4/5 — anyone who likes smart jazzy rock will likely enjoy this album.
It's a phenomenal debut for one of the most talented bands of the time. It has a lot to recommend it, and though most will only know "Do It Again," and "Reelin' in the Years," I'm most drawn to "Kings," "Only a Fool Would Say That," and the sickly sinister "Fire in the Hole." On the flip side, the other songs on the album don't capture me as much. "Dirty Work" is pretty but forgettable. "Brooklyn," "Changing," and "Heartbeat" all fit that bill as well. They're not necessarily bad, but feel like filler compared to the five other stellar songs.
Overall, a truly excellent album.
3/5. This is an interesting, fun album, that I'm sure is beloved by those who want this exact type of music, but the average person is liable to only really like one or two of the songs here.
It's a cool album. Sometimes it sounds like Buddy Holly or Eddie Cochran with brain damage.
4/5. An extremely interesting and unique piece of work. I think most people can find something here they might like, with the major caveat being that you sorta need to be in the right headspace for this music for it to really work. I don't really know how to describe that headspace quite yet. Maybe you need a slight buzz, maybe you need to be a bit manic. Not really sure.
That said, it really is a cool album. The singer's vocals are one of a kind. Production does an amazing job taking this voice and giving it a haunting, hypnotic quality to it. I'm a semi-competent guitarist and personally was enchanted with a majority of the guitar and bass, both in arrangement and the tone they got out of these instruments.
Standout song for me was Houses in Motion.
3/5. A remarkable album that starts off dubiously with the title track, has four excellent songs, and then has a rocky descent down from there. I don't think this album is terribly accessible — ironically the song I like the least is probably its easiest to get into — but it has some real genius tucked away here.
I'll start with saying I didn't really get why Prince is so beloved before I started the album. Every past encounter has left me grossly underwhelmed at best to outright repulsed at worst. Which is why I did my damnedest to keep an open mind as I listen.
The song '1999"'s popularity is bizarre to me. You have this mind-numbingly boring riff being synthed out on repeat throughout the entirety of the song and an uninspired vocal melody calling over it, the only relief from the monotony being some bog-standard funk guitar fills and obnoxious "oohs!" It's just awful. Maybe you *NEED* to be high on Quaaludes on the dancefloor to enjoy it.
"Little Red Corvette" was a really welcome change, what a great song. "Delirious" is a tad less exciting than the prior songs, but it's fun and the standout squeaking hypnotic riff that plays throughout is charming.
"Let's Pretend We're Married" is nuts. I love the unison of chime and voice, the unapologetic corniness of the lyrics and the weirdly mystic feel of the melody. It's bizarre and I get the feeling that it'd an awesome song to jam on.
"D.M.S.R" is remarkably tame for a song compared to "Let's Pretend ..." both in terms of subject matter and composition. This song feels the most straightforward 80's funk song melodically, harmonically, arrangement, etc., but it does it well. On the other hand, "Automatic" is a little boring and drones on for about twice as long as it ought to. There's some decent stuff here, but there's not enough to keep it interesting.
"Something in the Water" is a strange mirror of "Automatic." It's interesting but borders on unlistenable at moments. It's a cool song, and it seems like it's aim was capturing the (Does Not Compute) piece in every aspect, from the rhythm to the dissonant digital runs.
"Free" is alright. For me it's weaker than most other songs on the album despite its epic build up and chorus. "Lady Cab Driver" ends up bringing back some rising action to the album, replete with the Prince's absurd interjections.
The final two songs, however, sorta reverse the reversal. Both "All the Critics ..." and "International" lack the oomph that characterized the first half of 1999. They're, again, not bad, but cause the album to overstay its welcome.
4/5 — a must for those who enjoy the genre.
Production and arrangement are outstanding — harps, brass, record scratches, classical guitar, and other sounds flow throughout the album, enriching the solid structure already present for each song. Despite the veritable army of instruments and outside influences that back this album, nothing feels out of place.
Lyricism ranges from average to excellent; spoken word delivery is a little hit or miss too, but as a whole the album delivers well on the vocal front, especially when the choral and lead portions are considered.
My personal favorites:
Lost Ones
To Zion
Final Hour
4/5. The average person will likely really enjoy at least a couple songs here, and those who like smart pop infused with R&B will probably love the album.
My first intentional listening to Carole King. Her voice and style of singing have this unique quality to them. They're sort of raw, which contrasts nicely with the refined smart pop that makes up the rest of the album. She has great command of her voice, and can belt out some powerful lines with the best of them. Some of my favorite moments in this album were where she supplemented her voice with additional vocal backup.
The piano can be wonderful. Sometimes it sounds downright majestic, taking the lead on some songs, while on others it takes on a homey rhythmic role. The other instruments also never take on a concrete role either — the guitar is used for slick jazz lead fills, classic bluesy runs, and countrified rock riffs.
My only personal point against Tapestry is that it's so passive. It lives in this space where it can be really reflective and clever at times but is pretty run of the mill lyrically and melodically otherwise. Songs have standout moments but they really only stand out as much because the rest of the song feels calm enough to lull you to sleep. To me, it's an album that you put on an easy early morning and have playing in the background as you drink coffee — which for me is a spot that has a lot of other contenders.
5/5. Outstanding album that I think everyone should give a full listen at least once.
It's a fantastic piece. The singer is wonderfully expressive, using volume and texture to greater effect than most. I feel this is somewhat at the cost of vocal melody execution, which can feel loose and outright lost at times.
Maybe that's by design. The instrumentation does more than enough in putting a strong structure around her voice. That's where the Yeah Yeah Yeahs really kill it for me here; the way they use their keyboards and guitars is supreme.
Final thoughts are that every song is good in its own right. I was expecting to like "Heads Will Roll" the most, but several beat it out. There's a lot of variety here, and at no expense to cohesion. They maintain their iconic sound the whole way through. Awesome.
Standouts:
Dull Life
Runaway
1/5, it's something to someone, I'm sure, and it isn't hard on the ears at all times. I imagine it must have been groundbreaking for 1978. I imagine some electronica aficionados prize this album. But Holy Christ, was it boring to listen to.
I will probably never play a single song on this album ever again. Weird yet inoffensive. Strange yet uninteresting. It's genuinely discouraging to think people bought this album after hearing it instead of something more melodically, harmonically, poetically accomplished, simply because of the novelty.
2/5. If you like Cobain and co., I'm sure you'll love this. For anyone who isn't already attached at the hip to grunge's Romeo, I really don't think you'll find this album special.
The playing is competent. Some of Cobain's signing is great and expressive. Some of the riffs smart and catchy. The mixing is pleasantly raw. But that doesn't change the fact that so many of the songs here are lifeless and uninspired.
A touch of the personal here: I understand loving music for the poetry or realness of it. Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Elliott Smith, and others fit that for me. Those artists can be musically uninteresting at times, but the sincerity and thought put into the lyrics can win me over. I presume that's what Cobain does for people.
3/5. Good for what it is. Charming folk pop(?) with some really lovely arrangement bolstering some decent songs. But very forgettable.
