While this album is a drawn out hodgepodge of songs of varying styles and lengths, when the brain trust behind that is as creative as the Beatles, the product you receive is still quite good. I agree that many tracks could've been left out, but I also found myself enjoying many of the lesser-known cuts. I found the album. Does a pretty good job of keeping you entertained through variety, despite its length. This is one of my new favorite Beatles albums.
A solid fusion album. The first two tracks were funk-fusion, and I was also reminded of reggae due to the emphasis on the backbeat. The rest of the album was a variety of long-dorm funk/psychadelic fusion, Grateful Dead-es que jams, which were enjoyable as well. Among those, City country city was especially cool due to the concept of having two completely different grooves juxtaposing each other. My favorite track was track two. 6/10
This album sounds like it would have been fun t dance to and hear in movies at the time it was released. But yeah strong 3 to light 4/10. I don't like music where I can't tell if the singer is singing or talking
I don't speak French, but I also don't emphasize lyrics heavily when evaluating an album, so to rated purely based on musical merit, it was solid. The funky instrumentals and sampling could rival any other top selling boom-bap album. 6.5/10
So far we've had albums lead by guitar, drums, samples, electronics, etc., but this is the first album where the BASS quietly carries the entire composition. This album flows seamlessly and does not waste any time. The first 6 tracks all feel connected until you reach "Right On," where it's like "let's dance!" Then in the same song it's slows back down into the next track, and then you ride out smoothly yet mournfully with inner city blues. Surely an album with musical and philosophical influence spanning decades. 9/10
Very funky. I'm most familiar with their album "stand," where a lot of the songs are structured like radio singles with a strong vocal melody. This album had a lot more funk jams and some longer tracks, so I was glad to hear a side of Sly that I was less familiar with. The song "Just Like a Baby" has the same time signature and groove as Childish Gambino's "Baby Boy" from his funk-fusion album, and they feature the same clavichord tone, what is enough similarity to make me think it's not a coincidence and that Childish Gambinos song was directly inspired or may be an homage. Anyway, very funky album. 8/10
I haven't listened to very much David Bowie; this is the second album I've listened to in full, but my impression of him so far is that the instrumentals are top class, The bass lines are catchy, The compositions are solid, but I don't feel neither here nor there about David Bowie himself. But I can appreciate him for creating a style of music that exists somewhere in between progressive rock, funk and pop. 7/10
Cinema to David Bowie there was a lot of cool instrumentation and production tricks (panning, hand, percussion, etc.), but I don't much care for this style of singing. (Talk-singing with loose adherence to pitch) I was surprised how similar Lou Reed's music sounds to the Arctic Monkeys; it seems the former inspired the latter. 5/10
I'm conflicted about this album because there are many things that I liked about it, but it still isn't something that I would listen to regularly. The percussion was the highlight of the album for me. There's a lot of variety and unique percussion instruments used, most notable among which was the dissonant mallet instrument used in several songs. I don't dislike the sea shanty-like songs, but I can't really say the same for the Halloween-sounding songs. It seems like he tried his hand at writing a pop song with downtown train, which was an unexpected style after hearing the rest of the album. His voice is unique like many other artists we've heard so far, but I actually didn't hate his uniqueness as much as a few of others. I'm having a hard time rating this. 5/10
This is a singer that I can get behind. Slightly breathy and *pitch sensitive* but still with a lot of character. I was not familiar with this artist when I started listening to this album, but I recognized the famous "get it on," which like many other songs on the album sound like they could've been released in the 90s or later. So I think the album is a bit ahead of its time. I'm mostly like the use of repetition (repeating melodies with new lyrics, etc), but I would admit that there were repetitive moments. Still I like this album a lot. 7.5/10
She's trying to be edgy but listening in 2026 it's pretty cringe. I don't know. Not really for me. 3/10
I wasn't sure about this album hearing the first song, it seemed a little unfocused and the vocals were talk-y and loose rhythmically, but by the second track I got hints that it was inspired by African music, and by the next couple tracks it was undeniably an album of African music, which I love. I especially love multicultural music.i don't know much about the background but the album tells a story of a city boy from America traveling to Africa and discovering a new world. 8/10
The king of rock? More like the king of 6/8. Rock ballads in that time signature seem to be his signature style. I don't know a lot about the history, but I think I've heard that Elvis has been resented for popularizing styles of music invented by Black people, especially because he became popular during a time which I imagine had high racial tension. The song about the ghetto seemed particularly insensitive, maybe? Still the quality of this album is undeniable and I enjoyed it. I was surprised to find some songs had bass playing that was very reminiscent of Motown, a couple of the songs had very active base lines in a high register, which I liked a lot, also the gospel choirs in the background are nice, and the instrumentation is generally very good. 6.5/10
I don't have much to say about this album. Similar to Liz Phair I found it to be too overly sexual for my liking at some points. There were some redeeming qualities about the music, but nothing to write home about. 4/10
It must be said that the horns on this album are very nice. They combine with the percussion well. I liked a few of the songs on the second half. There are a couple moments in the album where there are layered vocals that create a male choir like effect, such as in the chorus of seven days is too long, which I like. I guess you could say the background vocals suit my taste more than the lead vocals. generally speaking I don't love this singer. Geno was my favorite song and I could actually see myself listening to it on my own volition sometimes, which is more than I could say for many of the other albums we've heard so far. 5.5/10
Even though I know that Led Zeppelin is legendary, somewhere in the back of my mind, I also saw them as corny, probably because I don't listen to this style of music very much. But giving this album listen, I found that, wallet did seem that way on the surface, there is a lot of talent and rhythmic interest on display. I like the drummer a lot and the bass player isn't bad as well. The guitar lines are memorable and the guitar is used in creative ways. They have a distinct style, but they're skilled enough to keep it from being repetitive. I didn't mind the long-form compositions because there was decent variety. Ramble on is an amazing song, the verses and chorus contrast each other very well. It makes me want to keep singing my song. 7/10
This album is perfect. The vocal harmonies, the instrumentation, the varying styles that drawing inspiration from folk, rock, and anything in between. I don't often pay attention to lyrics much, but these two are such artful storytellers as well. I found a newfound appreciation for the songs I already knew, and immediately loved the ones I was less familiar with. Just beautiful 10/10
To me, this album sounded like something between punk rock and Shoegaze, not as drone as something like my bloody valentine, but it still has that quality of the vocals sneaking through a wall of guitar distortion. The last track was an unexpected change of pace, it sounded more heartfelt like a Beatles song, so I appreciated the versatility. Overall, this was decent 5/10
Big band jazz? This is a massive band. Choir, strings, and horns all accent the compositions beautifully. I like how minimalist the piano plane is, likely to make space for everything else, but he inserts piano licks as a call and response to his vocals, which are pretty good as well. Still there was nothing truly unexpected or out of the ordinary, and one thing curious about this kind of jazz is it's pretty restrictive stylistically. Jazz is interesting. That way because improvisation invites creativity, but the framework is strict. Anyway, this is great stuff, but I'm having trouble giving it a three or four. I'd say 7.5/10
This is my favorite 90s album we've listened to so far. Versatile Indie rock with harmonic interest, strong instrumentation, and a tone-sensitive singer. The singer and the music Reminds me of Fountains Of Wayne, who I've also been getting into recently. Maybe it was a decent era for Indie rock after all. My favorite track was "clean;" I like the EP pannin I'm gonna bring down the score a little bit because only a couple of the songs were memorable, and this is nowhere near the level of some other albums. I've given a seven. 5/10
This is probably the Stevie Wonder album that I am the most familiar with, and while I don't know all of his discography, I wouldn't be surprised if this was his best or at least most focused. The synth bass that can be heard on the first track and others reminds me of Herbie Hancock (watermelon man); I'm sure they were inspiring each other in this era of abundant musical innovation. The slower ballads reminds me of Cleo soul's music (contemporary R&B artist, Ray is familiar), and I have no doubt she was inspired by Stevie as well all are. I was especially familiar with golden lady, higher ground, and living for the city, but I've forgotten how great the rest of the tracks are. Too high is my new favorite again. Very Stevie wonder in the way it alternates from a groove to a dissonant jazzy melody. I can think of any other songs where he does something similar. ( Sir Duke for example, has a jazzy melody in unison before it gets into its main groove). 9/10
Couldn't find this one so I skipped it
A mushroom cloud on the cover of a 1958 jazz album? I don't know about that. I wonder how that was received. Musically however this was a great album. I thought dynamics were used very well, especially in the horns. I love the soft horn accents and intermittent horn stabs, and their voicings are rich. The melodies from the horns were unique and memorable as well. I think I liked this a little bit more than the Ray Charles album, but I'm gonna give it the same score because of the cover. 7/10
First Simon & Garfunkel, now, Fleet Foxes. Two absolute Giants of contemporary folk music. The fleet foxes are probably my favorite band ever. I don't think this is their best album, But the fact that their first album can be so powerful speaks volumes about their immense talent. Sometimes hopeful, sometimes somber, always brimming with emotion. Not many songs can elevate a good mood like ragged woods for me. White winter hymnal is of course a generational and universally amazing song as well. There are a l few slightly less interesting songs, but I still find myself happy to rediscover a few lesser known tracks. If I was rating objectively, this might be an eight or nine, but I'll give it a 10 because it's Fleet Foxes.
Fairytale folklore music. I appreciate what they're trying to do, but it's not something I'd listen to on my own. The diverse instrumentation is probably my favorite part of this album, like the sitar, for example, as well as the abundance of other strings and percussion, many of which you don't often hear. The style of singing is very free-flowing and resembles storytelling, but lacks rhythmic interest or coherence that would make it memorable. I guess I prefer listening to music that I can sing along to. There's clearly a lot of talent on display here. It's just not quite the thing for me. Strong four to a light five
For the most part, dissonant nonsense. I employ you to reconsider your reviews of Robbie Williams, because at least that was somewhat musical.
I thought this album was decent. I like the style of contemporary composition, maybe because it's similar to mine, because it's not limited by any particular style. So I appreciated the versatility. In the case of this album in particular, however, it felt a little unfocused and longer than it needed to be, in that versatility manifested in a way that I liked aspects of many songs, but wasn't blown away by any particular song. I think "Once Around the Block was my favorite." strong, five to a light six
Like some other albums so far, this one was too sexual and abrasive for something I'd listen to regularity. But unlike some others, I'd be interested in listening to this one again. The sound design was fantastic, with lots of interesting samples and clean sounds to balance out the distorted ones. I found myself enjoying the instrumental moments more than the ones with vocals, go figure. The last song was powerful as well. Strong 6 to light 7
I listened to 45 minutes ("Sunken Waltz" - "Convict Pool"). Idk if there's another disc but I'm happy with that. I digged this album; Latin American fusion? There were notes of jazz, indie, Latin music, and it was cool. I like crumble a lot; when the guitar solo comes in is super satisfying. Strong 6 to light 7
This album is certainly the pride of the hip-hop tradition, and of the tradition of African-American music. This is my favorite kind of hip-hop, the kind that pairs exquisite musical interest with conscious lyricism. The instrumentals borrow inspiration from funk, jazz, hip-hop(of course), and more. And they display a lot of versatility; there are some long-form and experimental tracks, and I love the jazzy spoken word in "Something In the Way of Things." I resonate heavily with the feeling that there is something deeply wrong with society that often goes unnoticed or unspoken. Every track had something new to offer, ending with the last track which is basically electronic dance music, which was also refreshing. Strong seven to a light eight.. I'm struggling between three or four, because I don't think this is a 9/10, but I think I'm confident enough to give it 8, so I'll go with 4
When Kanye was at this early stage in his career, when he was the underdog with a lot to prove, he could do great things. This album and my beautiful dark twisted fantasy (2010) are probably his best; in the case of the ladder, after losing dignity in the public eye, he exiled himself to somewhere in Hawaii to only record for a focused stretch of time. During the record recording of this album, he got into a life-threatening car accident and had to surgically wire his jaw shut, so you can imagine he had a big chip on his shoulder. It's a tale old as time: the once underdog and spearhead of the counter culture becomes the one thing he sought to destroy. It reminds me of the Simpsons, a show that started edgy and is now mainstream and watered down. Anyway, this album is still phenomenal. In many ways, Kanye was a pioneer for combining hip-hop and gospel in a way that no one else had. And this album has a lot to say: about religion, materialism, education, the black experience, etc. His words about higher education resonate with a generation that was failed by the system; many people spend a fortune on their education only to end up in a menial entry position job where their superiors are only where they are because of family or connections. A generation whose hard work is not rewarded in the same way of generations prior. He does not mince words, a trait that has gotten him in trouble, and makes some bars fall flat, but is generally a strength and what gives his music so much character. The skits are hilarious. If it weren't for a few few weaker tracks ("Get Em High," for example) I'd give it a 5 without hesitation, and I still think this deserves an eight or nine out of 10 for being the revolutionary and timeless album that it is.
If you were to play me this album with no context and asked me when it was released, I would've guessed late 80s or early 90s, so I think it was a little ahead of its time. Notwithsanding, I also think it's a little bit outdated, or just not that interesting of a sound. I'm glad this was 30 minutes and not an hour, because I was already getting tired of the repetitiveness. Still, I can appreciate this for laying the foundation for other artists to do what they did better, like The Clash, for example. Strong five to a light six I guess.
This kind of heartfelt soul is one of my favorite styles of music (Otis Redding adjacent? Sly & The Family Stone have some tracks like this as well), so I enjoyed this album the good bit. I was already familiar with the Graham Station version of "it ain't no fun to me" (this must be the original?), which has some key differences in lyrics, namely: "Oh, it seems we make up//Only just to break up," on Al Green's version is "Why (I thought he was saying white until I looked it up) people break up, only just to make up//Hey, baby yeah, but it ain't no fun to me," and I like Larry Graham's cynical twist better. Overall, I enjoyed this album. If I were to give a nitpick, I would say it was a bit corny sometimes, and the lyrics were predictable. 7/10
21st century Elvis? Like Elvis, the music is sappy but soothing. Swooning guitars and vocals. I liked it, but it's nothing too special. 6/10
I was really glad to have the opportunity to discover this beach boys album, because, other than pet sounds, the only impression I had of them was that they were slightly corny (based on what little I know of their older music). I knew since I listened to pet sounds in college that Brian Wilson was an auteur of composition, but I still would never have guessed that the beach boys made music like this. There is a ton of artistry on display here. Some of the compositions remind me of Jacob Collier, with their Maximalism, and I love all of the little phonic details. The first half of the album was very catchy and easy to sing along to, and the second half was a little more contemplative and structurally experimental (cut from a similar cloth as pet sounds). This has got me intrigued to look into more of their music, because I thought this was phenomenal
This album was solid. Every track had something to keep me interested, whether it was funk elements or rhythmic interest on the blues/rock 'n' roll inspired tracks, or flutes or organs on the pop tracks. There was decent variety and the length was just enough to keep me excited the whole way through. 7/10
This album was a piece of history that I was glad to have the opportunity to learn about. I was already enjoying the live album format, his banter with the crowd is entertaining, and I was noticing themes of prison and redemption in his lyrics, but once I found out this was performed at a prison in front of inmates that immediately elevated this album for me. His comment about his record company affirmed for me that musicians have always hated record companies and commodification of music in general. Ironically, even though artists are no longer bound by having to deal with a record company, it is harder than ever to make a living as a musician. Anyway, as for the music, Johnny Cash is a great storyteller with a soothing baritone voice. the drummer deserves a lot of credit; he's got amazing chops and stamina. I've been trying to figure out how to name this style of rockabilly beat lately, because I like it a lot. I think Cash said he was playing multiple harmonicas at one point? One factor that can separate a 8 or 9 from a 10 for me is having a concept, being a "concept album," and the live format, the setting, and the storytelling I'll make this album a very immersive experience,so I'm going to have to give it a five.
I don't know if Elvis needed to be the first artist that we get a repeat album from (is the order random? I forgot.) on a couple songs I was surprised to hear a voice that didnt sound like the Elvis I was familiar with; maybe because it's an older album of his. I was also surprised to learn that Kanye West's "Gold Digger" quotes "I got a Woman" directly.
Is this what they call free jazz? These guys are all masters of their craft. I wonder how much actual structure there is to these songs, because there are distinct sections, but many of those could very likely be a result of coordinated improvisation rather than a compositional framework. In that sense, it is almost impossible to replicate this kind of music; if another group of jazz musicians tried to cover of any of these, it would surely come out different to the extent of being unrecognizable. I like how the tunes ebb and flow between chaotic and calm sections, and it's very cool to see how each member plays off of each other. This music would be 10 times better live, It's one of those things that the more attention you give it, the more it gives back. Without it being live, you have to really concentrate your ear on individual parts and visualize them playing it to fully appreciate the music. I also sensed some of the time period, hints of Herbie Hancock, and not just because of the electric base and keyboard. There's nothing quite like this, which means it requires a certain state of mind, but it also means that it can reach you in a way unlike any other music. Tough to rate though
I'm gonna be honest, I only listened to a couple songs. Oasis is very popular in Japan, and I already resented them for that, and listening to a bit of this just confirmed for me that their music is very mediocre. When it comes to music, a lot of people in Asia seem to care more about appearances than substance (their pop idol culture is egregious); I just imagine them being like "wow look at these cool white guys with long hair playing cool music," while their brains are turned off. It's not the worst music I've ever heard, but .... yeah
The singer has impressive chops. There were some nice doubled lead guitar melodies.
This album is very good. Although it's a 2011 remaster, I imagine the production was out of this world when it came out as well. All of the repeating samples and themes and the way the songs flow together make this a great full-album listening experience. In the way that Songs like "On the Run" actually evoke the image of someone running, I think this album does a fantastic job of using sound as a storytelling device. For that reason, I would like to listen to it again and learn more of the lyrics and track names to try and paint a more vivid image of the album's story. There's something about the use of sense and production tricks during this time. Period that I really like. Like we've said, there was a ton of creativity and excitement surrounding the emergence of new music technology. If I were to nitpick, I might say that they were a little too artsy with this album and the actual musical content doesn't have too much variety, but it is still executed on a very high level. The Way songs blend together could be interpreted as a strength or a weakness. I found myself more able to appreciate the long songs when I adopted the mindset that the whole album was one long song. Very good
This was a fun little album. It went by pretty quickly for some reason. This did not sound like a 1966 album to me, so I definitely think it's ahead of its time. I'm noticing myself saying that a lot about a lot of the albums from this time, which only reaffirms what I already know about the music technology and creativity. Some of these songs sound corny, like an early 2000s pop song, but that is impressive given the context. The last track was my favorite, the mallet instrument reminded me of Sufjan Stevens or something. I can't decide between two or three.
I went back to listen to the first Sonic Youth album to get a better perspective, and I was a little bit hard on it at the time. I can kind of appreciate what they're doing with varios experimental composition techniques, and I think I like this album a bit more than the last one.. Chapel Hill was actually a decent song, and the tempo changes on the next song "JC" are an example of the experimental techniques I mentioned. That being said, their music still sucks, and this female vocalist, especially needs to be quiet
This album was very entertaining. The intro was hilarious, and I like that they kept the skit going through throughout the album. These guys are masters of sampling, so there are always several musical tidbits per song that are fun to dissect. This style of rapping, the flow and cadence, is a bit outdated, but I still much prefer their lyricism to many modern rappers. It feels like De La is using the language to its fullest much more than some rappers today, even if the flows may sound a little corny. This album has a lot of character.
When I saw this album cover, I was expecting more mediocre British rock, and well, this was slightly more refreshing than that. You can still hear that British twang in the singing. Some of the production techniques reminded me of Tears for Fears. There is a bit of a variety, but it was mostly 80s pop nostalgia. I think the second track was my favorite; the featured singer had a nicer voice than these bozos .
There were a few unique redeeming qualities that *slightly* differentiate this album from being just another boring British rock album, namely, the inclusion of violin and folk-inspired elements. They also try their hand at a handful of experimental composition and production techniques: some samples and poetry, if I recall. I like how they invoke a 6/4 feel on the first track by mixing in measures of 2/4 (the main pattern was like 4-4-2-4-2). The other track I liked was "Last Dance," because I thought it had the strongest violin part. I still don't care for the singing; I am sick of these nasally British male vocalists. Also, as I was listening, it sounded like this album was produced in the 60s, but maybe the lo-fi rustic sound is what they were going for. I might've preferred them to make better use of the technology available to them.
Finally, some R&B. Besides D'Angelo, I don't know very many R&B artists from this time, so I was glad to have the opportunity to learn a bit more (although a few of the songs were already saved to my Spotify library, so maybe I've heard this album already). It was a breath of fresh air to finally get a vocalist whose voice is actually pleasing to listen to. I enjoyed the songs that had strong rhythmic parts in the bass and guitar the most. The album started to lose me just a little bit in the second half with all of the slower tracks, but overall there was a lot of artistry and skill on display.
This album was in a similar style to several others we've heard so far, but this might be one example of a band that improved on the style of music produced from bands like the Ramones. I like the singer because she sings in tune, and I liked the vocal harmonies as well. The album had a unique amount of harmonic interest given the style, and there was a nice variety of chord progressions, which reminded me of Alvvays.
This was a very relaxing album. Finally some world music (sounds like northern Africa). My favorite moments on the album were when that mallet instrument made an appearance, once near the beginning and once near the end. There were a couple moments where the instruments sounded slightly off tune, but that also added to the rustic and natural sound.
There were a couple elements that made this slightly more interesting than generic 80s pop rock, like the song that alternated between 7/8, and I admit that I wasn't listening very closely the second half of the album, but that's probably because this wasn't very interesting... edit: I'm going back to listen to a couple more songs, and I'm finding I don't mind a few of them and that their artistry is enough for me to confidently give them a 2 at least. I might be interested in revisiting this one if I had more time.
A nice opportunity to learn about Jimi Hendrix, especially because this seems to be his most well-known album. A few of the songs were famous enough for me to have already known them without knowing it was Jimi Hendrix. This album was more psychedelic than I was expecting, but there was still a lot of rock 'n' roll. There's a lot of creativity and guitar virtuoso on display. My favorite track was "may this be love." I think this is surely the original mix; the panning sounds rustic, but that also adds to the vintage charm.
I don't know if I've ever heard any of Leonard Cohen's music, but this was very good. He has a beautiful voice and a lot of talent for composition. This was Another campfire storyteller type of album. It seems that his signature on the acoustic guitar is that sextuplet (?) pattern from songs like "the stranger song." The somber songs were very compelling, but my favorites were those in a major key, especially "so Long Marianne" and "hey, that's no way to say goodbye." the female vocalist accompaniment was also one of my favorite things about this album. on a couple tracks there was a stringed instrument that played countermelody to his singing, and I was wondering if that was just another guitar or some kind of world instrument. It's hard for me to rate something like this because it's pretty minimalistic, but it did hit a lot of the right notes for me so I'm stuck between three or four.
This is another artist that I was not familiar with, but it was a pleasant surprise. This is the kind of space between jazz and pop that I tend to enjoy.I mean, what a band. Acoustic and jazz electric guitars, upright bass that even uses the bow at some points, xylophone (?) (I never know how to call mallet instruments)that takes center stage, and some hand percussion and other stuff. The band uses dynamics very well, something that is harder to achieve if you don't record live as a band. His singing is unique, but not in an unpleasant way.
This was a pretty fun album that exist somewhere in the intersection between dance music, hip-hop, and R&B, slightly leaning towards dance. As such, I think this was intended for listening to live and dancing at a club or something, so it's a bit harder to rate as an album being streamed from home. That being said, I liked the production, there were many cool drum samples, many funky bass lines that I liked, and I liked a lot of the female vocal accompaniment and harmonies. Considering that repetition is the nature of this kind of music, I would prefer to listen to this album than many others in the space, because it combined elements from several African-American musical traditions
I'm not sure if this was better or worse than the last Led Zeppelin album we listened to, but it was still solid. I also don't know if it needed to be as long as it was, I would have to listen again to remember specific track names, but I think they could've left a few out. Kashmir is a legendary song, but did it need to be eight minutes? it just repeats the same three sections and then fades out. On the other hand, the long track list helped them flesh out some more variety, and I was a little bit, surprised by the versatility of styles. There was some diverse instrumentation, like the infamous strings and horns on Kashmir, and Mandolin on "boogie with stu." I think my favorite part of Led Zeppelin is the delicious syncopation, much of which is likely thanks to the legendary drummer; the way the drums intertwine with the guitar lick is always very satisfying. Like on Houses of the Holy for example, which was probably my favorite track. I also liked the following track, and Down by the Seaside.
