It's pretty good, they could spice up the instrumentals a bit more and the songs could be more unique
It was pretty great, nothing wildly special but every track carried weight and pure emotion and performance from of course the iconic Elvis Presley.
Surprisingly beautiful, one of the best albums I've heard for no reason, amazing production and performances
60% is not good, 40% is great, nothing crazy new for its time, I'm not the biggest fan of Michael's voice, and the whole album isn't very connected.
This album took a few listens to get at first, but it really is a beautiful electronic album. Some songs are a bit too long or empty, but it goes for a more sound album instead of a song album. Cool things.
An absolute staple of course, this album perfectly encapsulates the sound of the 80s. Every track has something new and unique, combining to make a masterpiece, showing off Prince's absurd musical talent.
It was just a classes soul record with nothing special, but nothing bad. Nice simple listen with the first half carrying a huge part.
Absolutely gas, not the most lyrically deep but some great tracks and fun instrumentals.
The music is pretty obnoxious and absurd, some cool arrangements but half of this listen was strlaight hell. Not the biggest fan of his voice, and some parts are so unnecessarily out of tune. It's one of those albums that pretentious chuds will try to convince you it's on purpose, but it's not. It's just straight ass. So much potential too. I like tracks 1, 3, 5, and 10 however. While it shlucked, the atmosphere was kinda cool due to the anxiety it gives.
A 60's psychedelic banger. Love the classic panning you hear on those kinds of albums. Something I love that records do are fun and connected transitions, which this album subtly nails on some of the tracks. Some songs on it are so British that it's almost Australian however. The monologues are fun, but can go on for a while. Few filler very good.
This is one of my favorite albums from the 60s, absolute track for track perfection. These songs are beautiful, whether it's Simon and Garfunkels harmonies, Paul Simon's underrated and flawless guitar picking, or the generational poetry written between the melodies. The Dangling Conversation is one of my favorite songs of all time as well among these perfect tracks; this record is simply art.
This album slaps. Not only are the saxes and guitars incredibly funky, but it manages to stay consistent the entire time and be incredibly engaging. The drums are an entirely different monster. The psychedelic mixing the bongos go under gives such a cool effect, scratching my brain. The actual kit's sound is absolutely amazing as well, and doesn't clash with the other percussion, which is impressive to pull off in such a crowded album instrument-wise. Such an enjoyable experience.
A nice country/folk pop album that has some beautiful and simple arrangements. Her vocal talent is pretty great as well. Easy and pretty listen.
A decent country album, nothing special. The harmonica is mixed a little too sharply, and can sometimes hurt your ears. Simple and easygoing music, but nothing crazy or original that caught my attention. Lovely sounding stuff though.
So gas I started mowing my lawn after tripping on some acid
Super fun indie album with a little hint of garage rock. Catchy, sweet, and great listen. I like the variety it gives of soft and heavy songs. Nothing crazy or new, but I'm definitely returning.
Out of the Blue was beautiful. The first few minutes were simple fun pop rock with a unique catalog of instruments and layering. But as the album progressed, it showed emotion, complex orchestration, and beautiful arrangements that gave the album engaging variety. What a colorful album to go with a perfectly fitting design cover. Perfect 5.
I was genuinely surprised when I found out this was the 80s. The beats and energy was unbeatable. Great consistency with a couple songs that just went on a little too long.
Fun pop music, some standout tracks, and a nice listen. Love the variety of instruments, there's definitely some wacky ones being put to use. It could obviously use a little more structure, but it's great for what it is.
Not too many notes, a great rap debut with nothing crazy.
Very fun and feel good album, but some tracks lack interesting parts and can feel repetitive. Loved most of it though, and I will be returning.
This album is absolutely beautiful. I love all the intricate orchestrations, specifically the violin. The album starts awesome and I was looking forward to it, but many times throughout the record I found myself waiting for the next track to arrive. Half and half some of the best emotional indie pop arrangements I've ever heard, and the other being boring pop filler that could've been removed.
This album is like a fuzzy blanket and a warm quilt that was made by your grandma. The guitar textures are some of the most luscious tones on any rock album you can find, with hit after hit after hit. As a lover of the Pumpkins, this record is absolutely Smashing and I return to it every day. It's impossible to listen to this objectively, as I've adored this 90's gem for so many years. Gorgeous alt rock that defines my autumns.
This album is amazing. Simple folk accompanied by great layering of instruments like piano and organs, telling great stories. Very nice listen.
The album starts off with some of the best 90s hip-hop I've heard yet with interesting and engaging instrumentals. About a fourth in however, the quality dips and the tracks seem to drone on a little longer than necessary and can feel repetitive. Once you get to Lovesick though, the record sweeps back up and delivers some of the best lyricism and story telling from the decade I've ever heard. Slightly bumpy but great album with great talent.
This record is incredible. Every single track flows perfectly from one to the next, making the project feel huge and connected. The individual tracks stand out absurdly, with hits and deep cuts scoring all 10s keeping the album consistent. The instrumentals are massive and engaging, making the whole album incredibly hooky. This record is absurdly gas, and completely breaks through the wall of the entire hip-hop scene, waymaking for the entire decade and the future of the genre's potential. This isn't just an album, it's a cinematic monument and experience of music.
As an extreme Jeff Buckley fan, I went into this not knowing what to expect. I was absolutely impressed with this family's talent, and I see why the industry held Jeff to such high expectations. The psychedelic folk combined with Tim's striking poetry pulls your strings as the record explores different themes and instruments. The use of slide guitar on this record is fantastic, and his vocal ability accompanies the music brilliantly. Every track stands out and exemplifies the gorgeous talent of Buckley. At times the lyrics can become a little pretentious, and the title track specifically seemed a little unconventional than the others with the way it seemed to end multiple times while the song kept going. But overall it's a beautiful album.
The Velvet Underground will forever be that band that people like because it's "different" or "groundbreaking." It's straight ass. It's so fucking garbage. I wanna blow my fucking ears in after hearing the first few songs on the album. It actually hurts my ears. Straight brainless noise, and pretentious people can't convince me it's good or purposeful like genuinely shut the fuck up. Silver Ray's alright but it's still unnecessarily long like we get it. The opening track isn't too bad, but the rest of the album is completely unbearable. This is probably the worst album I've ever heard.
Great big band work. I love that the album gave a variety of high tempo, crazy energy charts, while slow, emotional, and beautiful ballads were chronologically paced along the record wonderfully.
I was hesitant going in, but the mesmerizing guitars are just too good. They consistently make the entire album for me and I just absolutely adore the melodies they swirl all throughout. One thing that turns me off about Brit-Pop are the nauseous vocals, but Brett Anderson doesn't go too over the top and delivers some insanely catchy performances. The record is incredibly consistent, and I just adore the songwriting and individual tracks in every aspect. Zero skips and an absolute beauty of an album in its entirety.
This album was insane. Pure rage and energy is packed into every single second of this record except when the interludes let the heaviness breathe for a minute as it supplies acoustic jams with sick angsty chords, still rooting the metal writing. The vocals sound like chalk scraping on concrete, which I fucking love. The ridiculous consistency comes with tribal chants that weave throughout the album making the whole experience immersive. This record really kicks in my neanderthal instincts, forcing me to return to my caveman attraction towards this S-tier metal.
Beautiful soul masterclass. Every track was filled with heart and passion, the pure spirit of love exploding. Wonderful vocal deliveries, instrumentals, and the flow was indescribable.
For Morrisey being one of the most insufferable vocalists I've ever heard, he's not too bad on this album. The growls he does on the first few tracks are pretty unique. Nothing crazy stands out behind any of the songs, but it's not to say Strangeways is a great pop record.
This is great hip-hop record with lots of musical diversity. The album explores African-American conflict coming from violence within the community, and the lyrical delivery and flow is fantastic. Every emcee expresses the issues while sporting the incredible instrumentals as well. The final track with Antharax was absolutely insane as well. Good Stuff.
Absolute essential indie rock. This album definitely shows the pop side of the genre more, however the more rock oriented songs are the better tracks. While Sam's town is a million miles better, Hot Fuss still has some great music that engrains itself as timeless 2000's indie forever.
What an energy packed album. While most live records capture the spontaneity of improvisation, One Night Stand documents the pure power of soul going through the venue. It's heard in the band, the crowd, and most importantly, the legendary Sam Cooke. Never has a live album been recorded to sound like I'm in the venue and the music is being shot at me like this record. It's got emotion, it's got hard thumping blues, and it's got soul.
Gorgeous folk rock album. It's got softer acoustic elements, harder rock tracks, and everything in between. The vocal delivery is outstanding, truly underrated singer of the decade. The bass too is criminally underrated as a performance, being melodically prominent in most songs. The spotlight of the drums in terms of fills and solos are super fun too, sporting a perfect backdrop to the adventurous but laid back record. It just needs to pack a little more flair and explosion.
I don't mess with Fred Schnider's vocals, which is my main dislike about the album as a whole. There's a lot of potential here but it's delivered in such an empty and unfinished way, that the whole record sounds cartoony and bare. Most songs run way too long for their own good, and just keep repeating the same ideas. I don't get the B-52s fuss whatsoever, but I still mess with some songs on side B to an extent. I just wish they could flesh out more ideas into a song to keep it engaging. The female vocalists are out of this world though.
Whether you like it or not, this is an ALBUM. Its got a mystic opener that sets up the soft jazz pop with a strange violin arrangement that quickly swells in a swooning orchestra. The album is actually paced perfectly with cohesive themes while taking lots of vocal inspiration from singers like Thom Yorke. And then it ends with a cinematic closer to tie it all in. The songwriting is just outstanding, with the progressions and different instruments keeping it engaging. Some songs seem to feel bare and focus on just the vocals, but I appreciate the variety. The immersion of the 'show' theming makes the album feel so connected and a bigger piece of work outside each individual song. The lyrics are pure art as well. What a great album.
This album is very simplistic, but in a refreshing way. I absolutely love the fact that they recorded it in nature to give it such an immersive and natural effect. Each song starts out extremely engaging, but kinda goes on a little too long every time, making them feel empty in the end. Beautiful content though.
This album is long, a little too long for its own good. It took me about 4 or 5 different listening session for me to finish, which I've never done before because I lock in on one go. This album requires stamina. The bass is ridiculously good, and I can 100% listen to this shit for forever. The guitar is cooking too. But every single track, none be spared, are way too long. I understand it's a live psychedelic jam for hippies in zen tripping for the albums duration, but I was only smoking marijuana these scattered listens, so it droned on recognizably forever. The substance feels like the cool ass parts of the ocean, so many points are given for its extreme subversiveness. I do really like it.
This album is super weird. Instrumentals make up the better half of the album that just loop constantly, and then just go into another instrumental. The actual tracks themselves are great, but there's just so few that are just sequenced in the funkiest order. It's an odd direction for the Beastie Boys to go, and during my listen I was completely confused and just wanted to turn on Paul's Boutique.
The songs are fun, but the actual material isn't anything crazy. There's a couple of great songs but you can clearly tell that there was a formula and it gets pretty old after 4 tracks. In a strange way I love Dexter Holland's vocals. I really like the commentary dude throughout the album too because it interrupts the formulaic drone that this album can feel like. It makes the album feel more like an album to say the least. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood when I listened, but this album didn't reach me like some of its similar kind like Dookie. It's very entertaining, but in one sitting, the 4 powerchord tracks without any riffs or interesting composition can get boring. It's The Offspring, so of course the lyrical content is gonna be stupidly good, but a couple songs are pretty much about the exact same thing. But then the closing track kicks in, and it shows me that these guys are definitely capable of more. The title-track is a banger, and with the secret song at the end bringing back the Smash theme makes the album feel complete full circle. Can't get any more 90s than this. Just wish they got more creative.
This Radiohead album probably took me the longest to like, but when I finally understood it, it hit me like an icy hug. It's tough because individually track for track, Kid A is not very good. But as a collective project, it serves as an absolute staple in the electronic rock genre. What it stands for (at least for me) is a beautiful depiction of alienation and paranoia. The emotion it spews gives vibes of comfort, like everything is falling apart yet everything is going to be all right. The transitions are also so underrated on some tracks. What I'd say the biggest flaw is how long the tracks tend to drag, especially Idioteque, National Anthem, and Optimistic. The beginning and ending songs however are top 10 opening and closing tracks of all time contenders. Holy shit not only are these songs exquisitely constructed, but the placement of the tense bouncy synths that the opener shoots at you right away, and the gorgeous eruption that closes the record are just so perfectly placed. Great album as a whole, little iffy track for track, but I really like the CD case.
This album makes me so happy. I don't know what this dude is talking about but I lowk get it. This record is like a Sunday afternoon, and the singer supports it by delivering a happy but calm tone about Sunday things. Great combination of incorporating both electric and acoustic guitars throughout the album as well. Sure it's basic, but its simplicity brings immersiveness and tones that make the album cruise by. It gets less and less fun throughout however, and some songs sound very formulaic.
Every soul album prior to the 70s has the same formula of writing the big singles, and then packing the rest of the album with a bunch of filler (maybe a cover or too here and there). So when the generator gives a record like this, do you rate it off the singles or look inward at the filler? The filler wasn't even that inconsistent though, and actually ranks well among the hits. Great singing along with nice songwriting and arrangements with the orchestras and band make the album absolutely listenable, but I don't hear anything out of the ordinary from this respective genre. Quality soul and blues.
This is probably the most inconsistent album I've ever heard in terms of formula and material, not quality. The first two songs are funky hip-hop gold, and then immediately following are two fun but empty songs that tend to drag a bit longer than they should. Then there's two soul songs straight from the heart which are beautiful. Then the legendary title track plays, which I think is great but just a little too long than it should be. Lastly, the closing track is sample mania with, from what I heard, like 6 samples at once. It's very wacky, it's very fun, but a strange listen. I'll bump it to a 4 cause of dreaming, which is one of the best unserious songs I've ever heard.
Having heard a couple bowie records before, I went in with similar expectations. Quickly I discovered that this album is much different. The vocals are quite interesting, and this avant-garde style of Bowie was not my cup of tea. Some of the lyrics are extremely questionable as well. Every song is so murky and gray, and I cannot bear this to any extent. However the last two songs strike me by surprise and shift to more melodic and structured songs, featuring a phenomenal sax and guitar solo. I really wish they just stuck with that sound the whole time. This kind of experimental genre is just not for me. I just don't see the appeal.
It's not bad, but I pretty much just listened to the same song 14 times. It's upsetting because Britney Spears is a talented singer and performer, but was categorized into this weird devotion pop that wasn't the most comfortable to hear for 50 minutes. The instrumentals aren't too bad, but they're sporting the most surface level lyrics and formulas that the studio churned out to fill the rest of the album. The closing track is actually pretty nice, as well as the Cher cover.
Long songs can be super cool, but only if structure is applied. The psychedelic jams seemed to stretch for ridiculous lengths and made me feel incredibly disengaged. Jaki Liebezeit is incredible throughout the album so to say, and his ability perfectly accompanies the vibe the record is going for. The longer songs just seemed to drone on and on and it felt like less of a cohesive album as the tracks kept going with genuinely no structure. Although, Moonshake is a great song and at times the longer songs could be interesting.
Master of harmony, Brian Wilson delivers a pretty solid collection of songs. It felt like a nursery rhyme the whole time for some reason, probably due to the instruments in use. Some of these I wouldn't necessarily even call songs, and a couple are just covers of his old tracks? A few songs are the same as others as well. Nothing here is bad, but I'd rather just listen to the original Beach Boys.
This album is incredibly ahead of its time. The synth use combined with the great artistic choice of panning go incredibly throughout the whole record. A lot of the songs go on for way too long however, and even though the length of the album isn't that long, I quickly felt pretty bored of the looping keys. Great ideas, but I just wish they were executed more fully. As the songs drone on, they begin to feel empty. Nevertheless, this record is super groovy, and if you're looking for something to dance a bit to and enjoy the futuristic sounds that the 70s somehow achieved, this is a wonderful listen for the most part.
Fiona is an absolute killer vocalist. I love how subtlety she blends pop with jazz just enough to make it unseen to the average listener, but a spice for the engaged audience. Her melodies and poetry go hand in hand perfectly, which are just masterwork. For the musical era, she chooses such an interesting genre and feel for her composition, and it's incredibly original as it is great. The closing track to just hits so hard too, and to be using writing such extravagant arrangements for her DEBUT mind you, is just incomparable talent.
I really like the vocals, but this genre and theme the album goes for is just not for me. Ridiculously impressive stuff, but lyrically it's just very in your face like we get it. At certain points in the record, the vocals are just way too much and extremely annoying, but there's a beautiful opposite they achieve too. The genres the album explore are all over the place as well. I thought it was metal but now it's funk? Now it's grungey alt rock? Orchestral pop? Just a very strange collection of songs that doesn't have much cohesiveness. However individually, I like the tracks pretty well. I just can't make sense of this album/latch onto anything, and it's making me feel disengaged. Good things don't always come to you is a fucking banger though.
This vocalist is great. I like the first few songs on the album, expecting and awaiting straight peak upbeat indie, but then for a good 20 minutes is a slow laid back emotional dwelling that drags for a bit without changing much, and the songs are stripped from pretty much everything besides basic drums and vocals. It picks back up again on track seven, and then dips once more. The vocals start to get very breathy and the tracks just kinda loop. Like it's not bad but I'm not engaged whatsoever. The production is still absolutely fantastic and it definitely boosts the album a ton. I can tell why some people would like this a lot but it's just not anything special outside the well done singles.
This album is funky. Every single instrument is absolutely jamming, especially the bass. The lyrics on some songs can be pretty repetitive, but the vibe and feel that the tracks gave covers for it. The first two songs are solid, fun soul/funk meshes. Then the third track is a 13 minute jam. Probably my favorite on the album, the sax work on this alone makes the song so incredible.I love the fourth track too, definitely the most psychedelic song. This whole album is underratedly psychedelic, and it's brilliantly done if you fully engage with the sound. City, Country, City is so fucking good. It feels like such a journey too; hypnotizes you in and you're spit out in a trance into Four Cornered Room. The last two tracks are pretty good, just a little repetitive. Net very positive listening experience.
This was my first impression of Bob Dylan, and I was certainly impressed. It was everything I expected, but double. His lyrics are absolutely genius. They're perfectly written enough to comprehend and fully hear volume-wise without having to fully focus, but complex enough that they encourage you to look beneath the surface and pay attention. His words instantly grab you and make sure you understand what he's trying to convey with this slightly rebellious/sarcastic tone, and they're mixed perfectly unlike most folk music where the instruments tend to be the head of the song. His vocals weren't even that bad, and neither was the harmonica. The only real problem I have is the two random blues tracks in the middle of the album that are pretty copy paste for the time and kind of unfitting compared to the rest of the record. Towards the end, the writing can get a little obvious and blunt, but it's still important words that are being sold. Aside from that, this album is lyrical genius and gold folk rock.
This album's so fucking wacky. I love it so much. It sounds like 80's King Crimson but with even more fun vocals. This record was pretty much nothing I expected. Some songs are straight insanity, but it works surprisingly well. Even better, it has the genuine great tracks to back it up so I know they're actually musically guided and capable and not just dicking around, so it gives support and back to the nonsense. I don't know if it was because I was sick when I listened, but everything about the zaniness automatically clicked the minute I started it. However, some tracks are a little repetitive, which isn't too bad due to the album's overall short length. Ridiculous stuff.
I took one look at the album cover and the year this album came out and immediately categorized it as some sort of jazz or soul record from the 70s. The second I clicked track one, I was instantly startled. The opening track swifts you off your feet and introduces you to this uneasy, zany atmosphere. I really like Brian Ferry's fancy croon that he delivers throughout the album; it's very fitting for the material. The record continues with banger after banger; pacing absolutely outstanding with wild extravagant tracks being placed between beautiful genre diverting ballads. The mixing is also fantastic. I really like Strictly Confidential. It's funky, it's flamboyant, it's beautiful, it's original; I'm definitely listening to more Roxy Music.
Musically this is so boring. Almost every single song is just a looping sample that just drones and doesn't change. Hard life is pretty good, but like why do these songs just have random ASMR sections. We're trying to listen to music guys c'mon. Some of the songs on this album do not need to be here like it's just looping chants that have meaning, but it loses weight after you say it for 2 minutes straight on an hour long album. And some of these songs are just so corny like we can do better than looping "Black. I'm Black. Black." like we can add more depth it's not gonna hurt anyone. Some of the album is actually pretty great, but every track just goes on way too long. Every time I'm really messing with the song, it just ends and then the beat just loops for like 2 minutes more. Bow, Eternal Life, and Monsters are fucking gas though.
The Verve is a band that makes me want to sit on a hill. I'm motivated to lie on a field and soak grass for hours as I enjoy this shoegazey britpop. I can't really say anything bad cause I always feel extremely pleasant every time they're on. Is it special? Yes, each track is its own experience and the record as a whole feels like a psychedelic slip and slide that seamlessly connects rock and folk elements into its sound. This album sounds like mushrooms. The psychedelic swirls that the songs jam throughout the record are super sick, and it gives a nice contrast to the soft clean material and also build wonderful dynamic effects to enhance the atmosphere. As much as I appreciate each individual track, the album is such an emotion and mood based substance and it's definitely better as one whole experience, like playing the opening track and entering a tunnel, and then finishing the album out the other side with the tracks altogether giving the full effect. I really fuck with The Verve.
I went expecting great things, and left very satisfied. You got classics like It's Tricky and Walk This Way, deeper cuts like Is It Live and Hit It Run, all making up some exquisite classic Rock-Rap. One thing I love that this album does are the swapping lines where the MC's bounce the sentence back and forth creating an original effect to enhance the genre. The sonics on this album are also criminally underrated. Prominent in the drums, the sound the record achieves is great. The transition from Adidas to WTW is also one of the slickest things I've ever heard. There are definitely points in the album where the tracks run longer than they need to and tend to be a little empty at times, but it's still an absolute classic that I have no problem throwing on.
The first track starts off with an explosion. I was expecting a riff, or a fill, but Speed King perfectly blasts off this album like a fucking rocket with a minute of chaos to excellently encapsulate what this record is gonna be. Every track is just a banger, with the epic Child in Time showcasing the incredible talent of not just every member, but especially Ritchie Blackmore. That middle section is just something else. Jon Lord is also just ridiculous throughout this entire album. Every single musician on this album is actually insane, and they luckily put their genius into this heavy metal madness. It's funky, it's heavy, it's technical, it's motherfucking Deep Purple.
The opening track is absolutely amazing, and set the mood for a jangly fun album to come, only to be immediately ruined by the pretentious second track that completely clashes every expectation I had going in. As the album progresses, I hear peeps of beauty in between self sabotaging punk noise, that is just completely unnecessary. Fear and Whiskey has so much potential, and after teasing its ability on the opening track, it just makes for a disappointing listen. Making punk music is great, but pairing punk with nice sounding instruments to purposefully clash makes for an awful experience. Then the second half of the album does a 180 (maybe more like 90 it's not that good) and dials in more on the folky fiddle tracks. There's nothing crazy special here, and it gets a little boring after 3 or 4 tracks, but it's definitely an improvement that made the latter half of this record bearable.
Yeah this is pretty bad. The singing seems kind of brainless and everything feels so purposefully stupid in a non-Devo way. Overall, I find the mixing the worst part with the left and right panned silverware clanging and machinery whirs. The bass and drumming is pretty great though, so at least I can sometimes lock in on that. That being said, it was dreading to get through this.
I despite Kurt Cobain so much and in turn hated on this album saying it was overrated. I always loved every individual track in the back of my head, and started getting back into it more recently. I absolutely love this record, and every song is just so good. This album has an undeniable impact on music. For what it made the music scene for the next decade is completely there. Are the angsty "get away" songs a little too repetitive? Yes, but the 3 of them all have individual things that make them awesome. No duds, great album.
Did I need to listen to this before I died? No, but it was net positive experience. The sounds that this style produces is absolutely wonderful for starters, but it falls short for the fact that it tends to get very repetitive for every track being 6+ minutes. The tone of the guitar is luscious, and how it combines with the melodic percussion ends up outstanding. Mansour Seck is a phenomenal guitarist, and his style was a joy to hear. The vocals are also exquisite, and were very fun throughout the whole record. I just think songs could explore more complex structures instead of staying on these 1-2 chord jams. However, the title track strays from a this and the closing song is a banger too.
The debut of the greatest band of all time. The album starts off with a double bang to get your attention, and perfectly encapsulates what Zeppelin's about to rock. Every single song has incredible musicianship and make sure you know that every member is the best in their field. Yeah the lyrics are one-dimensional, but the vocal performance behind it backs it up. A lot of people slander this one cause of what they stole, but that still makes it the greatest cover album of all time. The level they took these blues standards to is just crazy work. Not a singular dud either. Purist 45 minutes of blues you can hear in the world. I've listened to this record a thousand times, and I still will till the day I die. It's a blues masterpiece, it's a psychedelic masterpiece, and it's a hard rock masterpiece.
First trip-hop album ever, and my expectations were completely exceeded. The record kicks off with an infectious bass groove that skews throughout the whole track. For the time this album is actually insane, at least a decade before it should've been. Every vocal part is incredibly enticing. The talent of every singer on here is incredibly chosen. The tracks are on the borderline of being too repetitive, but manage to mostly keep it different and engaging just before parts go stale. Each instrumental is so brain-tingling to me; the keyboard sounds Massive Attack achieves is just something else. The strings are emotional, the drums are tight, every song just flows and immerses you in a sensory chamber. If I had another critique it'd be the album cover. This rarely happens where my visual interpretation of music doesn't match the cover art, so it's a shame that it doesn't fit. The closing track is also beautifully chosen and written. Cool record miles ahead of its time.
Who doesn't love some ABBA. I came in expecting fun nice 80s grand pop. I was rocketed out with some insane, symphonic, conceptual art. The singles were amazing as expected, the deep cuts were honestly better and had an unexplored magic in each one. Very high 4, definitely returning.
I'd heard of Elvis Costello before, but had no idea what genre I was getting into. This was such a pleasant surprise. I can't name a single skip on this record, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It's accessible pop rock from the late 70s with good variety all throughout it supported by the fitting instrumentation skills. I mean it's not the most genius thing I've ever heard, nor were there any songs that made my ears perk up (although the middle stretch was outstanding), but this was a great listen.
This is the most British sounding American band I've ever heard. Talking Heads 77 has a lot of good and a lot of empty rambling. The main problem when listening to this record is that some tracks feel like they're missing instruments. I don't know how to explain it, but the songs feel unfinished sometimes. However, the tracks that bang, certainly do bang. The latter half of the album is surprisingly better than the front, which is the opposite for most records. It's fun music, but sometimes David Byrne is just blabbering about straight nothing. I guess it's fitting cause they're the Talking Heads. Safe to say it was an enjoyable experience overall.
I hate post punk so much make it stop. Starting off terribly, the screeching guitar and god awful vocals mesh horribly with the bass and drum groove. I don't understand how someone can actually like this it's like the band is trying to make you want to kill yourself. There is zero variety here it's just the same putrid drone for TEN MINUTES?? The next track is a little better, because the band sounds completely different with now better guitar tones and singing styles. I actually like that one a little. It stays pretty good for a couple songs, with the bass massively carrying them to make up for the terrible vocals. Then the singer is finally silenced as the two groovy instrumentals screech for a few minutes, which aren't too bad. Now we're back to another creepy drone song, which just leaves me bored and upset. No Birds was pretty good, Chant was terrible, but the closing track was actually pretty beautiful. The bass playing was definitely the best part of the listen, making every track decent enough to give this album a 2.
Directly transported into a midsummer teenage love, this album instantly swept me off my feet. The classic 80s production combined with the great lyrics and deliveries just makes me adore every song. The songwriting also manages to stay fresh and engaging throughout the whole album, never boring me by coming too formulaic, which record from this era tended to do to fill the singles out. All the albums the list has introduced me to that I find being my favorites are surprisingly these luscious britpop records from the 80s. Music like this will just put a grin on my face from start to finish, and while it's nothing miles ahead, it's still great music throughout the entire album.
So it's like The Doors, but awful. The vocals are my first complaint. Whenever the singer isn't doing an obvious impression of Jim Morrison, he performs these boring one or two note melodies in a very distasteful tone. I simply don't like the way he sounds. When the guitar isn't mindlessly shrieking, it plays the most boring one dimensional riff or progression you can think of. I just wonder how the musicians don't get restless when playing, it cannot be fun to play more than 2 seconds of this garbage. And then to honor the source material they so obviously steal from, there's a 10 minute track that completely genre shifts into this murky psychedelic cave of chants. It's also the third track in the album like what is up with the placement. They change styles entirely for one song and then just continue on with the previous garbage like nothing happened. It's like they heard The End and were like "guys let's do exactly this." I lowkey like it but it's just so obviously copying The Doors. I like "Ann" too, but god everything about this album is really bad.
I gave this album a couple extra tries, and it definitely needed a few listens to appreciate. The first critique I have is the inconsistency of the vocal quality. On some tracks I love the performance given, but on others it sounds simply unpleasant. This seems like an album my Sophomore English teacher would know. Some of the lyrics are pretty bad, but it was a smaller problem than I thought after the first few songs. Gentlemen certainly leans more into the alternative sound of the 90s as an opposition to the grunge movement that was smack dab in the middle of its peak when this album dropped. Each song is equally unique as the other, with some great riffs and progressions varying throughout the whole record. Sure a few skips were here and there, but the closing track is absolutely gorgeous, and it definitely made the whole experience conclude on a perfect note.
These records aren't really for me, but I always find a way to enjoy them. The album features a variety of time signatures, which was unexpected for the genre. Pop records like these are very lyric oriented with the instrumentation not being too unique, but it manages to stay interesting almost the whole listen. That being said, the lyrics are also great, and they kept me quite engaged. Thom Yorke also appears on two similar tracks, which I obviously like. Unfortunately PJ's vocals are a little inconsistent, and on some songs I straight up think they're bad. However the majority of the album has pretty good deliveries. There's just nothing crazy special about anything here, and it's a high 3 rather than a low 4.
Autumn has just begun, haystack bales are being constructed into a maze, and the breeze is making the air smell crisp and cool. The piano sounds like it's being played in a farmhouse living room with the doors propped open. Harvest hit me right where it needed to and i'm sure if I listened to it any other day I wouldn't give it a 5. However the melodies, lyrics, and warm acoustic guitars paint a beautiful album from start to finish and keep it interesting by incorporating female vocals, orchestras, pianos, the whole lot every other track. Brilliant simple folk.
I could write this entire review on Silver alone, as it's my favorite song of all time. However, Ocean Rain is a Gothic masterpiece that needs to be discussed. On every track, Ian McCulloch delivers some of the best lyrics on any album I've ever heard. Each song portrays a perfect soundscape that immerses you in the identically matching cover sleeve, which I also love. What really makes this album though is the staggeringly brilliant orchestra that's featured on every song. The strings bring this record to life, and reciprocate Ian's melodies perfectly. This album is just simply gorgeous, and the breathtaking opening track and ravishing closing bring this masterpiece full circle.
Blue is a beautiful folk album by the legendary Joni Mitchell. Her ability to portray stories on every instrument whether it's guitar or piano just pleases my ears. The main thing I love about this album is the singing. Her technique of jumping high and low while tackling these vivid lyrics is very amusing; it's simply astounding to hear. A great folk album is all it is.
I'm really not a fan of the vocalist, and the songs are just so bland and basic. There's just nothing really interesting anywhere, and it gets really annoying after ten minutes. The bassist is playing some nice things for sure, but every song has the same train beat with folky garage guitars. The grating vocals just get more insufferable throughout the listen and the pros start to deteriorate. The guitar is just egregious and makes me wonder why they thought this sounded remotely good. There's just so many other great albums that could be on this list instead of this crap.
"Supergrass? The one hit wonder? Yeah I like that song I guess I might enjoy it." I have never been more surprised or amused listening to any album ever than when I turned this on. The opening track immediately sets the record up perfectly to show the energy, the goofiness, and the angst that this album spews. Supergrass are unironically some great songwriters that manage to tug my brain back and forth between chaos and emotion on every single track. I strangely like the vocals more than I thought, due to this style being very much and obnoxious. Every song is so fun and consistent, I only wish each one was longer. The entire ride is such a banger, with my favorite aspect being the lyric material. Apart from the goofy nonsense, the content perfectly captures the experiences of teenagers; something not many songwriters can achieve with the balances of charm, humor, and emotion. I love the list because it introduces me to things that I would never do a double take when someone mentioned it. After all, just a one hit wonder right?
This isn't the most groundbreaking thing i've ever heard, but it's nothing short of great. It's just lush 70s pop by one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Of course all the Beatles shine the most when they're together, but John has some beautiful personal work.
This website has a knack for recommending one hit wonders and then knocking me out of the park with a surprise. Too Rye Aye was one of the most wacky listens I've heard on the list, and it sure never bored me start to finish. An aspect to dwell on first would be the interesting vocal approach, which surprisingly I really like. Kevin Rowland's yiddish style makes the album very entertaining, and it's very fitting for the material I'd say. Every song is packed with versatile instruments and orchestrations, sporting whimsy and silliness while also exploring emotional bridges to credit the genius of the band. Of course Come On Eileen is one of my favorite songs of all time, but these other tracks are 100% up to par with it. Essentially, it doesn't stick out awkwardly in quality which was what I expected the album to be like. The folky horn jams in the back of the album are also insane. This album could definitely be shorter, but it's never boring. Not my cup of tea to say but it was a fun listen.
Ah my favorite 1001 albums genre, wishy washy britpop. Something about the guitar tone mixed with the ethereal and huge drum sound on these records just gets me every time, and I love it. The album cover greatly represents what i'm experiencing. The sonic quality sounds like a huge ocean surface as the sun peaks through the clouds. Every song is just a reverb soaked masterpiece that range from pop jingles to wall of sound epics. The vocal harmonies are exquisite and perfectly mesh with the mastering on the effects. Sure the album could be a couple songs shorter but the lyrics stay consistently interesting and the rhythm section goes pretty nuts to keep it fun. It's just so effortlessly beautiful.
This album absolutely rips. Unfortunately the guitar solos are straight nonsense, and could be way better. The drumming is fucking insane, as well as the rest of the rhythm section. After a few minutes, this record is honestly funny to listen to due to the sheer insanity that's unfolding. In all seriousness, the music manages to stay consistent due to the great production and the constantly changing grooves every other section. This album is also way ahead of its time. Im blown away that this came out in 86. Another thing I love about this album is the sick ass artwork, like holy shit. The lyrics are also great too. Is it over the top? Absolutely. True heaviness comes from the space, and this album leaves none. But it's certainly fun, and not too long for me to care.
This entire record front to back is insane. The lyrics delivered by each Fugee member and all the guest appearances flow so well and complement the beats awesomely. Each instrumental is perfect, simple enough to allow the lyrics to be the forefront while also setting the vivid scene of the studio in the city. To elevate the entire album to a new level, Ms. Lauryn Hill not only performs some incredible rapping, but also some spine tingling singing. The vocal delivery on Killing Me Softly alone makes this album perfect, but every track is consistently up to par with it. Another thing to praise are the seamless transitions from song to song along with the immersive skits that add to the overall story. Ms. Lauryn Hills talent just explodes the entire album- it's absolutely infectious. Every single track is perfect with absolutely zero skips. And then the whole thing comes full circle with the ending finishing with the theme from the beginning. It's so good. My only complaint is that this project didn't happen again. The Score is an experience, and it's something i'm definitely returning to.
Master of Puppets is the best metal album of all time. It's not my favorite Metallica album, but it's objectively a perfect album. For the time that this came out, nothing on the planet was anything like it. This album is one of if not the most important progressive metal precursors. Master of Puppets exemplified that metal could be more than just fast guitar solos and heavy riffs- that the songwriting could be brought up to a new level with complex structures and layers of orchestrations played through guitars. Not only is this album absolutely groundbreaking, but it fucking rips.
James Hetfield on Master of Puppets at the time was something the world had never seen. The anger that shrieks through these vocal performances should absolutely be more recognized. Every lyric you can feel and visualize so vividly- it's just awing. His rhythm playing is ruthless, with some of Metallica’s fastest and definitely heaviest riffs being composed on this project.
This is also Cliff Burton's last studio performance before his tragic death in a fatal bus accident. Master of Puppets is Cliff's magnum opus, with his passion for classical music shining through the song orchestrations and his Lovecraftian lyrics. What his contributions to bass playing did is immeasurable. The complexity this album has in terms of songwriting is pure fucking genius and it cannot be understated what he added to the band.
Kirk Hammett is definitely at his peak on this album in terms of soloing. Every song features some of the best metal leads of all time, with not a single miss. You can really hear every member shining on this record at their fullest, and it’s just so infectious.
Hell, even Lars was a demon on this thing. His thrash drumming was perfect, and his double kick on the faster tunes absolutely rip.
It starts small and sinister with Battery's acoustic chords and suspenseful stacking harmonies. Then it just explodes like a volcano, introducing us into the madness that this album is about to unveil. I could make an argument and say that Battery is the greatest metal opening track of all time, if not one of the greatest openers of all time in general. It perfectly encapsulates the sheer amount of rage, complexity, and heaviness that this album is going to offer. Kirk's solo absolutely rips too.
The title track is probably one of the most influential songs on the planet. The amount of people that started playing guitar because of this song (me included) is definitely not a small number. This exact song showed that thrash metal could be expanded into something much larger. The middle section is one of the greatest bridges in existence. Hetfield's solo under that hypnotizing progression makes you wish it was an eternity. The harmonies organized as well that sandwich the solo are, in my opinion, the best harmonies in their catalog, which is saying a lot. The sheer amount of ruthless technique in this song's main riffs are insane too. Living in the universe at the same time as this song is a privilege.
The Thing That Should Not Be is another credit to Master of Puppets immeasurable influence on the metal genre. This dark D standard tune is one of the nastiest sludge/doom metal precursors. Kirk's solo sounds like a demonic dolphin in the creepiest way possible. The main riff is also one of Metallica's most underrated parts. The lyrics however, are some of my favorites in Metallica's catalog. The ominous, terrifying, and unimaginable depiction of a Lovecraft inspired monster is just so fucking cool.
Sanitarium at most points was my favorite Metallica song, just absolutely perfect from start to finish. The best thing about this track by a mile are the 4 solos. These 2 melodic and 2 shredfest leads are some of the greatest recorded metal performances of all time. Welcome Home is a beast that gradually builds and builds from a haunting ballad to a thrash chainsaw as the intensity of the riffs and solos rise. The clean riff is also one of the most hauntingly beautiful things I've ever heard. The lyrics are also killer.
Disposable Heroes by Metallica has the greatest lyrics of all time. The vivid description of a soldier’s traumatizing role in society is shrieked perfectly by Hetfield. The motif ingeniously screams "BACK TO THE FRONT" by a sergeant to a soldier, playing on words and symbolizing the intensity of how all soldiers are crafted the same, led into battle to die. The riffs on this thing are incredibly intense too. Kirk’s choice of modes on his solo show that he’s getting very involved on this record. At this point in the band’s history, every member was at their peak, and this song exemplifies that for sure.
Leper Messiah is an underrated gem. This is one of the nastiest songs in Metallica’s catalog, sinisterly depicting the corruption of finance in religion. Throughout the whole album, each song reinforces the themes of evil corrupting the oblivious, which just makes the entire listen very cohesive. The progressive aspects of this song are super sick, specifically the bridge section where the track transforms into this thrashfest.
Orion. God this song is a progressive metal masterpiece. It begins with these bass drones along with crescendoing drums pulsing as the track begins to build to the break in the main theme. This song is Cliff’s masterpiece, as you can see 3 bass solos throughout it as well as the incredible orchestrated nature of the harmonies. The middle section transcends you, immersing the sound in the sonics of the galaxy. Every solo taken, every riff chug, and every bend strung in this song is just written for the gods.
Lastly, the album closes with Damage Inc. This is the last song that features Cliff Burton in the studio, and what he begins the track with could not be more perfectly fitting. The bass swells sound like a horn’s call, or like a full orchestra performing together, even though it’s just a bass. Because Cliff could do those things. Metallica were on a completely different level of songwriting while constructing this project, and the mixing, performances, lyrics, and riffs just prove this.
Master of Puppets start to finish is perfect. Not a single second is wasted, and the effort and genius in the songwriting blows my mind. Not another album in history is anything like this. I hope Cliff knows how much the world loves his masterpiece.
