Fucking awful, if liking a modicum of melody or rhythm is a crime then send me to the chair. Despite it being critically acclaimed I can find no merit in this album brief moments where it seems like it might stumble into a cohesive tune are few and far between and never actually come to anything.
Solid, pretty dark, a bit of a slog in subject matter wise and there are no out and out bangers but good production and musicianship and pretty consistently decent
Just sort of passes by, no ebb or flow as an album, only real stand out track is cars as it has a bit of punch but otherwise it’s just pretty decent early electro pop - it’s fine. 3.2
Good album. Prefer the tracks with vocals especially the Beth Orton one. Need to be in the mood, best suited as music in a public space or when driving, wouldn’t sit down and put it on jus to listen to it as a full album but wouldn’t skip any tracks if the come on in a shuffle. 3.7
Percussionists wet dream. Sounds like music made for trendy late night bars. I liked it, the 15 min drum jam on the last track may have been a bit much for me but overall good stuff if you are in the mood or want something to play in the background to set atmosphere.
3.4
Hot take: this album is good but not great. It on occasion slips perilously close to tedious due to long songs with no real change of pace and Torn curtain is a weak closer.
Overall I like it and standout songs like the title track are excellent but overall it’s a solid album not a classic for me.
3.5
Very nostalgic, overplayed at the time but on re listen it’s a very good album. Actually more breadth than I remembered some tracks to me sounded a little “Massive Attacky” and the singles are good when you haven’t been bombarded by then on ever advert.
3.9
I like this, BB’s best album. When viewed against the hair metal / hair rock of the time of its release it stands out as being a bit different, a bit of a blend of metal/ rock/ funk/ hardcore with an 80’s production sheen.
3.4
Great debut album, by and large short sharp songs with only one or two that feel a little filler.
4
It’s OK, when they let things like melody and song structure shine through it’s actually quite good but too often it gets a bit tuneless in the name of being a bit hard edged. 3
It’s fine. Listened on the drive to work, was inoffensive, none of the tracks really grabbed me. Probably a little too long but overall a pleasant enough, if a little borning album.
2.8
“I hate the world and my parents” in album form. It made me want to pierce my eyebrow and wear mascara to rebel against society.
It’s good in places, but in others it’s fucking awful, especially that song with Fred Durst, a 30 year old shouting I hate you for 4 mins is a hard listen.
If it’s your genre I am sure it is seminal, for me it’s 4 or 5 good songs among a barrage of self hate filled teenage petulance set to repetitive Nu Metal groves.
2.2
Not my cup of tea but can appreciate why it is a revered album, the drumming and guitar work are really good and Tommy Iommi knows how to write a riff but if your not into this style of early metal it’s a bit of a slog.
2.5
I really like this Album, I think RW’s voice sounds a lot like Thom York, good songs, Walker Bros inspired arrangements. Really solid. 3.8
Of its time, the covers generally are good versions or in some cases improved versions of the originals and the 1 Jagger/ Richard’s song is one of the stronger on the album but I just can’t get excited about this era of British Invasion rhythm and blues. Objectively a good album but not my wheel house.
2.8
Good album, has some of Neil Youngs best songs in it. His voice sometimes grates on me after extended exposure but at 34 mins this is a sweet spot.
4
The good songs are good unfortunately I could only identify 3 on the album with the best being sort of standard vaguely industrial electro pop.
Nothing on it is bad per se it’s just not particularly great
2.7
Expected to dislike this but I really thought it was good. Expected the production to be good but the actual tune- smithery was excellent, it had more depth than I expected so if this is what teenage girls are listening to nowadays it’s way better than the boyzone of the 90s and 00’s in my day.
I wouldn’t seek it out but if it was put in I would be perfectly happy.
3.3
Like a few Beetles albums has way to many songs, 20 tracks is just too much unless you have a dozen or so bangers and unfortunately this has 5 good tunes (2 of them are all time
Beetles greats - While my guitar gently weeps and blackbird) but the other 15 tracks are fine or in too many instances total bollocks.
Maybe it’s a post war, memories of rationing, bang for your buck thing but as an album it is totally devalued by the sheer weight of its filler
2
Really good album, good tunes and I really like his voice. I had been recommended this when it came out but didn’t get round to listening to it but glad I did
4.2
MSP have been a favourite of mine for decades. This album can be heavy going lyrically but James Dean Bradfield is an excellent tune smith.
There are some real highlights that come when JDB’s music strains through with his melodic sensibilities against Richie Edwards lyrical content.
Overall a great album that stands up for me even when a lyric like “he’s a boy, you want a girl so tear off his cock, tie his hair in bunches, fuck him, call him Rita if you want” is not the darkest on there! 4.2
Everyone likes to shit on U2 but that’s just because Bono is a twat, I think everything they done from inception to 1992 was great.
This album sits in the middle of their output during that period, classics like Bloody Sunday and New Year’s Day carry some of the less dynamic songs but overall it’s a really solid album especially for its time, I imagine it would have sounded pretty great against a back drop of New Romantic pop.
3.4
Great album, really varied, good guest spots, I really like her voice.
A melodic hip hop classic
4
Can appreciate the quality, song craft, lush arrangements but to me this style of music is background music for an Italian restaurant, it jus can’t hold my attention.
This is music to listen to in 1993 the back of your parents 1991 Sierra Saphire, when clyde 1 is in the background and it’s this, simply red and stings solo output on rotation. Pretty non descript early 90’s dance pop.
But to be fair it’s the best version of non descript, early 90’s dance pop because the Pet Shop Boys made it so it has some good choruses and flourishes
The bit in the song Yesterday when I was mad where it devolves into a Base Generator - lite track with Neil
Tennant rapping literally made me piss myself.
2.9
This done nothing for me.
The man who sailed around his soul was the most interesting track, the vocal style must have been what Southpark aped for the Catholic Boat theme.
I found it boring and a bit insipid
2
I remember buying this when I was a teenager, listening to the opening track and thinking this will be up my street….. and some of it was, the more avant guard, art rock wig out stuff, whilst I am it sure was exciting in 1967, deducts points for me.
I like it overall but feel it could have been a stone cold classic if it had less…. How do I put this…. art bollocks?
3.4
This just sounds like “Novelty Indie”
to me…. But the novelty wears off after one track and is replaced by an intense tedium.
1.4
One of their darker albums
It’s a good album if you are in the mood for it, but you might not be in the mood for its all too often.
3.3
I can imagine sitting in a blues club, knocking back a few and watching this performance perfectly happily but this style of old blues is just not something I ever put on to listen to.
I can appreciate his voice, his soulful guitar work the quality of the band but it’s just not something to actively listen to for me.
2.3
People my age only say they like Credence because of the Big Lebowski. They have some bangers in their catalogue but this album is mainly just bland blues jams. John Fogertys voice carry’s it and
Another banger from Taylor, I liked the tunes, the 80th synth undertones and production.
Of this was released in 1989 by Stevie Knicks Davy McPhee would love it but he is not man enough to allow himself to like it now
3.6
Great example of early hip hop evolution, crisp beats, great riffs. A short sharp hit of 80’s electro / hip-hop excellence.
3.7
Another great hip hop classic. Great samples, great beats. One of the best of the era 4
Breezy 60’s folk pop elevated by a couple of great songs in California Dreaming and Monday Monday.
A perfectly pleasant album.
3.3
A great album, beautiful guitar work and I love his voice.
4.7
Great album. Probably best Nick Cave album. Into My Arms is one of the greatest live songs written. A classic.
4.4
Truthfully I think this is better than quite a few Beatles LP’s of the Beatles LP’s, a lot of it is pretty throwaway but I think there is enough good stuff to make it a solid album. In Momma Miss America the influence on so many songs in the last 40 years is clear, the baseline and drums sound fresh today. I think this album is a good example of Paul McCartney in general he can write a banger likeLive and Let Die one minute and total dross likeWild Honey Pie the next - he is prolific, occasionally sublime but lacks filter… I don’t dislike this album.
3.1
I liked this album. Wildfires is a stand out track. Good background music, play through quality. It has some musical variety and no real low points.
3.6
Restaurant music, made me hungry. This is just not something I would ever intentionally listen to. I can appreciate the musicianship and I’m sure it’s a quality example of what it is but it’s so out of my wheelhouse it’s hard to judge
2.2??
I really wanted to like this album, I actually listened to it twice to see if it would grow as I liked Paper Planes when it came out but I really could get to grips with the repetitive “Electro Dancehall”
It is really critically lauded but I couldn’t listen to this album again if I tried.
1.3
I like this style of music although on this album I am not as keen on the sort of serious stuff, I much prefer the how do I win my baby back pop stuff…. Also disappointed that they have included the worst cover of I Heard It Through The Grape Vine that may ever have been released on record .
Overall decent 3.1
One of FL’s most consistent albums, some great melodies, and interesting choices. Minor criticism might be that perhaps it’s a smidge indulgent, maybe a little conceited but it’s hard to criticise a band for sounding like they sound and FL have always been stoically off kilter. Overall one to check out if you are not already a fan
4.1
Another one of these albums that sits in a genre I just wouldn’t listen to, feels like background mood music for a bar to me. It’s perfectly fine but doesn’t hold my attention and once it had finished I didn’t retain any memory of specific tracks.
2.2
This is what I think of when I think of 70’s folk rock. If it’s your thing this is probably a great album, if it’s not it’s fine. I am in the latter camp, there are some good tracks and there are some forgettable ones.
2.6
I don’t care if any of the underlying songs have any merit it’s drowned by the saccharine, sanitised late 90’s production. I don’t even think Britney has a good voice unlike some other paedo baiting sex pots of the period.
1.0
I am ambivalent about the who, they have some great tunes but I can’t stand Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend is a nonce.
Separating the art from the artists this album is decent, couple of stand out tracks, couple of good covers, nothing really let’s it down
3.3
As a Gram Parsons fan I like this album, it’s essentially a precursor to his work with The Flying Burritto Brother and solo output. The covers are good and as far as late 60’s Country Rock goes you can’t go wrong with SHOFR.
It’s not something I’ll listen to all that regular but whenever I do it hits a spot.
3.7
Great album full of R&B soul classics. Great guitar work, cover versions are strong as is the self penned tracks.
Not my go to genre but can’t ignore the quality.
3.8
Not a massive fan of their full discography but I like this album as it seems to be the one where they decided to be a bit tuneful and groovy, as much as Kraftwerk can be such things. I think you can hear the influence of Georgio Moroder / Donna Summer I feel
Love which was released the year prior in this album and it’s all the better for it.
3.4
I really liked this, I am aware of Supertramp but I am not aware of ever listening to them with the exception of Blinded By The Light.
Lots of good books, tight groves and poppy ear worms considering their prog AOR labelling.
Happily put this on in the car again and do another end to end listen.
3.7
I really like this album but I do think that Nevermind is better. There are one or two songs I don’t dig; Very Ape, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter and Tourette’s but the rest is great, love the drum sound and guitar tone
4.2
Can imagine this being the shit at the time, I usually struggle with anything further back than late 60’s but I enjoyed this album, the songs were short and punchy enough to have me tapping my toes happily.
For me it’s solid for older generations I expect it’s seminal.
3.4
A 90’s hip hop classic, re listening as a middle aged man I wish they would remove the skits and intros and just get on with the music and the glamorisation of the gangsta life comes off a little childish but you can’t argue with the tracks.
Would have been a 5 in my teens now it’s 4
Some great songs but some that are a bit flat, far too much Theramin which distracts from what are often exquisitely lush underlying arrangements.
I can see this album being quite polarising, overall I like it also feels like a missed opportunity.
3.3
I like NY but I struggle with his voice over longer periods. This album gets a bit tiresome for me, it just does not have any really great songs on it that said, Neil being average is still pretty good
3.4
Floated by very agreeably, great voice, pretty songs. Good album.
3.7
Awesome, great songs, great voice, fantastic arrangements a classic
4.7
Belter of an album, what a way to start and the funky base lines, snappy drums and synth orchestration never let up. 80’s pop perfection. 4.6
Firstly, one of the great cover artworks of all time.
Some of the more accessible poppy tracks to me sounded like they were a big influence on early Wham!. I liked some of the tracks but there wasn’t enough strong hooks or ear worms, one of those albums that you need to listen to again as afterward you forget most of it even if you quite enjoyed parts of it, the problem is that its not good enough for me to want to listen to it again.
I would definitely frame the front cover and hand it on my wall though.
2.4
Personally I think Mezzanine was their best album but they could and probably should have had 3 on this list.
Listening to this in full again I can see why it is so revered, it hangs together very well as a whole and has some stand out tracks, hard to believe it’s 35 years old, holds up really well and has clearly been a massive influence in the years following.
4.2
Yes Bono is a self aggrandising prick BUT! … that should not mean that one cannot appraise U2’s output fairly, I stand by my assertion that 1980 - 1992 U2 were a top quality rock band and this album serves as strong evidence to support this. It’s maybe 10 mins too long, maybe lacks one more higher energy track but these are not fatal flaws , it’s a strong album and deserves recognition as such
4.2
Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters are decent tunes but the rest is just the chuga- chuga- boom- boom - growl formula that make Metallica generally tiresome for me.
1.9
I really like this album, it doesn’t have a banger like Born Slippy but it’s at times hypnotic, surprising and varied.
I’m not big into techno stuff but if it’s of this quality I can dig it.
3.7
I am not a jazz nut but I enjoyed this, it’s very much music that evokes a relaxed mood for me. It’s not something I would put on often but in the right setting I would be happy to have this as playing end to end
4
I really loved this album when it was released, it’s still great but 25 years on it’s does feel a tiny bit one note and the vocal production choice to have some sort of fuzz effect on every track grates a little.
3.8
It’s a bit too long and repetitive, the basic blues jams with distortion gets a bit tiresome, there are some really good tracks in there but it’s too padded out to be a classic.
Solid if unexceptional.
3.4
A cracking album, breezes by with great songs, tight vocal harmonies and the sound of late 60’s / early 70’s California.
3 of the best to do it, doing it best
4.5
Can appreciate how good a song writer Carole King was but I found this album a little insipid, it’s seems like subsequent covers of her originals always popped more.
Well written, well sung, well played but it didn’t really hit the way it maybe should have
2.9
I didn’t gel with this album. The singles are ok but the rest was just pretty bland New Romantic synth pop, no other tracks stood out.
2.2
Some great grooves, hard hitting riffs and if you are in the mood for RATM nothing else will do.
It’s a great album that for me is slightly let down by Zak de la Rocha’s vocals which after a couple of tracks grate a little, best listened to in instalments if possible.
4.2
Much as I would like to dislike this due to my dislike of Morrissey as a character…. It’s actually a really solid album, Suedehead had a great opening guitar riffs, Everyday is Like Sunday is a classic and the rest is pretty high quality.
Overall separating the art from the artist it’s objectively a bit of a banger
4
