Brilliant start, consistent album, great album tracks, and a memorable performance of the title track to finish. When Doves Cry is perhaps the most important song to come out of the 80s.
This is not an album I would have chosen. It sounds slightly derivative of Illmatic, but , idk, funkier? Rhymes are good but nothing I haven’t heard before. Great beats with a fresh variety of instrumentation. The message comes through loud and clear- sharing the struggles of poverty and social injustice- and it isn’t painful to listen to. EXCEPT Nelly Furtado’s vocals grated on my nerves - if I never hear her again I’ll die happy. Please don’t include any if her albums!!!
… and High Fidelity rescues me from the proverbial Pit of Despair. This is the kind of old school rap I remember and can appreciate.
The last track (Acetate Prophets) was inventive but unfortunately seemed to drag and I just wanted the album to end about 2 minutes sooner. I am not the target audience or demographic and that leaves me wondering if I just don’t “get” the music or is it the message I am missing? 2 star's
I’m partial to quality vocals. Gordon Gano does not have them. Not that this is a bad record - far from it. I listened to music like this maybe 10 years after it came out, but it didn’t sound dated and still holds up. The bass lines are well composed and the drums keep the music interesting, at times teetering between a hot mess and sheer genius. Back to the vocals, they fit in context with the style of music, so ultimately it’s a reasonable sacrifice to make.
I’m a sucker for quality tracking on an album. The last song on the original side A (Confessions) ends the side with a great instrumental break before wrapping up. I could stop listening here and come back later. Side B kicks off with Prove My Love which sounds like early rock n roll with an edge (Ramones anyone?) and sets up the rest of the record, which culminates in a slow ballad (Good Feeling) that is so very different from everything else, but in a good way. A great end to a solid album.
3 stars
Thom Yorke sounds like an unreasonable man though he claims otherwise on the first track of - what’s this album called? He’s at the end of his rope on Pyramid Song, but that’s okay, because the piano takes care of him.
I am always hesitant to start listening to Radiohead. The music is so complex, and I don’t always want to think too deeply when I listen to an album. But somehow, as I listen to this, it sounds familiar- like OK Computer or Kid A. Yes, I heard and appreciate those, but never gave Amnesiac a fair chance. I’m glad I did. This album holds its own in the Greatest Albums list, just not as high as the aforementioned masterpieces.
5 stars? YES FIVE STARS.
How blue can I get?
No bluer than the King…
5 very blue stars
Couldn’t help noticing that this sounds like the outtakes from a bad Nine Inch Nails or Cure album ( but I don’t think there are any of those). Not one single memorable song, nor any melody worth mentioning. I don’t mind gloomy atmospheric music, but this never feels like there’s a point in listening to. Is that the message here? I don’t know, in fact, I don’t care.
1 unsatisfied star
Very pleasant throughout, punctuated by moments of pure genius. I feel like a true Illinoisan (Illini? Illinoiser?). Multiple complex layers of sound from start to end. Just ran a little longer than I hoped, but I understand why. I might listen to this again.
3 stars
This is album #9 for me on the 1001 albums list. And it might be the first one I don’t listen to all the way through. Not in the mood for psychedelic music today and it sounds like a drug-fueled trip with obnoxious self important hippie losers. I can now see why 1960’s parents didn’t trust America’s teenagers. Ouch.
1 star
If I had heard this when I was 21, I would almost certainly have loved it. It isn’t bad, but my musical tastes have changed since 1991. Could possibly try it again, but I’m not in a hurry. Good rhythms and layering of sound creates a disconcerting edge while keeping it interesting. Album title is off-putting.
3 stars
Vocal quality aside, the music is dark, ominous and almost industrial. You can almost hear Depeche Mode and the Violent Femmes in the cradle here, with the promise of Nine Inch Nails. I can hardly believe this was recorded in 1979, the same year as Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Join Hands (which this reminds me of). Great stuff if you need a little more schadenfreude in your day.
4 stars
Working man’s 80s New Wave. Teenage me wouldn’t have even noticed this band (In fact, he didn’t). A fair mix of ordinary pop songs, nothing special here. Cool band name tho. /s
2 stars. (Almost 3? Meh)
“Vincent” is a favorite song in my family. Having said that, I haven’t personally listened to the whole album in 40 years. So it’s with a touch of nostalgia I guess that I listen now. The music itself is excellent folk rock. Somehow though the track order feels a little off? “American Pie” rightfully starts off the piece, but why isn’t “Vincent” the last track? It would tie up so many loose ends of the other songs and leave us with a hopeful melancholy feeling. The same feeling that Van Gogh’s paintings leave me with. A melancholy because although beauty is ephemeral, there is hope that beauty will always be around. Don Mclean seems to have been looking for a silver lining in America and in music. I think I found it here.
4 starry starry stars
Funky and infectious, De La Soul sounds like a natural evolution of hip hop and rap working its way from old school to the more modern sounding rap that Nas would deliver on “Illmatic”. Entertaining to listen to, never dull. But the rhymes include references I’m not privy to since I come from a different culture. I can still appreciate the sound. What happened to De La Soul? They should have been bigger.
3 stars ( 1 for each foot )
Wouldn’t it nice to listen to one of the most influential albums of all time? It has its challenges though, some of the music is quite complex and not what you might expect from a Beach Boys album.
4 stars
Where do I start? Not my favorite genre. Vocals were uneven. Melodies almost nonexistent. Yet this seems well planned. Not my cup of tea, but it could have been a lot worse.
2 stars
If I read this correctly, the Mekons were an early “Alt-Country” band. I don’t even understand what I’m listening to. 80’s punk/new wave with hints of country music? Not for me, but not completely unlistenable. Vocals get lost in the mix, but that may be a blessing. It gets better for me with Flitcraft, which sounds a little like the Pogues before the drinking starts. Country sounds like a surf guitar crossed with Waylon Jennnings’ Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.
3 stars
One of the most recognizable female voices of the modern era of popular music, Nina Simone was a legendary singer and civil rights activist as well. Her legacy cannot be denied. Each and every song here is great, some times painful, some times amorous. The standout song for me is Four Women, describing in first person four archetypes of black women. Their paths through life arduous in different ways, together they are aspects of every black woman. Truly eye opening and poignant. This album truly belongs on the list of albums everyone should listen to.
5 stars
Having been a classic rock fan in high school, I never thought I would ever get into pop music. By 1989, it became apparent to me that the state of pop music was not only better than the 70’s and early 80’s, but was appealing to more young people than ever. The release of Janet Jackson’ Rhythm Nation was a landmark in the pop landscape, bringing a concept album fusing multiple genres with a very danceable aesthetic. Could this have been a unifying cultural touchstone? It felt like it to me. Maybe it was just me discovering a new appreciation for hearing new things, or maybe it was naively believing that the world was getting better. Musically, a very solid R&B base, blending soul, funk, pop, and even hair metal (Black Cat)! Strongest track for me is Love Will Never Do (Without You).
5 stars
Uhh….
Early garage rock. Not good at all. Awful vocals. Awful production. Awful guitar playing. Awful covers of otherwise great songs.
Awful. Did I mention that it’s awful?
1 awful star
Forgot how great a band Queen was. Hard to believe it, but I grew tired of hearing the same songs every day on classic rock radio. It really is even more infuriating when you listen to this album and hear what they DON’T play. Seriously this is a legendary record. A must listen for anyone who appreciates music in all its numerous genres. Probably a top 100 album.
5 stars (any less would be a crime against rock music)
Well, this is different. I figured coming into this album that sweet soulful vocals would not be making an appearance. And I was not disappointed. That aside, Tom Waits really knows how to write evocative and atmospheric music, and his lyrics are on a par with the finest songwriting in popular music. I didn’t think I would be considering more than 3 stars for this, but halfway through, it might be a high 4. Did I just walk down a dark alley in a rainy Asian metropolis , go down a nondescript flight of stairs, knock a secret tattoo, and enter a seedy cabaret of outcast bohemians? It sounds like it…
Did I say 4 stars? Nah, it’s a 5. As good an album as I’ve heard in years.
5 stars
Pleasant enough for a casual listen. Not particularly memorable for me, though there is definitely something there that I think I missed. A little country-style rock clearly influenced by Gram Parsons and the other members of the Byrds. I just didn’t get it the first time around.
2 stars (will probably go back to reevaluate)
Before they were exiled, the Stones let it bleed. Totally a precursor to Exile on Main Street, Let It Bleed was a gritty, seedy, underground album of exquisite production and virtuoso musicianship. Is there a better opening song than Gimme Shelter? Is there a better classic rock song than You Can’t Always Get What You Want? And everything in between is a sonic journey through a blues-soaked landscape that you’ll wish to never end.
5 stars
A very long time ago, when I was an impressionable college student, I purchased a compact disc: Joni Mitchell’s Clouds. I grew up listening to folk rock thanks to my parents, and Judy Collins’ version of Both Sides Now had always been one of my favorite songs. I remember listening to Clouds and totally expecting something else. I never gave Joni a fair chance. Years later, after getting into Bob Dylan and others, I gave Joni a second listen. This time, I got it and she changed my life. Court and Spark is only one of Joni’s many masterpieces. She opens up her soul and sings with the voice of an angel. Her songwriting is on display here, experimenting with rhythms and harmonies. At this stage in her career, she had started blending in jazz elements and the fusion is pure perfection.
Help Me, I think I’m falling in love with Joni’s music again.
5 stars
I hesitated to give this 5 stars. Four of my last five albums were 5 stars, and I feel like I might be overrating them. But this is such a unique piece of art, like nothing else on the radio now or even when it came out in the late sixties/early seventies. Jim Morrison was a revolutionary artist: he lived and died for his work. I have to respect him and his band for their contribution.
5 stars
PJ Harvey has a unique vocal style to say the least. It takes a little time to adjust to it, but once you’re accustomed, the music and lyrics come together and you have a solid album of alternative pop music. At first listen, I thought she reminded me of Kate Bush and others who followed in her footsteps. But PJ has created her own art here. Reading reviews, I found that this is not necessarily her best effort and she may be worth looking further into.
A solid 3 stars
