Punk rock album which starts off particularly strong with "See No Evil". The title track, Marquee Moon, is the nucleus of the whole album, and while fine drags on a little bit too much for my liking. While the vocals are not particularly enjoyable, with the comical background sounds and the whine/drone from Verlaine, it is saved by lively guitar parts and relatively fun melodies. Chief example of this is "Venus" which is one of the stronger tracks on the album by the 'huh's.
Solid album.
The Gorillaz self-titled debut album incorporates an eclectic mix of influences ranging from rap/dub/electronic to Latin rock. At times, this combination can make the album feel confused, and it lacks the drive and 'kick' of later albums "Demon Days" and perhaps "Plastic Beach". While it did not feel like a complete slog to get through, its hour-long length is certainly felt, and is not aided by weak tracks scattered throughout, including the opener "Re-Hash". Of course, this does not stop it from having fun songs such as the hits "Clint Eastwood" and "19-2000", and “Latin Simone” is a fun Latin rock tune.
This is a solid Talking Heads (punk pop?) album, made famous by the hit "Pyscho Killer". While that song is by far the best track on the record, the rest of the album is itself far from subpar. The music and arrangements are generally clean and fun, and the 38 minute run time did not feel like a complete slog to get through. This is not quite my cup of tea; I've never liked David Byrne's vocals, and some of the lyrical choices are strange, but as their debut album goes it is fairly good.
Key Songs: "Psycho Killer", "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town"
From the instrumentals of "Embryonic Journey", to the ballad of "Comin Back to Me", to the Alice in Wonderland inspired “White Rabbit”, this album combines a variety of instruments and a variety of moods to set into a series of neatly arranged and easy to listen to tracks. At times, it is Byrds folk rock, The Mamas and the Papas vocal harmonies, and Beatles psychedelica. True, it may be argued that it thus suffers from a lack of signature sound, particularly in the saturated sonic folk rock scene of the 1960s. Yet where it lacks in "originality" in terms of sound and performance, it more than makes up for it through a series of catchy melodies and memorable songs. Easily a no-skip album, and well worth a listen to.
Tommy is a concept album telling the story of a disabled boy called, suprise suprise, Tommy. While the idea of the album is interesting, its 24 song, 1 hour 14 minute long length is perhaps too long for a mediocre rock opera. It is not bad, and has standout tracks such as "Overture", but the overall sounds feels repetitive and a little dry, with key features including vocal harmonies and drums front and centre. For a band with such a glorified history as "The Who", it is doubtless a little underwhelming.
I'm not really sure what to say about this one. I was familiar with "Walking on the Moon" and "Message in a Bottle" already, and while the rest of the album has a similar vibe (reggae/rock ish) it felt like it was missing an element of something. The playing was good, especially the drum parts and guitar riffs, but overall it was solid but unspectacular.
Quite frankly, this album is a soul and R&B masterpiece. Aretha's incredible vocal range and ability are expressed in a way that does not seem like over singing; righteous flamboyance, if you will. The instruments and background vocalists accompanying her voice are well arranged and support her voice well, and the rhythm and melodic elements of the album as a whole are very nicely put together. Moreover, the songs are all distinguishable and great in their own individual ways. A classic, and no skips on this one.
Key Songs: "Ain't No Way", "People Get Ready", "Good to Me as I am to You"; but take your pick honestly
I must admit that this album has the unfortunate distinction of being quite familiar to me before I reviewed it for the list. As a result, some of the songs had lost its 'freshness' in a way, such as "O Children" which I have thought of as overplayed. Yet Cave's sound and themes are arguably an acquired taste, and it benefits from familiarity in that sense. Resultantly, it would have been hard to be objective when determining the LP's merits, but luckily I am ranking on my personal enjoyment anyway.
The production makes good use of backing choirs and an organ/synth, giving it churchy vibes in a sense, all of which are arranged well. Cave's snarling vocals are once again in the forefront, and provide a nice contrast to the aforementioned gospel sounds, while simultaneously being complimentary to it.
There are clear shifts in mood from the mellow introspections of "Cannibal's Hymns" to the lively, punchy "Breathless". Generally, the former are found on the first side of the album, and vice versa. Yet, the passion behind the music pierces clearly through the contrasting moods, and it never feels confused re purpose and theme.
A great album.
With a driving rhythm section, strange lyrical topics and a screeching lead singer, this album is certainly interesting. It's not bad by any stretch, and has some memorable melodies, even if the sound does get a bit repetitive at times. But it is energetic, and relatively catchy, and I can see it's appeal to 70s hard rock enjoyers. Would I actively listen to it? No. But I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the radio.
As the title and the name of the album suggest, this record features a lot of bongos. However, it is also full of relatively catchy instrumentals and guitar riffs in particular. While not spectacular, the concept is interesting.
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a lengthy album spanning many genres. It starts off particularly strong with a series of hits both energetic and reflective, including the 11-minute epic 'Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding'. Yet despite the varieties of sound present in the album, it is heavily top-loaded and feels overstuffed towards the end, and it is not unlikely that as a whole it would have been stronger without many of the later tracks. Further, the songs at the start while good feel more like a compilation of greatest hits, rather than a collective album. Although the musicality is great, it suffers from the sense of lethargy permeated its later tracks.
"Dummy" is probably best described as depressed hip-hop. It has elements of electronica, and hip hop techniques such as the use of loops, but also regular instruments and organs. Such elements seem to fill in a sense of silence or darkness present in the background of each track. The mood of the album is generally quite sombre, not quite "monotone" but some of the songs do sounds quite similar. An interesting album, probably not quite my taste, but listenable.
Apart from the first song 'Exp', which is a peculiar interview with dizzying background music, Hendrix's second album is a blues/rock masterpiece. On the whole, loose, free-flowing melodies, combined with Hendrix's judicious use of wah-wah and phase pedals, create a semi-wild experience. Along with well known hits "Little Wing" and "Castles Made of Sand", the album is also stacked with less known, but just as good numbers, such as "Ain't No Telling" and "She's So Fine". Overall, a beautiful composition packed with consistent, catchy tunes.
Slipknot's self-titled album is resolutely simple and uncomplicated - angry, raw and with a lot of drums. Good for what it is ("hate" fuelled metal), but not good if you don't enjoy this type of music.
"Odyssey and Oracle" is lavish baroque chamber-pop, with singing storytelling fused with Beach Boys-esque harmonies. Thematically, it conveys typical psypsychedelic landscapes of freedom, imagination, and memory, ranging from the reminiscent tones of "Beachwood Park" and ascendant harmonies of "Brief Candles" to the chorals and modulations of opener "Care of Cell 44". The melodies, harmonies and instrumentals all combine together beautifully to tonally create an unmistakeable, melancholic feel, hearkening back to a time perhaps unfamiliar to the listener. A great album, no skips on it.
Key Songs: "This Will be Our Year", "Beachwood Park", "Time of the Season"
Although much of the album revolves around themes of death and mortality, make no mistake - this album is largely upbeat and energetic. Bold and experimental, the album has an indie-rock vibe, featuring choral vocals and lively guitar riffs, but also the strings, horns and xylophones of Baroque-pop. Such a mix of instruments results in a continuous sound - there is a lot going on, all the time. Yet, while loud, it still manages to be reflective. It has been said that the band experienced much personal loss during the making of the track. But rare among rock records, particularly during the garage rock era of the early 2000s, the album subtly captures the band's more melancholic emotions.
The Libertines' self-titled album is a very 2000s-esque brit-rock record, much akin to The Strokes or The Kooks. Yet underlying each track, even the more melodically cheerful, is the sense of conflict simmering within the band. It manifests itself in aggressively played guitar and fiery duets, but also in the dynamic changes of the softer songs. This is a record not particularly inventive or experimental, but still holds up well amongst the pantheon of other garage rock bands.
Boards of Canada's breakthrough album possesses a haunting ambience to go with wordless electronica. It is of a similar vein to Portishead and other electronic bands of its time in shunning dance beats in favour of downtempo psychedelia. On the surface, it is an album that is repetitive and lacks clear melody. But this is an LP that comes to life when wearing headphones, which allows the listener to pickup the more subtle elements of the sound. And where this album lacks in shifting tones and lyrics, it makes up for in creativity and imagination in terms of production technique and "instruments". Granted, it is not the easiest listen, and requires some concentration and a certain mood to enjoy it. But its is something new and unlike most other music, and on the whole the band pulls off the sound well.
"Channel Orange" mixes free-form flow with soul-like singing, and the usual background harmonies of modern pop-soul/funk. The production quality is great, with the arrangements generally quite stripped back, as common in the genre, without big shifts in tempo or timbre. The feel of the album is quite ambient, and attempts to be reflective, but is limited by the flow between the songs being a bit lacking or disjointed.
The album feels like mundane synthpop. In a way, it sort of encapsulates my general dislike of 80s pop - monotonous chord progressions, repetitive melodies, the same beat on everything. On top of it, the singing sounds like a parody of MJ and Prince.
As a massive Bill Evans fan, I am admittedly a little biased with this one. Like most jazz albums I don't fully understand musically, what is going on, but I do know it sure sounds good.
It combines exploratory bass lines, which deviate from the established walking bassline trends of the time, with intricate drum fills and introspective piano playing. Further, multiple takes of most songs allow the listener to consider different interpretations of the same theme. A great listen, and a great tribute to LaFaro, who died ten days after this was recorded.
trademark galloping bass
production wise, feels a lot rawer and more dirty than a normal iron maiden record
the singing doesn't feel as enthusiastic as later records (i think that's a good thing)
distinctive guitar solos, played quickly
doesn't feel like heavy metal, more like early prog rock
terrible cover art though
surprisingly diverse songs (e.g. remember tomorrow v prowler)
"Exodus" is THE reggae album. Featuring overt political messaging alongside themes of love, it is also characterised by its generally laid back vibe, relaxed singing and pulsating bass. Essentially it makes you think of the beach. Apart from its great and consistent rhythm section, the album contains generally catchy tunes. Yet do not mistakes this for a perfect album. Some of the songs are a bit bloated in length, and the sound does not really change a lot from track to track. But the sound is great, and it deserves its status as an icon.
A collection of instrumentals, not particularly bad, nor particularly good. Each track is consistent, and there are no bad tunes, but apart from the title track none of them really stand out. Instead, the thing that stands out most is the organ.
I don't particularly see the appeal?
too long
i find the singing kinda annoying
