Transcendental. Translation: demonic. Were I still a partaker in occult practices like smoking herb, I would have given it a 5.
Spinal Tap rip off. The abundance of mysoginist lyrics is the only reason I boosted them to two stars. Aside from the occasional foot tap, it was mid at best. I'll have to hold a memory of this album for the foreseeable future... and I want to paint it black.
The whole album felt like the guitarists were constantly switching between strumming at their nipples and strumming at their waist. The change in pace and heaviness kept me on edge and helped me understand why this group is considered so influential. I LOVED everything about "Pale Blue Eyes". The guitar on this song was enough to make me want to dust off the old axe. "Jesus", "Beginning to see the light", and "I'm set free" made a great little story in the middle. "The Murder Mystery" was wonderfully chaotic and utilized stereo in a real cool way.
Other random thoughts:
"Some kinda love" - deadpan vocals reminded me of CAKE
"Jesus" - Reminded me of Iroh's "Leaves of the Vine" from AtLA.
"The Murder Mystery" - Sounded a bit like Chop Suey for a second
Overall, an awesome album!
Initially was not looking forward to listening to this album. Not because I have anything against Soundgarden, but because, like many millennials, I listened to 90s grunge/alt so much in my teens and twenties that I kinda got sick of it. By the time "My Wave" finished I was back in it. Didn't realize how many hits came from this album. 7/10
As soon as the album started I imagined myself flying through the bayou on an airboat, dirty blonde hair flowing in the wind, yellow-tinted glasses, ripping a dart and cracking open a can of Old Milwaukee. The following few songs all blended together and felt a bit repetitive until "Bad Moon Rising" played. I was digging "Sinister Purpose" and "The Night Time is the Right Time" for a minute.
Fine listen, but underwhelming.
Felt like I was on the longest elevator ride of my life. Yea, I get jazz is the "musician's music" or whatever, but unless JK Simmons is conducting then I want nothing to do with it.
I walk outside and remove my gas mask after cooking a fresh batch of meth. Running late for a meeting with my gun supplier. I hop in my Bodhi and fire up the engine. "Look, Back & Laugh" starts blasting as I lower my shades and make my way down the Alamo Sea coast. My name? Trevor Philips.
If the album was one song longer I would have shaved my head, laced up my boots, and stormed the local liquor store.
Love Wu and RZA mixes specifically. Raw feel. Unique flow. Lyrics often feel foreign. Couldn't help but picture myself as Michael Bolton driving into the office. 4th Chamber sounds familiar but can't put my finger on where I heard that sample...
Must have been an influence for the indie-pop stuff that came later 00s like MGMT and Passion Pit. Each song felt original.
Give me a sample of the vocals or a guitar riff and I could identify The Offspring 10/10 times. Fun group and album.
The Band is definitely a group your grandpa would call "real music". Not really my jam (something about organs in rock music rubs me wrong), but appreciated the musicianship and enjoyed the listen. Many of the songs could be a theme song for a sitcom.
Every time she holds a note, I imagine she's in a car going over rumble strips... I thought the music and her vocals were disconnected in a strangely beautiful way. Woodwinds remind me of classic Disney movies. 2.5/5 gramophones.
The Chemical Brothers are aptly named as the whole album felt like some mad scientists mixing samples, beats, and sounds in a lab. Some interesting brews, but, unfortunately for them, gold can't be made in a lab. If Death Grips and The Prodigy had sons, The Chemical Brothers may be it only they ended up having that weird set of twins that invent their own language and are just kind of weird... Takes me back to the blood sprinkler scene in Blade. 2/5 tablets of molly.
A type of music where the brevity of the album elevates my opinion of it. An hour of this would put me to sleep, but 30ish mins is enought to brighten my spirits. Charlie Freak was hella eerie and fantastic story telling. Makes me want to go back and listen more intently to other song lyrics. Classic rock, funk, jazz (cover) - Steely Dan did it all. I think I may be a SD fan now...
Logan Lore: I used to play "Bring the Noise" by Anthrax and Public Enemy as my hype song for football.
I'm indifferent towards their music/beats/styles. It's hard to separate from Chuck D's retarded political takes and social commentary. 2/5 black berets
My first 5 stars. I was aware of the critical acclaim this album has garnered over the past half century plus and it certainly lived up to the hype. Sloop John B is one that stood out that I don't recall having listened to before. Fingers crossed that Sgt. Peppers is next in the rotation.
Gateway drug to Indigo Girls. Makes me want wrap myself in a blanket, put on my pussy hat, and cry while holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's latest flavor, "Queer-Lime Pie". 3.4/5 plaid button-ups
I love the influence that blues has had on rock and modern, americana country. However, I've never really been down the blues rabbit hole. Was distracted during the first half and they kind of blended together (other than maybe the first song with Santana). Last half, I was more intentional with my listen and really enjoyed it. Took me to a rocking chair on the front porch of the McCaughan home in Crossett, Arkansas with my great grandfather and Mr. Hooker. Though my grandfather would probably have rallied the town to torches and pitchforks seeing a black man act so familiar... I wonder what Eric will give this album 🤔
3.7/5
This album had sauce. 3.8/5
Those studio sessions must have been a blast. I want to know how one specializes in playing the rubber chicken... 3.4/5
Bangers on bangers
Glad that's over. One of the songs ripped off Layla riff at beginning and vocals ripping off Michael Jackson. 80s music video music. Nothing good to say about this album. Simply dead to me.
I figured I would be down with this album. After the first 3 songs I was tired of it. Same sound, same themes.
I used to sit in the basement, eating pop tarts, dipping snuff and ripping dad's cigarettes while binging VHS's top 100 from the <decade>'s list. Come on Eileen was one of my favorite to come on the 80s. Thought the songs were unique, just not my thing.
I want this on when I'm dying of the bubonic plague.
Half of the songs I couldn't tell what decade we were in and the other half I couldn't tell what planet we were on. Pretty dank. 3.7/5 for Jareth, the Goblin King.
Enjoyable
Steve McCaughan would kill me if I gave the Boss anything less than 4/5 ripped blue jeans.
Never really dug Jim Morrison's boring singing style and thought The Doors were overrated. When he gets his rock voice going I enjoy it a lot more. I still think they are overrated. Just a little less so now.
Bruce Dickinson is a master in musical storytelling. The whole album slaps, but especially the back half. Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, and Hallowed be Thy Name are all brilliant - both lyrically and musically (I love the galloping riff on Run to the Hills). Check out Machine Head's cover of Hallowed be thy Name.
This that chaotic shit Melkor played that disrupted the harmony of the music of the Ainur. Kinda cool tho.
Forgettable. I'm sure if I were able to give it the proper attention there were some good nuggets in there, but nothing stood out. Sounded a little like Robert Plant at times.
Surprised how much I enjoyed listening to this. One minute I feel like I'm in an old western and the next I'm in some fae dreamscape. 3.5/5
Throw a symbol at my head.
Fun, unique jams. Tiring after first half.
Nice to add someone to my Reggae list besides Bob.
I'm sure he is great and profound, but that was hard. At times thought I was listening to Hobo Johnson's depressed uncle. All of the bird imagery will likely boost my rating bc I have now reached bird-watching dad mode. Otherwise, too poetic I guess for my retarded brain.
The only song I took time to read into was faith/void because at first listen (and after dissection) I found it to be an eye-roll-inducing song (admittedly because of it's apparent indignation towards religion™️). Sounded like a kid with a distorted version of God going to college, discovering atheism, and deconstructing a faith he never really understood (evident by the surface-level take on problem of evil) just to replace it with his own "truth" (that really reduces to preference when separated from a worldview that gives them objective meaning. Rant against moral relativism to follow 😆). I can speak from experience having been a lite version of that kid in college (though I was more enlightened bc I considered myself agnostic 🧐)...
Singer voice reminds me of mix between Michael Stipe and Joe Strummer. Heard a lot of The Clash and Rolling Stones influence in the music. Good shit.
