29 is still 20 Somethings, right? I still belt every lyric when I play this album, it’s Solana’s best work by far. Lord knows how many times I’ve played “Love Galore” and “The Weekend” on repeat
Never been much of an Elvis guy beyond “Mystery Train” and a couple other classics. Although it’s cool to see where so many people draw influence from (I definitely heard a little bit of Tyler Childers in “I’d rather listen to Chuck Berry.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3YvIWQbOrEEAxCE1lktLpC?si=C_SadP1_R1ac1l_YyISl5Q Great follow up listen.
There are some absolute rippers on here (“You Took the Words…” and “All Revved Up…” are classics) and there is some absolute dogshit. I had fun listening to it
Crazy good guitar riffs all over the place, but this as a whole didn’t hold my attention. Too many sprawling songs and no direction, I need something a little more direct.
One of my favorites from 2019 (top 5 of the year), and one that I return to a lot. It kept me lots of company during COVID lockdown, mostly because it was one of the last records I bought before March 2020. Kiwanuka is British, but he carries his political and musical influences on his sleeve, simultaneously channeling Nina Simone and John Lewis, and "Hero" is easily one of most important and powerful political songs of the century because of these factors. It's a song that feels like its melody and chorus could go on forever and ever, like the cycle of racial violence in the US. But it comes crashing to a halt, making way for the instrumental grief (with the most beautiful choral "oooohs" I've ever heard) of the intro on "Hard to Say Goodbye." The first half of the album is great, but I think the second half elevates the final product to an incredible album deserving of any best of the 21st century list. "Final Days" into "Solid Ground" into "Light" and its haunting ending is god tier album structuring. It's a beautiful self-portrait of an amazing artist.
I listened to a lot of Metallica when I was younger and full of teenage rage, so this felt like a less-than-pleasant trip down memory lane. Metal isn't my cup of tea anymore, I find it repetitive and I need some more performance from my vocalists. That being said, I see the importance of this album and I appreciate its technical strengths (especially the guitar and drums). The title track is a lot of fun and I still dig "Leper Messiah." I also didn't realize how big of fans of Bowie these guys are/were.
I've never listened to a full Iron Maiden album before, and this is not the Iron Maiden I'm familiar with, so this was an interesting listen. It wasn't a life-changing experience for me, but like the Elvis album, it was cool seeing where so many artists have pulled influence from. "Phantom of the Opera" and "Transylvania" was a great 1-2 punch. I doubt I'll ever revisit this one.