A little self indulgent, with "Voices of Old People" and the Bookends Theme. They take themselves too seriously. Rescued by the classic Mrs Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter. Old Friends is another high point, with poignant strings and a wistful air. Hazy Shade of Winter was born to be a heavy rock song - the detroit snare on every beat and that killer riff should not work in a folk context, but they do!
Wayne Coyne concocts big daft lovely soundscapes with enigmatic lyrics, and it all leaves me cold. Soz Wayner!
Hard to believe I was in my 40s before I first heard the entire album. It continues to grow on me with repeated listening.
Nite Klub a new favourite - the sound of late 70s London clubbing and a really nice bassline with a little popping. Terry's voice was quite raw and unprocessed on this, which lends it an innocence. When you're young and broke and fed up of racism and injustice, do you moan about it or form a band and make some of the most danceable ska ever written? I can't give this a 5/5 but I would give it a 9/10 if the option was there. This is going on my rotation list and will buy the album.
Exquisite production by Quincy and the vocal harmonies are immense. The best use of a minimoog on bass ever. The worst song on this album was cowritten by Paul McCartney!
The singles are 4s, most of the rest are 2s. Very much of its time. I don't quite get Prince. He could have had an outstanding rock band but he chose pop and manufactured funk.
French African doesn't do it for me
A good rock album destroyed by overproduction.
Neil Hannon has one foot in the 21st century, the other in the 20th and his posterior balances lightly on the 19th. This Elizabethan cad muses about the NHS whilst jauntily bashing a harpsichor in his red velvet smoking jacket. The wit of Wilde combined with the pointed derision of Churchill, are delivered with tongue firmly lodged in cheek. For all the epic lyricism and arrangements, the songs are as ephemeral as candy floss.
Dull, except for Tina's playing
This album is as close to perfect as any I have heard. Food for the brain from Paddy McAloon, and the ears from the band and producer Thomas Dolby. Glimpses of heaven appear when Wendy Smith's vocals blend with lush pads. These songs were written by a child, performed by children, but sound like they were created at the end of long, well-lived lives. There are moments where the synth pads date the recording, but that's the closest that I can come to a criticism. Someday I will write a song nearly as good as the worst song on this album... maybe.
I forgot that Madness very quickly stopped being a ska band, and went pure pop. They had developed a signature sound at this stage featuring piano bass, a variation on the staxx beat, and a guitar that is so buried in the mix that it's largely imperceptible. Every song here is a quality production, and the singles will still be played in 50 years time, but it lacks the ska energy and rudeboy edge of One Step Beyond. Instead it tells the story of late 70s/early 80s Britain with humour and heart.
This may have been groundbreaking in 1996? It's pretty dull listening today. Some admittedly funky breakbeats layered with jazz, pads, spoken word and random radio recordings. I give it 2 for the beats.
The riffs are good, but this just seems so inauthentic. It's overproduced - so many parts are doubled, and it seems like there's a novelty track on every album. With a rawer sound, and less puerile lyrics, this could be a great album.
A very pleasant album, but The Police had lost a lot of the ska edge that defined them by this point. Sting had started a lifelong journey up his own rear end, decided that it was his band, and the others were pushing back hard. The lyrics are cringeworthy in places, especially when he starts his dinosaur rhymes, but the singles rescue it. A solid 3, but no more.
Underwhelming. A few interesting riffs with the signature Iommi tone, but a weak album overall
I was not expecting to like a Brazilian bossa nova album. Part vulnerable child, part sultry lover, part nurturing mother - Bebel croons over some smooth, melodic jams. Made for vinyl. Yum.
A banger. The dawn of metal. Very interesting to study Iommi's style at this point. He's got a signature sound and rhythm style, but the lead parts are very noodly. Lots of basic scale traversals and a few sub-riffs that are employed in a number of songs. The band works well together, and the songs are great - the Sabbath style was born here, and it peaked here too.
Pleasant soft rock with Status Quo underpinnings and a decided lack of direction. 3 stars for consistency throughout.
Solid 80s corporate cock rock. A disservice to the legacy of EVH. Extra point for Jump.
Pleasant but sterile - couldn't get through it
Fine singer-songwriter, but the tone of her voice annoys me and I don't particularly enjoy her music or lyrics. Sorry Tray!
A slightly maudlin take on the recent folk revival trend. Bluegrass instruments mixed with rock, found sound and electronica. Not very interesting
Ambient oddness. Not very compelling.
I was surprised at how long this album was for a concept album is one's for about an hour and 14 minutes and I think 24 songs there are common themes throughout the album and it's actually very laid back and easy going for the most part but of course pinball Wizard being the outstandard outstanding track in the on the whole album I really enjoyed it but I still think there's a lot of filler and not the 23 tracks could have been 10 quite easily and for that reason I'm giving it to three
You expect greatness from Terry Hall. You expect banging ska from The Specials. This album feels like a a jam project in places - it lacks the innovation and hard edge of its predecessor. It's still a good album, and you begin to hear traces of ideas that led to Fun Boy Three, but ultimately it seems like this was rushed or received less care. "It's all a load of bollocks, and bollocks to it all" Terry sings. The album theme? Still gutted I didn't get to see them before he passed.
Wasn't sure what to expect. More folk revival it seems. Lavish arrangements with folk instruments, strings, brass - must have cost a bomb to record. And what on earth is he singing about. Does he even know himself? Ulysses makes more sense. Yet here I am wanting to listen again. A 3 today, maybe a 4 in the future...
Analogue audio really peaked in the early 80s, before the influx of 12bit digital audio products. Good songs throughout, beautifully played, sung and mixed, albeit with very little going on in the high end. An 80s soul classic.
Big on attitude. Short on songs. The standout tracks here, apart from Brass, are the ballads. Much of the rest is filler - competently played, just not fully formed songs. Great mixes, quite pleasant. A three.
I was not expecting to enjoy this. Big band rock and roll with jazz trumpet. Some great duets. Cheesy lyrics about high note grease. Will be listening again.
A long distance from careless whisper. I think his muse deserted him and this led him to dark places. He could have had a bright future, had he abandoned pop. Great voice, and the songs are... Ok
The best Led Zep album? I'm surprised not to give it a 5. It's a 4.5. A couple of weak tracks take from the glory of Bron Y Aur stomp, Gallows Pole, Since I've been loving you. We rave about Page's electric guitar prowess, but he's possibly better on acoustic.
Shite. Clever shite, but shite nonetheless.
Black hole sun a classis. The rest forgettable. Guitar fights with bass. Kick inaudible
More RNB and soul than trip hop. Solid album, before they found their sound
A jam album, light on funk. Funk is all about the bass, and the bass on this is pedestrian. Nothing notable, but pleasant enough background music.
Imperfect, honest, warm and mesmerising. A classic album. RIP Shane
Born in the USA with a country twang. Made it 4 songs in, which was 3 further than I expected. OK, but not my thing.
Every track top 10 quality. Great production, beautiful moog baselines, imaginative songwriting
Many songs on this album are predictable chord progressions with dirty synth arpeggios and diverse earcandy. Then every so often something hits you - an ethereal ballad or a blistering bassline (open string hammer-on stylee a la Muse), and keeps you listening. A solid 3
From barbershop quartet to yeehaw pedal steel to Southern rock to pure pop, this is a diverse albums. Great songwriters come together and put out a raggle taggle album with some genuine gems
Love that guitar fuzz tone. An album of solid glam rock tunes and preposterous lyrics.
It was an interesting time. Rap went hardcore and political Has lost much of its impact
The bass on this is amazing - real funk powerhouse stuff. The synth programming is rather cheesey. The songs are a bit samey. There's even a squelchy 303 line in here, many years before acid reared its head.
There really is no audible bass part on this album, but it kinda doesn't matter, because the bass of the rhythm guitar part is so pronounced. The interplay between the guitars and drums is a thing of beauty, with rhythms transforming completely many times in every song. Trailblazing while paying tribute to the bands who preceded them, the Lizzy-esque harmony parts are a treat. Liked this more that I expected to.
