So unique, so singular. There’s a lot of themes of travelling distances in search of something, particularly the ‘going to graceland’, which I interpret to mean he’s trying to connect with the American country, the Earth, Africa, our selves we have lost to the dull complexity of civilization. It’s memorable but I think not quite powerful enough to really hit me like Bridge Over Troubled Water did. Really commendable for its vast, worldly influences. I think they are good, I don’t think it’s wrong to pull from different cultures, and I think more people should
I don’t know why, but I don’t really connect with this album. I like once in a lifetime and the opener, but the scary, funky stuff is not really my vibe. I feel like on most of the songs, the grooves, or not that memorable catchy, and they go on for a very long time. It’s highly creative, but I leave not having enjoyed it
Its a banger. I was tempted to give it a 3 actually because I get bored on some of the b-sides. You know what? I decided I AM going yo give it a 3. Life is too short gotta be daring. Earth move is fantastic though and It’s Too Late is one of my favorite songs. James taylor’s version of You’ve Got a Friend blows hers out of the water, much as I hate to say it
Haha im gonna continue being critical of albums because this list is mostly full of really good ones! I never liked this album but this time when i listened to it i feel like i understood it more. I’m coming around on gothic rock. I like the song with the synth that goes ‘do reee mi, do reee mi, do reeee mi sollll fa mi do’ its one of the first four i think track three its not lovesong
Ok im not gonna lie havent finished it yet bc its christmas day but this is already an easy 5. Im a sucker for these theatrical, angsty, enlightenment/love of life pieces. I just will always chase this rabbit down and I swear to god its the reason I keep wanting to live
This album you know what is funny this album might not even have as many high points as tapestry or disintegration which are the only two other albums i rated lower on here so far but like i do love the ronettes and that whole sound though i do hate phil soector? Idk. I think this actually gets a 3. You can’t just throw it on at a christmas party and expect it to go right front to back like there’s definite skips, you know which ones im talking about it is not marshamallow world i dont care about spelling. Actually it is a three, i already decided that oops forgot im hust repeating myself
Jazz is so hard. Listening to this album and trying to follow the chord progression on guitar and I had to tap out 7 tracks in. Too many failures. I think it’s a shame that like Frank Sinatra had every resource available to make this kind of huge cinematic bombastic music when it rips so hard off black artists, but also I don’t think we can throw out the baby with the bathwater; these songs are incredibly well orchestrated, the songwriting is too notch, and Frank’s voice is so full of mystery and life, everything just sounds so classic.
Interesting listen. I think the lyrics were lacking. The grooves and vibes are pretty great though. I think It could’ve pushed it’s
gothic sound a little harder but I can see why this was a significant release at the time.
Moments into this thing you can just immediately tell these people can see atoms. They are tuned into the rhythm of the universe. Their playing is as natural as the wind in the trees but more beautiful because they let you see what is special about the moment you are in. This music drives, drives you wild. Everything is cooking and eventually cooked to perfection. Everything that’s wrong with music industry is contained in the fact that this album, or Fela Kuti’s other work, is not routinely seen in the top of the top albums lists. This album makes the 1001 albums list look good.
Abrasive, heroic, stylish; but lacks the songwriting to back it up. I prefer their first album. It’s a lot hookier and I think conveys similarly important messages, though perhaps not as directly.
Okay so I know it is really good but it was one of those listens where I wasn’t exactly connecting with it/in the mood. I think it’s probably a 4 but I am noting a 3 because that is reflective of my experience.
I went into this listen not expecting it to be a 5 star, but I find it hard to rationalize giving it anything lower. I can tell that this album, if I choose to let it, will live with me and grow alongside me. The process they took with this album was completely original; it speaks to me now, as someone trying to figure out her own creative process. Each member of the group could easily make an amazing solo record but together they made a true monolith. I'm excited to listen again with headphones or on a decent speaker; a lot of my listening nowadays is confined to my built-in iPhone 8 speakers. For albums like this I can really tell how it shallows the experience.
I like this one! It’s just real fun to listen to. I don’t think it’s an essential because it’s not that popular of a record and there’s other music that fits this bill but it is really nice to listen to I like it and it has a cool back story. I wonder if popularity should matter for rating something? I kind of think it’s important. If I was reviewing this right when it came out I think it wouldn’t matter AS much. Am I rating the amount of advertising that went into it though? What does it mean to rate and factor in popularity?
So beautiful. Total banger. I remember lostening to this so many times when I was getting into Bowie and not getting it. But as you get further into this album it feels less angular and you find yourself seeing whatever the big fish idea was swimming in Iggy and David’s heads when they decided to use early synthesizers and weird funk music and chant. Nothing like it. I think it picks up a good bit in the second half. I’m excited to listen again though it’s so mysterious.
I don’t think one or two listens is enough to accurately review this. It’s cool sounding but I don’t connect strongly with it. A lot of the songs were forgettable and stressful. I was hoping it’d be dancier since that dude from Major Lazer produced it and it was supposed to be a Timbaland thing. I liked Bamboo Banga, Afrikan Boy and Paper Planes (duh)
Stunning. I was listening off my phone speakers in a McDonalds with ny head down, eyes closed, hands cupped over the speakers, soaking it in. It commands your attention that way. I was expecting vibrato and ‘technical prowess’ but what I got was so expressive and adventurous. The harmony and accompaniment parts on this were really sensational too. I felt like I was being transported to a different world, where this ancient song form has adapted to the complexity of the modern world. It’s like a sentient robot running through a field
Listened to this coming back into work after holiday break. It’s amazing how emotional and political this record gets for how relaxed it sounds. Ominous sure, but when I think of how revolutionary Bob Marley was and when I think about revolutionary/political music in general, I think of something much edgier. Not even like this is THAT political a lot of these songs are spiritual. I think it’s that combination that really makes me feel understood by this music. The bass lines and rhythm section should net this album a 5 by themselves, and I think some of Marley’s best songs are on here. But, I know I still have to do some more listening before I can truly understand this to be a 5. I don’t think reviews can be objective. I’m rating it in relation to the experience I had with it today.
I am never impressed with this album. It sounds like a Rolling Stones album, I don’t really see why this band was adding to the conversation at that time. And I don’t really think that they wrote amazing songs either I did like rip off and life’s a gas. Daniel Gang is fine too, but it also reminds me of just how similar this band sounds to the Rolling Stones. I know I like it/it’s only rock ‘n’ roll came out after Daniel Gang, but I also don’t really know why I would listen to one over the other.
It was good! I like Blur. I am surprised they put three blur albums on this list but like okay I guess. I will probably rate Parklife higher. I do like the b-sides here though like even Look Inside America is really good. I really loved On Your Own and You’re so Great. I could go on but I won’t. This album is different than their other stuff which is cool if you’re a fan, but I will agree it doesn’t play to their strengths all the time. I thinn they are often less successful the louder/punkier they get. Like Song 2 rips but it is a very simple song and I can see why someone would think it’s annoying. Then the other loud songs on here like Chinese Bombs are good but like if you stack it up against idk like nirvana, it kinda sounds like shit. Some very weird chord progressions too like country sad man has some changes that are maybe even a little TOO strange but hey thats the point of the album theyre trying some crazy shit and most of it goes over good
Banging. Every song is memorable and charismatic. Trans visibility too. I love the messaging on these songs but they also don’t feel preachy, it’s very personal. This makes me feel like I understand glam in a way I didn’t with T. rex. It might technically be closer to a 4 because his voice is so lethargic that after awhile you may get a little worn out but I think that’s something that will grow on me like it usually does with voices. I’m giving it a 5
Nothing ass album, nothing ass band. This us the type of album my music tech professors would hear and be like “this is the end all be all for clean guitar tone meaningless ass band aged terrible radio filler no edge no soul no nothing
Past all the bullshit, this is a great album. It has consistent lyrical themes, Beautiful poetry, memorable refs, I like how Frank Zappa, Sean‘s in every once in a while to say some crazy shit. The drumming is excellent crazy out of this world. The baselines are rocking. So much feeling in this album. It is a little bit long, and I think the bluesiness Of the whole album becomes grading after a while, but besides being a difficult lesson, there’s so much good stuff in here, I don’t know if you really could cut any. “bad songs “
This one strikes me as a three. I really loved lazy and the opener, and smoke on the water is still a great song. I didn’t think that there were some tracks that were not as good as others, particularly the closer, and Pictures of home. But I was impressed, because I’ve heard a lot of deep, purple slander from Black Sabbath fans, and, as someone who doesn’t really enjoy early metal as much as the middle of the 90s, I really liked this record.
I really enjoyed this. I don’t listen to much African music, but this album is so joyous!
I love this band. I barely know them and I feel like I’m best friends with every member of the band. The lyrics are really important, you’re not gonna understand how fun this music if you’re not listening to the dialogue between Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson. It’s such a funny album and it’s groovy and it knows the world is dark and chooses to create light without forgetting why
I am not gonna sit around and lie and act like I think this album is at five. I find this album pretty boring and every time I listen to it I leave not really understanding the height. I think Joni Mitchell has much better albums in this, mainly Hejira, maybe Court and Spark maybe hissing wants. She’s still an amazing songwriter, though
This is a fat 5. Listening laying in bed alone after a work week looking forward to my 3 day weekend. Trump has been re-elected. It scratches every itch. Good lord there’s just something about the refrains, the backing vocals, the reverb, like what hidden planet could have produced such great art? Praise be to Bob Marley and Jamaica as a whole. I don’t even listen to reggae like that but I just might start
I feel like I understand Shoegaze so much better now. I live in a city where Shoegaze has really infatuated the youth at the moment, and now that I have heard this, I feel youthful again.
Meh. This music sounds like DnB candy. I think people get pissed off at Passion Pit for the same reason, but I love Passion Pit. Whenever I want to hear electronic style music, I want to hear something a little more exciting than this. I want techno, i want crazy synths, I want minimalist stuff; the hip-hoppy DJ scratches here feel kinda corny even though they’re well done. I don’t like the sample selection like this is some little big planet ass music
Very decent album. It loses me a lot at the halfway point, there's a steady decline from the smartly-written opener with those tortured sounding backing vocals to the nothingness of say Key To The Highway, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?, or It's Too Late. Long sprawling blues improv sections from one of the best guitarists ever but mysteriously absent are truly crazy guitar solos. I think they are great, but I was underwhelmed. I know jazz/rock/metal guitarists that blow this stuff out of the water. I think his tone is great, he can really make that thing shriek, but I was surprised at how underwhelming the long bluesy songs were.
Ok so I listened to this one like two weeks ago and it is FANTASTIC it's at least a four. DEATH ON TWO LAAAAYGS! God damn like such a cool album. I can't believe I didn't hear any of these deeper cuts when I was really into Queen when I was like 6. Well, actually yes I can believe it. My mom really liked their greatest hits albums. But the OTHER stuff thats nOT on those albums blows me the fuck away! I love theatrical rock music. It is SO my style. This album lays the blueprint, if Bowie hadn't already, (and as a huge bowie fan, he kind of hadn't)!
Decent. I like photograph and some of the other tracks like the opener and rock n roll are good too. There’s some definite mid on here. Im gonna give it a 2 because they couldve put so many other albums on this list and they chose this one
Wow it’s so good and they use the same chords every song. Doldrum, Looking Glass and of course There She Goes are peak. The twinkly guitars are almost midwest emo and the acoustic power chords are almost folk punk. How futuristic, and how near to my heart! It can get a bit dull at some points because the songs are similar. Some songs feel aimless; the record thrives in big moments like the chorus for Doldrum.
I will always feel something when Bruce Springsteen talks about dreams. He just refuses to ignore that primal desire, true self actualization, and honestly it speaks to me now as much as it did when I was just starting to really believe in my dream to be a successful artist. He is like a monk that I must return to often so that I do not forget the way. I think the first three songs on this album aren’t as good as the last seven, and I don’t know whether to give this a five or a four.
