The first half of the album was really strong and I enjoyed it immensely. It's the kind of music you want playing on a record player while you just do your own thing. I'm tempted to buy the vinyl. However, I kind of fell off a bit in the second half. I just didn't like the sound nearly as much. Still, I think it was a really strong album.
This was the first album where I already really enjoyed a song that was on it, so I had some sort of expectation. I was hoping for more songs like "Running Up That Hill" and I think the album really delivered in that way. Kate Bush has a very haunting voice that works well for what she was trying to do. I think the music had variety to it but was still unique, and I can see this having had an influence on modern music. It seems kind of proto-florence and the machine to me in a way I enjoyed. I didn't love every song on the album. But I overall thought it was very solid and well done, and offered a sound that was both unique and powerful.
I was not into this one. The Humpty Dance totally caught me off guard, and it kind of irked me. The context that this album is meant to be commentary/a satirical concept album is very important, because I didn't know that until after the fact and was a little disgusted. That being said, I do think it's well-made and a good example of hip-hop/funk. But I couldn't get into the actual music, and I was really not into the song where a woman was moaning in the background the whole time. I don't think this album aged particularly well.
I did like that they had some fun concepts, like Underground Rimes and the gutfest song that started with a commentator/announcer.
For some reason, I don't feel I have much to say about this one. I can see how it was formative--the sound is very much underground rock and roll--but it just didn't resonate with me. None of the songs particularly stuck out to me, except for "My Friend Goo," which I really just wasn't a fan of. I think the songs blended together a bit too much for my taste. Overall not bad, but not for me.
Not only did I like this album, but I loved it so much that after I finished it, I immediately put on the "Hotel California" album, listened to all of that one, and then came back and listened to about half of this one again. It starts off really strong with "Take it Easy," which is just a chill, feel-good rock song. The rest of the songs are strong on their own but also work together as an album. Nothing felt weak. Everything felt intentional. There was variety in the music but a consistency throughout. Everything seemed to fit. An easy 5 stars for me.
I'll admit I was a little scared when I saw the album was made up of only four fifteen-minute songs. I have never heard of Fela and had no idea what to expect. But overall, I was into it! I definitely think "Zombie" was the strongest of the album, and each song lost a little bit of momentum for me. At first I thought it was all instrumental, and I was apprehensive about the idea of vocals coming in because I liked the instrumentals so much, but I think the vocals worked really well and didn't take away from the music. The sax solos go HARD. Not something I ever would have picked up on my own, but I'm happy to have listened to it.
I think the first half of the album was stronger than the second half. It had more variety and energy to it. Still, I think overall it was a solid album. She does a good job of mixing heavier topics with easier listening. The content of a lot of the songs was sad, but it didn't sound like sad music. Chapman has a lovely voice, too.
There's a lot I liked about this album. Funky beats and good vocals. I think it started off really strong. However, I think it fell into the pattern that a lot of albums have fallen into: it starts out high energy, slows down, and never picks back up. I think even moving "Run Charlie Run" to the end could have made this album more cohesive. I just wanted something that packed more of a punch at the end to round everything else out.
I'd give it a 4 too! I thought it did a good job keeping its momentum up throughout, and it was the first album where I knew the last song but not the first. I liked the country/rock blend and liked his voice and the instrumentals. I cant see myself seeking it out again, but I did enjoy it for what it was.
I had to start and stop more than I usually do, so unfortunately I didn't get a good judgement of how cohesive it was. I liked them more than the Beatles 🤷♂️
