Bubble gum pop rock, not really my thing. I enjoyed hard days night and can't buy me love, but the rest feels like a bit of a wash of the same twangy, earnest sound that doesn't really do it for me.
3/10
I gave this one two listens because it felt so disjointed and scattered. It doesn't feel like a cohesive album in the way other Bowie albums do. Other than the title track, which is phenomenal, transcendent and age-defining (and the reason I'm ranking this as high as I am), I couldn't find much to cling onto. Maybe it needs more than 2, listens...
While I appreciated the instrumentals, and recognize this as a big step for Bowie's development, the whole thing doesn't quite resonate for me. Some of the songs stood out on their own, but overall it was missing some fluidity and cohesion I'm looking for in a "perfect" album.
5/10
Reminiscent of The Clash and Patti Smith at times, this angsty post-punk album really slaps in places, and really doesn't in others.
I find the songs to be hit or miss, and while Blister in the Sun is an all-time classic, I found many other tracks (especially in the back half) to be lacking depth.
5/10
Bluesy and funky, but not my thing.
4/10
Wow, I didn't expect this to be such a banger. Keely Smith adds a lot to this album, and I love both singers and the horns. I'm glad I listened to this before I died.
7/10
If you like an 8-minute guitar solo (or how about like 6 of them?), this is an album for you. An epic 7-track jam album with each track averaging over 10 minutes apiece. I prefer a tighter album in general, but as far as live albums go, this one is certainly one of the greats. It's not entirely my "jam," but I'm glad I listened before I died.
6/10
I listened to this twice through and lost focus both times. It's nice music that I found worked well in the background, a kind of folksy rock that does not offend but also did not make a huge impression on me.
3/10
His voice in the first song made me scared about what I was in for. And that fear continued at moments throughout the album. However, I appreciated the back half of the album, especially the final ambient instrumental track, Small Hours. It gave War on Drugs vibes.
A varied and searching album, but not one I needed to listen to before I died.
4/10,
Love the vibe and feel of this one. It tickles the alt rock country part of my brain. Not sure why it was selected for this list, but it fits squarely in a genre that I really appreciate. Still, it faded into the background pretty quickly for an album on this list.
5/10
A horrid concept album that fumbles through a nuanceless vision of disability, child abuse, sexual abuse and torture. Why was this made? Why must I listen before I die? And what is the moral of the story? That one must overcome their disability in order to achieve fame? That one's childhood traumas can, with the help of pinball and fame and a miracle cure, become irrelevant?
Drivel. Horrible, harmful drivel. I can't believe it made this list.
1/10
I love Bill Callahan. What a wonderful poet. This was my first listen to this album, and I'm glad it was part of my day today.
Classically meandering, this album is musically solid, anchored by his relaxed tambor and artful lyrics. It might not make my heavy rotation, but I appreciate it tremendously and it was a wonderful bounce back from the 1/10 album I winced through yesterday.
My only criticism I have is that the author didn't select Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest. One of my faves.
8/10
A phenomenal singer and lyricist. I will be listening to this one again.
9/10
I really loved Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and Helplessly Hopeless. Special songs. The rest of the album was a bit of a wash for me.
5/10
I had never heard of this band or album before, but I can see how their influence rippled forward for bands like LCD Soundsystem. It wasn't all for me, but I really enjoyed parts and it may just be a gateway for me to get into New Order and contemporaries like The Smiths.
7/10
