Before listening i am slightly familiar with this album, Mr. blue sky comes to mind and i enjoy that song from time to time and the album art is familiar. Initial reaction is that it feels similar in energy to Mr. blue sky, an otherworldly, explorative, explosion. It does give off the vibes that it belongs in the background of a movie maybe because it is hard to hear what they are saying. It knows what it is though and i appreciate that. 1/4 in- I'm a little bored sorry. Starlight is cool. Believe me now feels like the climax of the movie lol. Standin' in the rain is a vibe. Mr. blue sky is still great. (Generally i need to listen to music more than once to enjoy it fully so i will be bias towards songs I've heard before.) I'm getting bored towards the end. It definitely feels ahead of its time probably 20-30 years, not really for me though. 6/10 this is a personal rating, i know its objectively better than a 6. i don't know if other people see these so just in case lol. (I have bad taste and get bored quickly)
Before listening: I have heard of Bob Dylan but am not familiar with this album, come to think of it I'm not sure I know a Bob Dylan song off the top of my head. The album art has a classical vibe, the maroon and impressionist painting style along with the font adds to the feeling of modern style creating a feeling of timelessness.
Listening: Feels really familiar while knowing I've never heard this before. His voice is so familiar. It's giving Dire Straits which i know a few songs of, didn't realize both are of the same time (which sounds silly now that I'm thinking about it(I can also recognize that Dire Straits took influence from Bob Dylan not the other way around)). The rhyming is abrasive. He can sing though. I don't love his harmonica playing, I'm sorry i must be in a bad mood or something. It's something, I think i had high expectations and feel it's a bit rudimentary now that I'm listening through it. His voice has a tang that I'm sure is apart of the reason he is so popular but its not really for me. It's lacking variety for me, maybe i don't like rock music? I haven't really ever thought about it. Men think they are entitled to unconditional love from women, I'm not sure if I'm hearing all the words right but some of this is irritating.
After listening: Generally not for me, could come around to some of the songs with some more listening but otherwise a bit one note but pleasant enough. I think my expectations for the top albums ever is impacting my listening. 5/10
Before listening: I am not familiar with Boston, the album art is interesting. It feels like a more hard core version of the Out of the Blue album by the Electric Light Orchestra, with less whimsical feeling and more masculine energy. I'm not 100% sure what to expect, I assume it will be rock or rock adjacent, end of the world, doom and gloom maybe.
Listening: Initial reaction is it feels like the Beatles, very quickly is not the Beatles. ok i am familiar with more than a feeling, i always assumed this song was from the 90's. I'm learning that much of the music i feel like was popular in 90's movies and such was music from the 70's, interesting. This is a good song, but i have heard it before so i am bias. I'm vibing with this album much more than previous days, I could absolutely see myself listening to this in the future. There is a better synergy with the instruments and vocals, it feels harmonious. Ok jazz vibes for a second there, fun. This is very fun, It's doing the most and its absolutely working. I'm very surprised I haven't heard of them before. Towards the end i started losing interest but that's pretty good considering the only song i knew was the first one.
After Listening: Really good, i feel like the bangers are in the first half of the album but that's not a bad thing, really strong rock album. Nice guitar without feeling too much, i feel like the main thing letting this album down is the cover art. It possibly lowered my expectations and i enjoyed it more. 9/10
Before listening: I am familiar with Pink Floyd but do not usually gravitate towards them ever but that's not to say they are bad or anything. The album name is familiar but this cover art is not. I think the cover art is striking and not something i would associate with a band or even music it feels very high art. The framing of the burnt photograph with the subject also burning doing a deal with himself, there's a lot to be said about this artwork. I assume the association with the album will translate to self sabotaging in some capacity along with corporate America and performance of self.
Listening: Very Blade Runner start, sadness of place in space. Ethereal. Fever dream energy, will there be singing? almost 9 min i see. Unfortunately the singing does not fit the vibe i was having a second ago. The saxophone is great. We in an industrial building going to work, the world building is cool. Dark energy, i might be darker if i were reading the lyrics but i am not. There is a lot to unpack with this one, very experimental. There is a complexity that requires more focus than I'm giving it. I always enjoy ambient sounds to create a full picture of a setting at the start or end of a song and its done well here. There is a lot of story telling happening, its going over my head a little but the feeling is persisting. Wish you were here was the most digestible, very radio ready in a good way. It feels like being put to bed for the last time, in a child like sense and an end of life sense.
After listening: Very somber, profound. Not at all exciting like i thought Pink Floyd was but i also know my limited understanding of Pink Floyd is just wrong. I enjoyed this more in an art gallery type of way not on the way to work kind of way. I feel heavy. 8/10
Before listening: I'm not sure I'm in the mood for more Christmas music today but i will try my best. The album art is cute, its giving old magazine ad spread in a charming way, if not a little pedestrian but this is Christmas music. I don't recognize anyone on the cover but many of the songs are familiar so well see. Also wig.
Listening: Sing it. I don't know if i can rank Christmas music in the same way as all other music so this is going to be odd. The instrumental feels weighted. Sleigh Ride is great. Homey feeling. Christmas ( Baby please come home) is a classic, this rendition especially. Don't love the thanks over silent night like let me hear silent night, it was silenced.
After listening: I am glad i listened to this one, i wasn't super excited when we stared but i came around by the end. It's a solid Christmas album but I am also not in the market for ranking Christmas music against one another. It doesn't feel like embracing the festive nature or something. 7/10
Before listening: I'm not really sure what I'm looking at. I haven't heard of this album or band/singer? Completely in the dark. The album art is interesting, I'm seeing a public speaker failing to connect with this audience of soldiers. The artwork is a collage similar in feeling to a comic strip of the time, creating a lighter feeling to what is very somber. You cannot see the soldiers faces aside from their eyes. I assume the album will feel political, it feels connected to violence. The sharpie text Zombie is childlike connecting with the comic book imagery. It's all very juxtaposed.
Listening: Funky. I was not expecting jazz. I'm vibing for sure. Loving the saxophone solo. I don't have a lot to say but I'm enjoying the album. I am aware based off comments that this a political statement and I'm not reading lyrics so I'm struggling to understand the message but it feels uplifting in spirit. I think I'm getting it, maybe. I like it either way.
After listening: Really good, I don't think I've ever listened to a jazz album in its entirety before and this was really great. It sounds like an insult but it was great background music and i think that's a good thing. 9/10
