I'm not a huge fan of the whole west-coast late sixties rock scene (apart from the Byrds), but this is a solid album which I enjoyed. Standouts are the Neil Young penned tracks, particularly the wonderfully atmospheric 'Expecting to Fly', and the ambitious and cryptic 'Broken Arrow'. The low point is Furay's forgettable 'Sad Memory'. But there's some excellent vocals and guitar work throughout, and it's surprisingly varied in style. Definitely worth a listen, 3.5/5
If you were a suburban Midwestern American teenager in 2004 who thought wearing a studded belt and eyeliner was rad, this album probably means a lot to you.
But in 2025 it's just a rather long and mostly uninteresting album which although undoubtedly ambitious, now just seems overwrought and not that imaginative. You've heard almost every single bar of it somewhere before.
The production is particularly horrible - over-compressed, flat and monotonous (unbelievably, the producer won a Grammy for it). It starts as it means to go on, and after ten minutes I was longing for it to end.
The singles are the best bits, especially 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'.
It's not that the material is bad exacly, it's just not very original and is presented so one-dimensionally that it loses all potency. Would not listen again, 3/5
What a little gem. Owes a heavy debt to Pet Sounds and all the other usual suspects, but it's pretty distinctive melodically, with some poignant lyrics, some brilliant vocal harmonies and arrangements, and some groovy rhythms. It has an autumnal, melancholy vibe. May have sounded a bit dated by mid-1968 when it came out, which might account for its relative obscurity. Nevertheless it's a great album.
It's a solid album with some top-notch musicians, a couple of bona fide classic singles, and some interesting ideas and sounds. But overall it's just not that engrossing for some reason, and has a sort of tentative feeling about it. I'm glad I heard it, but probably won't listen again.
I've been meaning to listen to this record for ages, mainly because of Harry's connections with a certain Liverpudlian beat combo. So when it popped up here, I was keen to give it a go.
There's no denying the craft. Harry is a great songwriter and there's loads of interesting melodies and chords. Great musicianship, immaculately arranged, produced and mixed. It's very Beatle-esque, in the way that a lot of 'AOR' music throughout 1970's was. It also contains the original power ballad, 'Without You'.
I had high hopes for someone rated so highly by both Lennon and McCartney. Unfortunately, it's mostly just quite bland and polite. The only track that seems to let rip at all (but then only a bit) is "Jump into the Fire". Overall verdict: slightly disappointing.
In which the Stones continue to chase the coat-tails of the Fab Four, conspicuously failing to escape their shadow. Stealing their clothes does not turn you into Lennon/McCartney.
Two stars: unconvincing, and mostly just boring.
A sweet, funny, warm-hearted LP with some lovely tunes - a breath of country fresh air. The world should be more Dolly.
I don't think I needed to hear this before I die. It's a straight-ahead blues-rock album. I liked the clean, punchy production; as for the music, well the songs are OK, but don't have much in terms of risk-taking or creativity. And in the 'vs. Sticky Fingers' debate, I think the Stones win hands down.
A stone cold classic. It has so much going for it: songwriting chops, a big, ballsy sound, a variety of styles, and best of all, shedloads of genuine attitude.
For a debut album this is excellent - it's like they emerged fully formed. The production is a bit rough, but that's just part of the vibe.
