Solid but unspectacular. Starts with a bang with ‘For Tomorrow’ and ‘Advert’ but then gets lost for a while and never really recovers. Suffers from the 90s album affliction that one must fill the shiny compact disc with songs, even if some of them aren’t very good. Miss America, I’m looking at you.
Or maybe it’s just that a whole album of Damon putting on that affected accent is tiresome. But that might just be me…..
Proggy. Pretty good overall, good drumming(if overly fussy at times). Geddy Lee’s voice is a bit irritating after a while.
Rush is one of those bands I’ve heard about but never listened to. Now I have. My life is not drastically changed. And on we move……
It's good, but not without filler (Fixing a Hole, Mr Kite!, Good Morning). Luckily, being the 60s, the filler songs are not overly long.
Lucy, With a Little Help from My Friends and the title track are all amazing, and there is some whimsy in Rita and 64. And A Day In The Life will always rank as one of the greatest pop songs ever, for me at least.
If some of the filler was more compelling, this would be an easy 5. But only a 4 from me, in spite of its reputation.
Blue Suede Shoes - killer opener. Then song after song of filler - not a memorable tune amongst them. A couple of (other) covers that don’t come anywhere near the originals. And finally some redemption with Money Honey. At least the middle section of the album goes by relatively quickly……
2 stars basically for Blue Suede Shoes, the rest can get lost.
This album can do no wrong in my eyes. From the opening quip about most people not owning Bleach, to the closing screams of Where Did You Sleep Last Night?, these tracks take me on a journey back to my 20s.
Whilst this is not really to my tastes, I can see it’s an important milestone in the history of music. And paved the way for a lot of the hip hop and R’n’B that was to follow.
It just all blends into one for me after a while, take a funky bass line, add some horns, maybe a synth line, Clinton talking some gibberish and/or the chorus line singing something repetitive, then keep it going for 6 minutes or so. Happy to have listened to it, but not likely to return any time soon.
Wow, that was a long 56 minutes. Whilst these guys were pioneers in industrial/noise, it doesn’t make it any easier to listen to!
Drills, clanging metallic sounds, constant screaming and yelling (in German, naturally), angle grinders and distorted electronic noises. There is some relief later in the album with the instrumental ‘dub’ pieces, which you could see as an influence of people like Trent Reznor.
As a piece of art, I’d rate it highly, but as a listening experience, hard to recommend. 1/5 stars from me.
Imagine being so self-important that you think the world nears to hear 2 hours of your uninterrupted whining. Whilst I do love some of the SP’s output, including some of the songs on this double album, there is just too much filler, too much Billy and not enough real ideas going into this opus.
If he could’ve employed some self-restraint and culled this down to a solid 45-50minute album, it could be a classic. In the end, in spite of some great tracks, I can only give it a 3/5. Can’t really see myself sitting down to listen to the full 2 hours of this again in a hurry
A few classic tracks (Timeless Melody, There She Goes) and some solid other stuff makes a good 90s album for me. A shame we never got to hear more from Lee, really
Jangly 60s guitar pop. A few good tunes, some a bit less interesting. I don't dig their version of Hey Joe, but Eight Miles High, What's Happening, Mr Spaceman and 5D are great.
Prob just short of 4 stars for me
Never understood why this was so popular at the time, and >25 years later, I still don’t. Boring bog standard R’n’B production, nothing interesting in terms of tunes, and flat delivery of unimaginative lyrics most of the time. And the interludes after several of the songs with sounds from a classroom make me feel like stabbing myself repeatedly………..
Dark, moody synths, and lots of them. Some good tracks that you could even dance to, but you’re more likely to be sitting alone in the dark by yourself contemplating your own mortality.
I recently have had this, and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which at face value may be somewhat similar. However, not so! This is so much more interesting musically, lyrically, production, the whole thing. Some of the guest spots can be a bit annoying, and the interludes and some of the songs drag a bit towards the end of the record, but I really enjoyed this.
Classic metal, with screaming falsetto vocals, shredding guitar solos and plenty of drum fills, with themes of Satan, the Occult, prisoners and gangsters. And then the classic ‘Run To The Hills’ detailing conflict between native Americans and Europeans. Whatever, it’s a cracker tune that has stood the test of time. And the rest ain’t bad either. Just don’t listen too hard to the lyrics, turn it up, bang your head and have a ball
Definitely shows off those early 80's vibes. Some good tunes in there, amongst the darker synths, and some nice instrumental breaks as well. I was a bit young still when this came out, so missed it the first time around, but I'd be happy to come back any time. I had Violator by Depeche Mode recently, and I can see this as an earlier version of the same sort of thing.
This is one of those albums which has been a staple of FM radio for years, so you think it might be a bit crap.
Actually, it's really good!! Sade had that smooth 80s sound down pat early, and cashed in with some great songs and good playing. The first 3 songs (Smooth Operator, Your Love Is King, and Hang On To Your Love) would be familiar to anyone who was anywhere near a radio in the 80s (and ever since then, to be frank), and the 2nd half of the album, whilst less familiar, is also very good.
Couldn’t really get in to this. Started brightly with Penitentiary Philosophy but after that it all blended into a mass of sameness. The vocals started to grate and the music all began to sound similar from track to track. Found myself flicking to next track in the 2nd half of the disc which is not normal for me.
Love this album. The Velvets in full noisy chaotic mode, but still managing to produce some memorable tunes along the way. Definitely a big influence on a bunch of my fav 90s bands. Recommended highly!!!
This is great. First 3 songs are up with any of Beck’s best. Slight drop in quality after that but still very good. Closing song ‘Send A Message To Her’ is also a banger. The sound of Beck having enough runs on the board that he can do basically whatever he wants
Wow, surprised this has so many haters. Cracking good guitar rock, with the distinctive scream of Greg Dulli, makes for an engaging time. The seemed to be lumped in with grunge around this time, but they actually had a lot more of interest than most around that time, and the songs still stand up today. ‘Gentlemen’, ‘Debonair’, ‘Be Sweet’ and the closing ‘Brother Woodrow’ are my highlights.
Frenetic Cuban jazz. Sounds like it should be a movie soundtrack. Great if you like that sort of thing but does tend to blend into one after a while.
In a word, inoffensive. Pleasant tunes with wordy lyrics that don’t do a whole lot for me, but clearly other people love it. She has a lovely voice but never really uses it to her full potential. And the instrumentation is nothing too exciting for mine, but then maybe I just don’t love folk rock that much.
The final song (cover of Twisted by Annie Ross) annoyed the crap out of me.
I knew the main singles, but hadn't listened to it all the way through. Consistently great songs, grand in scope but keeping to a theme throughout, Green Day have done themselves proud. Hard to believe this is the same guys who sang about masturbation losing its thrill..........
Hmm, what has the generator got for me today? Liars, band from New York, mid-2000s. Never heard of them, let's give it a whirl!
Hmm, you say this is not a 2-track bedroom demo? What!? It's actually their second album?!?!? Who the hell wrote these lyrics? Why are they so obsesses with witches?? Why the hell do the drums sound so bad??? Why are they so averse to anything resembling a melody or a tune?
Look, I get it, it’s noise rock. But the lyrics are nonsensical shit. The music is not interesting, and a total chore to listen to. I read somewhere that this is apparently one of their worst albums. I hope for their sake that is true
Great stuff from The Kinks. Starts with a bang with Victoria (one of my favourite tunes of theirs), and carries on with the theme of everything that is wrong with Britain in the 60s.
I can understand this was popular and seen as an important album on Neil Young’s discography with the loss of friends and band mates to heroin, but it doesn’t make for a very compelling listen nowadays. Lots of misery and sadness, but not a lot going on musically beyond some lovely pedal steel to make sure you know these are sad songs. Nothing that would really make me come back for a 2nd listen.
Perfectly adequate 70s rock. Nothing particularly memorable here, not sure why this gets a place in this list, to be honest. You’d easily go to your grave without having heard this and be perfectly ok!! Not that it’s bad, just not that special.
Early 70s Elton John (his 4th album already!!), with a fantastic opening track in 'Tiny Dancer'. The rest is not as amazing as that, but still has a lot to offer. Lots of lovely piano melodies, even some piano accordion and mandolin on the later tracks. Background vocals amounting to a choir, to carry these pop tunes across to the listener. Indian Sunset suffers in the modern glare of history, but the rest is mostly vidid, personal tales of characters, from Levon to Razor Face and even the Madman Across the Water.
Stripped back instrumentation, tales of love, loss, outlaws and murders, all told by Willie in his unmistakeable drawl. Time of the Preacher, Red Headed Stranger, Can I Sleep In Your Arms and Hands On The Wheel are all fantastic originals, but the cover of Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain is just so amazing, I could listen to it all day.
Truly a 5-star listening experience.
Does anyone else find the Neptunes’ production just so repetitive and boring?? These overproduced albums with JT squawking away like he wants to be MJ just does nothing much for me. Even the ‘hits’ (Cry Me A River, Rock Your Body) are pretty dull in my eyes. The man is clearly talented, but just not my cup of tea
It's dark, it's moody, it's got 80's production values writ large. I'm not enough of an eyeliner and makeup type of person to love something with this much goth overtones, but in small doses it can be quite entertaining.
The last couple of tracks lose a bit of the intensity, but up until that point, it's driving hard and fast with bass, drum machines and muttered vocals that scream sinister intent.
'This Corrosion' goes on for what seems like an eternity, but it's not unwelcome, as it sounds good enough that it can keep going.
Ray Charles, one of the pioneers of that early R&B/jazz style, suffers here a bit on the first few tracks with the big-band brass tending to overshadow both his singing and piano playing, but then the album settles more into piano based balladry which soothes the soul.
Hard to believe this album is 15 years older than me, but it still stands up well today. 3/5 for me, could've been more if there was a bit more subtlety to the first few songs.
Kooky sitar based covers and other stuff from the early 70's. Gets a couple of stars for the excellent cover of 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' to start with. The cover of 'Light My Fire' is less compelling, but still cool. The epic Sagar (The Ocean) is the centrepiece of this album, which for a long time seems like endless sitar noodling, but towards the end it gets some more groove.
I'm pretty ambivalent about a lot of rap/hip-hop, and I've not listened to a lot of Wu-Tang or all their solo stuff. This album certainly doesn't do a lot to grab me. Fairly uninspired production with nothing much of interest musically, annoying film samples to start a lot of the songs, and the lyrics seem fairly unmemorable too. I'm sure it's fine if you're into that sort of stuff, but not anything I'd come back to any time soon.
This album was pretty ubiquitous in the mid-Naughties, which I think has then led to a case of familiarity breeding contempt. I have a few of these songs on various playlists and at times they come on and it’s just ‘nah, heard that too many times’.
Having said that, hearing them in isolation does give a slightly different appreciation. You can see how the first 4 songs were all huge hits - singable choruses, catchy (if at times inane) lyrics, slick production. The quality drops off fairly rapidly after that - All These Things That I've Done has the crazily catchy 'I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier' chant at the end (which I swore he ripped off from somewhere, but apparently not). 'Andy, You're A Star' is notable for being the most musically different with just a guitar and Flowers singing, but unfortunately again the lyrics are kinda rubbish and his delivery ruins it. 'On Top' is back to the pop-rock, but without the major hooks, and 'Change My Mind' is similar again. After another couple of filler tracks (prize for the worst lyric from 'Believe Me Natalie' - 'There is an old cliche under your Monet, baby' - like, what?!?!?!), we get to 'Glamourous Indie Rock 'n' Roll', which I can only assume is Flowers attempt at being a hardened cynic.
Overall, it's impressive how the first 4 songs have endured over the last 20 years, but as an album, it's not great. 3 stars for the first half, can't say I'd waste my time listening to the rest again.
George's solo debut, after leaving Wham! behind.
Great opener with 'Faith', leading into 'Father Figure' and then 'I Want Your Sex'. It's all fun and a bit silly in parts, but does highlight George's vocal and emotional range. It gets a bit more serious with 'Kissing A Fool' and 'Hand to Mouth', and is a great snapshot of what music was like in the late 80s.
I don't know what to say about this album. I have a blind spot in my musical taste for stuff that is in a different language that I can't understand. The music is fine, although can get a bit repetitive at times, and it doesn't really light any fires inside me. Maybe if I understood the words, I'd have a better chance of connecting with it.
It's perfectly fine, I'm glad the generator threw this album up for me to listen to, but I'm happy not to go back to it.
Pleasant enough, although not really my jam.
Solid to have as background music, not so intricate that it demands a lot of attention, the sounds of cocktails and smoothly dressed people smoking cigars.
Wonderful album. Beautiful songs with great singing, fantastic instrumentation and lovely arrangements. Yes, the songs tend to be sad and tending to miserable, but they’re so good and sometimes you just need that feeling. 5 stars from me!
Beautiful mostly acoustic album. I knew the title track from radio play back in the 90s, but had never dived into the whole album. It’s all pretty similar, but presents a dreamy melancholy that’s just right for late nights
It’s good, although relatively unspectacular. A couple of good singles and the rest is fairly forgettable.
A classic, and rightfully so.
Starts with Elton doing prog (Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding) and doing it fantastically well, then segues nicely into a great 3 song bracket, with Candle In The Wind, Bennie and the Jets, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road being among Elton's (and anyone's, for that matter) finest tunes.
Things get a bit more uneven after that - what the hell were they thinking with Jamaica Jerk-Off??!?!?!? Was there a contest to see how many times you can say 'Jamaica' in the one song??
The 2nd half of the album is saved by 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' which is a rocking good time, and Dirty Little Girl, although some of the lyrics are a bit questionable. Social Disease is also pretty good.
I really would like to give this a 5 given the strength of the first 4 songs, but unfortunately the middle just drags it down a little too much for mine. 4 stars (probably 4.5 if I was able to give 1/2 marks)
2 70s double albums in a row (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was yesterdays, and quite superior to this). I dunno what it is, but I can’t show much love for this. Maybe it’s the endless falsetto, the overly intricate arrangements, or the orchestral flourishes that put me off, or the fact that it is 70-odd minutes long. Mr Blue Sky was undoubtedly a hit but the rest just doesn’t hit for me, aside from fleeting moments when a great tune cuts through.
Fuck me, that’s 3 double albums in a row. You tryin’ ta kill me, Generator?!?!
Never really got the love for Wilco, their songs always seemed nice enough (admittedly only hearing limited selections, prob most from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) but didn’t push the right buttons.
But then comes ‘Misunderstood’, nearly 6 minutes of glorious noise and Jeff Tweedy banging on about being misunderstood. And it just works! Then on to ‘Far, Far Away’ which has a sweet melancholy about it. Monday presents a rocking story of Choo-Choo Charlie, getting the hell out of FLA. The album then follows a pattern of a couple of rockers, a couple of slower, country tinged songs, and before you know it, over an hour has passed by and everything seems right with the world. Some will say it’s too long and they are probably right, but I really enjoyed this. 4 stars
Far out, that is 4 long albums in a row, this one topping out a 2hrs 15mins……… I need the days to be longer if this is what I’m going to get served up.
As per other reviewers, this is a 2 disc set, the first - Speakerboxxx - from Big Boi, and then 2nd - The Love Below - from Andre 3000. Big Boi gets some points early with GhettoMusick, soon followed by The Way You Move, which is a great tune. He then falls victim to the hip-hop disease of having to have a guest on every track, along with too many skits and interludes. The Love Below seems to be Andre 3000 showing everyone how he can get into the girls' panties, with easily the best track being 'Hey Ya', even though it contains the couplet 'Don't want to meet your mama, just want to make you cumma' - ewwwwww!!!
Anyway, some decent ideas but overly long and lots of filler, so can't give this too high a mark. But I've heard plenty worse. 3 stars
Early Stones, and only 43 minutes!! Hallelujah!!
I listened to the UK version, which starts with Mother's Little Helper, which is a good start. ‘Stupid Girl’ and 'Lady Jane' I could do with missing, then we get to Under My Thumb, a classic. The US version has Paint It, Black which everyone knows is a fantastic song and one of my all-time favourites.
Overall, good for its time, but not enough great tunes apart from those 2 to warrant a high mark. 3 stars
I thought this might be interesting, but unfortunately I was mistaken. Sets up some sort of recurring loop in the first part of the track, then nothing much happens for a long time........ and repeat.
I'm normally a fan of instrumental, ambient type stuff, but just not enough happening in this to keep me interested, very much background music or some sort of soundtrack to a non-existent film.
This is the stuff. When the rest of the world was heading towards grunge, R.E.M. just continued doing R.E.M. things and quietly churned out this masterpiece. I don’t think there is a bad song on here, even though Michael Stipe is in full enigmatic indecipherable mode. Some of their most beautiful moments on record here, including ‘Everybody Hurts’, ‘Sweetness Follows’, ‘Find The River’ and the incomparable ‘Nightswimming’, that just makes we want to learn piano to be able to play it. Although ‘Man On The Moon’ can get a bit grating after the 500th listen, the rest is so great that it can only be 5 stars.
Roadhouse Blues is a hell of an opener, and Waiting For The Sun a great follow-up. Peace Frog is probably one of the most underestimated songs, making for a great side 1. Unfortunately the second side isn’t nearly as compelling, with diversions into sea shanties and Jim blathering on about Queens of the Highway and Indian Summers.
Overall, pretty good, but not their best
Motorhead at the peak of their powers.
Can't say I knew a lot of the songs apart from Ace of Spades (which is a stone cold classic), but the rest is great heavy rock/metal with the unmistakeable growl of Lemmy coming through loud and clear.
Cave at his diabolical best. Tales of bad people doing bad things, with a soundtrack to match. Impeccable guest spots from Kylie and PJ Harvey (as well as Shane MacGowan and the whole Bad Seeds on the final track). The sprawling O’Malley’s Bar does drag a bit towards the end of its nearly 15 minutes, but that is a minor quibble on a magnificent album. It’s loud, its brash, it’s a bit silly, and it leaves you feeling just a bit dirty. Mission accomplished.
Pretty torn on this one. It’s Otis Redding, so gotta give some credit, but to be honest, I don’t understand the point of a lot of these songs. The covers are mostly fairly insipid, and nowhere near as good as the original. ‘My Girl’ in particular is ruined by the horn section being way too loud in the mix, and just doesn’t really suit that song. Whilst it is nice to hear the original of ‘Respect’, Aretha made it so much her own only a short time later. Disappointing.
Pleasantly melancholic in places but ultimately forgettable.
Fantastic debut, with Amy’s soulful voice shining through and well produced horns and backing.
A couple of bangers, including ‘Rehab’ and ‘Back To Black’, with ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ another highlight, if very sad. 2nd half of the record not quite as stellar as the first, which holds it back from 5 stars.
Annoyingly not available via Apple Music in Australia, but available on Spotify.
Honestly, this is just the best!! This must have sounded like it came from another planet back in 1982, with only a few other examples of rap out there at the time. The album features a strong theme of what life is like on the mean streets of New York in the early 80s, with a bangin’ soundtrack to go with it. I don't know where hiphip went wrong more recently, coz when I listen to this stuff, it seems like something I should be listening to all the time.
This is a great album, and one which I listened to a bit when it came out, but mostly listened to the singles. Seven Nation Army has proven to be one of the anthems of the 2000s, and has gained a 2nd life at sporting events even to this day. The rest of the album features Jack riffing hard and Meg’s instinctive, unadorned drumming style, which suits the music down to a tee. The album perhaps could have done with a bit of trimming, although 14 songs only take 51 minutes, it seems longer after being bashed on the head with riff after riff courtesy of Jack abusing all sorts of sounds out of his guitar.
Pretty close to 5 stars for me, but not quite there. I’ll give it a 4
Underrated gem from the early 80s, with the requisite synths, strings and lush arrangements.
'The Killing Moon' needs no introduction, but I was less familiar with the other songs. No particular other standouts, but they are all good, with clever lyrics, beautiful music and great vocals.
