I grew up hearing all of Rod Stewart's 80s hits, and the big 70s hits. I liked a few songs, but overall was never a fan. So I wondered why there was a lot of praise for his early albums.
I'm glad I finally listened to this one. It's definitely more interesting and varied than the later pop hits. There are some good grooves, great guitar lines, and lyrics that resonate with the ups and downs of young love. I don't know that I'll come back to this album much, but if someone else puts it on I'll be happy to hear it again.
Potent! This album is wildly varied and feels a bit unconnected, but there's a powerful rock 'n roll core and some great guitar work. Going to listen again!
This is close to 3.5 stars. There's a lot of good stuff going here. On several songs Prince is at his peak, with observant lyrics and good rock-funk brews. He plays a lot of good lead guitar lines. But on other songs, it feels like he gets obsessed and won't quit. There are a few that go on too long, seemingly so that he could add some more overdubs. The album overall includes all the elements that made Prince great, but just doesn't add up to a cohesive whole.
I see why so many have called this the originator (or epitome) of trip-hop. But it's darker and slower than a lot of other trip-hop I've heard. For me, the vocals almost but don't quite work with the instrument sound. But this is groundbreaking and mesmerizing work, for sure.
I'd describe the sound of this album as ramshackle-inspired, and there was less of the inspired than I was hoping for. I was a bit let down. "The Weight" is a great song and there are a couple of others that are nearly as good, but many other songs feel like a jam session that needed some revisiting before pressing it onto a record.
What a voice, and what great retro-modern sound for the mid-00s.
It lives up to its reputation! I was impressed by the consistency here -- I knew the famous songs (Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulysses), but the others are great to.. (OK, the last track is just weird.) Three great musicians cooking up strange wonderful brews.
This is semi-adventurous territory for sure, a mix of driving rock, pop, and dance music. They hit some unique notes. I’ve never heard a dance song in 9/8 time before. But overall it doesn’t grab me and make me wanna listen again.
Rap feels largely foreign to me, and this album didn't get me a lot closer to understanding it. Some of the lyrics are brutally honest and self-reflective, and I respect that.
Really enjoyed this one. It's kind of a perfect party album. Turn it up and everyone can dance to the beats. Turn it down, and it's background music while people chill and talk. If there's a lull in conversation, there's plenty here to catch your ear.
Given how many samples are mixed in to these tracks, it's amazing how coherent and organic it feels. Gonna check out other albums this group has made.
It has all the elements of great blues-rock, but the pieces just don't add up to great songs.
I was expecting something heavy, dark, and brooding. This album was heavy, but surprisingly (to me) bright and poppy. The playing is tight and energetic, and you can sing along to everything. Job well done.
The musicianship here is clearly high-quality: relaxed, economical, flowing. But the songs don't move me a lot. Maybe you have to be in a café in Cuba -- or have the memory of it -- to really appreciate this.
Such a sweet album. It's probably Nick Drake's least good, but the bar is so high from the other two albums, it's still great. The only "weakness" of this album is that the instrumental backing feels a little random at times (here's a flute solo out of nowhere!). But it's all high quality. And the consistency comes from Drake's ruminant lyrics and his beautiful soft voice.
I love this project for bringing me albums like this -- unlikely gems that I had no idea existed.
Willie Nelson singing old Broadway and jazz standards? It works, and in fact, it's magical. Every one of these is a tall cool drink on a warm breezy day, gentle and soothing.
If the old standard songs aren't your thing, this album probably won't convert you. But it's unique, and gorgeous.
He could sing with passion for sure, and I enjoyed some of his piano licks. But overall this didn't grab me. Give me Nat King Cole.
Is there any type of music that polarizes opinions more than punk?
If you want something loud that you can shout or scream along to, lets you vent rage or desperation or nervous energy, that never sounds corny or sleepy or weird, then this is for you. And credit to the band, these short songs get in and out without lingering too long on anything.
If you want melody, harmony, innovation, chords you've never heard, comfort, poetry, or sweetness, there's nothing here for you.
My main criticism is that this album offers the same thing, over and over again. That may appeal to some. Not to me.
This feels like a best in class album, more a representative of the top class of a music genre rather than particular artistic brilliance. The genre here is big band blues, led by a confident, experienced singer. Overall good stuff. What’s missing for me is more guitar. I think King’s guitar playing is his best asset, and here it’s more of a garnish than a main course.
Beautiful a cappella singing, and really distinctive. Highly recommend seeing them live -- but after 30 minutes, it's all the same. Same for this album.
I'm not much of a hip-hop fan, but I can imagine putting this on for pleasure listening. The rapping is clear and usually meaningful. The tracks have more than just beats (which are really good) -- in fact, there's usually a lot mixed in, but it's coherent. Rich stuff here.
I'm always impressed by Neil Young's ability to swing from the dark and serious to the silly within a single album.
Looking back 46 years, it's easy to appreciate where this album sits and why it still sounds great. It draws on earlier-70s rock and roll, embraces the punk of the day, and foreshadows 80s alternative (check out the jangly guitar on multiple tracks). It's relentless, committed, and FUN.
I've loved this album for a long time. A top-notch rock band in peak form playing great songs. There's some prog-rock experimentation but they never lose track of the grooves and power chords. What a pleasure to come back to this. Check out "Won't Get Fooled Again" for some utterly insane drumming.
There were some good tracks. Still don't engage with the rapping.
Listened to about half of this. Loud, heavy, angry industrial hard rock with vocals that are mostly controlled screaming. No thank you. I can appreciate that there's craft in how these tracks are assembled, but I can't listen to more of it. Also don't want to support a guy with a trail of sexual assault allegations.
Mmm, delicious. Like hot chocolate on a cold afternoon, but the most interesting hot chocolate. What are all those subtle flavors? The tone is constantly shifting from melancholy to happy, cool to warm, still to moving. I'll be coming back to this one.
Ah, this is the edgy, inventive post-Genesis Peter Gabriel that I've heard about. Much more interesting than his later albums like So and Us. I don't like everything on this album, but he's creating new textures and not trying to polish everything into radio-friendly formats, and I love that kind of creative energy. Also, "Biko" is a forgotten classic and a story we need to remember.
This album helped me understand why I've always felt meh about the Rolling Stones. It's partly that they almost always sound ramshackle, which only appeals to me in small doses. But it's mostly that I just don't like Mick Jagger's singing. If that's a not a problem for you, then maybe you'll love this album. There are some undeniably good songs here. But I'd rather hear someone else sing them.
This is what I imagine vintage country sounding like. Strong singing, homespun-sounding lyrics about love and life, lots of space in the arrangements for the steel guitar to resonate. Goes by quickly and smoothly.
I really enjoyed this album. Have I said that about a rap album before? Something about the tag-team rapping really works here, and the energy is forward-moving and positive. Other than "One of Them", this is a great album.
The vision and genius here is awesome. The guitar work isn't work -- it's pure creative energy unleashed, the fingers and effects united with the imagination. The album as a whole is sprawling and a lot to take in all at once -- too long for me.
For all the apocalyptic lyrics and heavy sound, this is ultimately melodramatic pop music -- with heavy distortion and fuzz. It's a spectacle, expertly delivered with full commitment from the band.
Peppy alternative rock... didn't grab me.
Wow. There is some crazy genius talent here, both the rapping and the production. I may never be a real rap fan, but I can appreciate the delivery, the sway, the creativity on this record. The backward rapping on "Work It" is just awesome.
Really had trouble getting into this one, other than the beats.
I remember hearing the name Franz Ferdinand a lot 20 years ago, but I didn't recognize any of the songs... and I wonder why this album is on the 1001 list. It's not bad musics, but I didn't find it catchy or engaging or skillfully played. Just indie rock. Someone else enlighten me.
Creative AND catchy. Very singable pop tunes with a lot of fun hooks and experimentation with electronic tools.
After reading some reviews, I was expecting this album to be terrible or very distinctive (maybe both). It turned out to be really normal and average. Early 70s rock 'n roll with a lot of looks back to the 60s. The lyrics are more overtly and consistently sex-focused than a lot of other records, but they're not at all extreme for rock music.
Like some of the other reviews, I don't see how this made the 1001 list. It's fine, it's fun, but it's not remarkable. Alex Harvey was apparently an influence for punk and alternative, but I don't hear why on this record.
This album feels like a relic now, but I think it's a bit of a forgotten treasure. It was an update of a lot of traditional American music forms, it still sounds great, and it's really well played.
IT'S SO GOOD.
I played this album a lot for a year or two when it was first out, but I hadn't listened from at least 30 years. It's not only held up, I think it sounds even better with age. In 1990 it was talked about as a retro alternative album, an old-school rock 'n roll statement in the era of hair metal. But now it just sounds timeless.
What struck me today was how The Black Crowes took their time here. They rock steady in their grooves and build their songs without high-speed attacks, and I love it. If your guitar riffs and lines are this good, please do linger on them and let them grow. I'm here for all of it.
What a singer.
I've heard lots of Elvis songs over the years, but I can't remember listening to a full album before. This was a great place to start. A lot less rockabilly than his early smashes, and a lot more schmaltzy, but his singing is so rich and mature. Forget the tracks if you don't fancy them, just enjoy the voice.
I don't see the greatness here. There is some interesting tonal stuff at times -- unexpected chords or harmony -- but overall, I think you have to love Wainwright's singing or this is just a lot of melodrama. Didn't work for me.
If you wanted to make a trance album, but all you had was an electric guitar, an effects pedal, and a microphone, I guess you'd make this album? It drones on and on and never gets interesting... which I know is kind of the aim of trance music, but I couldn't find a way into it. Boring.
I didn't like this at all. I expected more energy from Iggy Pop, but he sounds dull here, and his lyrics just aren't interesting. The tracks plod, plod, plod. The last two songs get a little more interesting, but I probably should have quit by that point.
So I'm stunned by all the 5-star reviews here, describing these songs as basically the opposite of what I heard. Amazing how we can all hear music so differently.
The reviews informed me this was a collab with David Bowie. I didn't know that until after I listened, and honestly this did not sound like a Bowie record to me at all. There's Bowie I like and Bowie I hate (including his later version of China Girl), but at least all of it is inventive. This was boring.
Strange to come back to this album, which I owned when it came out and listened to a lot and never really loved, so many years later. I'm trying to listen with fresh ears, but it doesn't sound fresh.
This is a muscular album with a lot of strong, loud beats. Most of the songs are very dance-floor friendly. But a lot of that muscular feeling comes from later 80s sounds that feel really dated now: reverb-heavy drum machines, synth bass, and brassy keyboards. In fact, there's a lot here that epitomizes Top 40 music of the time: massively hyped, big bold sounds, mostly synths, and a couple of dreamy ballads. Michael Jackson's singing is still unique, but he's leaning so hard into his gasps and affects that he sounds impersonal much of the time.
A bigger problems is that a lot of the songs just aren't that good. The Way You Make Me Feel is a standout dance track, and Another Part of Me and Just Good Friends have strong grooves. But many of the rest are uninspired.
It feels like Jackson is trying really hard to prove that he's still the king of pop. Trying too hard
It's a mix. There are some twangy ballads, some even-keel instrumentals, and a couple of sillier upbeat instrumentals. It feels like Willie inviting some friends over on a warm afternoon, trying out some different styles, and sending it off to the record company without worrying about sequencing or consistency. There's a gentleness to all of it that holds it together.
Suzanne Vega's first album... she's already really good at making songs that take you into gray moods and liminal spaces. Her acoustic guitar work is sharp. The downside is that her vocals are mixed kind of low, and her voice fades into the background enough that it's hard to make out her words sometimes... and we should hear her words! The Queen and the Soldier is an early classic. 3.5 stars.
This was indeed a big change for Beck, and one he clearly, fully committed to. It's basically all ballads. Seems like he just decided he wanted to fully explore this slow contemplative space, without worry about balance. Credit to him.
His singing gets mumbly at times, and I wish it were more clear. But other times, he sounds a lot like Nick Drake, and it's beautiful.
This is a perfect album for this project: you should definitely hear it once, even if you hate it.
The simple description of this music is bubblegum pop songs played with the reverb and distortion turned up to 11. Actually, I don't think it's much more complicated than that. By now a lot of bands have followed this formula, but I think Jesus and Mary Chain were one of the first to do it. Which makes this album sound almost quaint, which feels like an absurd thing to say about such cacophonous music.
I don't need to hear this album again, but JAMC are so over-the-top committed to this sound, there's a kind of hilarious genius to it. Gotta respect.
I avoided this album back in the day because I quickly tired of Sledgehammer and I hated Big Time.
But it turns out, the rest of the album is quite good! In Your Eyes remains gorgeous 40 years later, and the other six tracks have similar reflective and atmospheric feels, unlike the two up-tempo singles. The album very much carries the synth-heavy sound of the mid-80s, but Peter Gabriel is artist enough to do interesting things with those synths.
I still hate Big Time, but it's more interesting having learned that the bass was played with drumsticks.
I found this much celebrated record to be full of fine rock 'n roll, but nothing that really got me grooving until the last track.
Soft lush-folk tracks, philosophical lyrics, singing that is half-speaking... this didn't grab my heart or my attention, but it is interesting stuff. Worth returning to.
Listen to the first and last songs. If you don't like them, you can move on.
Me, I love this album. It pulled me in the first time I heard it more than 30 years ago. The story I make up is that a country singer wanted to do smoky jazz lounge numbers, so she brought her steel guitars and fiddles into the studio, played them slow and sweet, and came up with the perfect accompaniments for her gorgeous, languid voice. I've never heard another album quite like this one, and it's hard to imagine anyone other than k.d. lang doing it.
The critique that a lot of the songs are similar and not excellent on their own is valid. But I think it works on this album, which maintains a quiet, yearning, vulnerable mood throughout. It's beautiful, at times achingly so.
Fun listen! The songs and the vocals are stylistically varied and often kind of weird, so you don't know what's coming next. The lead guitar work is great throughout, and I enjoyed focusing on that.
This is a slippery one that seems to fit several categories, sort of. It has shades of new wave and alt-rock that would come years later, along with some beautiful flowing lead guitar lines. Nothing about the lyrics grabbed me, but I may come back to this one to see if there's more under the hood.
It's got a lot of energy, snarl, and humor. It's missing melody and complexity.
Several reactions to hearing this much-beloved album for the first time:
- It sounds a hallmark of its time, evocative of so much other folk-rock from the 60s.
- It also sounds dated. No one makes music that sounds like this anymore, so heavily focused on singing harmonies.
- It's bittersweet to hear this, especially when the vocals are beautiful, knowing what happened to the group.
- California Dreaming and Monday Monday are still great songs.
- By track 8, it was all sounding the same.
Glad to discover this modern folk album, as I'd never heard of John Grant. But it left me with an odd impression. The plainspoken songs are very personal and emotional, yet they didn't feel original.
I remember Buffalo Stance being all over the radio, but I'd never heard the rest of the album until now. It sounds so... normal, compared to the free-spirited wackiness of Buffalo Stance. There are several late-80s soul songs (sung well!) and more raps, and it's all fine, but nothing too distinctive.
erm... was hoping to like this more than I did. The two big hits are great songs. Most of the rest had a lot of pop but just weren't all that good.
It really does deserve all the five-star praise. It's the masterwork of a generational talent who spent a decade and a half building to this. It's still so, so enjoyable to listen to.
This is a "best in class" album -- not really groundbreaking, but an exemplar of a particular type of music. That type I think is the so-called "new romantic" -- 80s pop that wanted to keep the best elements of yacht rock and disco while embracing synths and the big drama of 80s music. This album succeeds on all those fronts, and most of the songs are solid, but I find this to be a genre with a ceiling. Even though it's well-executed, I don't think it's worth another listen.
Having heard this album described as an exemplar of 60s psychedelia, I was expecting some more... psychedelic. White Rabbit and a couple more tracks definitely are trippy, but the rest is different shades of blues and twangy, mellow 60s rock, like the Yardbirds or Tommy James and the Shondells. It's pretty good stuff, honestly, a relaxing and ear-catching album with a couple of crazy songs that jump out and grab you.
My initial reaction, sustained throught the album:
Your high school friend has this band he keeps talking about, who you havan't heard much but they sound kind of loud. He keeps saying they want to play concerts so you bug your mom into hiring them to play at your backyard graduation party. The band comes and it turns out they don't suck! The singer stays on key, the guitarist has some legitimate licks, the drummer is a bit nuts but fun to listen to, and they don't try to hide their flaws by turning everything to 11. But there's also the random rhythm changes, long guitar solos that meander to nowhere, and chaotic drum fills that high school garage bands with counter-cultural aspirations always indulge in. So you don't mind when they're done. Then you find out your sister recorded it on cassette, and that's what we're hearing now.
Then I read all the comments about this being the original (proto-)heavy metal album. I can... kind of see that? They do sound sort of like heavier versions of Cream and Jimi Hendrix, and I can respect that Blue Cheer pushed their sound heavier than anyone else at the time. But Blue Cheer doesn't have the songs or the focus of those other great artists, nor the metal that followed.
Funny how time changes perception. I used to agree that this was one of the most creative and groundbreaking albums of all time, and that made it a masterpiece. Now I'm not so sure about the masterpiece part, although it remains incredibly original and genre-breaking.
Listening to the Beatles' whole catalog straight through, it's obvious that they became better and better songwriters. At the same time, their albums become less and less coherent products of a band, and more collections of songs by individuals working independently. Sgt Pepper is the album where the coherent band starts to come apart. Lots of good and original songs, but as an album it's kind of broad and random. Good on the Beatles for doing whatever they wanted, but they don't effectively tie it together, the whole Sgt Pepper conceit notwithstanding.
I can respect that this album is creative, richly sourced, thoughtfully crafted, and Kendrick Lamar has lots to say. I liked the conversations at the end of the last two tracks -- reflective, open.
But if this is the cream of '10's hip-hop, then I just can't get into this whole genre, period.
The strength of this album is a couple of soaring songs -- Take On Me and Hunting High and Low. The downside is that it's so steeped in the sound of its time. By the end it's an overdose of 80s synthpop.
But there was always more to a-ha than Take On Me. Here and there an acoustic guitar or actual drums break through, enriching the sound. Similarly, there are a couple interesting songs beyond the big singles, Train of Thought in particular, where the lyrics are more distinctive. Hints of the growth the band would exhibit on future albums.
I'm a big fan of a few later Tracy Chapman albums, so it was illuminating to return to this one, which i hadn't listened to in probably 30 years. My biggest impression: she already had it on her first album. Songs with sharp lyrics, very singable tunes, quality arrangements that don't get in the way of her words. What a great singer and songwriter.
