Well I didn't like Elton John before this and I still don't. Never so pleased as when it finished and Thunder Road by Bruuuce came on. 2 out of 5
Think I'm in agreement with many reviews I've seen that this marks the start of their run of really great albums but unlike others I feel that it's not quite top tier like Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road and Revolver. Still any album with songs like Norwegian Wood and In My Life can't be too bad. 4 out of 5
A short album at under 40 minutes and only 6 songs long but a joy to listen to. Side 1 in particular with album title track and golden years is great. A taste of what was to come from the Duke with Low and his later albums. 4 out of 5
What is there to say about Bob that hasn't already been said. I'm a massive Dylan fan, so clearly biased and much as I love Freewheelin, for me, it's not in his top 10 albums. But still taking a step back and wow, tracks like A Hard Rain, Masters of War and of course Blowing in the wind (despite being so well known) really do stand the test of time. Coincidentally I came to this album just a day after belatedly watching 'A Complete Unknown' which featured the same early era Dylan. Right now, at this stage in my life I'm more of a Rough & Rowdy Ways era Dylan nerd.
Wasn't sure what to expect with this and not really a big jazz fan. But this was fun to listen to, good melodies and tunes. Don't want to damn it with faint praise but good background music that was wasy on the ears. Recommended and probably 3 out of 5 for me.
Really enjoyed this album and as I got it to listen to on Friday, with no new albums on the weekend it got a second listen on Saturday. Stand and Orange Crush in particular I think are amongst REM's best songs
Dark, moody and atmospheric. Classic album that to me stands the test of time. As a non teenage goth, but now Joy Division fan I appreciate this greatly but understand why others mightn't like it. The first one the list for me that had a second playback straightaway, although I'm still under 10 albums in. 4 out of 5 stars
A really good fun listen. I like Bryan Ferry as a vocalist. Seems like a hybrid cross between Beatles and Bowie to me in parts and one song, the last track I think, reminded me of The Monster Mash as it had the same riff and tune somwhere in there. I think they must have influenced Talking Heads as it reminded me of that in parts. Reckon this is somewhere between 3 and 4 but can't do half scores. Will go for 3 as somehow a bit less than the sum of its parts seeing as it has both Eno and Ferry, two of music's great names
Wasn't a big fan of this. I know Pet shop Boys and New Order have toured together, and I am a big New Order fan. But this to me sounds like New Order crossed with Bros, the 80s boy band and presumably not in 1001 albums. Worst parts of pop and dance combined but with none of the class or style of New Order.2 out of 5
Judas Priest is familiar to me only through one of my favourite Dylan tracks, the Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest off John Wesley Harding. British Steel was in the news recently when re-nationalised by the UK Government. That's probably the best way to have it. This album is just dull, I thought that every song sounded the same with no variation to be seen.
Thought this would be American R&B like Boyz to Men. Never judge a book or cd by its cover, anyway. Really enjoyed this, an unexpected pleasure of African modern blues. Fela Kuti meets Orchestra Baobob. The fact that one of the songs is named Nick, my name, is a bonus. This is the reason I'm doing 1001 albums to discover new music I like, that otherwise would never have crossed my path. Probably 3.5 out of 5, but Friday and feeling generous so rounding up to 4 out of 5
My second album by REM and I'm only about 12 albums into this. Fine album, pleasant to listen to but nothing special I thought. Not quite sure why it's raved about so much. Listened through somewhat inattentively but the only song, the best song was Harbourcoat which made me sit up and think I really like this. I then realised that track is off Reckoning as Spotify had gone on to play that afterwards. Somewhat disappointing and 3 out of 5
Very pleasant to listen to. Beautiful cover versions of some well known songs like Unchained Melody, On the Sunny Side of the Street and Georgia on my Mind. Willie Nelson not doing his normal thing here I think. 3 out of 5
It's one of the albums that I own and do like a lot. On listening again, I'm not sure about the song Thorn of Crows. The yelping/hollering doesn't do it for me. However, this is more than made up for by the incredible double punch straight after of Killing Moon and Seven Seas. 4 out of 5 stars for this.
A gem of an album. Really interesting reading about his troubles and hospitalisation before the album was recorded. Maybe my own ignorance but had never heard of him. One of those albums where the beautiful melodies and almost whispered vocals belies the tortured lyrics. Broken Heart and Weighted Socks really stood out. Brilliant lyrics about his wife darning another man's (and his friend) socks while he is in prison and now he's waiting by the river with a gun for him. Incredible - 4 out of 5 stars from me
An artist who has somehow passed me
by over the years, even though I like her style of music, this album reminded me of a slightly mellowed out less punky Sleatter Kinney. And what about 'The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore' as a song title, fantastic. I also enjoyed the good combos with Thom Yorke on backing vocals. Enjoyed this 3 out of 5
My first soundtrack on the list. My favourite soundtracks tend to be more like compilation albums where the songs all work in particular places - High Fidelity or soundtracks to various Tarrantino movies. But this was grand and a nice listen - the artists would probably hate that description though. 3 out of 5
Started out with a bang and was loving the old school 80s hip hop - my favourite era of hip hop, I think before it got a so misogynistic - bitch this and ho that. The fact that Queen Latifah was one of the first female rappers added to this. Dance with Me was a banger of an opening track, and this was followed up with a nice track with De La Soul. Latifa's Law and Ladies First I also really enjoyed. But after about a half an hour it was dragging a bit and, bonus tracks included, the album clocked in at just over an hour. A slight disappointment after the great start - 3 out of 5
First song clocking in at under a minute- check; 16 songs in about 38 minutes at an average length of 2 minutes each - check; loud, hard, aggressive punk- check. This checked a lot of boxes. Listening to this as I did while sweeping my driveway is possibly the most unpunk thing ever though. 3 out of 5 for this
So is this too obvious or, am I reading too much into it, but the cover is some kind of nod to both Andy Warhol and the Beatles, Let it Be. Anyway, then the album sounds a bit like the Beatles as written by Andy Warhol in a full on pop art style. But there's also Afro beat, funk, rap, rock and pop music as well as pop art. But with many bands, it could all be too much but not here. Works perfectly to me. Fantastic album, 5 out of 5 for me.
Couldn't play this on Spotify, which annoyed me initially, but actually was a good thing in the end. The deluxe edition is 22 songs and 1 hour 40 mins and probably the one that Spotify would have pushed. Found the original album on YouTube, which is 13 songs and just under an hour. Album mixed the very good and the very forgettable I think. But the makings of a superb EP is buried in there with the hit that everyone knows (Fisherman's Blues), a superb cover of Van Morrisson's Sweetest Thing and a haunting version of the Yeats poem, The Stolen Child, where the verses are spoken and the refrain is sung. I've spent a lot of time in Sligo, Yeats country, so all the places named are familiar to me and I may be biased. Throw in a minute long snatch covered from Woody Guthrie, This land is Your Land, and it would be 5 stars as a 20 minute EP. But, for the album as a whole, I'd give it 3 stars.
Is this post hard-core, post punk, hard-core or hard indie? I'm not sure. I like a lot of music on the louder end of the spectrum but this didn't do it for me I'm afraid. Forgettable and same same every song I felt. 2 out of 5 only.
Phsycedlic folk rock. British invasion era Beatles, Dylan and Simon and Garfunkle somehow mashed together but less than the sum of its parts. Not sure I'd listen again but think I've a few other Byrds albums to go. 3 out of 5
A bit disappointing, this wasn't as good as I remember.
Ohh definitely a case of separating the art from the artist. Clearly Kanye/ye is a very disturbed person and not well, but wow this album, which I remember had all the plaudits at the time but I kind of ignored, is 21st century hip hop at its peak. The abomination of Obamas nation has produced this dark and twisted fantasy classic. Not sure I like Blame Game,needlessly gratuitous but Who Will Survive in America is 21st century Gill Scott Hetron 5 out of 5 for me.
Wasn't especially looking forward to this but the album as a whole was a very pleasant surprise, nice melodies and tunes and less hard rock/metal than I'd anticipated. It's essentially a short concept album about leaving school, as the name and title track indeed suggest, but I'd somehow not twigged beforehand. But it should have ended with the penultimate track, Alma Mater, a wistful look back at school years and Goodbye/ I hope you don't forget me . Last song Grand Finale, added nothing. Four out of five stars.
Like a McDonalds meal: You know exactly what you're getting, consumed and enjoyed but soon forgotten. 3 out of 5
