A lesser version of what its predecessors were doing, what its contemporaries were doing, and what future bands inspired by this album were doing. None of the elements come together for a satisfying album.
Favorite track: Burning Wheel
Least favorite track: Kowalski
not adding to collection
It's a shame about basically everything that happened after this album, and in retrospect you can kinda hear some of the things in her performance that would pop up later in that MTV Unplugged performance. The interstitials disrupt the album's flow. Rating on this one could fluctuate depending on the day honestly but after sitting with it for a while I feel ok with where I landed. (It's also hard to not side-eye some lyrics knowing "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)" exists but)
favorite track: Forgive Them Father
already in collection
Absolutely a scenario where I rate this five stars but I think I settled on a four. Nearly perfect album, loved every track on it. I avoided anyone involved with Odd Future forever because Tyler is not a good dude and unfortunately that kept me from Frank Ocean. Plan to listen to this one a lot more. good enough that you're even willing to ignore John Mayer shows up
Favorite track: Super Rich Kids, Pyramids, Sweet Life, all of them really
added to collection
Another four that could have been a five on a different day. This was another minor blind spot for me - I knew the reputation, and I knew a lot of artists I like a lot cited him as an inspiration, but I probably wouldn't have gotten to this without some kind of outside impetus. I can see the throughline from here to things like AFI, Abandoned Pools, Silversun Pickups, Beabadoobee, the glut of indie sad boys, and a bunch of other artists in entirely different genres.
There's probably not a bad track on the album but Everything Means Nothing To Me just kind of breezes away, and Lost And Found (Honky Bach) makes an argument I'm receptive to.
added to collection
The album suffered for listening to it after catching up with the previous day's album, and I'm factoring that in here because I was leaning more to a three than a four on first listen.
On my first listen I was disappointed that none of the songs hit as hard as Criminal. (I still sort of feel that way.) The second listen made me realize that Criminal was the star of the show in visible, obvious ways but there were parts of other songs that hit me just as hard in subtler ways.
added to collection
I thought for sure I'd be the one in the group rating this highest. It's a vibe I love in one of my favorite genres but it never comes together for me beyond something pleasant to have in the background or something to write to.
(I think my problem is that it's firmly in the shoegaze zone for goth bands, not my favorite kind of goth music, and I'm probably being pickier than I should because it's a genre I know and like so well? and maybe I'd rate it higher on a different day too. oh well.)
this would be a 5 if it were just the instrumental tracks
(I am probably not being fair to this album)
undecided about adding to collection
The Temptations are delightful and I could listen to these harmonies all day, but the album’s carried by Papa Was A Rollin Stone.
The last six albums have all been slower indie bands and it was so nice to hear something with real bass in it.
Already in collection
hell yeah man
(the singles are the standout on this one, which is a shame, but I had a good time the whole way through)
if every song they made was like Lovesong they would a) just be The Mission* b) maybe I would like them
but instead they were the band that taught me not every cool influential goth thing people talked about was good and sometimes waiting for a song to download on limewire ended in disappointment
not adding to collection
* this is my official petition to add Masque to this list instead of Disintegration. thank you.
this originally had something meaner but I felt bad about it. this feels like it should be for me but it super isn't.
the only beck I recognize is the mongolian chop squad
not adding to collection
It's fine. Not my favorite of their albums, but it's fine. They're stuck in this weird kind of place between the delightful dreariness of Dead Can Dance or Nick Cave and the fun goth rock The Cult would be doing a couple years later. Mostly it feels awkward and I always liked them better in their poppier Killing Moon / Lips Like Sugar groove than this one.
Anyway, it's fine.
already in collection
now this is fantastic - I never would have listened to this without some kind of prodding and it was great. Exactly the kind of experience I wanted from this site
Will I listen to it a lot? maybe not? but it was a pleasant way to spend 45 minutes or so. gave me fond memories of seeing big band performances on an old CRT when I'd stay up too late at my great aunt's house. could see throwing this on in the background when I'm cooking or cleaning or working on something.
is it like, by my usual standards, a four after I sit with it a while? probably not. it sure felt like a four while I was listening to it though and I'll gladly award an ephemeral four.
adding to collection
I don't think this is bad necessarily. There's a road less traveled where I'm a huge fan of this, it hit at the right formative moment, and I got super into it instead of A Perfect Circle or the Crüxshadows or another similar band that took a different left turn on this album's path.
It's a three but I really, really hated every second of the 10:06 in Svefn-g-englar.
Fun times. I don't know that I'd listen to it again, I'm not a huge blues person, but Mannish Boy nearly had me shouting along with the Yeahs in the background.
It's really getting a four more for appreciation of the craftsmanship and the artist than how much I personally, subjectively liked it, but I can live with that. (Also didn't know about the Johnny Winter connection and late career revival. Neat!)
probably not adding to collection but might listen to it down the road
I feel like I owe U2 an apology but I refuse to allow Bono in the room while I deliver it
already in collection (but had not listened past the singles)
I recognize this is more a failure of approaching a foundational work with the knowledge of what will come next, how people took what was original and expanded on it or altered it, and I'd ideally approach this album in a vacuum.
But I don't like the folksy rock that spawned from this so I'm not loving this either. I think it's fine, but I know it leads to things like Clapton, Eagles, the less good parts of anyone involved in Crosby Stills Nash (sometimes) Young, so on. I'm also never going to get that excited about something with this much Dylan in it but at least he's not singing
2 or 3, won't be sure until it's time actually time to rate it.
not adding to collection (but might revisit it later)
I think this is really neat! I mostly don't want to listen to it but it's neat
I think it's a better in the background album than a sit with headphones kind of album, mostly, but I also don't think it entirely comes together. I want more of something *like* this but not quite this.
After sitting with it for a night I decided to bump it to a three. I really feel like there's something here that I'm just not getting and I know some albums suffer from the once a day format here.
added to collection, but mostly because I'm hoping it grows on me one day
eleanor rigby is arguably the only good mccartney song but I'm open to also including carry that weight
the rest of the songs range from unlistenable (yellow submarine) to kind of forgettable (almost everything else)
I want to rate this five for Hide In Your Shell alone, Supertramp’s best song and one of my favorite songs in general.
already in collection
At first I thought this was a pleasant nothing of an experience, complimentary. Atmosphere music to leave on in the background and enjoy the vibe. Then Hang On To Your Love grabbed my attention and I started listening actively. Great album, Sade sounds amazing, and even if it's sometimes understated the bass and piano and saxophone are doing some great work here.
added to collection
Talented musicians, and also Sting, who can feel free to continue not making music together. I never want to hear On Any Other Day and its tween-Offspring-cover-band ass, sub-Camper van Beethoven sounds again.
not adding to collection
someone please rescue those poor synthesizers and give them to people who can treat them better
there are some amazing bass lines wasted on some of the most obnoxious songs you’ll ever hear
paul mccartney shouldn’t be allowed to write lyrics. morally or legally
helen wheels is an atrocity, like some kind of experiment to find out what happens when you drain all the charm and talent out of a Joe Walsh song
it’s annoying because I think mccartney has a wonderful voice that excels in harmonies but I also think when he does music it is a crime
band on the run is an entire album of songs that should sound pretty but are instead irritating in ways they didn’t have to be
there's a band called The Hunger. they had one real hit ("Vanishing Cream") and only one CD I ever spent any real time with (Devil Thumbs a Ride). they aren't what I'd call essential listening and I wouldn't think of them right away for my favorite music, but I've got a fondness for that album that is maybe disproportionate to its actual impact. these are honestly some of my favorite kinds of bands.
That's what this album feels like. I like it! it's neat! I do not understand why the beta band has two albums on this list.
"separate the art from the artist" is the understanding of a child. it posits art as this magical thing that exists independent of the person or people who created it. it's an intellectual dead end and the act of a coward. I respect people who cut these tainted elements out of their life and people who sit with the struggle of accepting someone who made good art is a shit person equally, but I will never respect a "separate the art from the artist" person. if you think this album is great it's because it is so identifiably of and about the artist.
my appreciation for this album exists, has to exist, in the knowledge of the person kanye was (not great!) and is (so much worse!).
unfortunately, this is a great album weighed down by the godawful Chris Rock skit during Blame Game. and Rick Ross being on it. and with the current knowledge that the kanye making this music will eventually become a nazi, a trump supporter (redundant), and someone who clearly needed someone who cares about him to intervene a long time ago.
there isn't a weak track on the entire album and Lost in the World / Who Will Survive in America is one of the greatest album closers in music.
Call this a low three, was nearly a high two. I liked it more than I expected but my expectations were rock bottom.
I’m just never going to like metal that much - my tolerance for it ends at something like Type O Negative or Lacuna Coil. The second I get those gruff manly man yells I lose interest and wander away. Enjoyed the parts of it that were more melodic and tuned out any time it sounded like Walk.
it's not bad but it's not very good either
It's weird but not in an interesting or experimental way. A lot of repetition, elements that never quite come together, and a lot of repetition.
was leaning toward a generous 2 before I heard giggy smile
I like the music but I have discovered I do not particularly like the sound of Bowie’s voice. Purposely ignoring the whole persona thing because I think it would encourage me to rate the album lower.
not adding to collection
I can understand why people wouldn't like this and I think the things they'd dislike are part of why I enjoyed it.
there are days and moods where this is probably a four instead of a high three (and it might be a four when I actually have to rate this, I like to keep myself guessing). I know it's sacrilege but I really do like what came after her better - that sort of Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Poe kind of era, I guess - but I love the guitar and piano here. and the dulcimer.
added to collection
it's fine. I'd jump the score up an entire point if there were no vocal tracks.
probably not adding to collection
I'm sure they are having fun playing their instruments together but nah
that said I was prepared to hate this and I didn't entirely. it was a fine, if sometimes tedious, way to spend a little over an hour. (I can't really complain about "Feedback" like everyone else because I have listened to too many type o negative albums and that would make me a hypocrite)
not adding to collection
I don't mind giving a messy album a high rating as long as it's interesting
this isn't interesting. critics got it right the first time.
it's like a 5 and a 1 made an album together
even if we ignore the misogyny and homophobia and so on: some real highs and some awful lows, sometimes even within the same song. probably 20 minutes longer than it needs to be. the good parts are so good though.
call it a parabolic 3, on the low end.
