Haven't listened to this in a minute, so I'm looking forward to hearing how it sounds now.
Yep, "Wesley's Theory" starts it off with a solid bang. Great use of George Clinton in a song that doesn't sound like a Clinton clone.
And, Interludes. Still ain't so interested in these, but they're not awful.
"King Kunta" still sounds like The Coup in every way.
"Institutionalized" still not a suicidal tendencies cover but I love it. Most things on this album are an homage. Bilal and Snoop help realize that feeling here.
"u" has some great Kamasi runs
"alright" is more than that, featuring some more great Kamasi runs. the band is just great on "to pimp" no doubt
"for sale" the second interlude is seemingly a different interlude. it's a complete song. or is it? neither interlude so far sounds like the 90s interludes that kendrick is probably alluding to.
by "momma" this album feels like a continuous stream. the songs are different enough but are connected by a vibe and sometimes by an instrument
"hood politics"/"how much a dollar cost" engages this connection specifically. these 2 seem to be the album highlights
oh wow, haven't listened to this in decades. this was one of my earliest musial loves and i can't wait to hear how it's aged for me
"purple haze" is a classic for a reason. not the origins of heavy, blused-based riffs but one of the most perfect expressions of it in the late 60s. im not feeling or hearing anything new in this listening as the song is part of my dna. i still love it
"manic depression" see above. additionally, i really love mitch mitchell's drumming on this track. on the entire Experience run, but just so, well, manic on here
"hey joe" again, see above. nigh a perfect song, though we're a few songs away still from that, "hey joe" is a top 20 cover in my ears.
"love or confusion" should get more love than it does.
"may this be love", the waterfall song. almost the most beautiful song on the album.
"i don't live today": still heavyish and the darkest song so far
"the wind cries mary" they most perfect pop song by jimi. while i've not heard it in decades, i could listen to it forever
"fire" i probably heard this a year or two before the rhcp cover.
"third stone from the sun" is the first tune that sounds like its own thing on the album. it's jammier than other songs and includes some studio tricks and experimentation.
"foxey lady" became yet another cultural touchstone from the album, covered multiple times. i didn't think i was going to enjoy listening to this again, but it is a really great song. far superior to the covers i've heard (special shout out to the kinnison cover as it came out around the same time i first heard AYE. teenage memories)
"are you experienced" the piano, backward masking, and overdubbed guitars are in top form here. i love jimi's playing on this song. it is, without any doubts from me, a perfect album ender.
another one i've not listened to a while, but i know it will rank 4 or 5 stars. just amazing songs start to finish here
"eleanor rigby" is still just a perfect pop song. beautiful and melancholy
"i'm only sleeping" is a, well, sleepy hit. it's one of those songs that's a clear response to _Pet Sounds_, and that's to this song's benefit
"here, there and everywhere" is a great, longing love song. it sounded a little dated at its time, but now it sounds timeless.
"yellow submarine" is often written off as a novelty. it really isn't. whimsical, tuneful, enjoyable. give it a listen
"she said she said" is a perfectly fine blues-based pop song. not the greatest beatles song but still fine.
"good day sunshine" continues the blues-based pop song tradition, but paul's playing and singing really brings this song into greatness. that chorus is rightful beloved by the masses.
"and your bird can sing" is a top 5 beatles song for me. there is nothing revolutionary about it, but the interaction of them all is in full swing here. just smart songwriting and playing all around
"for no one" paul's interplay between his voice and piano is solid here. also, french/english horn almost always=great pop song in my ears
"doctor robert" is a song. i like it because one of my best friends is a literal doctor robert
"i want to tell you" is almost dissonant at times, mainly due to that bouncing piano. it's kind of gloriously weird
"gotta get you into my life" is pure pop perfection. this version is outstanding, but i still prefer the earth, wind, and fire cover. give it a spin.
"tomorrow never knows" is one of the best album-enders of all time. _revolver_ shows why ringo's drumming is often unfairly maligned, this tune in particular.
not Ray's best (but i'm not typically a fan of these big band arrangements unless they're by Duke). However, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is absolutely sublime.
the ballad side is the stronger side ("just for a thrill? "am i blue"? c'mon!) with "come rain or come shine" rightfully heralded as an eternal classic
i hope ray's modern country soundz is on this list. that is some great stuff
another pretty perfect record for me.
if this is a "weak" 5, then "blonde is an even stronger 5. I hope it's on here as well.
i could go song-by-song about how amazing this album is, but "pyramids" is all i need to point to. it is 10 minutes of brilliance, one song broken up into 3 perfect parts. just stunningly good
part of electronica's takeover of numerous musical traditions in the 00s, this is a decent album. having the lineage of one of brazil's most famous musicians probably helped bebel out here, but she is also legit talented. nothing on this album is essential, but nothing is bad either. "bananeira" is the standout track here, a strong mixture of bossa nova, funky bass, and electronic music
there's a reason _american beauty_ continues to be the main dead album people know. it's fantastic. three songs from this show up on the remarkable tribute album _deadicated_. may need to listen to that again after this listen
"box of rain" is a beautiful mid-tempo folky-rock song
"friend of the devil" is forever perfect
"ripple" ditto
"truckin'" is a classic rock radio staple for a reason
without listening to this again, i'm confident it'll earn the 5-star rating. i love a lot of sly, and this album is just stunningly good.
"stand!" was reportedly sly trying to make a poppier sound, something anyone could easily dance to. he accomplishes this, and he also keeps his social commentary in the forefront
"don't call me n*****, whitey" keeps that social commentary blazing hotter in the forefront
"i want to take you higher" still has one of the filthiest bass lines in rock and soul music
"somebody's watching you" has that infections electric piano ringing in my ears while that urgent, scratchy guitar line runs under the piano
"everyday people" is a brilliant pop song, full of fun and ideas. and it lead to a great reimagining by arrested development.
"sex machine" provides some breathing room, a moment of little to no vocals where the band can just play for a minute.
"you can make it if you try" ends with another piece of classic soul. just a great record from beginning to end.
another near perfect album and certainly my favorite EWF album. "shining star" is rightfully the most well-known song, but there are hidden bangers on here, including the title track, "yearnin' learnin'" and "see the light". great stuff from top to bottom. if their cover of "gotta get you into my life" were on here, it'd be an easy 5 stars.
this is not a bad marvin gaye record by any measure. it's just not one of his greats. the album is bookended by two legit great tracks: "let's get in one" and "just to keep you satisfied." remarkable tracks, the both of them. the rest of the album is just a bit of a let down in that it's all pretty samey. not much musical or lyrical stretching going on during all this getting it on.
i listened to the shit out of this in 98-99, right before i moved to michigan for grad school. haven't heard it much since then and didn't think too much of the album since. this is mainly due to the annoying ubiquity of "bittersweet symphony," which is an excellent song that overshadows the rest of this, frankly, set of songs that are almost all superior to BS (ha-ha). still love songs like "the drugs don't work," "space and time," and "lucky man." top notch songs all of them. i really love this album when they stretch out into psych rock territory. "the rolling people" and "velvet morning" are remarkable, and "catching the butterfly" sounds like a track from _kid a_ five years before _kid a_ came out. so, just a wonderful album all around
i was 15 or 16 when this came out and hated country music. i was a rock and hip-hop kid. eventually, i learned to love all kinds of country music, dwight included. his mid-to-late 80s stuff is just so damn good.
this is the only Zappa that i have on vinyl. it’s amazing how frank moves between freak out music with its weird time signatures, odd instruments, and even odder sound effects. at times, this sounds like any other 60s album musically, but lyrically the anti-love songs and parodies of 50s and 60s music set frank apart
15 days into this challenge and i have had the first artist that i've not heard of before (i hope this happens more often). this album is miraculous. i should be working, but i can't stop listening to this. i will seek out more of his stuff after this
