I have listened to this one before, and had mixed feelings. Upon a re listen, though, I appreciated the album much more as I think I was a little overwhelmed with the genre blending.
This album really transitions dramatically from positive to negative as it goes on, which I enjoyed. I also appreciated the influences of the sound created a lot more than on my first listen. You can tell that these guys are talented, and the musicality and production really stands out.
One thing that I still am a bit unsure on is the voice of the lead singer. I know this album could only work with that kind of matter of fact voice, but it’s not for me.
8.5/10 for me
This album feels like it should be played at 1am in a New York Jazz club while the listener is in that depressive state of recovering from a regrettable night of drinking…
Soulful vocals and jazzy piano with a great bass and drums come together with the amazing vocal range of Nina Simone. Some of the songs are beautiful - Lilac Wine for me is the pick of the bunch (Jeff Buckley’s version is one of my favourite songs ever) but I loved almost all the tracks. Four Women, though iconic and shocking, felt a bit corny at points. This is not a perfect album - the songs feel relatively disconnected at points - but the quality makes up for it. 7.5/10.
This is very easy listening, road trip across Route 66 type music. Hotel California and Life in the Fast Lane are the standout tracks, with some good riffs. Most of the other songs are, again, easy on the ear and ‘nice’, but lack any real depth or complexity. 5/10.
To me, this album is about the disparities in understanding between the classes in the UK. Being working class is seen as romantic by the upper classes, but the reality is just that it’s actually shit.
I enjoyed this more than I thought. Everyone has heard Common People, and rightfully so - it’s a great song. Most other songs are also well written, and I warmed to the vocalists performance as the album went on. Some songs were definitely not as good as others, and I thought it petered out a bit at the end. Still, a strong showing!
7/10
A very well produced hip hop album that leans into the absurd at times, while also delivering many classic early rap/R&B songs. I have already listened to the cover of Killing Me Softly (which is excellent), but also loved Ready or Not, and the cover of No Woman No Cry, which leans heavily into the group’s reggae influences.
For me, this album sometimes can lean a bit heavily into the sampling and so felt messy at times. Also, some of the lyrics fell a bit flat for me at points, and I definitely preferred Lauryn Hill’s verses to those of the other male vocalists!
A pleasantly surprised 8.5/10
Springsteen isn’t my favourite musician, but I have to admit that this album was good. Bleak, but good.
7/10
That was a hard listen. I get why people rate this album - it was probably way ahead of its time in terms of sampling and is a very influential house/acid/techno album. The problem is that I bloody hate this kind of music, which makes this album hard to rate very highly. I found it just gave me a headache and I found the repetition of each motif about 16 times extremely irritating. In fairness, I did at times enjoy the less screechy tracks (there weren’t many).
Sorry chemical brothers - plus you stole Jez and Super Hans’ sound
1.5/10
Lots of distortion, wall to wall guitars, no time to breathe.
While I appreciate the experimentation and forward thinking nature of the album, I was slightly overwhelmed at all times while listening to this. Perhaps it just needs a re-listen to appreciate fully.
6.5/10
Fast, complex in both musicality and theme, and very angry.
7.5/10
The Kinks give us short character studies of what it means to be British, in a folk rock, almost psychedelic manner. The songs are almost all very short, but each gives a depth into their story and characters and each is also very well written.
Solid 8/10
Some funky stuff here! You can see why this band was only a one hit wonder at the time though.
Rip it up, the title track, is still a banger, and I was definitely grooving along to some of the other songs. Most of the album felt like filler to me unfortunately.
4/10
Come on, everyone knows the hits on this one. Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you have listened to Dancing Queen - there is no escape.
Lots of hits on this, and the commercial success makes sense - these are very catchy, well made songs.
There are quite a few stinkers though, and it seems like they ran out of lyrics or just inspiration more generally for a few songs.
5/10
This album is sad reggae. Not just hopeful sad, but sad sad. Powerful lyrics and an important message carry this short album where sometimes the instrumentals fall a bit flat.
5.5/10
Pretentious drivel. One semi-decent song but other than that it’s just a pile of wank. Not sure why it’s on the list - I want that hour of my life back please.
1.5/10
Beautiful songs with laid back vibes, what more could you want? Bravo, Bob.
8.5/10
Another album where I can see why it was included, but it’s just not for me unfortunately… I like the vibes, but some of the lyrics made me slightly uncomfortable too
Perhaps a re-listen might make me appreciate it more, but this is my rating for now
5.5/10
Pretty enjoyable, not sure it’s aged too well though. Some songs are good, some okay, some bad. Again, I’m not really sure why this is on the list - it feels very safe and not that groundbreaking…
4/10
Some very chilled, groovy soul. Hell yeah.
This guy’s voice is a tonic to the soul. Loved a lot of the songs - some are a bit samey towards the end and do the classic fade out every time but not much to criticise.
Solid 8.5/10
This album just sounds like some dudes high on LSD just jamming some guitars. And I’m kind of into it?
5.5/10
Hell yeah!
Great album top to bottom. A lovely hazy mix of blues, rock, and psychedelia. Each song is crafted excellently. For a debut, this is top notch stuff. Only complaint is that it can be a little overblown and screechy at times, which takes me out of the zone a bit.
9/10
Very laid back, chilled blues. I can’t lie, I was vibing a lot during this. Nothing particularly revolutionary but a solid little album from a guy who sounds like he’s been around. 1950-60s Southern US blues vibes always is a hit with me, even if the songs start sounding similar to each other towards the end.
6.5/10
Big dumb fun - this album is just the musical representation of a horny teenage male. Big power chords, sweaty riffs, shrieky vocals, this is the hyper sexualised 80s in a nutshell. Every song is so catchy but paper thin under the lyrics and iconic riffs. A real struggle to rate because it’s so iconic, but actually listening with a critic’s ear actually makes you think while listening - something you wouldn’t normally do when listening to AC/DC. Usually you’re using your head to headbang rather than think!
7/10 for me. The dumbness wins.
These guys are talented at their respective instruments, and there are one or two decent songs and guitar hooks. However, they are also good at making their music complex enough so that the listener can’t actually tell whether what the band has actually played is right and/or is in time (it definitely is, but that’s not the point). They can’t actually write a decent tune, and are trying too hard to show off how much music theory they know - look at me, I know a time signature other than 4/4. Plus the lead singer can’t really sing… No wonder I haven’t heard of them. Rant over.
3/10
Some nice heavy metal here! Smoke on the Water is the standout but some good guitar and drums here. Plus the singer ain’t half bad either. Good stuff.
7.5/10
CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE CRAB RAVE
This is a hard one to rate for me. I really enjoyed the groove and feel of most tracks, and they transitioned pretty smoothly. However, as with most electronic dance albums, most songs went on for too long and some had quite problematic lyrics. It’s not aged that well…
5.5/10
Possibly the worst album yet.
The lyrics are something to behold, going from openly homophobic and misogynistic, to childishly angsty, to unintentionally hilarious I’m-a-white-boy-life-is-so-hard, to screamo-scat. It really is as ridiculous as it sounds. How anyone can want to listen to this drivel for over an hour is beyond me. Guantanamo Bay-ass music for sure.
Positives include some decent drumming (pretty rare) and a decent Ice Cube feature on the one semi-listenable track. The other feature, with Fred Durst, is the worst on the album and it is one of the worst songs I’ve had the displeasure of consuming.
This is an unredeemable album.
0.5/10, and that is GENEROUS
Everything that could be said about this album has already been said. Simply one of the best ever, and redefined music forever.
10/10
A bit too anarchic for me, though I can see the vision. Lots of good guitar work and the drums are next level. Sometimes the vocals lose me in their ridiculousness but I am always brought back. Perhaps this just needs a second take when I’m feeling a bit more like V for Vendetta-ing society.
6.5/10
Good songs, but depressing as hell. I was in the mood for it though.
8/10
Some great instrumentals on this track. This is experimental jazz, and it’s not shy to let you know it either. The horns are loud and obnoxious at times, the music not letting you settle for one second before moving on to the next idea. It’s genius, but at the end you are left a bit overwhelmed by it all and your head hurts a bit. I think I prefer more laid back jazz…
5.5/10
Can’t decide whether KW is a genius or just bonkers. Judging by recent history, probably the latter. This album is conceptual with brilliant highs but also moments where I was questioning why I was listening to essentially drivel. KW is a real piece of shit and this is emphasised by his lyrics in most of the songs - I got kind of bored by the number of times he either compared himself to some sort of deity or described his sex life - we get it, you’re a narcissistic womaniser! That does make the times when the lyrics do hit that bit more special, though.
I liked almost all of the features on the album. The beats and sampling were questionable at times, but when they hit it is great. The rapping was good, some of the ‘singing’ not so good.
I can only give this a 4/10
The intro was a bit pretentious, but after that it’s just lovely psychedelic wavey guitars, fantastic drumming and laid back melodies. Lovely to listen to after a few beers, I imagine.
Please, give me another good one tomorrow as a birthday treat…
8.5/10
Very atmospheric, but honestly feels a bit bare at points. Not my favourite version of The Cure.
6/10
Thoroughly enjoyable traipse through an album criticising the British, by possibly one of the most British coded bands out there. I had no idea of this album’s existence, but I feel it will grow on me even more. Loved some of the guitar hooks, the lyrics were genius in places, and I found I liked all of the songs. Highlights include ‘Australia’, ‘Victoria’, and ‘Mr. Churchill says’.
7.5/10
Definitely something that I would not have listened to otherwise, but I’m glad I did.
Some tracks are great and are full of beautiful Indian classic instruments that work pretty well with the electronica.
Some tracks are just pretty flipping weird though, some of the chanting was just plain weird and didn’t do anything for me.
I’m glad this exists, but I won’t ever listen to it again
Did not expect to like this one as much as I did. Very clever sampling and I loved the use of classic instruments. Lots of hits and very few stinkers. I am impressed Mr Moby.
7/10
Plan white bread album. Nothing offensive, but nothing interesting too. Country rock for people who are not interested in good music. Plus the guy can’t really sing, and is apparently a POS in real life.
3.5/10
Funky music! Loved some of the tracks on this soundtrack album, though in the middle some started sounding a bit like video game / npc shopping background music. I think this would all go better with the actual movie it was supposed to accompany though. Most tracks blend into one another so it all goes down very smooth, but you don’t really remember anything afterwards. Still, I enjoyed it but don’t think I will be revisiting it.
6/10
Very very solid album. The guitar hooks are fresh and hit you right in the face from the get go. Drums and singing are great throughout, with lyrics being interesting enough without being inspiring. Found myself headbopping despite myself at quite a few points - some of these tracks are definitely headed for the playlist. Not quite a 5 stars, but close.
8.5/10
This album certainly does rock! Screamy guitars and vocals let you know that this is Aerosmiths most rock-heavy work (if you couldn’t tell by the title of the album). And it does work… mostly! I was bopping along to the vast majority of songs.
Now for the criticisms. It sounds like it was recorded with a police tape recorder, so the quality of sound isn’t amazing. The lyrics are not good at all - nothing too problematic, but just a bit shit.
Overall, I was expecting a turd, but it was actually surprisingly chocolate shaped like a turd. I’ll take it.
5/10
This was just a load of edgy, angry nonsense. Lyrics were edgy at best, gobbledegook at worst. Some decent drums and guitars at times and some of the songs had decent structure. Not sure who would enjoy this and why, all in all. Maybe it’s just not for me.
3/10
Clean, groovy electropop that flows very nicely from one track to the next. But wait… now it’s repeating… and now it’s fully in French. It’s getting a bit boring now, and there is still 40 minutes to go…
Nothing wrong with it all, and some strong pro-LGBTQ+ representation which I am all for. But way too long, and the songs get a bit repetitive.
6/10
What a gorgeous album. Every song is stunning in its own way. A sublime voice and the lyrics flow like poetry. After a string of mid albums, this was like a breath of fresh air in comparison. Thank you for introducing me to this masterpiece!
9.5/10
This is definitely one of the more interesting country albums I’ve listened to. But then again, most country music is as dull as ditchwater, so there’s not a very high bar to clear. Lots of typically ‘nice’ songs that for me play it a bit too safe, even though the artist is trying to go outside of their comfort zone by introducing some not so typical country instrumentation. I just don’t think this type of music is interesting enough to be uplifted by genre crossovers, no matter how good they are.
4.5/10
Raw, sexual, unapologetic. This record certainly does not pull any punches. I loved how I could not predict the direction the album would go in. The musicianship as a whole is excellent, and the song structures were pretty interesting with lots of complicated time signatures that worked well. I do have complaints: the recording quality is not brilliant, and whoever mixed it needs to be fired - this really hampered my enjoyment of the album as a whole.
6/10
A heartbreaking masterpiece. So simple yet so effective in its arrangement, Joni Mitchell’s stunning voice paints pictures with her poetry. The listener almost feels voyeuristic as she pours her heart out for all to hear, and may even shed a tear or two. I’d never listened to this album before, but I will certainly be revisiting it when I get the blues.
10/10
A couple of nice poppy hits, but nothing special for me. Compared to his work in the Beatles, everything just falls a bit flat.
4.5/10
Bluesy rock with a smattering of quality, but feels like a lot of filler in between. I liked the fat there were different singers for each song, kept it fresh.
5.5/10
I’M PISSING ON SHADOWS, SHADOWS, SHADOWS… IN THE FUCKIN’ DARRRRKKKK
Glad to see these new artists inspired by the work of my favourite country and western artist, Mr Robert Mortimer. He is Honky Tonk, and always will be.
4/10 I liked Cornbread Moon but not much else lol
I thought LZ1 was good a few weeks ago… this takes that LP and dials it up to 11! More rocking, more bluesy, more adventurous and some absolutely killer tracks. I have listened to this 3 times now…
9.5/10
Generic rock from the 90s. Each track is fine but doesn’t add up to anything special. Sounds a bit uninspired - I don’t really know if I am missing anything or I’m just a snob but doesn’t do it for me.
4/10
I had no expectations coming into this, having never heard of Nick Drake or any of his work. I am now shocked at how I have been ignorant of this. Beautiful, melancholy lyrics, fantastic production, bluesy folky voice. This really is a hidden gem.
9/10
While I don’t doubt that Prince is an immensely talented and popular musician, I did not enjoy the vast majority of this album. 1999 was too poppy, little red corvette was a bit annoying, and none of the other tracks really stood out other than they were way too long.
4.5/10
This album is full to bursting with great songs, and is one of my favourites. Can’t give it anything less than a 5.
9/10
Well, that was a stinker.
2/10
I was expecting some samba, Brazilian vibes looking at the name of the album. I was only half disappointed, as what I got instead was some lo-fi acid jazz electronica with added samba drumming on some tracks. While the tracks washed over me nicely, none were particularly memorable and felt more like background music that was attempting to hypnotise me. Then, out of nowhere, someone is speaking Balkan to me? While very well produced, I won’t say that this is my favourite album of all time.
3.5/10
When I hear someone say ‘Black Sabbath’, having never really listened to any of their music before, I imagined hard rock and metal with long-haired frontmen biting the heads off bats. That’s what I expected. But what I got was something totally different.
While a lot of songs certainly ‘rocked’, some others left room for some calm introspection. This led to a well-balanced album that embraced both sides of what the band is capable of - and they are certainly talented!
Some songs I did not particularly enjoy, but almost all had elements that I appreciated, if not loved. One particular disappointment was the album’s name - surely you can give an album of this quality a better name?
8/10 RIP Ozzy
These days, people love to dunk on Coldplay. They’ve almost become the butt of the joke as bands for people who don’t really appreciate ‘good music’. This is certainly true for their recent releases, where they have embraced a more mainstream pop sound and have effectively ‘sold out’ to their corporate overlords. However, this is not a review of their recent albums.
This is Coldplay, before they knew fame. And damn, is it good.
Raw, emotional lyrics. Masterful songwriting. Excellent multi-instrumentalism. This really is a staggeringly mature debut, and contains many hit songs as well as beautiful hidden gems. Martin, while his voice may not be for some, gives an assured performance with voice, piano and acoustic guitar and his words really conjure up powerful emotions.
This debut may not be as good as their sophomore album, A Rush Of Blood To The Head, but for me it is still of the highest five star quality.
9/10
Hey! I know these guys, they did Blitzkrieg Bop! I like that song, but I’ve never heard anything else by them - maybe I’ll like their other music?
Okay, this next track is decent, but it sounds a lot like the first one. I wonder how they are going to change it up?
Okay, still waiting for them to do something different… also, why are all the songs only two minutes long?
Still waiting…
Okay Let’s Dance was actually not bad
And then boring to close. What a disappointment.
3/10
Sad old men sing about how unsuccessful they are with women
3.5/10
