17/12/2025
1. when i kissed the teacher - like the sound, especially of the chorus, but what???? don't like the ending, backing vocals ruin it a bit. great bass
2. dancing queen - iconic. 70s synthesisers are either the spawn of the devil or the best thing you've ever heard, this leans towards devilspawn. love the violins and piano. also great.
☆3. my love, my life - immediately like this one more, love the backing vocals, more soft and dreamy, dreaminess fades at the chorus but still a great pop song. so far favourite song, will be listening to this one again. love the bells at the end.
4. dum dum diddle - is that a synthesiser or a harpiscord??? the bass on these songs is great! liked the song but already getting a bit sick of abba lol.
5. knowing me, knowing you - had a break after the last one. alan partridge song :) one of the better songs so far. i like the whispering in the second verse.
6. money, money, money - love how dramatic this one is. bass is really great in this album. love the tone change towards the end.
7. that's me - immediately not liking the intro. once the vocals started it got better, didn't like the piano at first but it grew on me throughout.
8. why did it have to be me? - i like the guitar and piano but not as fond of the male vocals, song was redeemed when the female vocals started. love the saxaphone(?). didn't think i'd like this when it started, but it definitely grew on me, love the instrumental sections.
☆9. tiger - hooked from the intro, the banging drums are great. guitar riff great as well. one of my favs from this album.
10. arrival - a lot folkier and less poppy than the other songs. didn't know abba did an instumental song. didn't like it as much as the other songs, but would listen again still.
11. fernando - not much to say about this one. the vocals are still fantastic, love the chorus. feel abba-ed out right now.
12. happy hawaii - love the wave sound at the start, reminds me of quadrophenia, i would probably like this more if i hadn't listened to an entire album of abba before. chorus is great.
liked this album a lot more than i thought i would, but admittedly did get abba-ed out towards the end, even with a break in the middle. most of the songs are great sounding pop songs with alright lyrics, but i am partial to mor pop so i loved it. tiger was a great one and my love, my life is lining up to be a song i obsessively relisten to for a month straight. will definitely give happy hawaii another change when i am over my abba fatigue :)
18/12/2025
1. prowler - two guitars!!! immediately not as bad as i was expecting bc i haven't liked the heavy metal i've listened to. the vocals aren't really my thing though i don't hate them. nice guitar part in the middle. i'm getting the vibe that indulgent guitar solos are going to be a big part of this album lol. this is a lot better than i thought it would be, will give this one a relisten to later :)
☆2. remember tomorrow - quieter start, not what i was expecting. i reaally like this one so far. this is really great, liking the lyrics of this one a lot more. got louder now, but still great. love the guitar riffs. halfway through the song, guitar solo. this goes on for so long..... not really my thing. the guitar in the quieter parts is reminding me of dancing barefoot by patti smith and i'm not sure why. feeling like this is going to be my favourite off of the album so far. without the louder parts, this would become constantly on repeat for me (lyrics remind me a bit of the 13th floor elevators/psychedelic rock in general), but it's just not for me
3. running free - like the drums and bass at start. the lyrics are very american. this is more like what i feared when i started listening to this album. halfway though this song how is there still a minute and a half. like the instrumental though. like the ending as well.
4. phantom of the opera - great intro! like the energy. sooo much better than the last one, reminds me of what my dad would listen to in the car. so far i'm liking this guitar solo a lot more than the other ones. bass is great in this album, has been surprisingly prominent through all the songs, especially considering how guitar heavy these songs are. lots of tempo changes in this one. 2 minutes left and the guitar solo is getting a bit grating now. 1 minute left and i'm desperate for this bloody guitar solo to end.
5. transylvania - getting iron maiden fatigue right now, not sure if it is better or worse than abba fatigue yesterday. without any lyrics to focus on it sounds kind of samey. focusing on the bass more is making this song a lot more enjoyable but it's hard sometimes with the constant guitar.
6. strange world - liking the intro. bass is great!! especially the part when the guitar starts, which i'm liking a lot more in this song. i'm loving the quieter parts of this album, more like something i would generally choose listen to, also a lot more melodic than i would expect from a metal album, also punkier than i expected.
7. charlotte the harlot - again, bass is really great. vocals have started and i'm immediately not looking forward to the next 4 minutes. got to the chorus and i'm not a fan of these lyrics. tempo change has possibly redeemed this song from the pits of hell. the bass is the best part of this album, which i wasn't expecting for the amount of guitar solos metal is known for. tempo change and it is not my thing again.
8. iron maiden - vocals started i'm begging for the song to end so i don't have to listen to iron maiden anymore - the instrumental sections are great but the vocals really aren't for me and it got a bit samey about halfway through the album.
liked this more than i thought i would, the album cover is absolutely not my thing (the art style really reminds me of the ghost train at blackpool pleasure beach??), but still wouldn't willingly choose to listen to any of the songs again, except for maybe remember tomorrow or strange world. can definitely hear the prog rock and punk inspo, which has made me a lot more willing to give heavy metal a try, although i don't think it's ever going to be a genre i regularly listen to. iron maiden fatigue is a lot worse than abba fatigue.
19/12/2025
1. my my, hey hey (out of the blue) - heard this one before in the dennis hopper film named after it, but the first time i've properly listened to it by itself. liking the guitar. listened to a few neil young songs before and really love his voice :) also like the live aspect of this album. not sure how i feel about the harmonica though, probably depends what mood i'm in when listening lol. the lyrics are great as well.
2. thrasher - again, guitar, lyrics and vocals are great :) i like the more poetic lyrics and how gentle this song is; after listening to iron maiden and abba the past two days this is an absolute godsend. harmonica at the end reminds me a bit of everybody's talkin.
☆3. ride my llama - loving how picky the start of this song is. not much to say about this one, but loving this so far. i'm liking the more acousting folksy vibe, although i know it switches about halfway through? already love powderfinger so am very excited for that
☆4. pocahontus - before starting, i am slightly concerned what a white canadian man in the 70s has to say about pocahontus. now started, loving the guitar in this. was expecting this album to be a bit sad, but not as melancholic as this, verrrry beautiful. guitar sounds around the middle-ish are great!! loving the more surreal, dreamy lyrics, mixing the past and present.
☆5. sail away - the harmonica is back.... not as grating as certain dylan songs though and i'm in a good mood to deal with it. loving the female backing singer on this one. very tender song, really touching album so far :( quickly becoming a favourite of all time. the live aspect of this really helps the vibe for me.
☆6. powderfinger - already have this song constantly on repeat, been meaning to listen to this album for a while becuase of this song and this is the perfect reason :) listening to it as a part of the album instead of by itself has somehow pushed it up even further in my head. the guitar in this is crazy. love the lyrics, very atmospheric. the backing vocals are really great, especially in the instrumental section with that phenomenal guitar. i know the vocals aren't for everyone, but i love the whiny bits.
7. welfare mothers - immediately a lot more aggressive than i was expecting, especially after the first half of this album, but not complaining at all. the opening reminds me a bit of john i'm only dancing but a looot more punkier. this album is actually crazy why have i been putting off listening to it????? the lyrics aren't as poetic/complex as the rest, but it's such a high bar and the music is so good i actually do not care in the slightest. the guitar throughout, but especially at the end is going to drive me actually insane, this is one of the best albums i have ever listened to.
☆8. sedan delivery - neil young i am so sorry i doubted you when i had to listen to a cover of ohio in gcse history, this is the best thing i have ever heard!!!!!!! oh my god the guitar is so good i am going to explode the solos in this are actually transcendent. loooove the tempo changes. i am very quickly becoming obsessed with neil young.
9. hey hey, my my (into the black) - before listening i do not want this album to end. guitar has been phenomental thoughout and this is no different, loving the distortion and almost-screeching. been reading a few of the reviews on here when adverts came up and i can understand not liking his voice, but i don't understand how this is boring???
already knew i would like this album from knowing powderfinger and my my, hey hey, but this is one of the best things i have ever heard and will be on constant repeat for at least a week lol. i loved all of the songs and it absolutely did not feel like 40 minutes. will be listening to more of his albums/songs as well after i am done with repeating this one. i understand neil young's voice isn't for everyone (as someone who cannot get into tom waits no matter how much i try, sorry lol), but it absolutely works for me, vibes are off the charts, every song is transcendent and i do not want to pick a favourite. bring back non-americans doing americana (i now need to rewatch the last waltz). the favourites on this is basically useless because they are all that good. neil young you will live forever.
20/12/2025
1. carry on - liking the guitar immediately, kinda sitar-like. bass and vocals are nice as well. i'm liking how it's ramping up over time. a lot more hippie-ish than rust never sleeps (listened to yesterday), which i'm not as fond of but still nice to listen to. bassline just changed, love that.
2. teach your children - love the country slide guitar. this sounds like a countrified canadian simon and garfunkel. liking the lyrics of this, quite a sweet song.
☆3. almost cut my hair - liking the spoken intro. the guitars are great, immediately a lot more like what i would gravitate towards. vocals are my favourite so far. love the bass and the organ(?) in the chorus. the guitar in this is real good as well :) instrumental section a bit after halfway is great, love the interplay of the two guitars together. vocals in this are more my thing as well than the first two songs - more of a rockier song.
4. helpless - kinda know this one from the last waltz, but am interested how it sounds on an album. liking the slide guitar through this album. liking the lyrics more on this one.
5. woodstock - immediately guitar is great :) a lot funkier, more prominent bass than the other songs. liking the chorus. a bit too hippie-ish for me, though i like the more spiritual lyrics. guitar in the middle is great, the screeching reminds me a bit of i heard her call my name.
6. deja vu - a mix of psychadelia and folk. kinda sounds like simon and garfunkel again at times. not much to say about this one, liked it, but the fluctuating styles of this album mean that some of the songs aren't resonating as well for me and this is one of them :)
7. our house - again, not much to say about this one. it's nice to listen to, but it just doesn't work for me on any other level. getting a bit grating towards the end.
☆8. 4 + 20 - liking the fingerpicking guitar. vocals are really nice and the lyrics are my favourite so far. the more simplistic style works really nicely with the lyrics, really moving song.
☆9. country girl - not sure on this one at the start, but up to the chorus now and am really liking it, the organ is great!!! the lyrics of this one are great as well, as well as the chord changes. the part just under mins before it finishes where the electric guitar kicks in is great :)
10. everybody i still love you - immediately getting a rockier vibe from this, which i'm definitely appreciating. bass is great as well :) don't like the vocals on this one as much. the la la las sound like simon and garfunkel again??? is it just folky?????
didn't enjoy this as much as rust never sleeps, if i had more time between them i probably would've liked this one more, but it's a very high bar to follow lol. as a whole, it's alright, but the differing styles and mixes of genres mean that some songs drag a bit more for me than others - the highs and lows are more dramatic, i'd definitely give all the songs a relisten at some point, but some i would gravitate to a looooott more. makes it a bit hard to try and give it a number rating. also a bit too hippie-ish for me, some songs are fine but others are far too much. need to find out which members were most prominent on which song to figure out who i like the most lol :)
1. beetlebum - kinda know this one already and liked it. nice fuzzy guitar at the start. bass just kicked in, liking how it's building up. beat drop at the chorus, liking the chorus. the vocals and lyrics are quite nice as well, although i would rather listen to oasis (manchester!!!!!). different from the britpop that i was expecting. distortion at the end is realllly nice :)
2. song 2 - who doesn't know this song already? the guitar is nice on this, wasn't expecting it to be soo fuzzy on this album, but i am liking it a lot more than parklife. very grungy, especially compared to their britpop hits that i know. don't have much else to say.
3. country sad ballad man - twangy. damon albarn's voice is starting to annoy me. guitar during the chorus is nice. about halfway through the song and i have nothing to say apart from it's alright. same with the other two songs. nearly four minutes in got loud and it's getting good. the ending is good, rest of the song is a bit meh.
4. mor - almost a minute in, just got loud and good. so far, the quieter parts are agony, but the louder, more distorted parts of this album are good, probably because it's harder to hear damon albarn over the guitar.
5. on your own - more electronic. the guitar has been great throughout. wish damon albarn would shut up though. wish some of these songs were a bit shorter, it would be great if i liked them, but i don't and it's dragging.
☆6. theme from retro - liking the guitar and the drums at the start. organ just started, liking this more than the last songs. a lot more atmospheric/vibier, great so far. keyboard is reallly nice as well. more pulp-adjacent? sounds sleazier. ending is also great. probably going to be my favourite if the rest of the songs are anything like the first five.
7. you're so great - do not like this immediately. all the worst parts of whiny american 90s indie music. hate the crackling sound effect. the guitar is good in this but i'm getting a bit sick of it now, sounds very similar to all of the other songs. if oasis isn't on this list and blur are i'm going to blow myself up. how have i still got a minute left????
☆8. death of a party - this was in all of us strangers and i liked it in that, but am now not looking forward to it considering the rest of the album. again, guitar is really nice, but the same distorted, fuzzy effect as literally all the other songs. keyboard and bass are nice, especially in the verses where the guitar stops and they get more of a chance to shine over the guitar. chorus is great. about halfway through and bit worried how there is still another half left. really enjoyed actually :)
9. chinese bombs - short song!!!!! punkier, liking the verses more so far. alright, liked it more than some of the other songs, but not much to say.
10. i'm just a killer for your love - drums are nice. bass is also nice. getting a bit tired of the constant distortion and fuzz of everything. guitar sounds squelchy((?) not sure if that is the right word lol), but i'm liking that. wish this was about half the length, still not entirely enjoying it, but it would still be a bit more enjoyable.
11. look inside america - right away do not like damon albarn's voice in this one, begging for the mega distortion to come back. liking the violins in this. bass is really nice as well. who says kooky??? just over halfway through and this album would've been a lot better for me if it was half the length. liking the moments with the harp near the end, but didn't last very long lol.
☆12. strange news from another star - very excited for this album to end now. more quieter, nice break from the constant fuzz. chorus has just started and is really nice. bowie inspiration is very clear on this one. just after second chorus now and loving it, even as it's getting louder again. loved this one, not excited for what the next song has to bring for me.
13. movin' on - again, alright, but nothing else to say. about halfway through this one, if someone put this on, i wouldn't complain, but i definitely wouldn't reach to put it on myself. squeaky distortion reminds me of the instrumental in the paw paw negro blowtorch by brian eno.
14. essex dogs - bracing myself for eight (8!!!!) minutes of this......
liking the bass and the spoken word so far, but still about seven minutes left. three mins left and will maybe try and relisten another time, getting the feeling i might enjoy this one more without the slog of an entire blur album before it.
same issue as yesterday, highs and lows are even more drastic and not as many highs for me :( felt a bit uneven throughout - some really great ones, but a lot of it was just alright for me. pulp+oasis (and basically any other britpop band) over blur any day.
*1. introduction - the guitar in this is really nice. liking the orchestral touch as well, works really well with the folksier style of the guitar. very sweet song :)
2. hazey jane ii - already vaguely know and like this song. immediately a nice bassline. liking the horns as well. really nice lyrics. instrumental part about halfway through is great. very belle and sebastian....
*3. at the chime of a city clock - the bass in this album is really great :) violins just started, really loving this. i've only ever properly listened to a few songs off of pink moon and wasn't expecting the range of instruments/production on this album, which for me is a welcome surprise. saxaphone(?) is really great as well. lyrics are great in this one, loving how the violins kick in at the chorus.
4. one of these things first - guitar intro is realllly nice. chord changes make it more melancholy. piano is nice as well. these songs sound bittersweet.
5. hazey jane i - the instrumentation is so nice throughout this album, i don't have much else to say besides how incredibly beautiful it sounds lol. the lyrics are also immense throughout, amazingly bittersweet. bass and strings are great as ever, especially at the end.
*6. bryter later - had to have a break bc i had a headache, but am very excited to be back!!!!!! flute and strings together is perfect.
7. fly - immediately loving the strings in this one. really beautiful lyrics again. again, not much to say, the music speaks for himself.
8. poor boy - very jazzy, liking this one :) backing vocals are great. saxaphone is back!!!!
*9. northern sky - right away, giving a very mellow vibe. really sentimental and sweet :) piano about halfway through is actually killing me, reallllly lovely.
10. sunday - loved this album so far, hasn't dragged at all. loving the flute and bass in this one. strings just started, reaaallly nice :) strings and bass changed up about halfway through, so so so beautiful. fantastic instrumentation.
heard a few nick drake songs and have been meaning to listen to an album of his for a while, but never got round to it until now. really loved this one, said earlier i wasn't expecting the instrumentation, the strings reminded me more of music like scott walker's than the folk i was expecting. been reading other reviews saying it sounds overproduced and i feel this is another death of a ladies man situation (a predominantly acoustic singer-songwriter puts out a more produced album), but i love both these albums so i don't care :) will definitely be listening to all of these songs on repeat for a while.
23/12/2025
1. arise - dramatic start..... more visceral scott giger vibes from art and continuing with fleshy electronic sounds. liking so far. guitar just started and i do not like metal i am not in for a good hour. this is what i feared when i had to listen to iron maiden. the lyrics are nice ig but the music is not my thing at all, can appreciate the guitar at times though :)
2. dead embryonic cells - the intros are great, even if i don't like the rest lol. even though the music isn't my thing, it still sounds good. will never like metal vocals though. lyrics kind of emo.....
3. desperate cry - loving the intro again. doesn't immediately start with banging guitar!!! just started now. drums are great at the start, as well as the guitar. literally cannot hear the bass though :( this is probably really great for people who like metal, but i don't know how i'm going to get through an hour of this.
4. murder - all of these songs sound basically the same to me. to me, this is just angrier emo music, which i also don't like.....
5. subtraction - found out about halfway through this song that it's 40 mins without bonus tracks, cannot wait for it to end sooner. oh my god i can hear the bass. guitar just started again halfway through typing that.
6. altered state - wind at the start reminds me of threads or eraserhead. again, cannot fault the intros, but don't like the majority of the song. liking the echoing on the vocals. ending was nice :)
7. under siege (regnim irae) - quieter start, liking it so far. drums kicked in, bit loud but better than the rest of the album. guitar just got loud again, but slower than all of the other songs. lyrics are nicer. loving the effect on the vocals again. still not my thing, but enjoying it (more than i can say for the other songs). liking the slower, more distorted verses, like a more energetic swans, but the rest of it sounds the same.
8. meaningless movements - liking the screeching guitar parts. nothing else to say. cannot wait for this album to be over.
9. infected voice - thank god i'm onto the last song.
this is probably a really great album if you like metal but i just don't. some of the intros were nice before it started with the constant noise. all of the songs just blended into one another. even though i haven't enjoyed it at all, i can understand why people who are into metal would like it, which is why it's getting two stars and not one lol. if i had to pick a favourite, it would be under seige, but i did not enjoy listening to it. will be immediately clearing my brain with 60s pop.
24/12/2025
*1. move over - nice drums at the start. guitar and vocals together are great!!! bass and pianos just started... great!!! oooohh one minute in and it is sooooo good. the bassline is immense! guitar solo great as well. her voice is incredible. very bluesy and groovy... <3
2. cry baby - who doesn't know this song already???? phenomenal voice..... the organ in the back is really nice. such a powerful song!!! loving the way it's building towards the end. wow......
*3. a woman left lonely - loving the switch from louder song to quieter now.... lyrics are reallll nice, voice impeccable as always :) organ in the back giving a gospel feel, as well as how powerful and soulful her voice is.
*4. half moon - loving it immediately. going from a metal album yesterday when i couldn't hear the bass to this is heavenly.... funky bassline save me..... gospel and blues rock save me.... guitar solo, going to explode this is sooooo goooood. janis joplin's voice is literally angelic.
5. buried alive in the blues - loving the groooooove of these songs. fuzzy guitar!!!!! oooooo. the piano in this is sosososo good. wasn't expecting an instrumental track, but this is fantastic!! great ending.
6. my baby - more psychadelic vibes from the intro.... don't know why... her singing is just incredible....... nothing more to add than what i've said already. this is ecstatic.
7. me and my bobby mcgee - know this already from rw fassbinder's berlin alexanderplatz (fav movie/tv show <33 also has kraftwerk and leonard cohen. peak soundtrack). more country-ish... sooo grooovy. god her voice is incredible.
8. mercedes benz - acapella. really shows how raspy her voice is, but also how powerful it is that it can stand completely on it's own. everybody and noone answers.... that's it at the end.... so good.
9. trust me - all the instruments work so well together.... all of them stand out, but none overpower each other. such a powerful, growly voice!!!!
10. get it while you can - album hasn't felt slow or sluggish at all! don't want it to end!
real great album! loved every song :) loving the bluesy/country/gospel/rock sound, very groovy songs. most of the albums i've been getting so far have been really great and this is no exception, been meaning to listen to janis joplin but not gotten around to it, feel very bad for putting it off now. will def give another relisten soon :)
