Enjoying the chilled nature of the album so far. Wasn't a fan of the opening track but interesting harmonies and compositions. A soothing vibe to a lot of the tracks and I've been drawn in for the most part.
I can hear heavy pop elements mixed with some punk influences. The simplicity of a lot of the guitar work (not in a negative way) reminds me of punk. The bass work is great and that stood out to me. There are a few interesting riffs and even a time signature shift in "This Town". Upbeat pop/punk elements all through. At times I felt the album didn't switch things up too much but was a relatively enjoyable listen.
An interesting band albeit not my usual type of thing. I enjoyed quite a few songs here (Sprawl I and II, Half Light I and II, Suburban War to name some) but some just didn't quite hit the mark for me. They're a talented group (having seen them live I can confirm) but not always up my street.
Love the energy on this album. I know very little about this band aside from the obvious songs, but all members seem to stand out. Great guitar work, but the bass and drums are so on point driving each track.
For me this was an album of 2 parts, some tracks I thought were brilliant and some not so good. The middle section of the album had a great run of songs - Brainwashed, Australia, Shangri-La. Musically these are really interesting and I loved the energy they put forward in almost chaotic fashion. It was a stark stylistic contrast to some other songs like Yes Sir, No Sir and Some Mother's Son. Great performances and musicianship from all members.
I wouldn't say I'm a huge blues fan but I love it when it's done well, and there aren't many better than BB King. Just through listening to this live album (60 years after it happened) it's like a time capsule. I can picture BB and his band in an intimate venue (sounds intimate to me) just effortlessly hitting everything on point. BB's voice is incredible and when he wants to shout man is it effective, and LOUD. He has a natural charisma and is just a born entertainer. How Blue Can You Get, Worry Worry, You Upset Me Baby are highlights for me.
Admittedly I've never been much of a Coldplay fan, but went into the album with an open mind. There were a few okay tracks here, Shiver has some interesting parts (Guitar/drums) and I found Spies and Trouble more listenable. Personally I just can't quite get into Chris Martin's vocals, I generally can enjoy higher pitches but the falsetto just doesn't hit home for me and it is used a LOT. I couldn't vibe with the moody feeling that seemed to run through every song. They're obviously good musicians/songwriters, there's just something missing for me.
I'm pretty open minded when it comes to music, but this was virtually unlistenable. There was no discernable melody throughout the entire album, just...noises. Sounded like a Hitler rally over heavy, repetitive drum banging and random sounds (drills, metal clangs). Not one track actually sounded like a song in any sense. I had Coldplay yesterday (who I'm not a fan of) and I'd take a thousand Coldplay over this. If I could rate 0 stars I would.
I had a feeling this one would be good and it didn't disappoint. Peak musicianship all round with a clear message being sent, which feels very important and relevant for the time, and somehow still feels relevant today. The title track is great, and I loved the guitar and bass throughout. Pleasantly surprised by the extended instrumental of Sex Machine - that was a whole vibe.
Well this album has blown me away. For context I'm age 32 and do love a lot of older music. The musicianship is simply outstanding. The dynamics of so many of the tracks here, never quite knowing where it's going to go. And goes without saying Janis Joplin shines here. I'll admit I hadn't heard much of Joplin (or hadn't heard of this group) but everything here is up my street. The drums are thunderous and keep a ridiculous pace, the bass is solid and shines in its own right with freedom and creativity. The guitars speak for themselves, wailing solos mixed with pure emotion. "Summertime" is haunting and stunning at the same time.
Perhaps it's just not the genre for me, but I found this repetitive to the point of insanity. I can see the appeal from a clubbing standpoint, but otherwise it just grated on me. Rockefeller Skank and Praise You I was familiar with, but felt a lot of the songs were just too long with not enough to keep it interesting.
I found this difficult to really get into. I will say some of the music was cool (like on Ladybird and League of Bald-Headed Men) but something about the vocal delivery just put me off. I can see it's an acquired taste. Lyrically it was interesting at times, with the lyrics being what appeared as half poetry/half ramblings. Though I got the sense there's some meanings somewhere when I was reading some of the words.
I imagine for fans of Cash this album is probably the holy grail. The problem is I'm not a huge fan, it's just not my thing for the most part. To me, a lot of the songs sounded samey and I felt not much to differentiate between them. I will say that Cash has a good way with lyrics and storytelling in his songs - often with a kind of gallows humour. Cocaine Blues, 25 Minutes To Go, Give My Love to Rose are ones I liked more. Also his version of Green Green Grass of Home was a nice surprise.
I'd never heard of this group but was pleasantly surprised by the album here. I expected a generic pop/soft rock sound from the start but was intrigued by some of the interesting melodies and quite stunning vocal harmonies. I Don't Love You Anymore is a standout, and I didn’t expect the upbeat harder sound of You Better Run. A Place in the Sun caps off the back end of the album very nicely. It was a very enjoyable listen and I'll definitely listen through again. If I could give 3.5 I would but will stick with 3 as a first listen not all songs grabbed me, but further listens may change this.
For fans of the genre this is probably a great album and I can see it was well received when released. However it just isn't for me, not much for me to like here, a couple of tracks were okay but that's it really.
The guy is obviously a proficient sitar player but I found this difficult to get through. There wasn't enough musically keeping me interested here, there's a 13 minute song (which isn't a problem - I've heard longer) that barely changes up at all. To me a lot of it was random twangs of the sitar just constant, and it did grate on me after a while.
This is my second 5 star album so far - I, like a lot of people, only knew of Jeff Buckley through his cover of Hallelujah and nothing else. So naturally I was completely taken off guard by this album and the style it went in. To be honest it blew me away and I loved basically every track here. Jeff's voice is insanely good with a massive range, and the songwriting is very raw and open. I certainly wasn't expecting a lot of the alt rock sounds and even heavier sounds sometimes. It really embodies some of that 90s alt/even grungey style at times. I read that he is an influence on Matt Bellamy of Muse, and Radiohead, and I can definitely hear that. This was a fantastic album that took me by surprise, in a good way.
This album is just a big ball of energy. Youthful punk rock at it's purest. I'm not a big punk fan by any means but found myself enjoying more of this album than I expected. Most songs didn't deviate very much from the same formula but it had some more interesting moments, including a surprising 7 minute track with "Moving Away From the Pulsebeat". I enjoyed the frantic pace of lots of the tracks here, props to the drummer and the bass player who I found shone through lots.
The style here isn't really my thing though I always try to look at positives, in that Nanci does have a good voice and seems to be a good songwriter. There were some very nice harmonies and a lot of softer moments. Overall as I said just not quite for me.
The first album I've been given that I have heard before! It's a great one, I'd say probably just shy of the debut but still shows everything you need to see from Hendrix. One of my favourite songs is "Castles Made of Sand". There's such a vibe on this song, and a huge reason I like Hendrix is his riffs not just the flashier lead stuff. "If 6 was 9" is full of psychedelic weirdness and I'll give props to the drummer too who really lends into this sound and can have flurries of franticness where needed.
I mean what more can be said, this is the definition of a classic album. Basically every track is a hit, and the album contains most of the biggest hits Meat Loaf ever released. This is really Meat Loaf/Jim Steinman at their absolute best - nothing out of place, in all it's over the top drama and glory. An absolute rock staple, and simply a must listen album. Aside from the title track - my personal favourites are You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth and All Revved Up With No Place To Go.
I guess it just isn't my style, but I couldn't enjoy this album at all. Firstly I will say, in general country isn't my thing at all, however I like to try and always remain open minded. I felt too many of the songs here just droned on for my liking and I was just waiting for it to end.
Though I'm not into this sort of thing in general, there were a couple of things that surprised me. Some songs were very long in length which (I presume) isn't that common for this sort of electronic music but maybe I'm wrong. I also liked how some songs blended into one another. However there just wasn't exactly enough to keep me too interested.
As a huge Pink Floyd fan - a 5 star rating here is a no brainer. This album is pretty much flawless, iconic, and the band are masters at expressing emotion musically and lyrically. Designed to make you feel, think, question. I believe everyone should hear this album once (even if they don't end up liking it that's fine we all have different tastes, but it should be listened to). The production is utterly sublime, all the added layers and extra effects; talking, laughing, to be a fly on the wall during the recording sessions. I could go on all day. Simply a masterpiece.
So I've listened to some rap/hip-hop but not a lot, I'd heard a lot about 2pac so was interested as to what this would be like. One thing I expected was a more thoughtful lyrical approach and this is definitely the case here. Not the generic "pussy, bitches, money, drugs" themes. Though these themes are present and referenced, it's often from a different perspective. You feel a more personal telling of how one gets into this life and the social political issues that go along with it. As someone not from USA (I'm from UK) and a white man, I'm far removed from lots of the topics here from a personal standpoint, other than what I know through other media and just what I've heard. He gives a different outlook than usual talking about senseless killing and preaching more respect. Musically I found it enjoyable too, great beats and hooks throughout that never really felt too repetitive.
I've seen a couple of reviews here mentioning what type of person 2pac appears to be through various incidents. I'll do my research into this and generally do my best to separate the art from the artist. I'll judge the albums musically and lyrically on their own merit - not based on who wrote it.
I'm surprised to see so many low reviews. I went into this album only knowing Money's Too Tight To Mention, and Holding Back the Years (which is an incredible track). Mick Hucknall's voice is absolutely phenomenal, he has a lot of grit that he leans into on a lot of tracks here, but it's those famous high wails that really hit the mark and showcase his talent. The accompanying music is filled with great moments too perfectly fitting the vibe of each song.
This is quite a task to get through - almost 3 hours is a bit much. A very bloated album (or 3 albums really). I'll applaud that it's a hell of a bold move releasing all of these songs on one record. There were some songs throughout that I liked but the songs seemed to just merge into one after a while. Not enough variety for me to fully enjoy the whole thing. It was refreshing when they changed the vocalist now and again, I just wish it was more often as I found the main singer's voice starting to wear thin at times.
A great thing about this challenge is being given things I never would have listened to before. I was skeptical about this but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great musicianship on display and something I'll definitely listen to again.
It took me a while to get into this album but the style did grow on me throughout. I'm not usually a fan of the repetition that can come with electronic groups - but I'll admit there were a few tracks at the end that grabbed me like Us V Them, Watch the Tapes, and a great final track in New York, I Love You.
It's easy to see why this is considered a classic AC/DC album, it's pretty much all killer no filler. I know a good amount of songs from these, having been into rock music for over half my life, but never listened to a full album by them. There's a few surprises I've really enjoyed like Walk All Over You, and the high energy Beat Around the Bush which has some killer riffs. They've been called "one trick pony" in terms of their formula but it works.
Pearl Jam are a band of legendary status that I admit I haven't heard too much of. I love how raw Eddie Vedder's vocals are here, the screaming just hits home. His voice is filled with anguish and real emotion. The guitar work is very good here, there's some intricate riffs phenomenal lead work - the outro to "Alive" is really something else. The energy this band puts out is palpable, really heavy hard hitting stuff. This is a great well structured record and stands the test of.time.
Easiest 5 star so far (not including albums on here that I already knew and loved). Obviously I've heard a whole lot of The Beatles in my life, I've never listened to this album in its entirety. I was working my way through The Beatles back catalogue not long before starting this challenge.
I already knew several songs on the album, my previous favourite and may still be is "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". As a big metal fan, it's like I'm hearing some of those elements from The Beatles which is just fantastic. The whole album was just a big trip and the huge medley of connecting songs at the back end is one of the best things I've heard on record.
I instantly want to buy this on vinyl and probably will very soon.
I now have a new favourite album. Thank you Beatles !
I had no expectations having never heard of this band before. I thoroughly enjoyed this, just a super funky/soul filled/almost psychedelic ride. Amazing musicianship (the bass grabbed my attention constantly). I liked the first 2 songs, but after hearing City, Country, City the rest of the album fired on all cylinders and delivered such a mix of energy and passion that it's basically impossible not to like it.
It's a yes from me
For a long time I sort of dismissed Nirvana, never really "got" them and was fed up of hearing Smells Like Teen Spirit. So it goes without saying I'd never listened to this album in full, even though it is one of the most famous rock albums with the iconic, instantly recognisable cover. I have to say this album thoroughly surprised and impressed me. The first 5 songs contain 4 of their biggest hits which are still very good regardless of being heard a lot. The rest of the record really kicked things into gear and was a lot heavier than I expected, both musically and lyrically. "Breed" and "Territorial Pissings" are straight up bangers and brought an energy I didn't quite expect. The same goes for "Lounge Act" and "Stay Away" another two favourites of mine. Couple that with the slower "Polly" and haunting "Something In The Way", this is a complete record start to finish.
I am a big fan of Bowie and have listened through all his albums in the past. I personally wouldn't say that this is his best by any means. There are some songs I like. The title track isn't bad, I quite like "Win" "Somebody Up There Likes Me" and "Fascination" and can applaud Bowie for trying different things. I'll stand by that no two albums by this man sound the same which is a feat in itself over such a long career.
Negatives for me are "Fame" which I think is generally an awful track and wildly repetitive. There's something missing on his cover of "Across the Universe" too which I can't put my finger on, perhaps just the style he chose to do it in. Though I will say that's not an easy task to cover that song. Some songs don't quite land and feel like he didn't know where he was going with them.
3 stars as I still enjoy a few tracks here.
