Fizzy production. Chunky rock guitar riffs. Plus organ. Solo! Some interesting ideas on this album (Child of Time) but still suffers from the excessive bloat of a lot of hard rock from this era.
Along with his debut album, Slim Shady LP, this is Em's best work. Cartoon violence, angry, sarcastic, purposely dumb and clever lyrics in equal portions.
The album blows it load in the opening three tracks and then after that it becomes a bit forgettable. Bonos voice is self-indulgent and self-mastabatory. Nicely produced though. The simple clean guitar lines allow plenty of space for the bass to cut through. Most songs build up only to go nowhere. I guess they didn't know what they were looking for arf arf.
Never heard of Gene Clark. Really surprised by the record. Country, soulful, hints of psychedelia, even some groovy disco elements. Not even sure how to describe the record. Love the gospel backing singers who fade in and out throughout parts of the album. Interesting arrangements and vocal melodies. A lot to unpack, I'll listen to this again.
Soulful vocals, R&B/Hip-Hop electronic beats, piano melodies. Pleasant, but not for me.
The standard of quality is consistent, the non-single tracks don't feel like filler which is nice to hear. Production is squeaky clean which probably helped with the commercial success this record saw. Not personally a fan of the hip-hop/metal fusion that a lot of nu-metal encompasses, but even now it's easy to see why this was so popular. It made teen angst and rebellion palatable for 00's kids.
It's The Doors - what's not to like? This is a tight, exciting, sexy album full of swagger, confidence and playful psychedelia. Rock Riffs, jazzy basslines, daft lyrics, all backed by organ and solid drums. One mistep: The WASP is a crap track. Otherwise really good record
I can just imagine Bono in a recording studio listening back to this, rubbing his thighs vigorously and telling the producer "More Bono".
2 songs. 2 very long songs.
Grungy and raw, in both production and songwriting. Lennon doesn't have the poppy hooks that McCartney had but he makes up for that with honest words and wears his heart on his sleeve. Portrays a man who is sad, regretful, selfish, desperate but wants to be better.
Elvis did what a lot of great artists do; take things that already exist and condense them down to something with mass appeal. Rock n' Roll and pop in it's purest form. There is some hits, some misses (Tutti Frutti is awful) but each Track is short and sweet, the band is tight and the recording is clear and captures the energy of the time. As a collection of work it's nothing unique but what it represents from that time and place is. Love him or hate him, Elvis' cultural impact can not be denied both positive and negative.
I am really struggling to put in to words what makes this album so good. It's pretty unique, the music evolves from riff to riff, idea to idea, track to track. Hints of punk, prog, rock and roll. Each time I think I've figured it out the album shifts. The guitar work is so incredibly creative and will have inspired thousands of guitarists. I see the vocals divide opinion but personally I dig them. Really like this album.
I've listened to this one before but it's never really stuck in my mind. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. What works; the instrumentation and composition is good, each song has a flow, a heartbeat, I can see why so many have nostalgia for the album. There is a certain whimsy that is balanced by a driving beat and moments of urgency. What I perhaps don't like, is the lead vocalists thin and weak sounding delivery that struggles to rise above the musical creativity. I also don't feel there are enough memorable hooks or musical landmarks to stick in the mind throughout the journey. Like I said, I think it's good, and subsequent listens confirm that, but it's not one of the greats for me.
I am glad that the bumpy bass tone that features in the opening tracks is not a constant throughout the album. I could hear the South African influence in the instrumentation before realising/looking up what it was. I see a lot of the reviews mentioning cultural appropriation but I'm not sure it's anything other than a musician taking interest in other corners of the musical world. Regardless of intentions, I'm not keen on the lack of variety or expression in Simon's voice which is a shame because some of the tunes are okay. But just okay.
This album will probably transport you to an American High School in the 1980's. So if you want that, great, give it a listen. If not, then don't.
Amazing guitar work, but if you don't enjoy twiddly virtuoso runs of musical notes up and down a guitar then you will hate it.
I can't really relate to songs about wanting sex with your teacher. My teachers were all 65 with perms and cardigans. Not for me thanks.
I really enjoyed the other Gene Clark album 'No Other' which features on this list. But whilst that album was brimming with creativity, this one is much more straight down the line folk/country and far less interesting for it. The song 1975 is the high point for me with it's repetitive but funky bassline, I also quite liked the closing song Winter In. The low - Stand by me, just dull dull dull. Most of this is a pleasant listen but pretty forgettable. At times (White Light) it felt like Gene was imitating Bob Dylan. Nicely recorded and played by all musicians involved. Sorry, Gene.
Rap/Hip-Hop is not usually my area but... I enjoyed the beats and sample choices, there was a smooth groove to each track and the vocal delivery was deliberate, confident and purposeful. Not really directed solely at this album but I do find continuous swearing becomes a little tiresome. The lyrical themes are also limited; at one point there is a line about being stereotyped, which is buried in an album that constantly talks about drugs, guns and treating women poorly. This lost the album a couple of stars. And who wants to listen to slurping sex noises? Yes, I know, I don't understand the genre, but this stuff drags down the album.
Five Years is like a curtain rising to reveal a man under a spotlight. But Five Years until what, David? Soul Love is serviceable but pretty basic Bowie writing, but it has grown on me with repeat listens. Awful drum sound. Moonage Daydream kicks the album off proper - iconic, exciting, like a science fiction hippie anthem. Starman the same, has me punching the air like a kid in the 70's. It Ain't Easy is a bit dull, bit of a simple palette cleanser? Harpsichord stadium rock. Lady Stardust is a nice ballad demonstrating Bowies distinct vocals. Star is a honky tonk, foot stamper, I enjoyed the bass walking up and down. Hang On blends proto-punk with 50s hand jiving rock and roll but is a bit weak. Title track Ziggy Stardust is awesome, surreal storytelling, iconic guitar riffs. Suffragette City is perfection. And Rock and Roll suicide is an amazing closing track. A crazy cosmic jive all round but if I had to criticise I would have put the songs in a different order. Great album.
An album of Baroque pop with soft, swaying filmic orchestral arrangements. Romantic strings and a warm, gentle vocal. Not my usual thing but I quite enjoyed some of the tracks - The Old Man's Back Again, Get Behind Me, Hero of the War. Enjoyed it enough to explore some of his other work.
This is my first time listening to Taylor Swift and i think she might benefit taking up a new hobby or two to take her mind off her relationships. There are 24 hours in a day and Taylor just used up one which is far too long. I struggled to to hear the "impressionist storytelling" described in the blurb at the top; what I did hear was clumsy cliche similes, ("Hair falling like dominoes", "hang from my lips like the gardens of Babylon"). Taylor's voice is nice but indestinguishable from any other pop/folk singer - sorry but I am not hearing anything remarkable that sets it apart and I gave it a chance. If you want pleasant, safe, slightly boring pop/folk that contributes nothing of any real value to the genre that's great but it's doing nothing for me at all. I give it a 2 because its a little too dull to be a 1.
Planet Telex is a swirling opener of crushed digital guitar sounds. The Bends is oddly life-affirming with one cautious eye on the world. High and Dry is a 90s angst anthem with gentle acoustic verses and soaring, desperate choruses. Fake Plastic Trees is scared and vulnerable. Bones is existential dread locked in a broken body. Nice Dream is a cry for help screaming in to a pillow. Just condenses everything on this record and has a hissy fit then smashes the plates. My Iron Lung is claustrophobic and threatens to flip the switch. Bulletproof is a reminder you are anything but. Black Star is curled up in a fetal ball sucking it's thumb. Sulk kicks out at its parents and blames them for everything. Street Spirit is one of the bleakest album closers I can think of.
I can understand why the world weary vocals and introspective tone of the record can be a turn-off. But that's it purpose, and it it does it very, very well.
This is a record that is times stamped to a specific era but does the rare thing of being wholly listenable now. The bass and drums are unsung heroes on this album. The guitars already showing signs of expiremantal ideas beyond normal indie rock playing. It is a record that is threatening to do more. And then came OK computer...
Big , bold, operatic rock. Much like the live album I listened to on this list, I loved the drumming but at times felt it was a bit muddied in the mix and took a backseat to the (admittedly great) guitar tones. First three tracks are great but then it sort of fell off the cliff until Behind Blue Eyes. The Who have never really appealed; maybe I'm not getting their sense of humour or playfulness but the high-pitched synths and daft lyrics ("I'm an air-conditioned gypsy") turn me off.
Chunky beats, playful samples and smooth laid-back grooves. This is fun rap/hip-hop. Good vibes all round. Refreshing - especially after the murky and aggressive gangsta rap of Biggie Smalls which I listened to the other day.
Faith and Father Figure are great opening pop songs. This is then followed by I Want Your Sex which is none minutes of squelchy silly nonsense that killed the albums strong start. And this is immediately followed by a dull ballad. At this point I was struggling to continue. Things picked up with the funky bass of Hard Day and Casio keyboard beats of Hand to Mouth but my attention trailed off a few tracks later around about when George was singing about a monkey of some sort.
I hadn't heard the term Yacht Rock before now, so this album has taught me at least one thing. Turns out, Yacht Rock is a slick, artificial, soft rock sounding disco turd, sliding slowly down the bow of a small sailing vessel. Some people really like this. Some don't.
Hello.
It's 70's dad rock so if you like that, then you'll like this. I don't particularly like dad rock. It's not bad, it's just not for me. It's nice and short though.
The whole time I was listening I had the image in my head of two bearded men chasing after a woman in the style of Benny Hill.
Couple of the singles are catchy but the rest of the album is far less interesting hard rock/blues slop. Some of these songs go on too long. Whilst there is fun (of a kind) to be had, I struggle to understand how this made its way on to a list of the 'best' albums.
2/5
When I was young I used to make my own songs by overdubbing DIY instruments using two audio cassette players. Some of the instrumentals on here remind me of that - in a good way, of course. The songs are moody, sulky and angsty. A Forest is the best goth rock this side of Crawley.
Gritty, sweaty, frenetic. Iggy pushes you down a 36 minute slide... and the slide is covered by sandpaper and broken glass.
On the one hand, I want to award Kraftwerk for their individualism and their pioneering work in experimental electronic music. There are some interesting moments on here. On the other hand, I want to throw one star at them for never really taking the songs anywhere and the simplistic compositions. But maybe that's the point? Each song is like a piece of electronic equipment doing it's one simple task until it's batteries run out. Literally, I guess, since it's all keyboards and synth. Or maybe it's like sped-up footage of a European business centre at rush hour. The more I listened to this today the more I felt myself connecting with the music. I felt almost entranced and sucked in by the beats, much like some more modern IDM. I stopped thinking of it as individual songs and more one large piece of work as there are little call-backs to earlier motifs throughout the album. It's cool to be able to draw the dots and feel how this influenced electronica. It will still only be a 3.5 from me but I appreciated my time with the record.
Tango, jazz, classical. Not my genres normally but I gave it a whirl and found myself enjoying these varied and creative compositions. The opening track felt romantic and whimsical with transitions in to more mysteries and menacing moments. Very cinematic. Musical storytelling. It's going to be a challenging listen for most (me included). When the audience began clapping I was reminded this was performed live and took my appreciation to another level. Criticisms? Some of the songs go on too long for me. I would have appreciated something a little shorter, especially since I'm not accustomed to this type of music.
Psychedelic, loads of swagger, full of great (Soul Kitchen) and classic (Break On Through, Light My Fire, The End) songs. It even gets a bit sexy (Back Door Man - is he talking about the bottom?) There are a couple of weaker songs (Twentieth Century Fox, I looked at You) but the album manages to keep it's momentum. Some really interesting bass and guitar work popping under the slightly dominant keyboard and organ sounds. I have no nostalgia for the 60s (I'm a 90s kid) but this sound just seems to be a wild time capsule and there aren't many bands as instantly recognisable as The Doors. I think there may have been some drugs involved.
4.5
Brilliant album. I always considered The Clash to be the more intelligent alternative to the Sex Pistols, and this is demonstrated on this album with incredibly tight drums and bass and the snarling yet compelling vocals. Still a bit snotty, but far more restrained than Rotten, Vicious and co. The melodies and guitar are even playful and straight up fun at times. It packs so much in to 35 minutes. Iconic, even down to the cover photo.
An electronic pop record with some immaculate production and interesting instrumentation. Crystal-clear recording. The vocals, especially the female vocals, are beautiful. But..is this really one of the albums you really must hear before you die? I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, it's a great listen and worth your time, but it's not life-changing. When the album finished I found it to be rather forgettable. I bet this got a lot of radio playtime.
I found the album an interesting listen and it became even more fascinating when I read up the history behind it; essentially, the claims Malcolm stole the work of other artists and packaged and released them as his own, are correct. He was sued for plagiarism and used the music of others and did not credit them on the record. Apparently, this was his schtick and did the same with punk rock. So Malcolm was not a musician, but a salesman: Art as Commerce.
That ugly business aside, what we have here is a wildly varied collage of sound and influences from Africa, New York City, Mexico, Caribbean and more. The use of 80s Hip-Hop beats, scratching, audio sampling and instrumentation from around the world can be found constantly throughout the record. It's pretty wild and exciting to listen to. The weakest part of the whole show is (what I assume are) Malcolm's vocal moments which sound out of their depth and cringe. Oh and the last track is garbage.
I'm giving the album 3 stars. And they are not for Malcolm, but for the artists he stole from.
I always start by saying hip-hop and rap aren't really my areas and always feel a bit like an imposter when I say things like "I enjoyed the albums beats and the rapping really flows". But that's what I'm saying. There's a real angry undercurrent here, a lot of the words are delivered like political statements of intent. I loved the loops and sampling, like a rapper with ADHD flicking through TV station channels. Some cool bars "I'll check out a move / but it'll take a black one to move me" which I think was talking about Hollywood's portrayal of black actors.
This is never going to be my main listening genre (I always feel incredibly white listening to it) but this list has really broadened my knowledge. This album gets a strong 3.8 from me.
"Your Mother's got Gold Nipples"
I'm mostly not a fan of hip-hop and rap aside from the odd album or song, so being presented with a two-hour double album like this is already a big pill to swallow. Blending genres and influences normally helps the medicine go down here but here I struggled to stomach all the sugar piled on the spoon. If you like pop and hip-hop there's probably a wealth of content here to indulge in but it feels too much for me. As I was listening there were moments of excellence that popped up but again, it was generally lost in a landslide of ideas. After 40 minutes I started skipping the 'interludes'.
Probably good for a party? I wouldn't know, I don't get invited to parties. It's a 2.5 from me.
I've listened to Talking Heads a lot over the years and they are one of the only bands who retain this aura of weirdness about them. I think it's the oddity of the David Byrne vocals over a funky repetitive backdrop - I find myself becoming a weirdo too as the music drags me in. Being weird never stops being fun.
There is not much variety between songs but this is not necessarily a bad thing here; the album focuses on simple, chill synth and keyboard sounds with deadpan vocals delivering themes of nostalgic hindsight - laughing and crying in a city bedsit. It's a little bit kitschy and a little bit sad. There are some sweet melodies but it's mostly so subtle and gentle it might pass you by. It gets a light 3 from me.
Ugh, definitely not one of his finer works and certainly not a personal favourite of mine. There's a few highlights (Fame is obviously a great song) but overall it left me a little cold. If you want soul music there's better options. The cover of Across the Universe just felt tacked on. I can't give it a great score just because it's Bowie - it's probably a 2.5 at best.
This album and probably Traffic as a band, will probably never cross my mind again - at least until this list offers up another one of their records. Mostly inoffensive 70's jazz/folk rock that I couldn't really pick out of a lineup of other 70's bands of this ilk. And there seems to be a lot of them. Freedom Rider caught my ear with it's notable sax motifs and flute interludes. I'm giving this a 2 star rating - although I (once again) appreciate the ability of these musicians, I can't dole out stars just because they learnt to play their instruments. Traffic is a dumb band name.
Had this on cassette tape back when it was released. Although it's not something I would have chosen to go back to, it's chock full of memorable tunes, and Alanis excels at this blend of 90s singer-songwriter pop rock.
Should I be rating the music or the atmosphere or the absolute madness of a live recording in a prison? As a complete package and for it's uniqueness I am really tempted to give it 5, but some of the actual songs are a little forgettable. Cash sounds like such a charismatic guy.
I liked what I heard - added to my bands/albums to return to
I love a lot of what the album does, but I do not love this album. Moby clearly has an ear for what works and there is no denying it did well. But for me, it's like one long yet mildly pleasant television advert.
Not a great record (and that's from someone who grew up listening to Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jr) but not a bad one either. I'm gonna give it a 4 though to balance out all the reviews that said it's terrible and gave it a 1. Hey, dad, it's my review and I can score it what I want.
An amazingly gifted songwriter (obvious statement), but the first half of this record lays bare the limited vocals and the inflection Bob puts on the end of each line gets grating by the fourth or fifth song. Unlike the audiences of the time, I was quite relieved when he had the backing of a full band in the second half but unfortunately I thought the actual songs selection was weaker than the first. Never satisfied, eh? Like most Bob Dylan, I can find enjoyment in a few songs at a time, but not a live double-album. 2.5
Guns n' Roses have a sound that is very much tied to the time and place of 80's rock. Sleazy, swaggering, dirty - and yet the production is polished and the band are tight. It is dated, but can be enjoyed like a time capsule that has captured a world where swigging JD, smoking cigarettes and thrusting hips in Spandex is still cool. This is bar brawl music for an 80s American dive bar - but still fun whilst sitting at my desk job at 7am in the South of England. Also, addressing the misogyny; yes, misogyny is bad and should not be condoned, but this is a GnR record: You don't watch a documentary about Jeff Dahmer and complain theres too much murder. Only songs I would have left out here are the last two which offer nothing the other tracks all do twice as well. Regardless, It's probably a light 4 for this one.
One of my favourite albums ever. I have heard this record a thousand times as a teenager and it still strikes me as a brutally personal, raw and visceral collection of songs. The album is of course tied to the legacy of Kurt Cobain, that's unavoidable. And thanks to teen angst its unavoidably tied to my youth - it felt a little painful to sit through it again in it's entirety. I'll leave it or others to discuss the production, Kurts vocal/guitar abilities and Courtney Love. Oh, and I think the algorithm is having a little fun selecting this back to back with Appetite for Destruction!
Repetitive, to an extent, both in tone and song composition, the opening tracks are fairly weak - Under My Thumb is catchy melodically but questionable lyrically (is this about controlling your partner and celebrating it?). Going Home, Flight 505, High and Dry - most of these are entirely forgettable. Maybe this needs to be listened to with the cultural context in mind but it doesn't really stand on its own. It's scraping a low 2 because it's not terrible.
Oh boy I am really not the target demographic for this. Beautiful vocals, shimmering production and some interesting modern beats but this is really not my genres - I don't know if this is better than the next R&B (is that what this is?) record. At the risk of sounding like an old man, this whole record sounds the same.
When the cover of Lost in Music started, I had an extremely vivid image in my mind of a very drunken uncle at a wedding dancing with his eyes closed, swaying under the disco lights and forgetting all about his diabetes and prostate problems. Magical.
I liked the track Less Than Zero. The rest was fine at best. This is a medium to light 2.
I get the Beastie Boys are somewhat iconic but this sounds like pretty basic stuff. Simple, childish lyricism paired with with simple, childish beats. Purposely immature and bratty. Theres fun to be had but little to no depth. Great album cover.
Hey look it's the Disco Space Beatles throwing everything at the wall and having a real good time - even if over half the ideas are hitting the floor with a big poopy splat. That's still a 50% chance of a good time though.
Stripped-down acoustic folk-punk; I like how the sound of the fret buzz on the bass and the slightly wonky vocal harmonies add to the aesthetic. It's a remarkably strong collection of songs - which may have lost their charm if another band had written and recorded them with more complicated arrangements. Unique vocal style. Strong 4.
Billie has the voice of someone who has seen some shit. Soft and gentle, wry and raw.
