Enjoyable southern blues rock, no real standouts for me. I suspect their other albums of the era probably had more to offer, this one was made so quickly after the last one... Still, perfectly fine, inoffensive music if a bit samey. I can see a lot of the influence this music has had on later artists.
Really enjoyed this one. Lots of funk and soul, easy to vibe to. Simple, yet varied.
I loved this one way more than I thought I would. I don't know why I'm so surprised in retrospect - on paper this album is a lot of the things that I like. For some unknown reason I was worried this one would be boring but there is a depth to this that simply demands your attention and definitely warrants another listen from me at some stage. What is at first glance generic post-punk by a band with the most bland name there could possibly be is full of rich musicality and bizarre insight.
I wanted to enjoy this more. I like Led Zeppelin III and IV well enough (at least what I remember of them) and hoped this album would be another on that list. I'm not sure if their first album just isn't as refined, or maybe it caught me on an off day... but I found myself bored. After the first couple of songs it was a bit of a slog to get through. Don't get me wrong, the songs were all fine, it wasn't unpleasant - but it didn't feel particularly special or cohesive in any way worth noting. I may give it another go some time, and I'm certainly looking forward to some later offerings from Jimmy, Robert and the Johns when they come up.
I only knew one song off this album going in, and had in my head that R.E.M. were generally a bit depressing, maybe with the exception of "shiny happy people" - I only really knew a few of their hits. Imagine my surprise when the dreary, depressing R.E.M. sound I was familiar with came to life with all sorts of colours and tones, and frankly beautiful lyrical imagery throughout! This album is a masterclass in writing variety while maintaining a signature sound.
After the first song I thought to myself "well the rest of the album must be better". Throughout the experience I continued to search for redeeming qualities. There are some, but not enough to overcome the fact that listening to this literally gave me a migraine. I'm sure there is some deep art in there, but to me it just seems pretentious at the expense of being enjoyable. I tried so hard to find a reason to rate it higher and just couldn't.
This was great! I have a soft spot for life on mars in particular, but the album as a whole holds up well. It's catchy, varied, well written... You can tell he was writing from the piano for most of it, which I tend to like as a pianist. Songs just sound different when you write them from different instruments, even if those instruments aren't in the final recording at all. This wasn't quite masterpiece level for me, but a good time was had listening, and I'd definitely listen again.
Elliott Smith is not someone I had heard of previously, but his melancholic indie sound and deep lyrical themes really resonated with me. I also liked how unpolished it all sounded... As someone who wrestles with perfectionism in songwriting, I feel like this makes me feel better about things not having to sound exactly perfect. I will be listening to more of his stuff for sure.
A hard listen. Nothing "bad" per se, but every song felt like it was just one idea - and even then it might not be all that different to the others. There is far better electronic music out there, and I really hope to find some on this list.
This was fun. Good, solid glam rock that I had a great time listening to.
Solid offering by the eagles bringing country and rock together on an album that sounds consistently great start to finish and doesn't get boring.
I adore this album. I'm not typically a listener of rap, hip-hop or RnB... and yet I cannot help but love this album from the bottom of my heart. Lauryn Hill delivers a "soft concept" album that is full of deep reflections, big questions and buckets of soul - exploring love, faith, parenthood, pain and hope. The composition is stunning, and her performance is captivating from the moment her name is called to no answer. To write so evocatively, compose with such precision and perform with such feeling is rare. I wish I understood more about where this album comes from, and indeed Lauryn herself. This is the second time I've heard this album and it won't be the last. A true masterpiece, the likes of which don't come around often.
This is a decent album, but definitely not my personal favourite U2 album, nor their most popular. It's got a lot of what makes U2 sound like U2 (specifically later U2), which is great if you're into that and I can't fault them for. I can't decide how I feel about U2 as a whole. At times I love it - I certainly can't deny the musicianship and passion in their music, and they've written some of the greatest songs of all time (including one of my own favourites). At other times U2 can feel a bit flat and boring to me... I'm not exactly sure why that is, but I suspect it's the tone and style. I feel that U2 are at their best when they're being strong and/or expressive (see City of Blinding Lights, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Miracle Drug, Pride and many more). Often I think the rest of their music can feel a bit flat. This album is mostly that - flatness. Not at all unpleasant, and certainly well written... Just missing a certain spark that engages me. That said, there are songs and moments across the album that earn some of that attention back, which is why I'm pushing the rating up to a 3. I'd have no qualms listening to it again, but I'm far more likely to just pick a few songs I liked rather than going start to finish on it.
Great fun, big glam/hard rock energy. This is where Queen really properly started becoming Queen, paving the way for the incredible A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races. This album was great, and showcases a Queen that are finding their sound.
Wow. I don't know what I expected when I saw that this was a more ambient album, but I was completely blindsided by what is one of my favourite albums to date. It's hauntingly beautiful, unsettling and intimate. One of my common criticisms of albums on here is that things sound boring or samey, but this has a simplicity that somehow defies that idea that simple or repetitive equals boring. It's so rich and full, even though a lot of the music involves just exploring one loop or idea. I cannot give this anything other than a 5, which it has earned completely.
I thought long and hard about what I was going to rate this. I don't think any answer feels right to me and here's why.
This album is clearly (on some level, by some metric) good. On the one hand the beats are sick and the G-funk thing is really working.
...On the other hand, I find it almost unlistenable because every third word is something obscene. Even just writing this review without using any of their vulgar language was a difficult decision I had to make. I recognise that there's artistry in here, and if I pretend for a moment that this is a concept album where they're playing "characters" then I can sort of see what they're choosing to do creatively and engage with the vibe... But this rating is meant to be about my enjoyment of the album, and the lyrical content just isn't for me. I can only listen to two guys rapping about gratuitous sex, drugs and violence for so long before it just becomes uncomfortable. It's also one of the longer albums on this list so far, which doesn't help this problem.
Both Dre and Snoop went on to do amazing things, and while I can't deny that this album was hugely influential and launched them into greater things, I'm not rating those things. I'm rating this album, which feels to me like a very one-note slog - and that one note is "look at my massive schlong and my gun and my weed". I seriously reckon you could string together at random any combination of four particular profanities and the resulting lyric will be in here somewhere. Exactly which four profanities I'm referring to is left as an exercise for the reader.
One final thought: for people who claim to get so many women, this album has an awful lot of two dudes talking about slurping johnsons - and that's pretty gay.
This was not my cup of tea. I can see that it's trying to play with noise and push some musical boundaries, but the simple fact is that I don't really care for it.
Well this was a weird one... Having read a few reviews I could see this was quite polarising, with some people touting it as innovative and influential, and others frustrated at the unpolished noise. Needless to say, I was worried.
To my delight, I found that I liked it! I can't see myself seeking it out to listen to again probably, but it was an experience I'm glad I had once, it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared, and if someone else put it on I wouldn't object at all.
I listened to this on my way to work this morning, and didn't quite gel with it - which felt disappointing. I used to play sax many years ago and Coltrane is a legend... I had high expectations that were not met. I was all ready to pick apart the form and enjoy each player's solo and do all the usual melodic/chordal jazz things, and instead what I got was none of that. There's no structure, no system, no regular changes... just 33 minutes of through-composed modal/free jazz. In retrospect, I shouldn't have been surprised... the guy was a pioneer. I could tell it had some real raw emotional gold I wasn't seeing just under the surface, and certainly all the players have technical chops out the wazoo, but despite that I just didn't... get it? Connect with it? More than that, I couldn't work out what on earth I was going to rate this thing.
So I did something I haven't yet done for any other album on this list: reserved my judgement for the time being, and listened a second time. First I did a bit of research. I wanted to understand - even on a surface level - what it was supposed to be. I had no idea that the last movement had words! On my second listen, I could hear the motifs more clearly; the deep acknowledgement of the love of the almighty, the screeching wails of a sinner desperately crying out to his lord... during that last movement I had the words of his prayer in front of me, following along with the saxophone as it called out to God.
I am so glad I took the time to dig a little and listen again. This is a true masterpiece, that just needed me to pay closer attention to reveal its depth.
Didn't know punk electronica was a thing, but it makes sense... I've listened to this album once before some years ago, and my reaction is largely unchanged: it's not bad, the amen-break-style backbeat throughout makes it all feels a bit repetitive and samey, and I can't work out whether "change my pitch up, smack my bitch up" is misogyny or just a fun way of saying "I'm doing this, let's goooo".
I will say that starting this one immediately off the back of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" - a transcendent free jazz odyssey that is a cry to God himself as his saxophone prays and preaches... and suddenly being hit with "SMACK MY BITCH UP" was a weird time. I feel like I should be learning something about perspective from this, but I really have no idea what.
I really need to remember to look at some basic info on each album before I put it on. I listened once, and while some of the songs were enjoyable enough, the whole thing was pretty incoherent and the choice to put some of the best stuff at the end baffled me. Once I realised side A was a concept thing and side B was just individual songs I knew I had to listen again. Thankfully it's one of the shorter albums on this list, but I'm very glad I did! Understanding what it was supposed to be opened me up to enjoying it more.
Side A was interesting, if a little weird. "Save the Life of My Child" was a standout, but I felt pretty neutral about the rest of it - it was fine, but nothing I really loved. Side B is full of bangers. I'd listen to just side B any day.
Having read some of these reviews, I know this album seems to be pretty polarising... Half the listeners think Paul Simon is a genius (which on some level I can't deny), and the other half think he's pretentious (which is also hard to deny) and the album is rubbish. I personally think the album as a whole struggles because it's trying to be too clever... but when they're just doing good music, it's really good music. This places my rating somewhere between the coveted 5/5 and a lousy 2.
Also I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but this version of "Mrs. Robinson" is way better than The Lemonheads' cover. Sorry. The Lemonheads' version is fine, but it just doesn't live up to the original.
On the other hand, The Bangles' cover of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is an absolute banger and far outstrips the original - although that's not to say the original isn't good.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.... I just don't get this one. Especially the 10 minute tracks at the start and end. I guess technically it's clever? Well made? I just simply didn't enjoy it.
I know this is a weak-ass review, but the truth is I got bored. I listened to the whole thing, but just felt bored and confused - which sucks, because I usually find avant garde stuff interesting.
Meh.
I don't have much to say about this album, but it was perfectly fine. Good even! Worthy of some praise, but not a stand-out to me.
I found this album to be a little tough to get through. Something I'm learning about myself is that when the music feels repetitive I can find a whole album to be a bit of a slog.
That said, any one song off this album was awesome! Especially D.A.N.C.E. - a song whose slightly off-key child vocals should have annoyed me but absolutely didn't.
I'd listen to any of this again, just maybe not all at once.
A great album, start to finish. Love the intricate melodies throughout, especially in the guitar parts.
This was perfectly inoffensive. I could go into detail about the style, the performance and the composition, but... Meh. It was fine. One of those albums I'm not sure really belongs on this list, because I see no need for the average person to have listened to it before they die.
This album feels like the punk rock parts of a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtrack. (As opposed to the metal, hip-hop and ska parts)
It was fun. Not the best punk music out there but not a bad way to spend 45 minutes. The existence of the bonus track at the end made me very happy.
It takes real talent to write a whole album of songs in only two(ish) keys that's this good. AC/DC make up for only knowing a handful of basic chords by producing some of the biggest, boldest riffs known to man. What they lack in diversity of musical palette or depth of lyrics they make up for in sheer energy. Banger after banger. If they had been able to include a single interesting chord change this would be a 5 star album.
This was good. They certainly have a vibe that doesn't change much from song to song... But there were a few songs that I quite liked.
This album is a bunch of crazy bizarre glam rock masquerading as unapologetic decade-late hair metal, it's all bangers and I love it. Such an absurd yet earnest album. Listening to it makes me so happy. I usually reserve 5 stars for the utmost pinaccle of absolute masterpieces, but this just brings me so much joy, and really isn't that what music is all about?
I had never heard of Nick Drake before listening to this. I was very ready to be bored by early 70's folk music, and instead found myself absolutely mesmerised by an incredible singer-songwriter. Bryter Layter is a beautifully arranged folk masterpiece, and I cannot wait to hear more from Nick Drake. I get the feeling this is an artist I will gel with strongly.
I find the beastie boys' vocals to be a little challenging for extended periods. I'm definitely not alone in this, but I also don't feel that it's insurmountable. Here's the thing: this album is brilliantly produced, the sampling is unreal and the songs are all really well written. Any one of them on their own is punchy and interesting and a great listen. - it's just that a whole album of it is difficult to get through. On the other hand, the album as a whole is also quite good and has a tonne of hidden depth, and I feel like if I took the time to listen to this again a couple of times I'd get used to it and really enjoy finding everything that's layered in there.
As such, it doesn't really feel fair to mark this one down for those vocals... They're a strong stylistic choice that I actually really respect, even if it'd take me a bit of getting used to.
Plus 5 piece chicken dinner caught me completely off-guard while driving and I almost had to pull over.
Great album.
I really had fun with this album. Having never heard of The Black Crowes, I was mistakenly prepared for a very different vibe based only on the name of the band and the album cover - They look like they're impersonating Richmond from the I.T. crowd. As such, when the album wasn't moody at all - but rather a bluesy, southern rock n roll jam I was caught way off guard in the best possible way.
Is this a masterpiece of an album? No.
Is this a heck of a lot of fun to listen to? You bet your ass it is!
It may not be the most memorable or unique record out there, but the songs are bangers, it's a joy to listen to, and any Otis Redding cover is hard to go wrong with.
I really didn't enjoy this one. I recognise that a lot of the abrasiveness is intentional, and on some level I applaud that... But overall it's just not for me.
My only real criticism of this album is that Songs in the Key of Life is better, and that's not exactly harsh. This is classic Stevie, and a hell of an album.
This album is too much in all the best ways. I was very apprehensive at the length of some of these tracks, worried they'd drag on too long... But there's so much variety and composition and musicianship in every big cheesy over the top moment that I just couldn't get bored. Half the time I got lost in the changes and didn't realise I was still on the same song as a few minutes ago. This is rock and roll done to a spectacular, orchestrated extreme. The kind of music that makes you feel powerful and also deeply embarrassed and cringey; like a gangly nerd LARPing as a dragon-slaying warrior knight.
This was SO much better than "Plastic Ono Band", good lord that one was awful. This album is very boring by comparison, and in this case that's a good thing. Hard to listen to imagine these days without thinking of Gal Gadot.
Hey, so uh... This really isn't my thing, but actually it was pretty good! I was particularly surprised by the back half. Probably won't listen to it again, but I'm glad I did once and I feel like my horizons have been broadened in a way that I'm not unhappy with.
A lot of people seem to really like this album, and I wish I was one of them. It's fine, it's not bad, but it doesn't do much for me. I might need to listen again at some point and try and get a better sense of it.
I don't know how to describe what this music is, but I like it. Celtic-inspired new wave maybe?
Crazy that the big hit is the last song on the album.
I know this music annoys a lot of people and I understand, but to me this was just fun. A tonne of good instrumentation, jazzy, folky, ska-ish, upbeat and jaunty, with lyrics that run deeper than the tunes betray. Enjoyable!
If you want some upbeat feel-good rock this is a great way to spend your time. Van Halen showcase great musical skill combined with an incredible energy that I'm sure would absolutely destroy live. It may be big and a little cheesy, and belong to an era I never lived, but it's a real fun taste of 80's Arena Rock.
By all rights, my ADHD-having-ass shouldn't have enjoyed this. It's quite ambient, it's in a foreign language... very little to catch and keep my attention.
And yet, I couldn't help but be spellbound by over an hour of Icelandic orchestral post-rock. I read that the album was about the journey of a life from birth to death, but didn't look up any translations or meanings for any specific songs - instead just letting the vibe tell the story, which it does incredibly well. There's something about searching in the music for a story you know is there but haven't heard before that's deeply arresting.
Because of its musical insistence on telling its story to me despite my inability to understand the language, I am absolutely convinced that this album is a masterclass in composing. I choose to give it 5 stars, with only one caveat: the lyrics *might* be a steaming pile of dookie... and without translating them I'll never know.
I don't plan to.
I'm happier this way.
80's synth-pop that belies its political depth. Started out feeling cheesy but as the album went on it revealed itself as a solid collection of tracks. It's not necessarily something I'll come back to, but I appreciate it for what it is.
Never heard of spirit, but this album has a cool name... Slightly unsettling album cover... Sure - I'm intrigued, let's see what we're in for:
Oh, what? Some of the best psychedelic dad rock I've ever had the pleasure of listening to?
Seriously though, this album is unironically groovy - a word that is so far from my usual lexicon, yet somehow just fits. The writing is catchy, the production is amazing and every instrument pulls you in with its own detailed little hooks. The whole thing is brilliant. I'm not particularly au fait with classic 70s rock or psychedelic rock beyond some of the bigger bands and hits, but this is a real diamond in the rough.
I'm on a 10 album run of nothing below a 3, multiple 5s... (I try not to hand out too many 5s or 1s) and was just starting to wonder if I'm being too generous lately when this album came along to assuage my concerns. Musically, Next is nothing special. It's fine, perfectly listenable... which would normally earn it a 3 from me - 3 star albums for me are good but nothing more. Nothing I dislike, but not deserving of any higher.
Lyrically, this album is a travesty. How one man wrote an entire album of mediocre songs about his penis and what he does with it (with the exception of one track where he instead wrote about what he and his 27 friends do with their penises) that is considered by *anyone* to qualify as "must hear before you die" is beyond me. Nobody needs to hear this. I probably would've died happier having not heard it.
Like I said, I try not to give out too many 5s or 1s, and I tried as hard as I could to not judge this too harshly on the lyrics alone, but at the end of the day, the music doesn't do enough to redeem it.
I really wanted to rate this higher. Bob Dylan is widely known as one of the greatest songwriters to ever live... And yet I can't help but think of that Bob Dylan appreciation timeline/bell curve meme:
"Bob Dylan sucks"
...
"Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of all time, he captures the human experience so perfectly in a way that nobody had done before or since"
...
"Bob Dylan sucks"
(Sorry, hard to do a visual meme justice in a text review)
Bob Dylan is great to listen to - whenever I feel self-doubt about my singing ability. If he can sing like that and be that massively successful, my voice is just great!
I might have pushed this up to a 3... Until the last track went on for an agonising nearly 12 minutes. Too much, Bob. Just too much.
I had no idea I liked The Boss.
My knowledge of "The Boss" an hour ago consisted of the one line everyone knows from each of two songs: "Born in the USA" and "Born to Run", and a vague understanding that people from New Jersey love this guy. I'm not American, nor of the target age group for this but I understand that he's beloved there in a way that doesn't have much bearing on me as a 30 year old from down under.
This album is fantastic! It's more piano and saxophone heavy than I thought it was going to be (which I really like) and really cohesive as an album (which I also really like). It took me a few tracks to see where it was leading, but once I got to the high point of the title track and began the journey back down the other side it all just seemed to click. There is such strong, "wall of sound" production, lyrics that beautifully straddle cryptic depth and raw heart-on-sleeve emotion, and a musical consistency and through-line that feels connected but not repetitive.
This embodies so much of what I love in an album, and whilst initially I felt that this was going to be a 3 or 4 star review, the back half of the album has retroactively sold me on this deserving a 5. Everything just comes together so nicely by the end and now that I've finished it I just want to go back and listen to the first few songs again with a new appreciation for what they're building to... and I'm sure I will! This is definitely one I'll listen to again.
I first listened to this album about 5 years ago, and couldn't stand it. For whatever reason I just couldn't engage with it, struggled through and came out of it feeling like I had wasted my time and never wanted to hear it again. I would have given it 1 star at the time.
5 years on, it's way better than I remember. It's powerful, hard-hitting, and has plenty going on. Sinead O'Connor was clearly talented.
I still don't love it - it's not going into my regular rotation any time soon - but I think I definitely appreciate it more this time around. It might not be to my tastes, but it's good.
As such, I'm choosing to give it a 3, with one caveat: 5 years from now I may decide to listen again, change my mind and give it a 5... could just be that this album is taking 10 years to grow on me!
All rock 'n' roll of this era sounds the same to me, but I don't think that's a problem - It's kind of supposed to. It's all 12 bar blues, the same pentatonic scales and arrangements and some lyrics about a girl... There's a reason Marty McFly is able to say "Blues riff in E, watch me for the changes and try to keep up" and the band knows exactly what to play - it's just the way the music was at the time.
Instead, the real artistry of little Richard (and other contemporaries of his) comes not through interesting structures or pushing compositional boundaries, but rather pushing tonal boundaries at the birth of a genre. The tone and energy that little Richard and his band bring to this whole album is incredibly good - the vocal delivery is unreal, the band plays with such precision and such expression and they don't let up for a second.
So much of what is on this album went on to inspire so much of popular music since, and I can forgive the sameness of the album on account of the sheer performance that's on display.
Decent album, perfectly good folk rock. Some good songs - everybody's talking is a classic, though like many I know Harry Nilsson's cover better. It's good! That's all I have to say.
This reminds me very much of the vocal harmonies sung by Polynesian peoples - for me personally that's memories of Fijian friends. So easy to get lost in and carried away by, and not for a moment do I feel like anything is missing despite it being entirely a capella. Much like Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Ros, I don't understand the words they're singing and I don't feel I need to.
Ooft. I thought I liked Kings of Leon... I remember back in high school, jamming out to "Use Somebody" and "Sex on Fire" and feeling like this was a pretty cool band for cool people (which I was most definitely not).
This album was dreadful. So much amazing, culturally significant, high quality and varied music got left off this list - whole artists that by all rights should have been represented and just aren't - and for what? This? At least with some of my other 1 star albums I can see why one might make an argument that despite being quite bad they hold some musical significance or do something that warrants hearing once from a purely educational standpoint - you know, it's not enjoyable but at least I feel I've gained some intellectual value from hearing it. Not this one. Sorry.
Instructions were unclear; raged too hard against the wrong machine. Now I need a new toaster.
No real stand-outs for me, but an overall good record. The sound of the Beatles and the versatility of the Rolling Stones - these are both very high compliments, but it is also to say that they don't have as strong a sound as the Stones or the versatility of the Beatles.
This is why I don't go to clubs. Well, one of the reasons.
This album feels like a big ol' nothingburger. The most egregious crime it commits is the repetitive 6 minute instrumental track, immediately followed by a further nearly 4 minutes of the SAME SONG, but this time with some nothingburger lyrics about making you dance and putting you in a trance. Even so, it could've been worse.
I complained in my review of Achtung Baby that U2 were missing a certain spark... The music was generally a bit flat, and I much prefer when they're giving it everything. War is that. This album goes hard and really doesn't let up. The Edge is kind of at his best here (and in some ways his least "edgy"), Larry Mullen Jr. Kills it throughout the album, Adam Clayton holds everything together and Bono is the most passionate and intense he has ever been. This is the sound that U2 is best as - 80s U2. This and Joshua Tree are classic albums for a reason, and whilst I have a personal soft spot for Vertigo, I think objectively speaking this is a better album.
Hard one to rate... On the one hand, the raw talent is incredible. On the other hand, the obnoxious persona is... Well, obnoxious. No getting around that.
I don't think this is his best work, but clearly Eminem is damn good at what he does, and that's on full display here. Will I be listening to this album again? No, probably not. Will I listen to some of his other music? Absolutely. It seems a shame that such a talented wordsmith would waste it on this stuff, but I know for a fact that he doesn't give a f*** about my opinion on that, and on some level I gotta respect that.
Wow. Simply beautiful. "Help Me" will always be a favourite of mine, but the whole album is a work of art. Joni seems to have a knack for writing the most beautiful and poignant lyrics that I so often don't understand a lick of, while dancing them around clothed in meandering melodies that just make you want to get lost in them. A stunning album.
My beard is the one part of my appearance that I put real effort into looking good; the one part that real care goes into, and I really feel is important to me.
Why am I telling you this?
Because you need to understand how upsetting to me it is that tonight I accidentally took a chunk out of it while trimming it, and completely decimated it in the process of trying to fix it. I know it's superficial, and it'll grow back, but still, it matters to me... I also just spent time tonight cleaning my daughter's bed and her toys and her hair after she woke up and vomited at 1am; and this not long after injuring my back hanging laundry.
I tell you this so that you may understand: when I say that listening to this album was one of the best things I did tonight, it's technically true but not because it was in any way good. This album is a great example of "I really didn't need to hear this before I died".
This album deserves a 5 for Baby Driver alone, and from looking at other reviews that's not even considered one of the better songs on here. What an unbelievable album this is! Banger after banger, traversing genres and emotions like it's nothing. The haunting Garfunkel vocals on the opening track, the ripping sax solo on Baby Driver, the weird percussion, the harmonies, the flutes... GOOD GOD MAN, THE FLUTES!
In some ways it's sad that this is the last album that Simon and Garfunkel created together, and one that was fraught with turmoil and (as Paul Simon put it) "personality abrasions", but also... What a way to go out! Truly one of the greatest albums ever made, and one that genuinely embodies the idea of this list. This is one everyone should hear before they die.
I've never listened to Depeche Mode before... It was okay. They've done a great job of claiming a particular vibe and sound - broody synth music - and they do it well. It's not up my alley, but I respect that it's someone's thing. It was perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned.
I was pretty harsh on the first Bob Dylan album I got a few weeks ago, Blonde on Blonde. I said some fairly strong things about the album and about Dylan based on that album (that I stand by). Now that I'm on a second Dylan album, I'm quite pleased to say that Blood On The Tracks defies my previous assessment. It's really good! Everything on here is poetic and beautiful, the singing and performance are fantastic and not once did I feel I had to press on to get through it. Even the 9 minute long "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" managed to hold me - and might actually be my favourite on the album. If I ever find myself needing to listen to Bob Dylan, this (so far) is the album I'm picking by a mile. Really great stuff, and a pleasant surprise! Nice to know I don't hate Bob Dylan after all.
I listened to this album once some years ago, and was blown away by the originality and the production on it. Revisiting it today, it really holds up. I know this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea - and honestly it wouldn't usually be mine... but there's such cleverness and depth and artistry going on here, and on a debut album no less! An easy 5.
I like the part where he says Majin Buu. Also: "A potato flew around my room before you came excuse me..."
God, I miss Vine.
I really enjoyed this! It's got a great energy. I haven't really listened to the Zutons before today, the one exception being "Valerie" (of which I hold the wildly unpopular opinion that the Zuton's original version is better than either of Amy Winehouse's covers, despite how insanely good they are. This is not a diss against Amy, those covers are phenomenal).
I'd happily listen to this album any day of the week - in fact I probably will.
Oh boy... people really like this one, huh? Am I brave enough to say I didn't like an Iggy Pop album? Well it's true, and this is anonymous so sure, why not?
I get that this album is a big deal and everything, but I just can't vibe with it at all. Not for me.
Iggy Pop looks like a Stand user on the cover. That is all.
My first Beatles album on the list! It's... okay? There's a few really good songs (Eleanor Rigby, for one) but as a whole I'm a little disappointed. I quite like the Beatles, but apparently Revolver isn't my album. Still, there's nothing bad about it whatsoever... I just wish the whole album were the few great songs on repeat.
The Band invented the concept of playing music in a group back in the 1960s, where previously only solo artists had existed. The Band is called The Band because at the time they were the only band. Their debut album "The Album" featured the songs, including the singles and the b-sides.
Jokes aside, these names would be quite fitting for this music, as it's perfectly inoffensive but bland and uninteresting.
This seems like the kind of album I'd probably really get into if I forced myself to listen to it a few more times and really tried to get it. At some point it would click, and become one of my favourite albums of all time.
The problem is I don't want to have to put that much work into enjoying something. It's deep and moody and introspective in ways that don't seem to fit me, and I often found myself wishing for something more distinctive in the wash of dull indie rock that didn't seem to ever pay itself off.
Maybe that's the point of it (I suspect so), and if so kudos! It's really well done. That's an artistic choice I can respect, even if I don't personally love it. I would willingly listen to this again, but I won't be seeking it out.
I want to issue a formal apology to Depeche Mode.
Let me explain:
I'm a good few albums behind on my list and recently listened to one of theirs, which I personally didn't love. That's okay, everyone has what they like.
Last night I excitedly noted that I was only a few albums away from Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" which I'm eagerly waiting for... but rather rudely lamented to my wife that "I have to sit through another Depeche Mode album first".
Now, with that Depeche Mode album up next, Fleetwood Mac after that and Ian Dury's "New Boots and Panties" just finished, I hereby formally apologise for complaining about having to listen to Depeche Mode. Depeche - can I call you Depeche? If you're reading this (which I'm sure you are) I want you to know that your music is incredibly good in comparison to this utter garbage, and I was way out of line for being so disparaging. I will give your album a good crack shortly, confident in the knowledge that it will be better than what I just had to endure.
Now, to Ian Dury: I really don't have the words to describe the painful experience this album was. Nobody should have to listen to this before they die, and I worry that for some people this may drive them to an early grave. Even if you could take out all of the offensive and cringeworthy lyrics (and be left with just instrumentals) you'd still have something that is musically upsetting.
I don't give out many 1s... that's because most albums have some redeeming quality.
I'm Sorry, WHAT!?
It was only a week ago I was listening to Music for the Masses and just not getting it. It was fine, but it really didn't do it for me. Only yesterday I was lamenting that I had another Depeche Mode album to get through, and I really came into this one with such reluctance to even start it...
...and it's one of my favourite albums to date.
I don't know why. By all rights there's no good reason why this album and the other one should be so wildly disparate in my assessment of them - they're two very similar, back-to-back albums by the same artist, with similar style and vibe, and yet for some unfathomable reason I had to press on through that one, but I absolutely adore this one.
My shock is immeasurable and my day is made.
No surprises here, this is one of the strongest albums on this list and rightfully deserves its place. Chock full of certified hits, and everything else is just as good. Amazing what you can do with a whole bunch of interpersonal drama, loathing and cocaine. It's a travesty that Silver Springs never made it onto a vinyl pressing of this album, but at least the super deluxe version restores it in some way.
I've never listened to this album before, but I already know half of the songs just by being a person who exists... and I could talk about what I love about this album for hours and fill pages of review, but so much of what I'd want to say has already been said by many other people.
I know it's a pretty basic-ass opinion given this is the top rated album on here, but I think this is my favourite album so far. Listening to it makes me happy.
I was quite excited for this one. I love "Just What I Needed"! and "Cars"... wait, idiot... that's the Gary Numan song. What other Cars songs do I know? Let's see... uh... hm. Nope. Okay, well that's fine. I do like "Just What I Needed", so I'm sure the rest of the album is probably just as good. Fun rock stuff with great energy, right? Oh. It's... fine? Underwhelming? Ah. okay. I mean it's not bad at least... Overall, worthy of a 3.
I genuinely have no idea what to make of this one. It feels witty... Is it supposed to be satire? Comedy? Real commentary? Is this taking itself seriously, or not? And should I? I just can't tell. It's bizarre, it's a little avant garde,and yet the music itself is quite good. His voice in particular is really solid. I find myself less loving or hating this, and more just bewildered. As is often the case though, it's not bad. I don't dislike it, I just don't feel I understand it.
There are some unfortunate dated lyrics here, but I'm usually willing to overlook that as being just a product of its time.
Only because I don't understand it, I'm giving it a 2. If I manage to work out what the point of this is and what it's trying to be, it may get bumped up a little higher.
