1001 Albums Summary

In Rainbows kicks off with a strong bassline that’s kept up throughout most of the album. It’s taken to the extreme in the opening track with a DnB inspired backing beat but given a bit of relief with some diatonic sliding chord progressions to provide a bit of balance. The subsequent track, Bodysnatchers, the best on the album by a good margin, keeps up this strong bassline but ditches the more synthetic DnB sound for a proper harsh guitar based fuzz which I really enjoyed. Finished off with an understated solo this track definitely comes through as the best on the album. Nude continues this emphasis on bass but teases a change in the following tracks with its slower tempo and mellow bass, with a good highlight of Thom Yorke’s higher vocals, something I’d associate more with Radiohead. Weird Fishes / Arpeggi really breaks with the harsh basslines, focusing more on vocals, lyrics about descent contrast well with the ascending scale in the main chord progressions, I really liked this break from the bass heavy tracks before. All I Need brings you back to life with a return of this bassline but kills you a little with the lyrics, very sad. Faust Arp felt a little bit exhausting to listen to, nothing terribly wrong with it but by far the least impressive track on the album. House of Cards has a real ethereal feel to it, bringing in the start of a fade out to the album, followed by one of the strongest tracks on the album, Jigsaw Falling into Place bringing in bright sounding guitar contrasting well with the previous bass heavy buildup throughout the rest of the album. Videotape provides a nice finisher with a much more raw feel to it than any other track on the album, particularly around the intro, really enjoyed this one.

Taxman is a great start to the album, strong satirical lyrics reflecting the working class angst of the rebel 60’s. Lovely staccatoed guitar riffs throughout. Eleanor Rigby gives an exploration into the feeling of sonder as it gives us small glimpses into the lives of a wide range of seemingly normal characters. Beautiful orchestral sounds contrast with the modern-for-its-era guitar of the previous track. Probably the strongest track of the album out of the way right near the beginning. The loose up-down-up-down strumming pattern of the acoustic guitar in I’m only sleeping puts the listener into an airy dreamlike state like that described by the lyrics, really appreciated this it’s a nice effect. Love You To continues this dreamlike state by introducing the eastern sounds of what appears to be a sitar. The commanding lyrics of this track combined with the hypnotic tones of the sitar make this almost feel like a set of orders or a call to action. The lyrics really promote the free love ideas of the hippie movement of that era. Here, There, and Everywhere almost feels at any moment like it could break out into an old doo-wop song. Enjoyed this one, it felt airy in the same sense of I’m Only Sleeping. The story telling of the lyrics of Yellow Submarine combined with the mixing of sound effects with the main rhythm really produce a whimsical narrative. This song doesn’t take itself seriously at all yet still manages to produce one of the most memorable choruses of any Beatles song. The verses in spite of their surreal lyrics lend itself to a sing-a-long on the basis of their easy rhythmic pattern. She Said She Said comes out strong with a prominent lead section, following almost in delay to the main melody. The backing rhythm following almost identically in timing and progression to the main melody really gives this song a stacked feel. Really enjoyed this one, something feels extremely modern (even in today’s terms) about the lead guitar throughout. Good Day Sunshine has a great walkdown in the piano section at the beginning which is just fun to listen to. Apparently used as wake-up music for the Shuttle missions which just adds to the fun of the song. Outside of the harmonised guitar in Your Bird Can Sing there’s not much interesting in this track. One of the weaker ones on the album in my opinion. For No One’s heartbreaking lyricism is almost contrasted by the almost silly way in which the bassline follows the melody of the vocals. This almost evokes the feeling of someone “plodding” along through life after a breakup instead of moving on. Really enjoyed this one. Doctor Robert is a clear but satirical song about the use of stimulants and psychedelic’s in the 60’s. Small bridge section near the end again brings back that airy dreamlike feeling, presumably a result of same drugs handed out by “Doctor Robert”. This was a very fun one. Really loved the use of the discordant piano notes in I Want To Tell You to convey the distress of being unable to put your words together and express yourself properly. Absolutely loved the intentional use of those notes, very very jarring. Really like the use of brass in Got To Get You Into My Life to back up the main melody in the verses. Absolutely loved the chorus section of this. Short. Simple. Feels heavier than I’d expect from 66’ Beatles. The almost SHOUTED chorus line really gets across the desperation to “get you into my life”. Really loved this one. Tomorrow Never Knows finishes up the album with what feels like an extremely modern drum track something more akin to what you would expect from the 90s or early 2000s. Bizarre and surreal jazz inspired licks peppered throughout this outro to the album returns the listener to the drug induced dreamlike haze that’s so present throughout the rest of the album. Overall this album is a great homage to the surreal, otherworldly drug fuelled haze of the 60s, combining themes of love, brief and surface level working class rebellion, with the drug peddler hippie era.

Elephant starts off with one of the most instantly recognisable basslines of the 21st century so far with Seven Nation Army. The use of a climactic muted guitar riff to build tension before dropping away to the stripped down bassline sounds simply amazing. Jack White’s solo reflects the pattern of the main riff albeit pitched higher, making great contrast with the deep tones of the main bassline. So much to say about this song. Lyrically I don’t quite understand the song, seems to be a standard tale of revenge and struggle, but with a main riff like that the lyrics take the backseat anyway. Black Math continues the heavy fuzzy feel of the first track with some great chromatic shifts in the main chord progression. The faster tempo of this track compared to the previous really kicks the heaviness of the album up a gear. There’s something Queens of The Stone Age-esque about this track. Beautiful staccatoed solo, sounds like some use of muting via the pickup switch which I like. There’s No Home for You Here kicks off with some extremely lazy (in the best way) vocals from Jack White before giving way to an extremely rushed verse. Really interesting melody in this. Best track on the album up to this point by far. Crazy monotone bridge followed by a RATM-inspired solo. Switching up to a cover with I Just Don’t Know What To Do, this track has a much rawer stripped down feel compared to the previous tracks while still maintaining that signature bassy fuzz. Meg White shows off her vocal talent in In The Cold Cold Night, the softness of her voice compared to Jack’s provides a beautiful and honestly needed contrast to the harsh fuzz of the rest of the album. Favourite track of the album. I Want To Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart brings some piano into the album and layers the guitar over the main piano melody in a really tasteful, not quite overpowering, but definitely noticeable way. Really enjoyed the sound of that. You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket has the most delicate feel of any song on the album up to this point with its calm fingerpicked acoustic. This fits well with how Jack sings delicately and clearly cares for the subject of this track. Ball and Biscuit has a great blues inspired intro lick. Really sounds phenomenal. Enjoy this one alot. It fits really well with the almost broken-sounding distortion that gives the guitar its signature Jack White fuzz. This track features an absolutely SCREAMING guitar solo. Really fighting hard to beat Meg’s big contribution earlier in the album. Sorry, not one, but TWO screaming guitar solos. GREAT use of a blues walk to finish up that second solo. I think this one does have In The Cold Cold Night beaten, and look at that, a third solo. Yep. Best track. Spooky and uneasy lyrics in The Hardest Button to Button made even more uneasy by Jack White’s delivery of the lines. Big fan of this one. God I cannot put into words how much I love a seemingly tame and innocuous monologue in an intro being followed by a surprisingly heavy and harsh guitar riff. Little Acorns delivers. Hypnotize weirdly reminds me of early to mid 2000s British rock, thinking WPSIATWIN Arctic Monkeys era. Great song but felt a tiny bit out of place. Certain progressions throughout this album start to feel a little bit same-y, noticed this first with The Air Near My Fingers. A good song but clearly derivative of other tracks on the album. Honestly not much to say about Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine, a little bit worn out by the similar sounds in the album at this point. Much needed switchup for the closing track of the album with a playful and silly song that sounds very dissimilar to anything else on the album. Almost a country twang to it thanks to Holly Golightly’s vocals. Overall a great album, however the repetitive nature of the fuzz heavy guitar can make the tracks towards the end feel tiresome. Ball and Biscuit is the shining star of this album.

Love the rasp in the vocals for this opening track. Aggressive fry especially for the time this album was released. Quick bitesized track with fun synth leaves you wanting more from the rest of the record. Soul Kitchen immediately gives you exactly what the first track left you waiting for, prominent synth with a staccatoed bluesy guitar riff following along on top. Energetic chorus brings in the same push in the vocals as the first track but with a bit less fry and a bit more control. Definitely a hint of rasp coming through on the first syllable or two. Laidback and simple blues inspired riff. Sloppily played and unclean high notes give it a bit more character. Compared to the opening track this one lasts for an eternity. And that’s not a bad thing. Major slowdown with The Crystal Ship. Potentially feels like too dramatic a decrease in tempo so early in the album after those two very energetic openers. Dramatic instrumental piano makes up for the absence of guitar. Psychedelic lyrics make this track feel a little dreamy, easy to get lost listening to it. Smooth blues guitar licks return immediately with Twentieth Century Fox. DRAMATIC entry of bass in the chorus is really entertaining, jarring in the best way. I literally made a face. Guitar is really being tied in well with the synth in this album, they almost blend, specifically around the end of the solo in this song. I’m not a huge fan of synth but this album is making it work. Alabama Song starts with an immediately whimsical riff that gets even more whimsical when it introduces some instrument that I couldn’t even name, not sure if it’s just synth being played quickly or if they’ve literally pulled out a triangle for this track. Lyrics are silly. Weakest on the album so far, just feels a little too silly to be a serious listen. Light My Fire continues the whimsical synth of the previous track in its intro. Hailed as one of the best tracks on the album I’d maybe be more likely to agree if the synth didn’t sound so much like I was watching the last act of a circus. Great chorus vocally, but definitely felt a little let down by the silliness of the synth. But if quirky is what they’re going for they’ve done it. Maybe not well, but they’ve done it. Jesus I’m only halfway through? Zoned out thinking this was the outro. Nice little sliding guitar solo woke me back up. For a guitar solo of this length I’m not sure how keen I am on the tone? It feels somehow rushed, but not technical, and slow, but not soulful, at the same time? Really don’t think there was enough happening in this track to warrant a 7 minute playtime. The screams in the intro to Back Door Man immediately picked me back up after the disappointment of the last track. Sounds like they’ve ditched the whimsical synth in favour of something more mature sounding backed up with some aggressive sounding muted guitar. This feels like a properly soulful guitar solo. It’s slow, it’s not overly technical, there’s beautiful mellow tone, the lead tracks so well over the rhythm section. I really really enjoyed that one. It’s short enough to leave you wanting a lot more but not so short you feel like you’ve missed out. GREAT lead walkdown in the outro. LOVED this track, one of my favourites. Real beach/island vibes coming in with I Looked At You. The descending progression in the pre chorus followed by the harsh rasp in the chorus is such a fun contrast. Lyrics are lighthearted and remind me something of a dapper dan band for some reason. This is fun track, I like it. End of The Night starts off immediately with discordant notes. Gives it a much darker feel, especially when followed by much more mellow and much more drawn out vocals. Return of that dreamy sound introduced in the The Crystal Ship. Sad guitar solo. An almost underwater feel to this track, maybe because of the flanger coming through on the guitar’s tone. Take It as It Comes carries on a similar feel to the previous track, definitely feels like a follow-on, albeit it at a higher tempo. Again, circus-like synth. Used a bit better here I feel, almost feel like it picks up tempo throughout its melody, kind of makes things a bit tense. In for a long outro to this album with a 12-minute track, aptly named with the on-the-nose title “The End”. Prominent snare gives this track an almost snake-like feel if that makes sense. It’s slinking. Even more so with the use of that rattle. Beautiful Arabic sounding guitar in the lead. Really wish I could remember the term for that scale but it’s out of my head right now. It’s so subtle in the background too. This track really lets the drums take prominence. Again just an extremely psychedelic dreamy song. Look at that, there’s the line “ride the snake, the snake is long”. Clearly they were intentional with that snake-like feel in the intro. Aggressive and nonsensical vocals and shouting in the outro. I actually really like this from the vocalist. It’s fun and gives a lot of energy to an otherwise lethargic (I don’t mean this in a bad way) song. Longest review yet? I’m on a plane. Lots of time on my hands. This is also overall just a phenomenal album with enough variety while sticking to a central theme that there’s a lot to talk about. Shining star of this album is probably Soul Kitchen while Alabama Song or Light my Fire were potentially some of the weaker tracks for me personally. Loved the album as a whole, first 4 star.

Going to try and look at these tracks objectively as I’m not a ska fan. Unless we’re talking about something like Sublime with their slightly ska inspired tracks. Probably not going to manage to break this one down on a song by song level. Stop Your Messing Around has a recognisable main melody, something I’ve heard many many times. Not certain if this is where it originated from or its derivative of something else. Simple repetitive lyrics cover a repetitive melody. Do The Dog immediately significantly more interesting than the opening track with a prominent drumbeat. Something almost reminiscent of UK punk rather than ska in this one. Like the use of chromatic movements in the bassline. Vocals are EXTREMELY UK punk. Hugely ignorant lyrics in this song, an attempt to be political probably not hugely well thought out. It’s Up To You starts off with a reggae inspired bassline that gives a nice reprieve from the harsh “punkiness” of the previous track. This one includes an extremely soulful guitar solo. Quite a fan of this one. Nite Klub after an ambient intro kicks into what I would associate with a typical ska beat. Maybe this is my issue with ska? It all feels a bit too typical? Same-y? There is some nice lead in this followed by a break and some funky bass which gives it almost a freestyle jazz feel. It Doesn't Make It Alright is a thoroughly uninteresting track. Nothing positive to say about it. Concrete Jungle has a fun use of discordant notes in the intro bassline. Also features an understated but good lead section. Definitely a much more interesting track than some of the previous. Really nice guitar solo in this one, just wish the bass over the top of it was toned down a little bit, it’s slightly too prominent and is a bit distracting. I hate Too Hot. That’s it. The only good part about this song is when it bumps up the tempo in the outro, making the song end sooner. I hate Monkey Man also, it’s faster atleast? Dawning Of a New Era is maybe the first track to get my attention? It starts with a somewhat interesting guitar riff and the melody of the chorus is actually somewhat different to the same old boring staccatoed up and down that every single other track has used. Discordant organ sounds in the background are interesting layering. It’s honestly as if they got halfway through this album then suddenly decided they ought to make some sort of effort to make decent music. Blank Expression is a lot better than some of the rest. It still has that grating typical ska beat but what more to expect from a ska album, but atleast this one has some fun lead and variation in the verse sections. The spoken intro in Stupid Marriage is fun I guess? The rest of this is shite to be honest. Somewhat decent guitar solo hidden behind noise. Too Much Too Young again just sounds same-y. It’s also far too long for what it is. Ironically, too much Too Much. The chorus guitar riff in Little Bitch is actually really really good, I like it. Unfortunately the rest of the song just isn’t good. Real shame. But then suddenly a great solo???? This is probably my favourite song on the album and even then I’m conflicted. You’re Wondering Now is a perfect outro to the album in the sense that it sounds like every single other song in the album. That’s not a good thing in my opinion. Glad to see the end of this album, definitely haven’t changed my mind about ska. Maybe I’m wrong in saying everything sounds the same or derivative, perhaps The Specials were pioneers in ska. I don’t know enough about the context. But I’m just not a fan regardless. 2/5.

Absolute statement into to the opening track of this album. Vocals couldn’t sound more stereotypically punk. Really extensive use of power chords in this track. Exactly what you kind of expect from this genre (in a good way!). Can actually really hear influences that the likes of Green Day would take on in “Holidays in the Sun”. Darker turn with the second track bodies, both in the sense of the intro guitar riff and the actual lyrics. Actually seriously vile lyrics in this one, a hard listen. Unless I’m missing some satire here it’s not very punk of them. Very Blitzkrieg bop-esque intro to No Feelings Fun use of power chords with intermingling percussive strokes. Vocals are actually hard to concentrate on in this track for some reason. Liar comes straight out of the bat making extensive use of palm muting. Can really see where future pop punk groups are taking their influence from with this track. Nothing much to say about God Save the Queen, it’s just a decent song with a recognisable riff, I like it. The intro to Problems is really interesting, it’s actually almost more reminiscent of hard rock guitar riffs. But the vocals in the chorus definitely kicks things back into a punk feeling again before it gives you a little glimpse of that hard rock riff again. Seventeen potentially has the whiniest vocals of the album so far. It doesn’t have a catchy chorus section though. Easily repeatable. I can imagine this one does well at live performances. Anarchy in the UK is obviously without a doubt the most recognisable track on this album. Even as someone who hasn’t listened to any Sex Pistols. I really love the guitar riff in the bridge section. Crazy shoutout to our homegrown paramilitaries here too. There’s some great lead over the main riff in Submission. And on that, the actual up-down progression of the main riff is really simple but sounds great in this. Pretty Vacant draws out its intro a little bit more than previous tracks on the album, leaving you waiting for it to get going. But it definitely does get going. Again some almost Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque lead being played over the main riffs in this one. New York is an extremely short song that somehow feels unfathomably long for its runtime. Again more diatonic palm muted power chords. Punk staple. Really love the simple outro solo to this one. EMI is an understandably angry song and serves as a real statement with it being the final track on the record. Really cool solo in this one. Reminds me of some MCR solos. Overall this was a fun album. Would definitely listen to it again. Favourite track would probably be Problems. Bodies is by far my least favourite, definitely didn’t enjoy that one. 3/5.

Really funky intro to the album with He’s the Greatest Dancer. Love the double layered guitar track. Such a groovy lick. Vocals and brass tie up so well together in this one. Really like the high vocal melody in the chorus. The instrumental outro is so good in this. It’s so damn repetitive but you actually just don’t care it’s that good. This track somehow feels a lot longer than it actually is, probably due to how repetitive it is, but this is a good thing in this case. Lost in Music keeps up the grooviness but shifts into a slower tempo and smoother rhythm. I’m loving what sounds like the strummed octaves and percussives wedged in between. Real prominent vocals coming in over this. SUCH enunciated vocals. Really phenomenal. Interesting at this point I’ve not heard anything in the way of a real bridge in any of these tracks. I suppose that’s maybe a staple of disco, will be interesting to see in the upcoming ones if this changes. We drop the tempo yet again with Somebody Loves Me to give a much more dreamy soulful sound to the track. The mood this creates really ties up with the nostalgic reminiscing described in the lyrics. Gently played piano in the background. Ah I really really love this one. Sister Sledge ADORE a slow fade out. Jesus Christ. The PERCUSSIVES on Thinking of You in the intro. I LOVE IT. Oh. The slight little pause before breaking into the chorus. I didn’t realise I was such a Sister Sledge fan. This is amazing. I love the little instrumental breaks they’re taking instead of a defined bridge. I didn’t realise this was THAT song from the intro. Love the really prominent piano in the intro. And of course the instantly recognisable chorus. First time actually listening to a verse of this song. The backing bass line is very very subtle but really packs a beat. I actually got a little bit distracted with the intro to Easier To Love. I think I'm finding this with some albums that first such a strong specific theme and really tie themselves in to a strict genre is that it’s easy to zone out between songs. This isn’t necessarily bad? Things just kind of blend together? Not much to say about You’re a Friend to Me for that same reason. Good track though. Bit more of a pickup in pace and tone for the outro to this album. Finishing on the same high the album began with. Overall a really really good album, another 4 stars. Highlight of the record was Thinking of You for me, don’t have any complaints about any of the rest!

AGGRESSIVE FUZZ immediately to kick off Guero. Immediately intrigued. SUDDEN stop to give way to jungle drums and staccatoed rhythmic vocals. Really fuzzy bass line kicks right back in. This is an entertaining start. Gives me high high hopes for this album. Wow this track almost feels Gorrilaz-esque. Love the synth/brass sounding instrument that I can’t figure out in the background. Really repetitive rhythmic drumbeat really makes your head bob. Horrific sounding synth to start off Girl. This track feels like a bit of a change in tone to the previous two. Funky slide guitar solo in this feels novel. I like it. Some sort of smooth jazz feel brought in with Missing. Maybe jazz isn’t the right term… almost something Cuban? I’m getting serious Havana vibes from this one for some reason. Black Tambourine again carries on the real jazzy feel with the drumbeat. Earthquake Weather instantly made me think of NWA with that intro. Much more earthy sounding bass. Weird effects on it give this track a bit of an alien feel. Plenty of phaser being used here. Hell Yes starts with an interesting timing. I really like this. Previous track had me dip out a little but this one woke me up a good bit. Rhythmic repetition and almost rapping definitely makes this one of the most interesting tracks in the record. Real slowdown with Broken Drum. I love the harsh sliding progression in the verse riff. Almost dreamy xylophone effects. Scarecrow and Go It Alone blended together a bit. Both good tracks. Serious twang brought into Farewell Ride. Such a western influence to this one. Love the fuzz of the main riff in Rental Car. Miss it a little when it drops out for the vocals. Comes back again to back up an understated guitar solo. Something almost nu-metal about the second guitar solo. Crazy vocal interlude afterwards, circus-like. But ties in really well with that fuzzy riff eventually. Dark and brooding slowdown towards the end of the album with Emergency Exit. Real desert feel to this track. Send a Message To Her doesn’t really feel like an outro track. It’s decent, but there’s nothing special. It does have a nice instrumental bridge towards the end which I like. All sound a fairly decent album, 3 out of 5 for me. E-Pro knocks the other tracks out of the park. Worthwhile listen.

I listened to this one as a whole while reading. So I can’t say I paid as much attention as to the others I’ve listened to. However as reading music? It was great. I’ve actually listened to it again for the same reason. The album is EXTREMELY themed and the distinctive sound of the electric organ comes through so strongly in every song they seem to blend massively together. I couldn’t pick out any individual song to give a real review of, but as a whole, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed listening to this album. 3/5.

Was very excited when this album started off with a strong hip hop beat. But this first track is absolutely ridiculous. The lyrics don’t take themselves seriously at all. I do really like the bassline in the background and the cadence of the lyrics though. The lead singer has a very very smooth and enunciated voice which is nice to listen to. Simple rhyme schemes make this easy listening. I love how meta it is calling out the bassline in the break. The Way We Swing starts off a lot mellower and slower than the first track. I really really like this one. A much more mature sound while still having fairly unserious lyrics. More tame bassline with a bit more reliance on the main guitar lick. Not a huge amount to say about Rhymin on the Funk. Was okay I guess? Oh I love the false starts in The New Jazz (One). Oh just a tiny track? That’s a shame because it was sounding great. Underwater Rimes starts with a very funky spoken intro. Really like the distorted ad-libs in the background. This album really is just not for me. Listened to another 5 tracks there. If I have to hear them refer to biscuits one more time I’m not finishing this record. It’s just not for me. Lyrics are terrible. My favourite part of this album was when I took my headphones off to wash my face.

This was a fairly decent album. Lots of similar sounds throughout the whole thing. Listened to it in the background to be honest so I’m not giving a song by song analysis. I think the stand out for me in this album was Blame It on The Sun, obviously everyone knows Superstition with its funky synth lick, but BIOTS really has a beautiful sound. The chorus has a lovely progression, with beautiful almost Spanish sounding guitar in the background.

Elephant Mountain - The Youngbloods Darkness darkness starts off exactly as you’d expect with that title, dark and stormy. Somehow getting a dark sound out of clearly very tinny guitar. Probably something to do with the constant drone in the background. High strained vocals only add to the eeriness on this track. Double-stopped guitar solo? I really like how the solo blended into the vocals at the end with the rhythm change. Wow. Completely shocked with that change going into Smug. Much more upbeat. Picking up a bit of a bluegrassy feel to some of the guitar. Only vaguely. WEIRD fade-out on the lead guitar towards the end of its bars. Kind of interesting though? Love the outtake at the start of On Sir Francis Drake, less of a fan of the synthetic organ in the intro. Just a complete sectional change halfway through this into something a LOT more bluesy. Fully thought this was a new song if not for the continued synth. Sunlight isn’t the most interesting song musically, feels a bit derivative. But. Really love the lyrics to this one, chorus hook is great. Ah I really like Beautiful. Something jazz-bluesy about it. Very very funky guitar with the striked octaves under the lead. Love it. Insanely good use of atmospherics in this. Again jazzy blues. This is a great album so far. I don’t know why but there’s a real stormy New Orleans feel to it. Some whimsical wee noises in this one though, not the biggest fan of them on the track. Trillium to Black Mountain Breakdown felt like a bit of filler, kind of blended together. But got jolted back into the album with Sham. Phenomenal guitar intro. Really harsh compared to anything else on the album. Ride the Wind returns to the feel of the album at the start. A nice calm finisher for the record. Overall a pretty decent record, would give it 3.5/5 if I could but I’ll settle for 3. I think my favourite on this was Sham.

From my initial opinions of the little I had heard of the cure I really expected this album to be much much darker. I did not remotely expect the theme throughout the first half of this record. While some descriptions of this album describe the openings tracks as “synth heavy funeral marches”, I could not agree less. The first half of the album contained some of the most HOPEFUL and audibly mesmerising chord progressions I’ve heard. The second half of the record definitely took a bit of a turn towards something I would have expected a bit more from The Cure, taking a much darker tone. There’s 3 real contenders for the best track here, somewhere between the opening two tracks, Plainsong, Pictures of You, and then later in the record, Lullaby. I was really shocked by this record, one of the few 4 stars I’ve given out. I really enjoyed this.

The start of this album had a real jazzy feel to it. Definitely enjoyed the vibe of the first two tracks. I had no idea that THIS was the album which had Le Freak so that was a pleasant surprise. The jazzy feel continued for a few tracks before taking a shift into something a little bit more discotheque, but some kind of sultry disco? This album was an easy listen, not particularly something I’d choose, but decent for background.

I don’t know why I had a synthesizer farting in my ear for this entire album. Really wasn’t a huge fan of this one. Whiny vocals coupled with just strange sound effects behind the music gave it a much too silly atmosphere. Do You Realise is kind of okay and stands out as essentially the only track I’d return to, but even then is ruined by the weirdest ambient sounds?

I went into this album fairly open minded. Althea, while not being on this album would be one of my favourite songs at the moment. Unfortunately it also seems to be the only Grateful Dead song that I enjoy, as there isn’t a SINGLE track on this album (or other GD albums for that matter) that have a remotely similar feel. I’m writing this review a few days after listening to this album and while each of the songs individually are objectively decent songs they’re all so hugely unmemorable that I would struggle to pick out a favourite. I guess my only comment about this album is that it feels very of its era, could easily imagine some of these tracks slipping into an Eagles playlist of mine as a bit of filler. Could imagine, but won’t happen. Objectively decent music, just not a huge fan. (Also what is with the gorp synth????)

AfD wastes absolutely no time in showcasing Axl Rose’s vocals, with a fry scream you’d almost mistake for some sort of vocoded instrument. The drumbeat is repetitive and simple in Welcome to The Jungle but Slash’s constant pentatonic fills add so much complexity to the silence between beats you’d hardly notice it. Lovely natural vibrato in the solo and great use of octave chords. Not sure if those are pinch or natural harmonics at the end of the solo but adds a real far-out dreamy effect before jumping into the final chorus. Great walk down and fade out to the first track. This one really sets the tone for the album. It’s So Easy has a fast but tension filled build-up that leads into an absolutely ridiculous breakdown. Bass is really understated in the breakdown because it’s following the same rhythm as the guitar but you can still feel it. There’s so many layers to the tracks on this album and It’s so Easy is no exception, intro, pre-chorus, and chorus could almost feel like completely different riff sections from different songs but they’ve somehow been blended perfectly. It’s So Easy has a short first solo in Slash’s characteristic pentatonic style but the second solo is really where his ability to play around the boxes really shows, humbly however, as it’s really there to complement Axl’s vocals over the top. Nightrain kicks off with some great staccatoed octave chords before going into a very crunchy blues riff with some great Low E bends by the sounds of it. Very bassy bends anyways wherever they’re played. Axl’s vocal switch between the verse and the chorus is phenomenal. Completely effortless switch between low and high octaves. The solo in Nightrain, particularly the start, has a fairly unforgiving guitar tone, relatively clean compared to Slash’s usual style, showcasing his control over the dynamics and clarity of his notes. Lovely run of pinch harmonics towards the middle of this solo. Extensive use of them throughout actually. Out Ta Get Me builds layers progressively but quickly throughout the intro if you’re using a stereo headset. Only in a GnR song would the intro solo feel understated but it is. There’s real clear layering of the guitar playing the main rhythm in the verses/pre-chorus with some minor note changes between guitar. Real understated tone in the guitar solo almost pushing it behind the rhythm in certain places, less so in the second half of the solo as Slash moves high up the fretboard. Not sure if this is double tracked or just the use of an octaver but there’s 100% some sort of track duplication going on here. Works great on the stereo output. Mr Brownstone starts with great use of percussives on the guitar tone back up the drums before kicking in to one of the bassiest riffs on the album, giving off a real jazz-blues fusion with the main breakdown. Axl’s tempo increase on the vocals in the chorus provides a bit of relief from the sluggish bass of the breakdown. Lovely use of wah in the solo of this one. Slash loves to hit notes in these solos in such a way that it lays perfectly on top of the rhythm (guitar or drums that is). Outro licks also perfectly track to Axl’s vocals. Paradise City offers quite a changeup in guitar, with the first hint of strummed open chords being used on this track. Of course immediately backed up with power chords reminding us that this is a hard rock song and GnR haven’t forgotten their place. Disgustingly dirty breakdown before the first verse. Such a harsh harsh contrast from the open chords at the beginning. I mean disgusting in the BEST way. It’s just such an aggressive contrast. The bridge has a fun moment where the backing instruments fall away leaving a bit of an exposed alternating guitar riff, I quite like that. Outro solo is pretty iconic, again though, shockingly understated behind the vocals, especially considering its technical complexity. One of the most technically impressive solos on the album, just an absolutely ridiculous run of arpeggios and box work. Darker turn with the intro to My Michelle, with an almost acoustic feel to it. Doesn’t give away at all that it’s the build up to an extremely bass heavy intro breakdown. I genuinely cannot get enough of the double tracking of guitar in this album. It just makes everything sound SO full. Again just a disgusting breakdown. You can’t help but screw your face up when you hear it. Love the octaves jumping around behind the main melody in the chorus. Fun jump into a major(?) progression in the bridge before going straight back into a pentatonic solo. Think About You feels a little bit more ballad-y than previous tracks on the album, providing a needed teaser before the experience of Sweet Child of Mine. Honestly probably one of the weaker tracks on this record. I do enjoy the almost Warrant-feel to the main chorus, the guitar particularly. The solo section is definitely one of the more boring ones Slash produces for this album, a little bit too boxy to be interesting or unique to be honest. Yeah really a crazy Warrant feel to this track for me, especially the outro too? Reminds me almost of Uncle Tom’s Cabin? One of the most recognisable guitar intros of any song starting off isolated before introducing the backing rhythm. A true ballad this time round. It’s easy to see why this song became one of their more mainstream hits. Axl is given the opportunity to showcase his extreme vocal range and Slash is able to show a splash of his talent. It’s well known this was Slash’s least favourite track on the record and it’s easy to see why, it doesn’t afford him any room to perform his almost improvisational box work for fills and licks, opting instead for slow repetitive lead sections. He is however given a bit of a reprieve with the solo, although that being said it’s definitely one of the slower ones on the record, but probably has a bit more of a soulful character and still gives him the odd opportunity to walk up a scale. Real throwback to WttJ’s natural vibrato in the lead with this one. Slash’s second solo returns a lot more to his own style even if it is short, but nicely wraps up their #1 performer on the album. You’re Crazy is such a change from the previous track that it’s honestly hard to adjust to it. It’s also a bit more repetitive than earlier tracks with a bit less layering which makes it even harder to pay attention to. There’s not really a huge amount to say about this song other than you sort of snap back into it after the first solo begins. Definitely feels like one of their shorter tracks in the album despite its length just on the basis of its simplicity. Anything Goes gives Axl another chance to show off his long drawn out screams in the intro. This one has another great build up in the intro before being followed with a breakdown, albeit, slightly more understated compared to the breakdowns in previous tracks. Crazy use of a talkbox on this. There’s some sections where you’re seeing a really fun question/answer effect between the talkbox’ed and non-talkbox’ed guitar tracks. Rocket Queen has probably my favourite riff on this album in the intro. Low E string and A string hopping around the first and second frets isn’t just extremely bassy but also so fun to play, there’s a real groovy feel to it. Understated fills in the background of the verses provide a nice contrast to the bass of the main riff. There’s the story of how Axl apparently had sex in the recording booth for this track however given how well the ad-libs tie in with the main melody I’d honestly call bullshit on this and assume it was recorded after the fact intentionally. Love the vocal outro on this track, really feels like a closer to the album. All in all a phenomenal record with absolutely zero skips. Choosing the best of this album is extremely difficult with so many of the tracks vying for top spot. If one HAD to be chosen I’d verve marginally on Rocket Queen overall but My Michelle could potentially beat it on the basis of its aggressive breakdown. If I were to pick the weakest of this album it would have to be You’re Crazy but in all fairness this could hugely be affected by the fact it’s directly after Sweet Child of Mine. Amazing album overall. 5/5 stars.

This record begins with a beautifully nostalgic song reminiscing of outdoor adventures during Van’s youth. Some beautifully paired piano chords with strummed open chords on the guitar in this giving it a double tracked feel. Bright tinny sound in the guitar almost gives the strings a percussive sound. Moondance offers a change from the folky sound of the previous track in favour of a seedy club jazz theme. Piano trills add to this effect and sultry woodwind instruments complement the brass. Understated piano solo about halfway through this is captivating albeit drowned slightly by the same tinny acoustic strings heard in the previous track. Lots of layering going on here between the brass, piano, and guitar. Woodwinds give an almost Latin feel to sections of this. Crazy Love slows down the tempo and lowers the tone for this romantic ballad. Gospel style vocals back up the main melody while bass massively dominates the main rhythm section leaving intricate guitar trills and walkdowns quietly supporting the rhythm. Van really shows he loves to sing about one thing and one thing only with the fourth track on this album. Again bass dominates this track. The rhythm of the main section has a repetitive bluesy feel to it. Into The Mystic ditches the heavy use of piano and brass in exchange for a slightly mellower guitar tone, while still maintaining the what is by this point in the album, signature, bass track. Great use of ambient noise to represent the foghorn, potentially an organ? Extremely powerful vocals in the chorus. Nice nod to the brass used elsewhere in this album in the outro. Tempo picks up with Come Running relying heavily on a blues-jazz fusion in the piano to pick up the mood. Again with the gospel style vocals creating an almost refrain in the chorus. These Dreams of You gives the hint of a little bit of bluegrass in the intro, with an understated harmonica and aggressively picked strings giving a southern twang to this track. Brand New Day slows down the tempo and deep high timbre piano notes give an almost longing feel when paired with Van’s hopeful vocals. This one is definitely a song of hope, and the gospel chorus vocals complementing the main melody only reinforces this. There’s an almost carnival style feel to Everyone behind the extremely punchy vocals. Probably one of the weaker tracks to this point, potentially the circus style fills are a little too whimsical for me. The outro track to this record, Glad Tidings, feels extremely Van, with the la-la-la of the chorus capturing his signature vocal tells. Overall, this is genuinely one of my favourite albums I’ve ever listened through. Shining star of this one is Moondance, however there’s a few others which could make threats to knock it off its pedestal, namely, in fact, namely most of them, far too hard to even make a top 3 out of this. A genuinely almost perfect record. 4/5.