An all around great album showing the range and depth of Monk’s work. Every track is interesting and unique in its own right. At times he takes the limelight and others he lets his fellow musicians cook. If someone asked where to start with jazz, this would be a great sequel to big band greats like Ellington.
The album was a clear commercial success. And Mathers can execute rap very well. Beyond that, this is a mess of an album coming from someone who’s both insecure and seeks shock value to compensate. I stopped listening halfway through, realizing that if I want to be shocked I can just read the evening news.
Imagine the late 1970s. You’re driving a giant American car that rivals the size of small boats. It’s dusk on a summer evening. You pop this 8-track in and start bopping your head to the jazz rock fusion. You pay attention to the varying rhythms and surprising chord progressions. You appreciate the excellent production quality of the recording. It seems like the road will last forever. You keep driving. It’s sublime.
This album is an example of what you can do with great lyrics, rhythm, and music all rolled together. Such a breath of fresh air compared to some of the more contemporary, trap-oriented hip-hop.
What an album. Almost every song is captivating. The musicality and creativity shines through. Elton's music grabs you by the ears and doesn't let go.
It’s fine. It’s funky and soul-ful. But it doesn’t stand out to me. Enjoyable but not noteworthy.
A few songs are standouts on this album and really capture the era. The others are decent and fit well with the genre but are forgettable. I’m glad I listened to this album but it’s not one I think I’ll come back to repeatedly.
Moby’s a good producer but this album is middling at best. Most of the tracks are repetitive with the most interesting parts being the African American hymnal samples. Also, the optics of a white dude profiting from sampled Black music aren’t great. Earlier Moby is much better.
Pleasant but forgettable. I can't say I can hum along any of these songs after hearing them once each. Probably good as background music on a chill evening, but not more than that.
New to me. Album improved as it progressed. Some interesting instrumentation and chord progressions for indie rock. Quite a bit better than Coldplay, though nothing earth shattering here.
Just a stellar album. Franklin’s voice is mesmerizing and her dynamic range is incredible. Almost every song in this album is memorable.
Energetic, melodic fusion of jazz, funk and afrobeat. This is the kind of album that feels great to run to, both because of the steady rhythm and the uplifting feel.
Not his best work but it set the stage for his next, very popular album which defined late 90s popular dance music.
This music is rock for nerds, and I mean that in a good way. Given a close listen, the album takes you on a narrative and musical trip. The skill of these musicians is top notch. In an alternate universe where rock music played the role of classical in the 1800s, Rush would be as well known as Beethoven.
I like Irish music, and punk isn’t bad either. This is a great fusion of the two. Lots of fun songs with more musical depth in soul than you would originally expect.
A few bright spots on an otherwise boring album. There’s creativity here for sure but a lot of creative exploration better left to the bedroom or private studio. Editing is a good thing and Tom Tom could have left 80% of this double album unreleased.
Beck is a considerably underrated composer. His melodies, progressions, and production levels sound fresh now, 23 years after the original release of this album. While some of his other music can have more energy to them, this album stands for cover-to-cover listening for those wanting a lower-key, calmer, but still musically very interesting indie rock exploration.
Paul Simon is a better singer and instrumentalist than Bob Dylan and on par with lyrics. His music is so much more pleasant to listen to. You can listen to this album on many levels and in many contexts. Simply excellent.
It's punk! It's definitely punk. Punk isn't my normal jam, but this is a pretty good album. If this were playing at a party, I would ask what it is and listen intently for at least a song or two. The quality of the production sounds better than I would expect for a 1979 punk album. The songs are not all the same three chords at the same tempo and same energy. Too bad this was the only full studio album by the band.
