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.
Utterly forgettable.
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.
Crikey that was long…
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.
A real mix of great, good and downright weird. Want to give it 3.5 so will be generous and round up…
It’s been a little while since I listened to this album the whole way through and I the version I have does not have the remixes at the end. I’d say they don’t add much to the overall record but still one of my favourite albums.
Really enjoyed this. Santana has a really special and unique sound which I find very evocative. Will be worth a revisit in the future.
Only really familiar with The Message previously so this album was only really about 20% of what I was expecting. The rest of the album was (to my ears) was not especially interesting. I do recognise that this is often hailed as the birth of hip hop so it’s not surprising that’s number of the tracks felt muddled and rather forgettable.
As a standalone record, I was somewhat disappointed.
Some great guitaring but that was about it. I can’t imagine a time when this is an album I wanted to throw on to jam to. Felt like a well composed soundtrack to a thrilling western movie.
I have grown up with a strong dislike for The Doors, perhaps based unfairly on songs like Light My Fire and others with excessive and ultimately annoying keyboard solos.
However, I have to say this one surprised me a tad. I did struggle to separate my inherent prejudice against the band and listen to the music objectively. Perhaps I needs a second listen, but I really don’t want to.
Better than expected.
Some may say that the excessively long instrumental solo is a lost art, I am not one of them. Yet more indulgent and ultimately very samey 70s rock. A generational sound that, for me, does not span the ages.
Christ, I’m not sure if I’m just overloaded with 70s rock and my tolerance is down but this drivel is surely not worthy of a place on this list…another challenge to see through to the end.
The first listen seemed to pass me by. However, upon revisiting I found a number of bops on this album. Some decent early listening in contrast to some of the earlier 70s rock that we’ve had recently.
An interesting bit of variety given recent offerings. Enjoyed the ambience it gave and found the sound evocative and entertaining. Unsure how that would stand up to a second listen once the novelty has worn off…
I have heard rave reviews about this album and was keen to finally give it a listen. Whilst I understand that the lyrics were said to depict a dystopian world overcome by consumerism…I have to say I struggle to pick much meaning or distinguish words from most songs evening these specifically so a lot of the meaning was lost on me.
Was fine, has not converted me into a fan but can’t say I especially dislike them either. Did not leave much of an impression.
Rather underwhelmed with this album. I love Harvest Moon but know little else from Neil Young. This felt very middle of the road and uninspiring.
I really enjoyed Mother’s Little Helper, the rest of the album did not follow in the same vein. I think they have much better material, unfortunately it was not included on this record.
Interesting proposition. I may be well past my teenage angst and therefore found the beat and melodies a little grating, but can still appreciate the anti-establishment lyrics and tone unique and innovative. Unlikely to revisit.
Culturally interesting and was pleased to hear something not from the UK or America. I recognise Miriam’s impact on South Africa during apartheid…the music, however, is not something to think I’ll be rushing back to play.
I feel like this album rating boils down to: how much do the last eight songs detract from the first three?
Off to an absolutely corking start and then seriously tails away into mediocrity leaving a taste of disappointment and missed opportunity.
If four stars means I’d listen again…then 3.5 would mean I’d listen to the beginning again. So I guess that has to be rounded up to 4…just about.
Thoroughly enjoyed this…definitely listen again. Having only ever heard Unfinished Symphony and Teardrop before, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the variety of the rest of the album.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t really see the point in live albums vs a studio recording as I find the sound is always worse and the experience just doesn’t translate to the listener at home.
Now, that being said, I really enjoyed this. The novel idea that he was performing to a group of prison inmates and the simple, pared back sound that he has as an artist really helped to keep the songs clear and engaging. His asides to the audience were funny and well received…another fun album.
Wow, what a daunting proposition…over three hours and six disks of any album would be overkill.
I tried to satiate my desire to listen to some Ella Fitzgerald by consuming the top ten most listened on Spotify (none of which feature on any of these disks…). I didn’t feel like this would count as listening to this record and was sad at the prospect of having to click ‘Did not listen’, and then found a ‘Ella Sings Gershwin - Best Of’ that was only 25 minutes long…this is the best I can offer.
Ridiculous choice to have the original album on here in my opinion, putting that aside, the voice and tone are intoxicating. Everything considered, I think this is the best I can give this album.
It struck me how short and varied the songs were. Made it difficult to really get a feel for the kind of music the band made. Didn’t really capture my attention but not wholly unpleasant, but a bit dull.
Other than ‘Where Is My Mind?’ I didn’t really enjoy it. I found the album a little confused and disjointed without clear sound or recognisable theme.
But of a racket towards the end.
As a teenager I remember being told that this was a great album to listen to if I was ever angry. I never felt the need at the time and now perhaps I’ve lost my teenage angst but this all just sounded like a bit of a ruckus to me. Do enjoy some later Offspring stuff but this didn’t really hit the spot.
Most painful album for a while…felt like garbled rubbish. Didn’t even work as background music.
Other than Heads Will Roll I found this album a bit something and nothing. I don’t want to just be waiting for the big hits but I really struggled to see whpy this album was included in the list…
I found this one tricky to rate. Whilst I enjoyed it, I’m not sure I would revisit it in the future. However, it was batter than many of the albums I have given three stars. Therefore, I think it’s another 3.5 which might as well be rounded up to 4 (but with a caveat that I probably won’t listen again - a core value of a four star is a desire to listen again)
Perfectly pleasant and in sure the artist is exceptionally skilled. But will not be revisiting.
Found a lot of the tracks a little bit hit and miss. Ends on an absolute banger.
Not the worst.
Enjoyed it, felt pretty middle of the road country but happy to revisit.
All rather samey and ended up finding his intonations annoying. He almost sounds like a caricature of himself.
Horrible, couldn’t end soon enough!
Was already one of my favourite albums.
From an era where Kanye was producing excellent music and hadn’t fully descended into pure insanity.
Some real classic bangers in here but not enough to bring me back to the album as a whole body of work.
Really enjoyed this album and not just the classics. The whole record had a really cohesive and unique feel.
Will definitely revisit.
Initially not as awful as I first feared based purely upon album cover, song titles and artist name…however it didn’t take long to descend into the inevitable madness. Some redeeming qualities but not many.
I have never been a big fan of Coldplay, but have to grudgingly admit that they do make an astonishing number of hits. However I fund that even when you hear a new song for the first time, it’s like you’ve heard it for years. Not sure if that is excellent or lazy…either way, I won’t listen again but respect the longevity of the content.
Found this album generally rather dreary. Not especially offensive but also not that interesting.
I enjoyed this one…obviously feels a tad dated and perhaps a little ‘safe’ but this was at the forefront of authentic Rhythm&Blues so will have been much more daring at the time I guess.
Fun but unlikely to revisit.
Perfectly enjoyable listen but not especially life changing.
I enjoyed listening to this. A very different vibe to my usual selection but found it calming and peaceful. In the right circumstance I would listen again, but wonder if I’d be able to pick out songs from this album and distinguish them from another ‘smooth jazz’ playlist that I selected late on evening having poured myself a whisky…I don’t think so, but happy to make this one my go to, even just to be able to say “oh, just chuck on some Miles Davis…”
Kinda background sexy…didn’t really tickle my pickle enough.
I found myself expecting many of the songs to transition into ‘There is a Light That Will Never Go Out’. Unsure if that means this is their ‘sound’ or most of their songs just sound the same. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it.
Really solid rock album with some absolute classic bangers dropped in for good measure.
I know that I’m supposed to like Joni Mitchell but I just couldn’t get along with this album. Perhaps the lyrics are more meaningful than the tune but just found it all rather bland.
As an avid Radio 2 listener…I recognised a number of these songs, but familiarity alone does not breed desire. This album felt very typical of an 80s sound that I’m more than happy was left behind.
Not one to revisit.
I am trying hard to resist the urge to write off albums before I’ve started them based on length (why so many double disks??), genre or release period.
There were times where I enjoyed this one but felt that the good songs were too few and far between. Could have distilled down into a more wholly enjoyable body of work.
Slightly less accessible than the Miles Davis album but not wholly enjoyable.
Another tricky one…not bad, not my favourite but listenable.
A little frenetic at times but I enjoyed it more than the last one. Sadly will not revisit but was listenable.
I have to say this album surprised me. Previously my only exposure to Kid Rock was his rather overplayed All Summer Long which, in my opinion, leaned rather heavily on Lynard Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama to pique interest in a rather basic ‘summer feel good’ tune.
The sound on this album was, at times, reminiscent of Limp Bizkit and not wholly as corny as I was fearing. Finally I was astonished to hear a cameo from Eminem during Fuck Off.
Could probably listen again…just about, at a stretch.
Did not enjoy, nothing really caught my attention. Either not my sound or just a tad mediocre…I guess we’ll never know.
I can’t say how disappointed I was with this album.
In a year where Definitely Maybe was released by Oasis, I have no idea how there was ever a conversation about The Battle of Brit Pop.
There are two songs on the track that were up to the standard…the rest felt like mindless filler.
A bit of something and nothing really. Strange version on Spotify with a number of repeats at the end billed as ‘original versions’. Otherwise, a short and sweet set of music with one track that has endured through the years.
I recognise that this album has received a large amount of critical acclaim, whether that be for the producing, musical technique, lyrics or instrumental composition, I am unsure. What I am sure of is that this really didn’t do it for me. A little monotonous and unremarkable for my taste.
Pretty dire!
An interesting fusion of eastern and western music. I enjoyed the overall tone, even if a few tracks did lose my attention a tad. Unlikely to revisit but found it enjoyable enough.
It got off to a good start but then seemed to tail off and become rather repetitive.
Pretty epic hard rock album that was significantly more digestible than some that have gone before. Not my usual taste but could appreciate the music, think this would be taken to a completely new level when performed live.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4, well done.
Another promising start but then descended into obscurity other than The Jean Genie. A distinctly different sound again for this Bowie album but won’t be coming back any time soon.
