Occasionally raucous and initially a little overwhelming and off putting. The album settled into a tone more akin to Hallelujah, this recording of which remains my favourite version.
Overall a rockier feel than expected.
Inaudible lyrics and repetitive tone made for a rather unpleasant listen. Reminded me of a horror movie backing track rather than an album of standalone music to be listened to for pleasure. Again, not my cup of tea but appreciate the opportunity to listen to something I would have otherwise not come across.
Pleasant enough and in the right environment I can imagine this would really help set a nice tone…not my usual listening.
Real tale of two halves…starts with energy and excitement, gradually turns more acoustic and slows down. Particularly enjoyed ‘Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream’. An interesting insight into an artist whose only songs I knew before were the ‘big hits’.
Whilst I understand Bowie has had a seismic contribution to music…his genius has always alluded my interest. His variety of sounds and personas were groundbreaking (I’m told), but, to me, this album felt very much on par with the Bowie I have heard previously. That is to say, the first half did…the ‘B-Side’ instrumental section was a real downturn in value from the album. So much so, the second time round when Sense of Doubt came on, I turned off the album.
Packed full of hits, genuinely enjoyable listen. The first album so far that I’d be happy to revisit…
Was initially excited to finally listen to some of The National on their own as I only knew some of their work as features on other tracks. First listen was a tad underwhelming but will try again to see if I have perhaps missed something that would help distinguish one song from another.
Second listen has not revealed anything especially groundbreaking…fairly monotonous record, shame.
Other than the inclusion of Even Flow on an iteration of Guitar Hero, I had not come across any of the Pearl Jam discography previously.
This was an enjoyable rock record with a distinct change in tone across the album which provided as a pleasant surprise following some initial misgivings. Not quite my own jam but can appreciate it as a decent record.
I didn’t want my first five star review to be an album that I already knew inside out…but finding myself singing along to all the tracks…it’s going to have to be ⭐ ⭐️ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Pleasant enough listen, inoffensive if a little uninspiring. Unlikely to revisit but wouldn’t turn off if on in the background.
Some stone cold classics in this album, some less so. Very much a nostalgic listen based on the music I was around growing up.
Felt very Americana with Eyes to the Wind being the beginning of it feeling like a Bruce Springsteen record. Occasionally the singer’s tone was reminiscent of Bob Dylan.
Unlikely to relisten but wasn’t unenjoyable.
The title and blurb suggested this might be the perfect solution to help my wife pass more peacefully through international travel hubs. The suggestion of this solution, combined with her dislike for ambient music in general, did not receive a warm reception.
I was unable to really immerse myself in this album as may have been necessary but found it pleasant enough as a backing track.
The spoken word interludes were very reminiscent of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Listening to them back to back did however highlight that this album lacked the same depth and variety of tonality. That may be an unfair comparison but was what stuck in my mind. May revisit eventually.
I was excited to hear this as I am a fan of a lot of Stevie’s other work. I found that only the middle section of the album was what I was hoping for, the rest felt a tad lacklustre and, at times, preachy.
I guess anyone will start to run out of ideas after 17 albums…shame.
Had to give this a second try as I found the first listen a little raucous and intense for the circumstances in which I was trying to listen.
I feel the great tragedy of this record is that, as a posthumous release, there would have been very little opportunity for anyone to have heard these songs performed live which is where I think the music will have really shined. The energy from the band and Joplin’s vocal style would doubtless have made for an extraordinary performance.
The second half of the album really settled into a slightly calmer and more relaxing listen. Nice album…
A couple of stone cold classics on this album. Generally a fairly relaxed and funky listen. Whilst I’m sure the technical musical composition is excellent, there were a few too many instrumental tracks to encourage me to return to this whole album in the future.
Fairly unintelligible and overwhelming…did not resonate with me on any level.
Entertaining and weird but felt more novelty than a new one for the roster.
I think this album is very much a case of less is more, especially with this deluxe version. For me, about 30% of the tracks are genuinely worth listening to, the rest are rather samey and uninspiring. I can see why The Greatest Hits album did much better as a collection of their better work simplified into one record.
Marginally less frenetic than ‘…And Justice For All’ and somewhat more comprehensible. Still an acquired taste that I do not possess. Nice that it exists for those that enjoy it.
An interesting introduction to fusion music, will not be revisiting, perhaps a little niche. Can understand why the cover of Jumpin’ Jack Flash gained a following as a quirky take on the original.
In much the same way that The Killers’ Hot Fuss album has been blighted by the torturous overplaying of Mr. Brightside, this album has its own seam on to battle in the shape of ‘Sex on Fire’. However, unlike Hot Fuss, the rest of the album cannot be saved by the remaining tracks. Whilst there are some redeeming songs, most of the listings were fairly indistinguishable from each other and left me somewhat disinterested well before the end of the album.
Utterly disengaging tripe…did not need to hear this mess of confused and unharmonious sounds.
Some really classic Foo sounds in this album…nice to see they’ve stayed true to their original voice. Found some tracks a tad more grungy than expected…but I guess it was the mid 90’s. Didn’t find any ‘bangers’ at n my opinion, but a decent opening and an enjoyable enough album.
I’m glad I gave this album a second chance. I enjoyed the listen but unsure I can quite identify the mood where I’d want to revisit it in the future. Cool sound if no discernible ‘bangers’ identified.
Really enjoyed this album. Great sounds and presumably excellent instrument playing (not enough of an aficionado to be sure) and enough variety between tunes to feel like more than a one trick pony. Maybe 15 minutes too long…for me, an ideal album length is under an hour, not sure why.
Not quite as dreary as I had expected. Still a little bit noisy and mournful at times. Unlikely to revisit but not bad.
Tricky start and baggy finish but the middle section of this track was genuinely enjoyable. It was hard to initially separate the music from the painfully mediocre actor and litany of crappy films that she has been a part of. However, it appears that in the year before I was born, she actually did some of work of cultural significance and importance.
Failed to really capture my attention. The sounds faded into the background and felt rather repetitive. Inoffensive but a tad dull.
I really appreciate an album with some genuine variety in their sound and a clear definition between songs. I respect the artistry and passively enjoyed the album…not enough to revisit but can see why it was included in this list.
Wonderful album. Excellent tone and beautiful sound. Think I listened to this three times yesterday…lovely stuff.
Utterly appalling.
I am a fair man and will continue to give every album on this list a full listen. However, I was unable to manage this one in one sitting. It felt like a junior school music project completed by children who could not play any instruments and relied upon a cacophony of noises stored within the Yamaha keyboard settings.
Could not give this few enough stars.
Utter tripe!
Fairly boring…nice to recognise Nature Boy from Moulin Rouge but otherwise, not much going on. Improved with a second listen but didn’t capture my imagination.
Unfortunately I found the tone/sound of the lead singer’s voice so monotonous and dull that I could focus on little else during the album. Not a fan.
Felt like an extended jam session rather than an album. Says something about the musicianship that it wasn’t until the penultimate track did I notice that most of the tracks were instrumental. Won’t revisit but wasn’t offensive.
About as 90s as it gets. Some stone cold bangers in this album, overall and enjoyable listen.
It was interesting to have the opportunity to listen to some non-western music. I was, however, glad it was only half an hour…
Many years of Genesis bashing on Top Gear made this album a difficult one to listen to objectively.
I considered giving it a second listen in case I’d been blinded by preconception but found I simply didn’t want to…faded into mid 70s mediocrity for me.
I wanted to like this…I listened three times but ultimately it faded into background soundtrack every time.
Was not the sound that I was expecting but a very pleasant surprise. Some tracks better than others and occasionally the genres felt a tad confused but perhaps that’s the idea of an artist challenging the norm and common perceptions. Felt ahead of its time. Will revisit.
I’m sure this is a good example of the genre and I found it slightly less offensive than expected. Has not converted me and will not revisit.
The Gift was fun in a novelty kind of way. I Heard Her Call My Name was atrocious and a 17 minute final track was a special kind of torture.
Abysmal.
Enjoyed the two songs I knew…the rest seemed to fade into obscurity. Not an unpleasant album, also not life changing.
At times this album felt like an acquired taste. Second listen improved things and learning the backstory of the vinyl sampling and limited equipment made the generation all the more impressive.
Feels like DJ Shadow was a precursor to current artists like Fred Again… who are proving very popular currently.
Not perfect but enjoyable enough of the time.
Was a bit something and nothing. Can see why it was removed in the updated version of this list. Not especially interesting for me.
Much like Californication, this album has some absolute classics but also some filler. As before, I can see why The Greatest Hits has done so well.
Felt unoriginal and dishonest. This was neither country nor unique…ultimately rather forgettable.
Again, fine. Title track is a classic but the rest of the album dragged a little.
Second listen improved a little but in places this felt somewhat less punk than I’d expect. Maybe it made more sense at the time/in the right era.
I found this album really spoke to my childhood and upbringing. Helped me feel seen and validated.
But seriously, great album, really enjoyed it!
This one really tested my resolve to listen to every album in full…just really not my thing. The very last song almost saved a star…almost.
Might sound nice as a background soundtrack in a cafe/restaurant on holiday but other than conjuring imagery of warmer climes, this didn’t really hit a spot.
I enjoyed this album more than the last and the opening few songs certainly gave me a renewed hope for Nick Drake. However, I found the album began to turn rather monotonous and fizzled out somewhat through the middle and towards the end.
Some most excellent guitar mastery…but rather a lot of the mastery was aired, perhaps at the expense of a coherent and listenable song.
Great example of the genre but a little indulgent I felt. Also, the spelling of Voodoo Chile vs Voodoo Child has haunted me since I first came across the song…this album did nothing to clear up any confusion.
Very powerful ending to the album though which earned it an extra star.
Sure, was OK. Not sure this style of punk is quite my vibe.
The magic of live music is virtually impossible to capture on recording. I have to say this album was no exception to this. The fact it was a double album and I had to listen to it twice really made this one a bit of a slog…I’m sure the songs are great and people had a nice time at the concert; I, however, did not have a nice time listening to it after the fact.
Again, not for me. A lot of jumbled and confused noise with little melody or listening pleasure.
Certainly a lot more listenable than a number of the preceding 70s rock albums that we’ve been given. Some real belters in here too. I enjoyed the prominence of the vocals alongside the guitar riffs!
Really enjoyed this album. To my ears they were no out and out bangers but the whole sound was cohesive and flowed nicely. The Kanye influence was strong at times, but that’s not a bad thing. Will revisit.
Pretty much what I would have expected from ‘Art Rock’. I have been to a few too many contemporary art exhibitions where this kind of sounds has been used as a backing track for an ultimately weird and disturbing video installation.
Mi do have to question whether this really was an album that I needed to hear before I die. Occasionally I wonder whether this list ours mistaking uniqueness for genuine innovation and talent. Yet again I felt like this could have been created by children in music class.
Utter crap.
Yep, enjoyed this one. Also took a gander into the rest of their back catalogue and found it even more entertaining. Good album.
I have never really liked the music of Pet Shop Boys…this album has done little to persuade me otherwise.
On second listen, I tried to imagine I didn’t know it was a Rolling Stones album. It was more enjoyable as a blues/rock&roll experience. However, I struggled to really see how it has been widely received as their best work.
OK but no revisit.
Nothing to particularly write home about but not wholly unpleasant.
Fine.
Yeah, not really for me. Felt a bit wishy washy and never captured my attention.
I have always enjoyed the Jurassic 5 that I’ve listened to, but never played a full album before. I would say I found 85% of this a decent listen…the end tailed off in my opinion and thus the album would have been better off without it.
I had low expectations for this album…this failed to meet even them.
