Very on-the-downbeat, Caucasian, milquetoast music.
They executed the idea well and I'm sure it had its place in the history of pop, but it doesn't do much for me
Well-written songs, not to my taste.
I bet they sound great in a car
🤖WE ARE THE ROBOTS🤖
Charming, silly, but lacking in funk. More rhythmic diversity would be nice.
I'm guessing they get more credit (than they deserve) for being the first to do it (with synths).
I do appreciate that they left a lot of space in the lyrics and arrangements for a listener's mind to run in.
It's full of the stuff that makes the Beatles so lovable. Too full, actually. There might be a 5 star album in here if it shed some sillier songs.
Excessively self-indulgent at times, and brilliant at many others.
I'm very glad it exists, but I won't hold it close
zoom zoom zoom
I think this is a rare combination of catchiness and spacious jamming. I really like the vocals on 4 & 5, but the instrumentals are also excellent throughout.
I think they managed to make a cohesive album while including plenty of variety (something I value highly). I also tend to prefer music that prioritizes the sound over the lyrics, and I think that is done here
prime example of lyrics>sound. The instrumentals are pretty boring to me. I'm sure they were much fresher in '79
blah
prime example of how music declined going into the 80's
my high school French teacher was a fan of MC Solaar. Probably because his pronunciation is good. It's too bad I can't appreciate the wordplay. There isn't much else of interest. Hasn't aged too well
James Jamerson on bass! (He only used 1 finger)
This record has soul, heart, spirit, it's groovy, and it has stood the test of time.
There is a unity and distinctive sound to it, despite how relaxed the studio sessions were.
What's Going On elevates my mind, but I also feel it immediately in my body (a rare combination in music)
You can't say there's not a lot goin on here.
I wasn't really feeling it over the first half; I thought it was too messy, abrasive. But the second half won me over. I love the incorporation of drum machines, the yodeling on Spaced Cowboy (genius) and killer bass lines.
Oh to have been alive during the explosion of creativity in the early '70s. I know there was a lot of pain, and we are all lucky that cats like Sly could transfigure it as funk.
lyrics>sound
doesn't appeal much to me on first listen
I didn't think I was going to like it because the style is very casual and silly at times, but I found myself enjoying side 2 for the same reasons that I love "Perfect Day": it's genuine and human, which makes it disarming even to the most cold, critical gaze.
Not my typical go-to, but worth a listen, I thought.
Also it works much better as group listening than myopically metered through headphones.
Refreshingly different from everything on this list so far. Different instrumentation, different vocal delivery (just listen to the first few seconds of the last track), and different subjects.
When it's not giving schadenfreude, its everywhere from the fun of a circus to the glum of watching a drunken vagabond dance.
Terrific storytelling and worldbuilding.
I would give it a 4 if I was rating objectively, but instead I subjectively give it a 3 because I don't think its an album I would go back to often.
They're really showing the bias of this list with this album - a bias towards this era of rock and roll
There's nothing special about it. I could think of many superior English rock bands from this time that were similarly inspired by the Blues.
The hit "Bang On" is alright, and none of the other tracks seem to have the same quality of production. Certainly none of the others are able to grab my attention.
While it's not a genre that I typically enjoy, I did appreciate the playfully layered vocals and despondent harmonies.
Musically it just doesn't do much for me. I imagine you need to have a strong emotional connection with it.
Some of the lyrics were evocative and it's nice to have a female vocalist for a change in timbre and artistic perspective
not my cupa tea init
I love the Ladysmith Black Mambazo contributions. All of the African bits are great throughout. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "Homeless" were already beloved songs for me for that reason, but I was happy to discover more.
It's interesting to have zydeco in there too.
I'm not sure about the right word for it, but a few tracks (notably "You Can Call Me Al") rub me the wrong way. Maybe its corny?
Anyway I really enjoyed these tunes on a beautiful bike ride yesterday. I imagine they're even better in the summer. I might give it 4.5 if I could
Schmaltzy, but as good as schmaltz gets
I find it really difficult to rate this... 7/10 feels right, so I can't decide between 3 and 4. I can't deny the greatness, and I find myself enjoying most of the songs, but I can't say its a favorite.
It also feels unfair to rate Elvis without the aspect of live performance because that was such a large part of his brand
I'm sure this album has something to say, but I can't pick it up on the first listen. I also weigh my judgement of music much more heavily on the immediate sound than on lyrical content and this sounds... ok
it's challenging to listen to singing like this for an hour
Led Zeppelin was some of the first music I remember listening to by choice (along with Weezer, Gorillaz, Kanye West, Smash Mouth, The Who). It must have been Dad's CDs which were Led Zeppelin IV and Mothership. Plundering Dad's collection was a pretty special way to explore music...
Anyway, I think I liked it a fair bit back then. It may have had a significant impact on my drum-set playing. I still think that Bonham was one of the greatest drummers ever.
Today, I enjoy a lot of these tracks despite being familiar with some of them longer than I've been with almost any others. The distorted guitar and bashed drums still hit. But there is a staleness for me too, and it doesn't help that their sound has been tainted by its use in American car commercials... so its a light four for me
there are some absolute titans on this album. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is verging on saccharine, but I think it's only suffering success because it's played so much. If you heard it for the first time it would blow you away.
El Condor Pasa is one of my favorite songs ever. I think The Boxer has an even better claim to be a greatest song ever written.
There are weaker tracks, but it doesn't really matter because of the duo's vocals and such a high standard of song writing.
It's hard for me to take an objective look because these titans have been with me for as long as I can remember, but I don't mind
