Wow. This was his typically satirical (think Mad Magazine) take on hippies and conformist non-conformity. A bit smug, but also fun. There is also a surprising amount of musique concrete and is neither as pretentious or as difficult to listen to as it could have been. Instead, it seems playful, even beautiful. Maybe as I age and become curmudgeonly, I find that Zappa is an honest reintegration of my disillusioned and idealistic selves. Anyway, this album is a keeper. Not as crass and vulgar as Joe's Garage and good.
1001 Albums Summary
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
Breakdown
By Genre
Tap a bar to see the albums behind it
Top Styles
Tap a bar to see the albums behind it
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
|
5 | 2.69 | +2.31 |
|
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
Dirty
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Is This It
The Strokes
|
2 | 3.82 | -1.82 |
|
1999
Prince
|
2 | 3.59 | -1.59 |
|
Diamond Life
Sade
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Queen II
Queen
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
|
3 | 4.33 | -1.33 |
|
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
|
2 | 3.12 | -1.12 |
|
OK Computer
Radiohead
|
3 | 4.12 | -1.12 |
Artists
Favorites
Tap an artist to see their albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Public Enemy | 2 | 5 |
5-Star Albums (28)
View Album WallPopular Reviews
Walks a fine line between crazy and comprehensible
All Ratings (169)
It's a great album. Like so many other brillant artists of that time, her originality now seems cliche, probably because she influenced a generation of artists.
It's OK. I do appreciate that it's a new language. Not the only thing they have in common with Cocteau Twins. (They don't actually sound like Cocteau Twins, though, so if you like them, don't assume.) There is something atmospheric and beautiful about their music, but it is not really my cup of tea.
OK, this album slaps far harder than I remember. I listened to it a ton in the 80s and early 90s when I was a pretentious young adult trying to pretend to like difficult listening. Now, I realize how joyous the improv is. It is a great fusion of jazz and rock, just like it was probably supposed to be. Could be the shock of recognition, like seeing someone you found difficult but haven't seen for a long time. Still, I enjoyed listening to it. It also brought together impressions I have of post wwII California and the American West - the innovation and alienness that exudes from places like Nevada and the aerospace, aviation and military mixed with cultural novelties. It's somehow all wrapped up in listening to this.
It was optimistic and good to listen to. I can see how it struck a chord with people disillusioned by the drugs sex and anarchy of the preceding post war era.
Meh. Maybe it’s just because my wife was mean to me yesterday. But I don’t think so. Got bored before I finished the whole album.
I'm not in a great mood to learn to appreciate a new style of music. This guy sounds like a whiner and a lot of the songs have a similar plaintive sound that I can sometimes like (keening), but in this case rubs me the wrong way. Didn't mind 2:45 AM. Not a huge fan.
This was amazing. First time I listened and I’m glad I did.
Wow. This was his typically satirical (think Mad Magazine) take on hippies and conformist non-conformity. A bit smug, but also fun. There is also a surprising amount of musique concrete and is neither as pretentious or as difficult to listen to as it could have been. Instead, it seems playful, even beautiful. Maybe as I age and become curmudgeonly, I find that Zappa is an honest reintegration of my disillusioned and idealistic selves. Anyway, this album is a keeper. Not as crass and vulgar as Joe's Garage and good.
I just can’t
Interesting. Goofy. Title track is oddly timely, probably accidentally so.
Meh. When they say "fuck em, and their law" it's hard to say whether this is ironic or not. I have a hard time with this earnestness and simplemindedness. Maybe I'm missing the point. It's sad post-Nazi dance music as far as I can tell. Ring ring, 1970s Berlin wants it's decadence back. I didn't choose this stuff. I have to admit, though, if you just want to zone out to something mechanical, this does the trick.
Surprising how much great material Joni created for this album. Free Man in Paris is just one example.
You can see what he was trying to do for men in western English speaking culture. It is a great piece of work.
This was very pleasant music. And the theme is great.
Interesting. I think it was influenced by Paul's Boutique. It's a good album. Funny harsh in spots.
This was great. Absolutely true that it was overshadowed by Graceland.
Interesting how the media samples at the start read in retrospect, post BLM, etc.
This album continues to slap hard. Not as great as Paul's Boutique, which keeps growing on me, but good. The line "the disrespect to women has got to be through..." still brings stinging tears to my eyes.
Portrait of the artist as a young human.
Surprised that I had never heard it and how much I loved it. The sound is largely timeless. The lyrics are beautiful in a way that speaks to me. Grown up music of a quality hard to equal.
It' good. It strikes me that, on the one hand, it seems infantile. At the same time, it also strikes me as almost avant-garde. Specifically, the repetition of human words and vocal sounds until they become abstract and lose their meaning. The effect is evocative of Brion Gysin.
Liked this. Broad and interesting
Can’t get these songs out of my head. He is a gifted man.
Incredible, ironically very commercial, professional, highly skilled work of class warfare. My hat is off to you, Ian Dury. Even long after your movement’s defeat, your courage and humour stand.
Love it.
Reminds me of some Fripp league of gentlemen guitar stuff from the 80s. Interesting. Oddly spiritual. When you walk while listening to it around the city you notice things you may not have before.
Wow, it’s really interesting to remember how angry people wear, and incredulous, at the election of George Bush the second period I remember my father, who was quite conservative, being exasperated at the lack of rationale for the war in Iran Iraq I mean. Amazing, that now, bush looks like a brilliant genius.
Some great songwriting. Poignant. Insightful. Interesting. Pretty solid musicianship too. Impressed. Has anyone ever heard of this guy?
Ok
This is a revelation. She is a flame and a razor. How did I not know about her before? Amazing.
Cherokee amazing
Let's do some crimes. Yeah, let's get sushi and not pay.
Holy!!! She was one talented woman. Great album.
Beautiful
Killer blues. Acid rock. Like this. Didn’t realize the San Francisco connection. Interesting.
Walks a fine line between crazy and comprehensible
So talented. Weird, poor guy, but talented.
Loved this more than I thought I would. This music is not my cup of tea but her - I like.
Sadly this seemed very commercial to me. It is good. There are some really surprising slide steel sounds and the lyrics to moving around are interesting. It’s fine.
Surprising. Less seedy than subsequent stones work. Loved it.
Loved this album as a kid. Still great.
Quite liked this
It’s good. I wouldn’t die if I couldn’t hear it again.
The lyrics are insightful and witty. Superficially this seems like another album taking advantage of the high dynamic range possible with digital technology. Maybe, but this bears a second or third listen to get beyond the surface. When the sun goes paints a vivid picture of the roles involved in prostitution, they has a go at itself by referencing Roxanne, the song by the Police. The singer takes you where a mind would go and articulates thoughts beautifully. The whole experience is healing. What art should be. And you can dance to it.
Very good rap for the paying masses. Probably needs a few more listens. Fun.
This was good.
I mean, it’s OK. Boring. I guess it has an atmosphere that is sustained and very consistent. Chill to the point of vacuous. Not sure I see the point. Maybe there isn’t one.
Commercial but good.
This is a good album. Catchy, simple and sophisticated in terms of rhythm and sound design, lyricism and emotional impact. Loved it in fact.
She’s a genius
Good Florida rock. Quite varied. Cool blues tune on here.
So slick, commercial and of high production value it’s hard to hear this as not simply a product. But it’s good.
What? A woman who likes sex and is frank and unaffected about it?
Vari d
I liked this.
Raw. Prophetic.
This is rough sledding but ultimately rewarding. Sweat Loaf still hits as a compassionate, sad and rational critique of societal attitudes towards sexual violence, while still managing to alloy that with detached irony. The prescience of The O-men makes is slightly hair raising. Demonstrates the Burroughs / Gysin maxim “cut into the present and the future leaks out.” Cyborg Lust! Terminate! I’m not sure I consider this easy listening. But in a category of its own.
Fun
Good
Classic
This opened my eyes to the postwar mentality in Germany, particularly the desire to shun both the nazi past and American influence. Also to see the dada and punk collective influences.
Thank god for Johnny cash
Listenable
Can’t listen to this without thinking of A Mighty Wind.
This is energizing and clever without crossing the line into inane. The lyrics and song names are scandalous or at least irreverent bordering on obscene which I’m certain is intentional. The take away is fun.
Done before. Dated. Still good though.
Great
A surprising collection of instrumentals.
Amazing. Precursor to early U2 but less mission oriented aces more polished. Lyrics are actually very good. Surprise new find for be.
Liked this.
Chill. Nostalgic. Innovative in a way that updates and matures the genre. I like it. This is another collage using the same sample but by negativland. https://youtu.be/q-ODYHoGFfQ?si=pWGpuGbMbDZCD8Vg
Nuts.
It was a great album.
This was amazing
Surprised. Not my typical cup of tea - super dated but creative and interesting.
This is actually very intelligent and interesting music. Sadly, I can’t help thinking of satires of elderly people on PBS performing for elderly people remembering their youth.
Still great.
Echoes of The Butthole Surfers (screaming and extensive use of digital delay, dynamics), and the male vocalist in the Sugarcubes (inexplicably angry sounding shouted lyrics - eg. motorcrash.) At least I now know those things were potentially homage rather than just odd.
Painful but eye opening
Respect
Different. More subtle and understated, more complex than some of the other albums of theirs that I liked. I will have to listen to this again. Fairly confident it will be worth the time.
Still completely original and unbelievably gifted
Better than expected.
Liked this. Probably shallow of me.