I will acknowledge that this is a particularly good example of the genre but even that's not enough for me I'm afraid. Not my cup of tea.
Hard not to want to tap your foot to it.
The title track, 'Dear Jessie', 'Oh Father' are highlights but aside from the standouts, the other tracks are, to my ears, mostly filler. Appreciate this is sacrilege to lovers of the genre or Madonna herself but overall not to my taste. Will return to individual songs only.
Not bad, not great. Certainly not enough to convert me to U2.
'Pot Kettle Black'. 'Radio Cure' but only just. In 'I'm the Man Who Loves You' I hear Beatles influence but it's a potentially good song that's been Wilco'd. 'Poor Places' is a good example of a song that starts well but goes off the rails. 'Experimental' indie is a genre fraught with risk and this proves why. It might be very accomplished instrumentally but it's dull and at times, annoying.
Inoffensive country crooning but hard to imagine an occasion when I'll want to put on this album. 'The Weatherman' and 'Our Private Life' were my top tracks.
I wanted to like this more but a lot of tracks never really 'took off'. I found his wailing vocals often killed the song's momentum. 'Phantasmagoria in Two' is a notable exception and the standout track.
Bland, unsurprisingly White Stripes-esque indie-rock aggravated by Jack White's singing. Lots of uninteresting, shallow hooks and fillers (e.g. 'Missing Pieces'). No melodies that grab you or songs that pull you in. 'Hypocritical Kiss' has a stupid name but is the best of the bunch
I owe myself and the Rolling Stones an apology for not listening to them properly before now
I found this album monotonous and dull, made worse by the fact it's two hours long. It's possible it's a good record from a genre I just don't like
This is up there with the worst so far. A tough listen. The first track promised inoffensive but dull grungy rock but it went downhill and subsequently lost all tunefulness and what little charm it started with. The main issues are threefold: firstly, the songs just aren't good - it sounds like a distinctly average college band who make noise for the sake of it. Second, his voice. It's two-dimensional and very boring. Third, the lyrics of 'Homemade' gave me the biggest ick. Hard no
Don't like the songs, don't like her voice and the 90's spaced-out vibe doesn't speak to me at all
I was surprised at how much liked this album as Sepultura largely passed me by back in the day. It holds its own against other thrash of the era; musically it's tight and interesting, with songs whose tempo move up and down through the gears like good thrash does. Case in point at roughly 4 minutes into 'Dead Embryonic Cells'. Only point of personal preference is that I prefer a cleaner, sharper vocal like James Hetfield's rather than this throaty, sludgy style. These days I would listen only occasionally, and in small doses but good nonetheless. Notable: 'Altered State', 'Orgasmatron', 'C.I.U.'. Subsequently listened to Caos A.D. which, as others have pointed out, is arguably better.
There's nothing wrong with this album or Kings of Leon in general, I just never want to listen to it again. In part due to the slightly shouty, slightly cracked cool-indie-kid voice of the lead singer (and the singers of every other similar band of the era) as well as songs whose choruses, often the USP of the genre, just aren't that good to my ears. 'Sex on Fire' is a textbook example. It would be petty to give it less than a three because it's musically accomplished but this will only grace my Spotify in future if/when commanded by the capricious gods of the 1001 Album Generator
There will never come a time when I'll decide to sit down and play Iron Maiden. I don't hate it, but the theatrics and cheesiness of it all just isn't for me. Ironically it's the OG heavy metal, but I prefer some of the paths it went down subsequently
The beats pick you up and carry you along, mixed in with just the right amount of mid-2000s indie. That genre is very easy to dislike but occasionally someone does it well and although I can't put my finger on why, this is in the latter camp. I couldn't pick out many standout tracks at first listen but the album as a body of work passed an hour enjoyably. 'New York, I Love You...'. was notable. Not sure I will seek it out as a regular listen
Will not be a regular listen but nonetheless a great album for the right moment. 'Wake Up' stood out
Straight down the line heavy rock 'n roll with great guitar solos. The title track is the one most know but the rest of the album is just as good. As with a lot of this genre listening opportunities will be only under specific circumstances
It was good to listen to a Queen album without being familiar with any of the tracks in advance. As a whole it stands up as a great rock record, bordering on the fantastical, with Freddie's vocals a little further back in the mix than on some of the better known Queen classics - not a bad thing as it let the music do more of the talking
I saw a review which said every song feels like 30 seconds of material stretched out to three (sometimes six) minutes and I couldn't put it better myself. Even "Sweet Dreams.." - by far and away the best track on the record - is the same, but with a much catchier riff and chorus. I like that song less having heard it in the context of the full album. I found "Jennifer" grating, while "Satellite of Love" is up there with the worst covers I've come across. The runtime of 1:12 seemed excessive given the above and I am ready not to hear any more Annie Lennox
A nice change after such a bad run but I doubt I'll revisit. 'Do Nothing' is OK. 'Rude Boys Outa Jail' sounds like the kids just before I tell them to calm down. 'Maggie's Farm' is a questionable cover. 'You're Wondering Now' is still great though
A fantastic album and deserving of its status as a classic: 'Ex-factor', 'To Zion', 'Final Hour' (real highlight) and good old-fashioned hidden track 'Tell Him' plus many others that I wasn't able to note specifically
I hadn't listened to Nirvana in ages and, I realise never to this record in full. Intimate and unpolished, but musically very accomplished at the same time. Kurt's voice is excellent. Really enjoyed this and forgot how good some of their songs are, and how well they translate to being performed acoustically. I just don't think I'll get the urge to rush back and put it on repeat
Big Radiohead fan, this is probably my least favourite of their albums
Have read many reviews along the lines of it being the same song for nearly an hour, how Mariah Carey essentially "moans scales" and how the songs are pretty dull. I agree with all of them. She has a fantastic voice but the music should be more than a vehicle for showing it off
Great album. 'Heart of Gold' , 'Old Man' are highlights
This record is like an excitable labrador jumping up at you: a bit much at first but eventually you give in and stroke it and enjoy the interaction. The jury is out on whether I am going to continue my PSB journey but this one was fun. Bouncy, happy electro-pop
Liked the jazzy influence behind the old skool hip hop. 'A Film Called (Pimp)', 'A Song For Assata' were highlights
Loved this one, kicked off a morning of 80s and 90s hip hop. 'What "U" Waitin' "4"?' stood out but more of a vibe
Surprised myself by liking this one. Had never heard of the artist and didn't do any research before playing, so didn't give myself the opportunity to decide I don't usually like funk. Listening to this feels like I'm mingling round a cocktail party in the 70s. Although I might not come back to it, it's cool. I particularly liked 'Handcuffs' for the vocal performance
I just could not get into this. Found it too jangly and jarring, didn't provoke any emotional response. Songs are unmemorable although I nearly liked 'Hysteric - acoustic' and 'Little Shadow - acoustic'
This one had a vibey, spacey quality to it, which, along with the occasional forays into uber-cool jazz territory, made me want to like it. I just couldn't. The very hint of a tune sends it off in an unsatisfying amelodic direction and I just could not connect emotionally with any of the tracks. 'Jameel's Space Ride' and 'Them Changes' were as close as it got. Excellent cover art though
60s psychedelia and it's fine, but if I was going to listen to this genre I'd go to Forever Changes by Love or something similar. It just didn't stand out for me
It's hard to separate objectivity from nostalgia here because this was a key record at a formative time of my life. I was prepared and even expecting this to have aged badly but I was pleasantly and unexpectedly drawn in from the minute the intro launched into '(sic)'. 'Wait and Bleed' took me back to my teens and 'Surfacing' and 'Spit It Out' still sound fresh. Musically solid with great percussion, this is of course not going to appeal to everyone (most?) but has emerged from the era of nu-metal a lot better than many of its peers
Enjoyed the relative minimalism of the beats. 80s and 90s hip hop is generally a winner in my book and this is no exception
Without detracting from how influential The Who were, if I take the music on its own then this is a slightly disjointed record of 60s rock, which, if I'm honest, felt a little gimmicky with all the fake ads. 'I Can See For Miles' is a highlight, but 'Silas Stingy' a definite lowlight. The Mod movement is very much not for me so The Who don't represent anything bigger. As such, I won't be going out of my way to listen apart from when their other albums inevitably appear on this list
It's bland and repetitive and listening to it felt like being locked in an unfurnished room for an hour with only junk mail to read
I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would listen to this for pleasure. Psychedelia is fine but it has to also be musically enjoyable, and this just isn't. It's far too weird but without the redeeming features to make that weirdness cool. 'The Chrome Plated Megaphone Of Destiny' includes several minutes of just noise and both concludes and sums up the album as a whole
I like songs to have at least some melody, or at least something to distinguish them from just 'sound'. This, for me, was the latter, and while it would have been an excellent soundtrack to something stimulating, like a nature video for example, it offers very little to keep me engaged on its own. As with anything conceptual, experimental or "important", it also has to be good and listenable. This wasn't that. I was also not a fan of the weak vocal when it came
Dreary, dreary indie. The songs are dull and Beck's voice and vocal style does absolutely nothing to add any sort of interest. 'Round The Bend' sounds like it has a strong Nick Drake influence, but lacks any of Nick's charm. I really did not like this one
It's a nice album of 60s folky stuff, occasionally drifting to the court/king/queen/knight etc. flavour of fantasy. Easy to listen to, will never choose to put it on again
Second rolling Stones of the generator and just as good as the first
I didn't have any emotional connection to this. Often, good records in genres I don't often like or don't feel like listening to pull me in nonetheless and put me in the right mood, but this one didn't do that. Just missing a certain something that sweeps you along with the big sounds; instead it went over my head
Perhaps I was distracted but I didn't love it as much as I have similar albums in the past. Still a solid offering and overall a good day on the 1001 Album Generator
A little too twee and old-fashioned for my liking. Some records have a certain something that keeps them sounding fresh even though they're the same age or older but this one didn't
Enjoyable 60s country rock. 'Down by the River' is somehow, at nine minutes, not too long. Probably won't put it on when I'd listen to Harvest if I wanted Neil Young
A slightly unusual one in than I didn't love it, but did really appreciate the range of genres covered and how fun she makes the whole experience. 'Cold War' stood out
It's a good sign that I was already listening to this album when it was suggested to me. Few albums launch in such an iconic way as Highway 61 does with 'Like a Rolling Stone', but it also ends on a high with 'Desolation Row'. In between is filled with Bob Dylan at his finest. Not to everyone's tastes, but definitely to mine
There are albums which I don't quite get at first listen but which I nonetheless feel compelled to listen to again. This was not one of those.
If I have to listen to anything for three-and-a-quarter hours, I'm glad it's Ella Fitzgerald. Hard to stay fully engaged throughout but ones that caught my attention, in order of appearance: 'They All Laughed', 'Of Thee I Sing', 'The Half Of It Dearie Blues', 'I Got Rhythm', 'Promenade (Walking The Dog)', 'March Of The Swiss Soldiers', 'Fidgety Feet'
This album is a classic for a reason: engaging and occasionally hilarious, musically interesting and mature and throughout it all just unbelievably, effortlessly cool
I grew up thinking of Britney as a fairly lightweight pop star with a personal life that was at least as well-known as her music, so why the hell is this so good? Am I reminiscing, or just getting more open minded as I get older? Well-written songs with catchy melodies and banging key changes, and Britney has a great voice. This is the prototype of its era and while there are elements which date it to that time, that is by no means a bad thing. Best thing I've heard on here since... well, yesterday and N.W.A., but it's been a good couple of days of suggestions. A really enjoyable hour: 'Sometimes', 'Soda Pop' 'E-mail My Heart' and 'Autumn Goodbye' all unfamiliar songs I liked
John Frusciante is a top guitarist, and in partnership with Flea is largely responsible for many of the Chilis' best songs. Anthony Kiedis by contrast brings a less virtuoso vocal and an obsession with his own genitals, and to a lesser extent the genitals of others. This is the RHCP and it is what it is, so long as you don't mind having it shoved down your throat. So to speak. I still like it and there are still some classic tracks and riffs on here
Still yet to figure out why I love some hip-hop and am more lukewarm on others. This is one of the latter because it didn't draw me in.
I don't think I get the Nick Cave hype (yet, perhaps). 'Straight to You' won me over by the end and 'Christina the Astonishing' was interesting
After a lukewarm review of another Nick Cave record yesterday, I'm rewarded with a double album today. I'm still not sold. 'Nature Boy', 'Babe, You Turn Me On' and 'Supernaturally' stand out and it's not all bad but I don't gravitate towards Nick Cave's slightly amelodic style of rock
Musically bland and repetitive, and Shaun Ryder's style of singing (sprechgesang, I believe) robs these songs of any melody that might have been used as a mitigating factor. I'm sure that records like this are often judged, in part, for their importance to once scene or another, which is no guarantee of quality in my opinion. In any case, 'madchester' was tedious and this album was an hour and ten mins that I wished would go quicker
Hard not to like it or come away smiling
Much better than Jack White's solo work and with the occasional song that still sounds good ("This Protector") but mostly sounds exactly like it's from the early 2000s. A clangy, crashy sort of album. I never got into garage rock
I don't quite love it but I certainly didn't mind listening
Classic album. Smashing Pumpkins absolutely nailed the slightly spacey sound and manage to combine heaviness and melody as well as anyone. 'Soma' is my favourite track but they're all good
An interesting listen. I started it wondering how you could bring yourself to hate Madness, given how upbeat their sound is. I finished it realising that their singles are well known for a reason, and the rest of it is not, also for a reason. 'Our House' and 'Madness (Is All In The Mind)' are great tunes and the rest is decidedly average. Falls in to the category of 'certain songs only'
A little light on killer choruses and catchy melody for me. Not bad and easy to listen to but not something I'll play again
So laid back it's almost vertical. A little too much so for me; I'd prefer to be a bit more engaged by what I'm listening to
Not my kind of music. Anything with repetitive electronic beats needs to have some decent hip hop over the tip or I'm out, it seems
I have learned some creative turns of phrase from reviews on this website: one along the lines of "as bland as unsalted cardboard" didn't exactly fill me with hope, but actually I've heard others that would be far better suited to such criticism (see Beck). Coles Corner is gentle and homely, separated from the countless other male singer/songwriters by genre (influences of crooning 40s and 50s Americana), a reasonable amount of charm, and a voice which is more distinctive than most. However, I don't hear a vocal range that keeps me interested or that adds a new dimension to a song, and I'm not a massive fan of the overall style and sound. But it was an enjoyable 46 minutes even if I won't return to it
Enjoyable bluesy, moody rock
Loved it. 'Whip You With A Strap', 'Big Girl' stood out but I understand why this album is highly regarded
Was fully prepared that this would be an album with 'More Than a Feeling', which for the record I really don't like, as well as a load of filler. While it didn't blow me away it was a lot better than that, and 'Foreplay/Long Time' was by far the standout
Could well be one which grows on me. I felt I didn't fully appreciate its depth and charm in one listen which is usually a good sign. 'Over The Hill' stood out
JC has a fantastic voice and this is an excellent live show. That being said I don't love a lot of the songs themselves, and found the recurring themes of incarceration and capital punishment a little relentless and overbearing by the end of the record
Bit of metal to start the day. Pretty solid, although not my go-to of the genre
I liked the overall vibe without really loving any particular song
Outrageously sexiest, misogynistic, homophobic lyrics but so much so that it's very hard to take it all too seriously. 'Stan' has stood the test of time and overall this was a very fun, listenable album. If we're discounting music based on questionable lyrical content then that's rap and hip-hop out, as well quite a bit of the rest of it
Overall an enjoyable enough listen, even if I did spend the last half an hour of runtime checking Spotify to make sure the album hadn't finished and continued on to some lesser known Bowie. I can't hold that against them but it does rather beg the question why you would return to this one when you could listen to, well, Bowie
So many different genres but without ever feeling like too much of a mish-mash. Loved the vibe, will definitely return and get to know it better
Latin, jazzy music to vibe to. Enjoyed the overall experience but didn't pick out any particular tracks
Classic big band jazz. Enjoyed the faster numbers but not such a fan of the slower ones
As an album as a whole it slots in somewhere behind Sounds of Silence, but 'The Only Living Boy in New York' is up there in my top three S&G songs
A tried and tested old skool formula which I will always like
Some lovely songs on this one (e.g. 'Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall'). Probably slots in just behind Sounds of Silence at first listen
Even when they were writing more conventional pop songs early in their career The Beatles really were excellent. 'All My Loving' the highlight
I am willing to accept that this is considered the pinnacle of salsa by some, but that being the case the natural conclusion is that I'll never love salsa
A bit too laid back and nondescript for my liking
