Good album for its genre. Alas this is not a genre I care for.
Not sure I like Thom Yorke’s voice but I like his singing. Very creative music and so many surprising ideas that feel entirely right.
A Classic! Popular without being pop. Ska for adults.
A classic of trip-hop. Some real gems, but also some filler that flatten the overall impact. The vibe is great for ambiance but lacks the diversity needed for focused listening. For a debut album it shows a fully formed band that knows exactly why they wanted to create. Beth Gibbons vocals could not be more perfect, an instrument of longing, sadness and hope.
Fun! Not my genre but a classic of funk-pop-soul. Prince was an artist and I respect that. More stars are deserved but cannot go against my gut.
Great soul and R&B. I don’t really like soul and R&B.
Great album and arguably their best. I can’t believe I was disappointed with it when released. It clearly showed their development as artists with more variability in style and production. The second half (1/3?) is not quite as strong but still good. Probably would give 4.5 but I’ll round up!
The sound of my youth. One of my life defining albums. A bit uneven, but even the filler songs are good.
Not a Soul or R&B fan but this is so catchy and has pop and rock sensibility that transcends genre. Fun
Country and 70’s style mellow rock are two of my least favorite genres. This album combines them. So I did not like it.
Classic 70’s guitar rock. How did this become popular? Yet I know half the songs by heart. They are pablum. And Paul Rodgers voice is pleasant when singing verse, but when trying to belt out the chorus it cracks… c’mon man!
A single! Not even an EP?! I didn’t even finish listening and will not rate.
If you don’t dance to ABBA you are evil. That said, other than the hits their tunes are a bit ho hum.
This was an awakening for me. After cutting my teeth on Kiss and Foreigner in middle and high school, this album opened my eyes. Being weird and a nerd could also make you a punk and cool.
Having only known “The Dead” from snippets of their misic and images of their fans I was completely prepared to hate this album. I didn’t! I disliked it, but appreciate what others saw in it. It’s gentle and mostly upbeat and happy (or at least hopeful). Truckin’ is actually kinda fun. But I can’t see following this band across the country. Or, for that matter, ever listening to them again. C’est la vie.
Classic of the grunge genre. I do not dislike it but agree with other’s opinions that it is overly long and the songs start to sound indistinguishable after awhile. Yes he is a great grunge frontman but much of that consists of yelling. Some good riffs and definitely gets in your gut but not gonna seek it out just for that.
I respect the blues. If I were walking through a park and saw a free concert of blues I would definitely stop and listen. Listening to this album I can recognize that what I think of as classic blues was popularized by muddy Waters. However, after a couple tunes I was no longer interested. A real blues fan probably goes bonkers over this album, but to me it’s “just the blues“.
Always loved Louis Prima since Jungle Book! His voice and style are inimitable.
Excellent heavy metal. Sometimes you need an angry song in this album has tons of them. Morello is excellent with riffs galore. However, anger can only go so far and it gets tiresome to hear someone yelling over and over.
Prince was a singular talent. I loved his guitar playing and stage persona. This album had some great tunes, but ultimately it’s not my style. For those whose style it is, it probably gets a 5/5 but alas not for me.
Slacker rock (Post-punk, garage rock, noise pop, grunge lite, call it what you will) has its fans. I am not one. No offense to fans or the band, but it doesn’t sound professional and that is probably the main attraction for them. I actually enjoy some music with the same aesthetic (I owned “Generic Flipper” for chrissake) but in that case I want energy. A band that sounds like they’ve chugged a beer, not hit a bong.
Dig the voice. Baritone, mellow and enunciated in an era of increasingly strident tenor screams. Lyrics were above average. Playing and sing were not his forte. There is a reason Harry Nilsson scored the hit with Everybody’s Talking. I really appreciate this discovery but will probably not seek him out again.
Mark Knopfler is a talented guitarist and has a good voice. Its like southern boogie mixed with smooth jazz… in a good way. Gets a bit repetitive and all the songs have pretty much the same vibe and rhythm and feel and… you get the point. But it’s a good vibe and I will probably remind myself to pull this album out every few years. Best in headphones while doing a mindless task. Probably a 3.5 for me but I will round up.
Just barely on the pop side of country-folk music. I’d never heard of her. Probably because I do not listen to country-folk music. Someone out there would really enjoy this album, but not me.
I like this album. Tracks began to sound similar but still pretty ingenious on some. I would listen again and seek out other albums by them.
In general, I don’t like Rapp. Or at least not the Rapp that has dominated the scene with ho’s and misogyny etc. This album is different. It’s clever it’s fun. Reminds me of a West Coast Beastie Boys without the rock influence. More jazz and soul but still the humor and the weirdness.
When this came out I had it on heavy rotation for months. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me may still be my fave Cure release but this would be a close second. And one of my favorite albums period.
People sure love them some who skidoo.
I do not.
I enjoyed this. If you like afro-cuban music check out Orchestra Aragon. This album is a little more modern and doesn’t include flute. Nice to have on in the background.
Incredibly well produced and nicely performed. Every song sounds the same to me.
I understand they are important musically and culturally. I heard future echoes of Primus. The Residents were from the same school (or at least same school district) but the music seemed, somehow, happier? Trying to make music rather than anti-music. More power to the Captain (RIP) but I can’t, just can’t.
I was glad to learn this was initially composed for a stage play. It definitely has a “show tune” feel. I liken it to a Springsteen album if the Boss was a 15 yo sex obsessed miscreant. The production is good and some songs are actually clever in parts, but I didn’t buy the album when it came out and I wouldn’t buy it now. Meatloaf got the pipes though.
Classic of the psychedelic era. “I had too much to dream last night“ is a touchstone. The rest of the album, with perhaps a few slight exceptions, is typical genre but nothing to remember.
This was a classic then and is a classic now. Five out of nine songs were hits. The rest weren’t great, but would’ve been reasonably good for any other musicians albums.
He is called the Boss for a reason. I am actually not a big fan of his music but enjoy listening to it. Soul of Americana heartland rock.
This album already contained three of my “liked songs“ on Spotify. Definitely a stylistic change, but not an unwelcome one.
I generally do not like country music. I will dip into “country and western” of the Hank Williams, George Jones and Johnny Cash variety. So the twang (voice and guitar) had me on the defensive, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, I learned that the Proclaimers “My Old Friend…” was a cover. Good song craft here.
Late 70’s to early 80’s was such a remarkable time of change in music. I wish I hadn’t found this album almost 10 years later.
Enjoyed this album. I love the syncopation and lyrics. But I can only listen to so much of Tom Waits in a single sitting. Would give a 4 but for that.
Great album chock full of hits… but could have been a single LP. I figure they had too much material and rather than cut good stuff they added some average stuff. If there were CDs then they probably could have cut some stuff and had more room for just the goodies. Funny story… my sister worked at a country radio station when this was released and received a copy and knew they would not play it on the air. So she gave it to me and I loved it. Headed on heavy rotation in my freshman and sophomore year of high school. Then I turned to new wave and punk and forgot about them, but Mr. blue sky has always been in the back of my mind.
Like Thom Yorke, Leonard Cohen has a voice I like even if I don’t like his singing. The lyrics are interesting if enigmatic. The music is well crafted. I am certain this is a great album but I just don’t get it. At least with a Tom Waits album I tap my toe.
I was really not expecting to like this album. At first I thought it was going to be an a cappella boys group. Then I thought perhaps Gregorian Chant. When I saw it was an English folk rock ensemble from the 60s my first thought was “here we go, Lamb“ but it was anything but. Clearly these are good musicians and they combine so many elements it never gets boring. I will say that I enjoyed the album more than each individual song, but that’s not necessarily a complaint.
I am a fan of afro-cuban and this throws a little jazz in the mix to good effect. I felt like I was listening to the soundtrack of a 1960’s Spider-Man cartoon! Nice if i was watching said cartoon but on its own it becomes a bit overpowering and monotonous.
This album isn’t offensive. What I find offensive are the people who think this is the greatest album or the worst album ever made. It’s got a handful of reasonably good songs though “the hit“ depends on a riff created by two of rocks greatest songwriters and isn’t even their own. The album could’ve been 30 minutes shorter. In the end, if you find this album boring you won’t like it. If you love the songs, then you’ll probably like it very much.
I bet someone would like this. Do NOT give them my address.
Number 14 greatest album of all time?
I’m not buying it… well I haven’t and I won’t.
Sounds like a bunch of drunken blues rockers jamming. There are, at most, half a dozen keepers and even those are mostly just OK. This band was capable of so many awesome licks & hooks but there’s not many to be found here except maybe on “tumbling dice“. Humbug
Squerk! Skronk! Keraang! There is a time and place for harsh atonal jazz, but now is not the time and my ears are not the place. Not enough groove for my listening needs. But if you like the jazz guys being jazzy for their jazz fans, this album will levitate you.
