Her vocals pair well with the horns, distinctive percussion at the low BPM and fun unique instruments for various songs. Creates that old school sound like an underground jazz club shrouded in dim lights.
Grungy, distorted and experimental feeling. I think they were really pushing their creative chops with the style change ups. Sure shot, Get it together, and Flute Loop we're stand outs for that Beastie Boy sound, but I liked Sabrosa and Ricky's Theme for the difference they added to the album.
Enjoyed the singles, it's clear why Criminal got so popular as it was the only one I had heard before. Her piano skills make the album work I think and her goals are good and emotional, probably a little "rambling" for my tastes.
Handful of classics, didn't know Groovin' was originally Aretha's. Super powerful voice and actual variety of music styles between gospel, slow emotional, jumpy old timey game show pop and light rock. Very cool to spot those differences.
Solid British rock with punk energy, guitar and bass propell a lot of track forward with vocals coming in to match at a constant clipped pace. Very enjoyable to listen to and got better on repeats. Saved "Still Take You Home" and find more than half of the album to be an easy re listen.
Good ol classic rock, hits what i would call the cross country road trip vibes. Lead vocal is so iconic at this point its like a comfort blanket. Green River and Bad Moon are clearly the heavy hitters but the rest of the album holds its own. Makes me yearn for simpler times and want to reach out to people to sit around a camp fire.
Has some iconic synth sounds that shaped my emotional perception of the 80's from various movies. She has a good voice but sometimes leans too hard into it for some songs. Very influential and culturally significant.
Folksy and Celtic/ Irish, feels like I should be wandering a festival to this music. Sweet Thing was the immediate standout.
Hits that sitting around a small campfire about to start a drum circle on some drugs kind of energy. Some very experimental sounds, vocals that are buried behind the soft guitar/ piano, meandering melodies and lots of repeated chorus lines. A couple tracks that were okay but lost me in the sauce.
Not my style but hit that "Industrial Complex" well
Strikes an interesting tone of 60's game show along side the "Old School Masculinity" of something like a tame biker gang or the Blues Brothers, professional attire, sunglasses and and code. The defining feature of the album is the church organ piano sound which is part of why I think the song "Green Onion" is so iconic.
No savvy enough to distinguish between Chord progression and Modal Jazz but the music is really good. The interplay between the Saxophones and the Piano are what stood out to me. I see why it is very highly rated even if I don't have the technical knowledge to appreciate its complexities.
80s synth is something I've heard a lot in my childhood and beyond, its comforting and usually enjoyable. Found some new favorites outside of "Don't You Want Me?" and a new appreciation for the band
Cozy and emotional, I like the songs where piano takes more of a forefront but she has a good voice and clearly feels strongly in her lyrics which creates an authenticity that supports the music.
Like their other album, certainly interesting from an expiramental view but not enjoyable to listen to.
Strong album that grew on me with repeat listens. The range of pop to slow and emotional songs was a nice variety and his vocals are very good, reminiscent of Freddie Mercury. Freedom! 90 stands out as the hit but all the others hold their own.
Very reminiscent of other Beatles sounds with the guitar and vocals. Makes sense that it was in response to those types of music. Title track is strongest and i think an improvement over Dylan's version.
Im not big into musicals I general but I think this album stands on its own outside of that style. The jaunty piano, pushing vocals and heavy rock sounds all come together to make something unique
Some really good songs are here with the slow backdrop of R&B to lay the foundation for her vocals to take front and center. Feels like a lot of intentionality in the composition and enough style changes from track to track to keep the whole thing interesting, Broken Clocks, Pretty Little Birds and Supermodel are standouts.
Feels more powerful knowing this was the last album he recorded knowing his time was limited. I like the combo of Jazz and Rock that feels like drifting through an unstable abyss. Lazarus and Girl Loves Me hit the hardest for me.
Great funky soulful album. Provides one of my favorite combinations of piano with sax. The bass line really drives the flow of the songs and they hit a really good balance between everyone in the band, her vocals are great. Smooth Operator, Cherry Pie and Sally were favorites
A blend of pub rock, psychedelics and brit pop that has some highlights but may have gone on a lot longer than necessary. Oily Water, Popscene, Mace and Chemical World stood out to me and Disc 2 was mostly a miss.
Classic thrasher metal, very iconic to me. They do a good job of building out the sections of their songs which prevents the feeling of repetitiveness. The Guitar and drums are the powerful backbone of the songs and drive everything forward with aggression without losing the instruments like others tend to do. Master of Puppets, Battery and Sanitarium are top 3 but all the songs are enjoyable even though metal isnt my preferred genre. Whatever the criticisms are this is undeniably a very important and influential album and deserves to be recognized.
A lot of atmospheric feeling music with ethereal Senegalese vocals over fairly repetitive guitar, bass and percussion. The guitar is good and interesting when it does vary or usually at the intro to most of the songs. Often has an upbeat positive energy to chill and introspective. Good as a background for traveling or vibing in a new setting. Glad I was able to discover it even if it wont be on a regular rotation for me.
Was unsure if this was going to be 3 stars but ended up going with 4 due to Synchronicity I/II, King of Pain and Wrapped Around Your Finger (Every Breath You Take is a given). The fast paced rock mixed with reggae sounds creates an interesting dynamic that grows on you the more you listen. Some of the other songs failed to grab me (Mother to name the biggest) but I think the song compositions are still good throughout.
A delightful discovery to find this band and album. Every track was enjoyable and had something that drew me in, usually the guitars but the bass and crisp drums are killing it on all the tracks as well. High energy but not overwhelming, I can put it on in the background and vibe or focus on it and both work. Instant addition to a regular rotation. Ill have to look close at Madchester music as a result because this was where it was at.
Still learning what sound "Punk" actually is, it seems to be more about the lyrics and tempo than anything but keeping an open ear as best I can. They are lauded as a very influential punk band and based off the lyrics I see that they were speaking from very personal places about politics, life and drugs. They also have a lot of positivity at the heart of it though, it is not about destruction because of the world imbalance which is interesting and kind of refreshing. Also liked that they change their sounds from Rock to Reggae when it serves the song (or when they felt like it). Favorite tracks were London Calling, Clampdown, Death or Glory and Train in Vain.
Its got a good flow on most tracks, focuses on his vocals mostly which are solid and have more of that modern style vs some of the same type of singing back in the 80's. Feels specifically velvety and silky smooth for most of it lift drifting through a candle lit bedroom. I like that the content has some interesting themes in it, from growing up with family money and addiction, unsure what Majin Buu is doing in here but it made me smile. Sweet Life and Lost were notable to me.
Biggest turnaround I've had on an album yet, really didn't like it much the first time through but it grew on me as I went through again and again. The vocals are the weakest part of the songs generally but the lyrics come from the singer as far as I know and that is where a lot of the raw emotion comes through. The music itself is pretty understated but creates these long flowing sequences that their time to get going if you give it space to breath. Seems like they started to play around with strings on this as well which was a good call for their music. History, and So it Goes are notables as well as No Knock on My Door that leads into Stormy Clouds really well.
Very unique songs, he takes a lot of sampling and layers it throughout the tracks to create a disjointed feeling but each track does have consistent percussion, bass and guitar as a through line which makes a big difference to other expiramental albums I've heard so far. Its fairly enjoyable to listen to, its not quite a 3 star album technically but I'd rate it as a high 2 which bumps it up.
There's a lot of good parts to many of the songs, they layer interesting style changes throughout and it doesn't get repetitive. I gave it 5-6 times through but it never really clicked with me however. The vocals are interesting and go on to be iconic as more albums came out but it was maybe to disjointed here. I liked Sugar, Spiders and maybe Soil the most.
Easy, low impact chill rock that's an easy listen. He incorporates a lot of instruments into the songs without overloading them, i'm usually more of a fan when wind instruments are in or piano. Just seems like a guy who likes making fun little songs. Gotta Get Up, Coconut and Jump into the Fire are good ones.
Has a steady pushing industrial theme like waiting in a DMV line or shuffling onto a subway car. I think its going for the feeling of trying to meld into a society but not feeling internally aligned, trying to change someone's rigid views, accepting the hostile nature of your surroundings, living in the memories you hold close to while everyone else "seems" to be able to move on. They feel relatable to me while paired with somewhat initially off-putting style (especially Byrne's manic vocals) but it works for me. The music is enjoyable and well put together with some fun piano one offs and bongo drums. Particularly fond of I Zimbra, Mind, Paper and Life During Wartime.
Somewhat grungy rock with a focus on school, being a delinquent and maybe being a horny cat. Seems fairly straight forward, not bad but nothing that grabbed me in a big way outside of School's Out which is partially due to movie nostalgia.
Half of the album has "the Birthday Party" heavy rock energy with the unstable vocals and hard plodding and the other half is a much softer or melodic which I was much more partial too. I saved a few songs that really grabbed me (There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Let the Bells Ring). I think when the drums take a step back I tend to lean forward to hear the other instruments take center. Overall a good first impression of the band that showcases an interesting variety while staying true to their previous sound. Also enjoyed Nature Boy, Abattoir Blues and Supernaturally
Really excellent album, such a delight to go through each time and better to discover the songs I hadn't really given much attention to before. I love a good piano/ vocal pairing and he masterful at it. So many iconic tracks and fun melodies that carry it far beyond he time it was recorded. This album had a notable impact on me growing up and it continues to be relevant. It's hard to name highlights when the whole album feels like the highlight.
Gave it a go, gave it another and couldn't ever find a way in. They play very fast and hard, that is true but not sure if playing fast is worth being a goal in itself if it tends to all sound the same in the end, perhaps I'm not picking up the subtle nuance but I would be hard pressed to identify 90% of the songs from one another. There are moments in between the cacophonies that have something better going one but I think those are simply breaks in the action. Its not my style, maybe one day I will learnt o appreciate what is going on technically but it's not today.
Very floating in the pool in the sun vibes. Not a lot of musical variety from track to track but I think it's to emphasize the atmosphere of the music and the specific lyrics and message of the songs. I like the bass lines in the songs and the keyboard always adds a critical part. Still learning to appreciate Reggae but this was not unpleasant.
Didn't recognize any of these songs which was a treat. A lot of really good tracks with differing levels of pop rock to soft rock throughout. The vocal changes also help keep things interesting and fresh. There are a lot of performances that feel very personal and come from the core during writing and gives it an oomph. Its such an easy album to listen to as it just sits back with you and lets it flow around you. Highlights for me would be Tusk, Walk a Thin Line, Beautiful Child, That's All for Everyone, Sara and The Ledge.
The highlights are so high it cant be ignored how influential and significant this album is. The Medley in on B Side is where i tend to check out but it could require more time to digest and dive in. Not sure if you can really hear the fact that this was their last album in the songs themselves but its interesting from a historical perspective. The album starts extremely strong and keeps the momentum enough to not become unenjoyable by the time you reach the end. Come Together, Something, Here Comes the Sun and Because will always be great to go back to.
When she's on her flow it becomes very enjoyable to listen to like most English rap songs that have that rapid slam poetry style. The backing music is chill with R&B to grungy garage flare which grew on me a lot on repeat listens. I Like the themes of the songs from internal struggles as a female black artist or the struggles of having nothing growing up and then the criticisms of society and particular types of toxic people. Feels like the right music for the right mood with Selfish, Wounds, 101FM & Sherbet Sunset being the regulars.
Can't help what your preferences are, this definitely aligns with me. Old school synth pop dance music with admittedly not a lot of variation through out but never wore out its welcome on my end. Heavy theme of robotics and industrial noises which probably inspired a lot that was to come in the 90's and 2000's with Daft Punk as a big one. Will not have any issue going back to this album and happy to know the bands name now.
Went through the album about 3-4 times trying to see beyond my initial reaction. I like the music, the rock with the piano and synth its all very cohesive and has solid direction, it feels creative and confident. My personal barrier was the vocals and partially that this is indeed something like a rock opera which isnt my taste. Bowie has got a good voice but he can tend to sound frayed or on the edge of breaking (could be a Ziggy persona choice) which puts me off if i'm vibing with the song. I will continue to digest this album as time goes on and see deeper but right now its "just" a good rock album.
Simple straightforward songs for the most part but they have those solid vocals that the band is iconic for including the harmonies. I prefer the songs that lean away from that soft rock sound but appreciate the whole album for what it is. Nowhere Man, Norwegian Wood, Michelle, In My Life are the more interesting parts for me.
Funky and Punky, a good combo. Their base lines really add a lot of depth and enjoyment to their songs. The album starts really strong and keeps a consistent quality even if it doesn't advance much further. Feels like a true precursor to Californication with some of their softer sounds which is a good shift imo. The songs are definitely focus on how horny they are which can get old but they are well put together, great to listen to and all come together cohesively. Funky Monks, Suck My Kiss, I Could Have Lied, Mellowship Slinky in B Major, Under the Bridge and the Greeting Song were all great
