Amazingly thick funk-soul album. Great backing back and Stevie is on top form. Still not as perfect as Talking Book and Songs in the Key but a fantastic album nonetheless.
This beauty blends jazz, funk, soul, rock, dissonance and far-out experimentation. This is Miles Davis at his most groundbreaking. Let your mind and body float away while you listen to it.
Never liked Britpop bands but this album goes away from its formula. Creative compositions, it flirts with experimental pop, the production is varied and creative. Good album.
This is pure 70s David Bowie. Moody, pensive and manic at times. Classic songs.
Scottish derivative power post-punkish indie rock with nice abrasive and high-tuned guitars, but not much else to show.
Dreamy, eerie, beautiful ethereal melodies... Like being violated by a crying angel... ever so gently.
Waylon is great but this album feels very empty musically, despite having a full band. It fails to separate itself from the droves of 70s country albums. It is just not remarkable.
Quite accessible Peej but its impact is no lesser. Amazing elliptical song structures.
Unusual song constructions, quite artsy and adventurous at times. But even more than that, one great song after another, not a single dud.
I do like my prog. But there must a limit. This is the extreme end of the spectrum. While their technical prowess and complex compositions are undeniable, I missed a bit of heart and some rawness to match some of the lyrics. It's better when progressive rock does not sound like robots masturbating in sync. Except the last song 'Are you ready Eddy?'. They sound free and like they were actually having fun. Ah well...
This is when SY found the perfect balance between noise and quiet somberness. This and Daydream Nation are just nearly flawless albums.
I really like the guitar sound on this thing. It's full, organic and gritty. The rest? Garden variety, abrasive melodic noise post hardcore that adds nothing new. A poor man's At The Drive In.
Even though I don't care for Air I still respect it as something well made, well put together and consistent. Bonafide retro lounge. Even though I don't like it personally.
Quiet, contemplative and delicious VU album. Pale Blue Eyes is a mega tune.
I'm a stupid white man and rap does not do it for me. However, I cannot deny how impactful listening to this album was. It has some much anger and resentment when talks about the black experience of that time in America. I don't care about the gangsterism and misogyny of some the lyrics but I can surely understand where they are coming from. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy E delivery is intense and powerful. I still don't care about NWA and rap in general, but I can still appreciate what this album meant.
Ah, I love myself some trippy and druggy music. So I'm a bit biased with this. This has some very interesting unconventional song structures and great vibe but the songs are maybe too short to be effective psychedelic drug taking music. You're just starting to ride the wave and then it's already gone. Ideally this should have been one 22 minute song o Side A and another 22 minute song on Side B for more optimized tripping.
Musically (only), Kanye is great. But Yeezus falls very short of My Dark Twisted Fantasy in manner of creativity and production. And I cannot stomach some of those misogynistic lyrics.
Unless you hate Bob Dylan for whatever reason you choose, this album is undeniably one of his great ones. His refusal to conform to the "folk music" rules is in full display as half of the album is with an electric full band, the lyrics start becoming more personal, poetic, and cryptic, and less protest-based. This is filled with absolute classics.
This is just plain hard rock with some operatic theatricality coming out. But is quite plain. I guess they would peak later when embraced multigenre blending. The most interesting song is The March of the Black Queen. At least this one does not have any of those tiring overplayed hits. And no, I don't care about fantasy-themed lyrics.
Right out of the bat I'll say I'm not a fan of Genesis or over-structured prog. I prefer them weird. However, this has interesting song build-ups and progression. Well put together, even though the synths quickly outstay their welcome.
Do I care about the Beatles? No, I don't. Am I able to write an honest review that does not take my personal taste into account? Yes, I am.
I Want You (She's So Heavy) is the best Beatles songs ever. And arguably invented the evil heavy metal riff. Some really solid songs here, but it feels more like a collection of songs than an actual planned out album, as it goes into a lot of different directions, even thematically. But the solid songs are so well built, with such a rich palette of sounds, varied influences and intensity that make this a really good overall effort.
While some people, probably with too much anxiety issues, see this a boredom. I see myself tripping in acid on top a glacier as it melts in ultra slow motion. Of course there's a time and a place for this, but nonetheless it is an immersive and contemplative sound.
I don't care about Green Day. But this has brought me back to when I was 18 and this album had just come out. It was quite a jump from their Lookout Records stuff that I was used to. This album represents when teenage angst went mainstream. But I can't deny the songs are catchy, poppy and the lyrics funny, even though you have to be of a certain age for them to be relatable. It was nice to revisit this as a nostalgic piece, especially in my near middle age. I'm ok to forget it for a long time now. I'll enjoy going back to this when I'm 60.
Deliciously half-sung half-spoken declamatory beatnik-like performance by Patti Smith with great, creative art-rock instrumentation built around it. There's this barely contained anger on the verge of exploding that keeps you holding your breath. Such a great album.
The sound of an era. And this is confirmed by the whole roll of guests on this album. Graham Nash, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and members of Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and the Grateful Dead. The semi-improvisational blues-rock, that reminds me a lot of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, is absolutely contagious. Music to watch the sun set while melting on delicious drugs. Cowboy Movie is an absolute trippy banger.
I don't care about Duran Duran. Will never do. Don't like this type of music. But I think I can write an honest review.
Add new wave, rock, pop, a lot of synth, springly bass lines and a ton of cocaine to the blender and you get this album. It is energetic and fun. The songs are catchy and highly danceable with the correct mix of drugs.
Dude... so much cocaine and Ambien.
This is a tender and touching album. It reminds of the Emmylou Harris classics. Nanci's voice is sweet and lyrical. And the compositions are rich with different layers of instrumentation. The songs are great and lingering.
Say whatever you want and it's probably true: fraudsters, plagiarists, pedophiles, cultural appropriators, oversexualized cock rockers. Guess what? I'm evaluating the album, not the band, which, by the way, I'm not a fan of. This album has an energetic and electrifying blend of r&b, hard rock and blues without being afraid of slowing down and delving into somber psychedelic territory as well. It is creative and expressive, regardless of being robbed or not. Yeah, I could have done without the excessive affectations and oh babys from Robert Plant. Just too much. But the album works. The band? To hell with them. But the album has qualities.
This is such a great album. It is an ethereal experience. All songs are thematically and musically connected to build this feeling of disembodiment. When you listen to this album, it's like life goes on slow motion and nothing matters but this moment. It is a soundtrack for hopeful depression, while microdosing on morphine. Bliss.
This album pays homage to 70s rock, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Yardbirds, Grateful Dead, country music, and alternative rock. It is all blended seamlessly, without being derivative and not forgetting to add its own personality to it. It's like a love letter to rock and country. Deal with it.
Starts brilliantly with I Saw the Light. What a song. Then it becomes a bit tiring. It's a very long album and not all songs are standouts. Still great song arrangements, harmonies, and great r&b, 70s soft rock, sophistirock and soul influences.
I don't care about the Eurythmics but this is not about my taste. Some interesting and complex song arrangements that fit Annie Lennox's voice perfectly. But the final result is a mixed bag. Some good stuff (Jennifer is a standout) but some of Dave Stewart's arrangements are terribly dated and poor.
A sequence of absolutely classic songs and amazing lyrics. The perfect soundtrack for your post-break heart maladies.
Nina Simone is always amazing, but this album is not really representative of their classic work. It comprises of great recordings but they are from several different sessions and not planned as a concise and individual album. But still, you would be wasting your time here. Her deep voice just melts like butter on top of those jazzy and blues piano chords.
This is definitely not for me. Not my thing at all. But will I shit on it just because I don't like this type of music like most people here? Of course not.
Since this is a compilation, not all songs follow a certain pattern or standard but that works to its advantage.
Things that I like: minimalistic structure, creative use of layering for the most part. It is very trippy and some songs are even quite chill and relaxing.
Things that I don't like: it is very tiring to listen in one sitting. Over 3 hours of music. Being a compilation, it is hit and miss. Some songs are better than others but as they last very long, 10 minutes (or 1h) of a bad one is cruel torture.
I don't care about RATM and I think this album is very dated, but I respect what they represented coming up in the early 90s. Innovative blend of 70s riff rock (Led Zep, Deep Purple and Hendrix come to mind) with angry political rap. Angry and poignant. It deserves to be on this list because of what brought about back them. People on the comments insist on evaluating only based on their personal taste. Broaden your vocabulary and musical analysis, wasters. You need to be able to evaluate something outside of your personal taste. Rant over. RATM style.
This was a tough review because I absolutely dislike the band. But I'm going to pretend that I don't and try to be honest.
Musically is very interesting. Very energetic, psychedelic and funky, changing from dub to alternative rock seamlessly. Best tune is Three Days. Great intensity and change ups. However, Perry Farrell's tone and singing are very samey making listening to the album very tiring. But hey, the songs are constructed in a very creative way.
Call it sophistipop, soft prog, complex pop. Call it what you want. It is a work of refined arrangements and complex compositions. Do I like this? Oh fuck no. I hate Steely Dan. But it is undeniably well made, it made its mark in time. Brilliant album. It deserves to be here. I just hope I don't have to listen to it again.
Yeah, straight up very hard to condone someone blaring "Smack by Bitch Up" several times. And if when you look over that, you're still left with obvious song structures that do not really innovate. They just drop the bass at the expected times. Even if it was important when it first came out, the tracks have aged pretty poorly. I guess it's good for the dance floor or something?
This album reeks of sweaty, sticky and clammy sex. Prince mix of r&b, funk and pop is so well put together that it actually creates a music genre of its own. We call that Prince.
I do like John Martyn, just not this album. The production is too dated. It aged poorly. Give me 'Solid Air' over this one. But the last song is fantastic, though. Too bad the rest of the album does not keep up.
