1001 Albums Summary

Battery - 3/5 (excellent intro, not a big fan of how it chugs along for the last 90 seconds or so. Hetfield still finding his voice at this stage) Master of Puppets - 3.5/5 (hard carried by the riff and the instrumental section, lyrics are clunky in places but at least Hetfield's voice has conviction to it) The Thing That Should Not Be - 4/5 (probably the best one so far, everything fits together perfectly on this one) Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - 4/5 (another strong contender where everything just fits. The final solo and outro are particular highlights) Disposable Heroes - 4/5 (yet another solid number. Excellent soloing and verses, everything fits just right. Only fault is that it's slightly overlong and lyrics get fairly repetitive) Leper Messiah - 3/5 (a fine piece in the latter half. Nothing particularly memorable to my ears save one of the solos) Orion - 4.5/5 (a great, highly dynamic instrumental that doesn't overstay its welcome. A nice break from an otherwise non-stop, hard-hitting album) Damage Inc. - 4/5 (a fast-paced, relatively brief closer without enough memorable passages to tie up the record neatly. Credit to those breakneck solos) OVERALL - 7/5.10

1 - Maggot Brain (a little too soft and a little too much noodling for me. Probably sounded incredibly cool in its day but it's aged quite a bit since) 3/5 2 - Can You Get to That (much more fun and catchy than the opener and an instant earworm. Acoustic funk is an interesting and daring move) 4/5 3 - Hit It and Quit It (catchier than the last one and it really grooves. A fun call and response hook make this another fun one. Full instrumentation is a welcome choice) 4/5 4 - You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks (more lyrical than the previous songs for sure. The interplay between instruments really shines here and it ends with a very good buildup) 4/5 5 - Super Stupid (catchy as they come on this album. Super fun hook and a great feature of organs and louder sections) 4.5/5 6 - Back in Our Minds (easy and laid back song and groove. A little too short to be of much substance, could have easily had another minute added to it) 3.5/5 7 - Wars of Armageddon (A persistent groove interspersed with random sound effects. Mimics a battlefield well, oddly enough, and serves as a fitting closer) 4/5 OVERALL - 7.7/10

1 - Blue Rondo à La Turk - (a nice classical influenced piano opening that gradually slinks into a quieter section left by a sax solo. Started strong then ended quieter than I'd like it to) 3.5/5 2 - Strange Meadow Lark (a peaceful and soothing piano piece, sounds rather impressionist to my ears. The brief saxophone sections are a nice touch, maybe a little too mellow) 3.5/5 3 - Take Five (the key track of this album and indeed one of the most recognizable pieces of its time. That 5/4 groove still holds up decades later) 4/5 4 - Three to Get Ready (Another mellow track emphasizing the piano and bass with occasional appearances by the saxophone, though never particularly energetic) 3/5 5 - Kathy's Waltz (a regular 4/4 groove that transitions into a waltz, which is where the album gets its name from. Still a little too background like for me) 3/5 6 - Everybody's Jumpin' (a fine and respectable piece that doesn't really have much going on besides a mid tempo groove. The mellowness has really worn on me. The short drum solo towards the saves the track from being a total bore) 2.5/5 7 - Pick up Sticks (an energetic closer to really bring up the mood of this album. A welcome change from the slow smooth tracks that make up the bulk of this record) 4/5 OVERALL - 6.7/10

1 - Across the Great Divide (a serviceable, if ordinary romp. Organ is mixed a little low, bringing it further up in the mix might have helped the track's energy especially with the horns that come later on) 3.5/5 2 - Rag Mama Rag (much more energetic than the opener with a great piano-driven hook. Not too much more to say about this one) 4/5 3 - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (probably the most recognizable song from this album. Carried by its harmonies on the chorus and the plaintive harmonica on the verses) 3.5/5 4 - When You Awake (much like the opener, this is another serviceable track with the guitars and organ a little too quiet to give the track the energy it could have had) 3/5 5 - Up on Cripple Creek (oddly catchy with an actual groove, not a common sound on a country rock album like this one. Every instrument shines here) 4/5 6 - Whispering Pines (a ballad led by the Hammond organ. A serviceable song with tasteful and restrained playing, The Band were always good at writing ballads) 3.5/5 7 - Jemima Surrender (a fun and memorable bluesy track. This is probably the closest they got to capturing the old times blues band spirit on this album) 4/5 8 - Rockin' Chair (Slightly plain country blues carried by the plaintive harmonica and the overall coastal maritime feel) 3/5 9 - Look Out Cleveland (a rockier mid-tempo with a bluesy boogie feel. The Band uses these very well for the pacing throughout this album) 3.5/5 10 - Jawbone (Hailed as a classic in the catalogue for this band but it sort of blends into the rest. The last minute makes this song what it is) 4/5 11 - The Unfaithful Servant (slow and lurching, this country ballad is carried by the slow whining horns that come in around 2 minutes into the song. A little monotonous for me) 3/5 12 - King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (This rocks just hard enough to close out this album on a high note. The mixing makes all the instruments shine here, and The Band shows off an excellent sense of dynamics throughout) 4/5 OVERALL - 6.5/10

1 - Smile Please (joyous and upbeat with a hook made up of nonsense words. The music was just pouring out of Stevie at this time so this opener sets an incredible mood) 4/5 2 - Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away (a slower start to this one. Stevie really shows how well his songs modulate even within individual lines. Lyrics addressing inequality head on but hidden under the relatively bright instrumentation) 4/5 3 - Too Shy to Say (a spacey love ballad with some more signature modulation. Not too much to say about this save for the drifting in space feeling) 3.5/5 4 - Boogie On Reggae Woman (some cool jazzy chords float on top of a funk groove. Gives it a very boogie feel. The harmonica solo almost sounds like a guitar; a very nice touch) 4.5/5 5 - Creepin' (an acceptable mid tempo ballad carried by the synth and Minnie Riperton's feature on the song) 3/5 6 - You Haven't Done Nothin' (a powerful groove and horn stabs anchor this song. Stevie is full of righteous fury in his performance here. A highlight of this album) 4.5/5 7 - It Ain't No Use (another very welcome feature from Minnie Riperton lifts up this otherwise ordinary mid-tempo piece. A little noodly towards the end) 3/5 8 - They Won't Let Me Go (a ghostly and morose piano ballad, quite a change in direction for Stevie. Not usually interested in the slower songs but this one strangely left a lasting impression on me) 3.5/5 9 - Bird of Beauty (a return to a more upbeat sound after 2 relatively dour songs. There's a heavy emphasis on samba and salsa stylings and the song even features Stevie doing a verse in Portuguese, which he handles rather well) 4/5 10 - Please Don't Go (this closer sort of fuses all the previous elements of this record including the funk grooves, modulations, harmonica, choir backing, and even the noodling in the last minute. An excellent closer) 4.5/5 OVERALL - 7.8/10

1 - Is This It (a mellower opener with the Pavement influenced relaxed sound. Song shows signs of picking up but drops back down. This song is fine) 3/5 2 - The Modern Age (a much better and more driving riff which is probably what they were going for on this album. Julian kind of sounds like Iggy Pop on this for some reason) 3.5/5 3 - Soma (sort of sounds like a changeup of the previous track rather than a new separate song. Julian's rougher shoutier voice works better than his clean singing at this point in his career) 3.5/5 4 - Barely Legal (3rd song in a row to use the same chords and key. The bridge halfway though actually works rather well though) 3/5 5 - Someday (an acceptable mid tempo garage rock piece. One of the first instances of real interplay between instruments is found here. Nothing else to this otherwise; it sounds like an advertisement) 3/5 6 - Alone, Together (Julien finds a really good melody to sing and latches onto it. The guitar freak out towards the end is a nice touch) 3.5/5 7 - Last Nite (the big hit off of this album and it's easy to see why. A beat that gets you moving right away, a performance with some oomph from Julian, and an energy that the rest of the record doesn't quite match) 4/5 8 - Hard to Explain (a spirited performance from Julian. I usually don't consider the frontman this often but so much of this album hinges on his performances he really makes or breaks each song. His voice is really complimented by the noisier guitar. The sudden stop bumps this up a notch) 4/5 9 - New York City Cops (the slow buildup into the jumping beat is a very welcome change. At least Julian sounds like himself rather than a hybrid the garage rockers who came before him here. The last verse is quite good in all its shouty glory) 3.5/5 10 - Trying Your Luck (the instrumental does something interesting here, and it builds somewhat from start to end. Nothing else to this song otherwise) 3/5 11 - (this is at least the 5th song to start the same way on this album. The verses at least do something fun melody wise with a staggered delivery before getting a little more aggressive on the prechorus. There's even a short solo at the bridge. A fine closer) 4/5 OVERALL - 7.7/10

1 - Shh/Peaceful (easily my favourite of the 2 lengthy suites that make up this album. Love the buildup in the first third and the heavy presence of the organ on this. The melody is so...patient, as though it's always waiting to find the next direction to move in while the song is playing) 4.5/5 2 In a Silent Way (follows a similar structure to the previous suite though in reverse order, going from quiet to loud where the former did the opposite. This one brings everything full circle very neatly especially after the 14 minute mark. A soft and quiet resolution offers a moment to contemplate the moods and changes the album presents) 4/5 OVERALL - 8.5/10

1 - Intro (a wonderful opener that sets the slow-motion, dreamlike tone for the album ahead. Voices in reverse submerse the listener) 4.5/5 2 - Svefn-g-englar (absolutely magical from the first wash of bowed guitar. Jonsí almost delivers the verses like a prayer. Wonderful from start to finish) 5/5 3 - Staráflur (The piano and string intro is somewhere between a tearjerker and a dramatic montage in a TV drama. Percussion is reversed and almost sounds like a beating heart. Song sort of cycles through these elements throughout) 4/5 4 - Flugufrelsarinn (the bowed guitar returns and Jonsí really shows his excellent sense of dynamics in his performance here. This song really captures the slow grandiose style they are known for, especially with the harmonium that almost drones throughout) 4.5/5 5 - Ny batterí (a somewhat slow intro dominated by low horns, keys and a plaintive verse from Jonsí. Things really pick up about 5 minutes in after the beat is teased a few times beforehand. A little slow and the bigger section comes a little late) 4/5 6 - Hyartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm) (a jazzy intro that quickly gets overpowered by the bowed guitar. Much of the song is tense and subdued thereafter save for the choruses which swirl in the shoegazy noise the guitars make, just barely keeping their shape before quieting back down) 4.5/5 7 - Viðrar vel til loftárása (a refined and tensely emotional piano buildup, later joined by a bright string section, a slow steady and a brief appearance by Jonsí. What follows is the climatic peak of the album after a 7-minute. Never fails to get me emotional; what an incredible piece) 5/5 8 - Olsen olsen (a song driven forward by its recognizable bassline; the only instance of it on this album. Jonsí sounds like he's miles away from the rest of the band and his voice is carrying over the mountains. At some point the piano comes in with this triumphant melody that we hear on flute beforehand. When the choir is added it sounds like a parade or some sort of patriotic anthem, which is also oddly emotional in a way that's totally unlike the previous song) 4.5/5 9 - Ágætis byrjun (much more subdued than the bulk of this album. This one never really picks up and that's probably by design as the last 2 songs are made as a sort of dénouement for the album's themes. Though the piano is nice without the huge dynamics of the others it drags a little) 3.5/5 10 - Avalon (formless and instrumental, this is meant to end the album as it began. The strings sound underwater and the rest of the instrumentation is entirely ambient and soothing. Oddly fitting as a closer especially as all the other songs feel like they leave something open) 4/5

1 - Skunk (a startling opener with a terrifying screamy passage. What follows isn't exactly reassuring as the guitars play the main riff out of tune. The singer sounds like he's singing into a blown out speaker and is blasted out of his mind. Really, the whole song sounds like a garage jam session gone horribly wrong. Very memorable start to this album) 4/5 2 - Identity (the bells at the start fake out the listener before a hardcore cowpunk thrasher takes over. It also fakes you out by making you think it will be a simple interlude) 3.5/5 3 - Wail (the first proper riff on this album makes way for a superb bar-band styled performance. Again, everything on this album sounds uncanny as can be; it ALMOST sounds like a normal rock record but your mind immediately recognizes that it isn't) 4/5 4 - Fuck Shit Up (The ramshackle, barely-held-together sort of instrumental sounds it's coming out of a decayed tape. Some monotone speak-singing talks about generic unambitious rebellion. This one is more of an interlude than anything despite being a full 3 minutes) 3.5/5 5 - 2Kindsa Love (I really like the blown out riff on this track, but the singer is starting to sound samey with the rambling, speak-sung and occasionally screamy style. This track is quite catchy which works solidly in its favour though) 3.5/5 6 - Love All Of Me (a more conventional garage rock styling on this song, though the sliding rhythm guitars set it apart from the rest. This time, the singer sounds like a deranged redneck Elvis parody, which honestly might be the style he was going for all along. This one feels like it ends just before it gets really good) 3.5/5 7 - Chicken Dog (another standard garage rock romp made more interesting by some deranged screaming, a bluesy vocal from a second singer and some pounding drums. The middle section riffs approach an arena rock chant along for just a brief second before quickly going back to the regular fare) 3.5/5 8 - Rocketship (this is the clearest vocal I've heard on the album so far, mostly because there's only a quiet guitar and some toms being played. This is also where the listener will notice that most of the lyrics make little if any sense and are mostly satirical mishmashes of pre-1980s rock and roll imagery, which is sort of a trademark of garage punk since it doesn't take itself so seriously) 3.5/5 9 - Dynamite Lover (a cross between Raw Power-era Stooges and the Rolling Stones to my ears. This one sounds like a satire of cowpunk or, like some of the previous songs, the bluesy bar band. This is the closest to a coherent melody I've heard from this singer on this album, so his avoidance of a clear or "proper" melody is actually somewhat impressive even if this isn't the most melodic album or genre. The straight-up noise explosion towards the end ties everything together perfectly) 4/5 10 - Hot Shit (sort of the garage punk version of "Jesus Built My Hotrod. The whole song reminds me of driving down a country road in pitch dark in a beat up car that can barely handle the speed it's going at. The fake out towards the end honestly got a chuckle out of me) 4/5 11 - Can't Stop (the most normal-sounding song on this album, featuring a honky-tonk piano that makes itself known between the noisy guitars and the occasional yelp from the singer. Sounds like the band was trying to play a classic rock song but got stuck on the same riff with no one remembering the next notes. More half-serious lyrics about defiance fill in the "bridge" this song has, if it can be called such a thing) 4/5 12 - Firefly Child (the fiery mid-tempo guitar complement the almost-there but not quite vocal melody and makes it so that this song could pass for a long-forgotten acid rock classic. The middle section almost turns into a metal breakdown before almost switching up the song somewhat leading to a louder climactic section. Easily the highlight of this album for me) 4.5/5 13 - Eyeballin (coming off the heels of the previous track, this song doesn't really do anything that the previous 12 haven't already done. The slide guitars and occasional harmonica carry the song to a 3 minute run time, which honestly feels too long for something like this. This song is mostly saved by the sudden noise freakout at the very end) 3.5/5 14 - R.L. Got Soul (this one picks up right where the last track's ending groove left off; it's like they wanted one song to lead to the other but figured that was too ambitious for an album that tried to satirize rock and roll as this one does. The harmonica interrupts the groove here and there but this is otherwise an extended "jam" session. The buzzsaw guitars that come in later add a lot to this one, as does the electric piano. I love the idea of the noise and chaos brewing just under the groovy surface of this song) 4.5/5 15 - Get Over Here (the shouty vocal returns for the first time in what feels like a while. This is a rock song stripped to the absolute essentials only. The out of tune guitars return to solo once again on this one; being the penultimate track it feels like an odd full circle moment) 3/5 16 - Sticky (a song that's fallen apart. The instrumental is largely vestiges of instruments covered in static and noise, with an occasional word from the singer to be made out. It feels like the entire band, people and all, have fallen apart just before the closing track. There's a strange hum and buzzing noise throughout that adds to the broken machinery atmosphere. This wouldn't sound of place on an early 80s industrial album. One last megaphone rant closes out the album with rock and roll lyrics mashed together as always) 4/5 OVERALL - 7.6/10

1 - Rikki Don't Lose That Number (calm and smooth, this opener at least picks up during the chorus. The slinking spy like bass and piano add to the mood) 3.5/5 2 - Night By Night (a sort of funky start with horns and wibble wobble guitars. The bluesy guitar solo is the main selling point of this song. Easily a top highlight) 4/5 3 - Any Major Dude Will Tell You (very sweet sounding plucked guitars make this track memorable, without it the song would be rather plain and unassuming. There were probably thousands of songs like these in the 70s) 3/5 4 - Barrytown (more of a piano rock type of song and probably the most emotional song on an otherwise cold and impersonal album. Easily the most soaring chorus I've heard from Steely Dan, maybe ever) 4/5 5 - East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (a solid tribute to ragtime and Depression-era jazz especially considering it's a cover of a song from that era. A very unique piece considering it's among the only covers and instrumentals in Steely Dan's catalogue - maybe their only one) 4/5 6 - Parker's Band (another bluesy piano rock piece, more energetic than the previous one. A little too short for it to be substantial though the roaring sax solo at the end is a nice touch) 3/5 7 - Through With Buzz (another short song with a mid-tempo beat and some ELO-style string sections. This is sort of a speedrun of a pop song) 3/5 8 - Pretzel Logic (a shuffling mid-tempo romp with a heavy blues influence. The clean and polished hook takes you out of the down and dirty sound of the verses; a nice contrast. The solos are excellent on this song) 4/5 9 - With a Gun (slide guitars and an acoustic lead tinge this song with a country sound. The song is bouncy enough to be fun but it's overall rather inoffensive and not particularly memorable) 3/5 10 - Charlie Freak (some bizarre lyrics are the main highlight of this song. It undercuts the otherwise unassuming instrumentation barring the plaintive strings in the background. Steely Dan became well known for their stellar mixes and a song like this is no exception. Very varied sounds on this one for an album that generally keeps to a core of instruments) 4/5 11 - Monkey in Your Soul (a sort of bluesy closer. That aside it's rather plain; plenty of MOR bands sounded like this at the time of this album's release. Nothing about this song really screams finality either) 3/5 OVERALL - 6.4/10

1 - Excursions (the album opens with a subterranean bassline followed by a classic boom bap beat. The samples and jazzy horns in the back complement this song's sneaky, lowkey atmosphere very well) 4.5/5 2 - Buggin' Out (I like Phife's voice more on this album than Q-Tip's on this one; the former's voice makes the hooks on this song stand out more in my opinion. This song is more lyrically focused so not too different instrumentally from the opener) 4/5 3 - Rap Promoter (a song about life in show business; not the last one on this album though this wasn't that common of a topic at the time. Short and succinct, this song packs everything Tribe did best in 2 minutes) 4/5 4 - Butter (songs about girls are a lot more common in rap for this era and this one is among the better of them as it offers a different perspective; that of a starstruck but jaded lover. The horns return in full force on this song to put everything together neatly) 4/5 5 - Verses from the Abstract (another song about girls but the verses are generally loose and aren't well connected to each other. The instrumentation complements this with its free-flowing guitar loop) 3.5/5 6 - Show Business (a full, solid beat to open this one with Q-Tip's instantly memorable phrasing and outspoken lyrics about the trials of entertainment careers; an excellent document of alternative rap of this era and this song - as well as the album - have aged very well over the past 35 years) 5/5 7 - Vibes and Stuff (partly a play on words since the vibraphone is prominent throughout this song; the scintillating electric piano midway through adds to the restrained reverential feel the song is going for; a sure highlight of this album) 4.5/5 8 - Infamous Date Rape (Tribe delivers a serious message about the title's subject matter in a detached and casual way; the message goes unnoticed due to how casually it's delivered, but fully reveals itself upon closer inspection, much like the subject matter...) 4/5 9 - Check the Rhime (the jazz horn skronk makes the entire instrumental for me and brings this song up a notch or two. The dynamism between instrumental sections is another highlight. The chemistry and interplay was on full display on this album) 4.5/5 10 - Everything Is Fair (boom bap beats with a singable chorus and the verses talk of a femme fatale type of character. This character study theme is more common in Tribe songs than I initially realized. Another top highlight) 5/5 11 - Jazz (We've Got) - (the chanted hook says everything; they got the jazz. The beat trucks along under the self-referential lyrics. The back half is filling up with these tracks with all the elements coming together perfectly) 5/5 12 - Skypager (a shorter track to offer some breathing room. The lyrics about pagers recall the opening line of Excursions, and possibly offer a glimpse into the future with the robotic voice that features on the following album Midnight Marauders) 3.5/5 13 - What? (a series of questions, some more absurd than others, make up the lyrics held together by a strange, bouncy beat. This functions as an interlude more than a full song) 3.5/5 14 - Scenario (all the elements Tribe has presented across the key tracks in this song come together in full force for this excellent closer. The Busta Rhymes feature is a great high point; to me, he was always their best collaborator in this era. A fitting end to this album) 5/5 OVERALL - 8.6/10

1 - Immigrant Song (the iconic opener with its Norse-themed imagery and sound. Not too much to say about this one considering its classic status and the tone it sets for the album - a deceptively heavy opener) 4.5/5 2 - Friends (I was really not expecting something so off-kilter and psychedelic to follow the opener. I really with Zeppelin took more stabs at psychedelia because this one is delightfully uneasy) 4.5/5 3 - Celebration Day (most of the instruments sound slightly out of sync, with the effect being enhanced once Plant comes in. For such an iconic song title, the song feels sort of thrown together. Feels like a mish-mash of the 70s rock tropes to come) 3.5/5 4 - Since I've Been Loving You (proof of a slow blues song never losing its luster. Zeppelin really puts their own spin on this extended ballad, with the drums sounding especially thunderous despite not taking up much attention on this song. One of Plant's best performances in my estimation) 4/5 5 - Out on the Tiles (this one vaguely recalls Good Times, Bad Times from their debut album. The chorus is really what sets this one apart. A fine song to close out the first half) 4/5 6 - Gallows Pole (the acoustic folky side of things finally show themselves with Zeppelin's rendition of a classic English folk tune. Rhythm picks up halfway through and makes it into a classic Zeppelin romp) 4/5 7 - Tangerine (a fully acoustic tune with the slightest of psychedelic edges, especially after the rest of the band comes in. An odd one to sort despite how surprisingly varied Zeppelin's catalogue is) 3.5/5 8 - That's the Way (driven largely by the acoustic guitar, violins and even the occasional flute, this song conveys this incredibly serene and peaceful atmosphere. Plant's restrained performance is one of the earliest indicators of the versatility that hid beneath the air raid siren performances of previous albums) 4.5/5 9 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (I was expecting a more energetic feel from the song with "Stomp" in its name, especially after the peaceful acoustic vibes of the previous songs. This one feels like a simpler hippie folk tune that just meanders for a little while before the band decides to play something else) 3.5/5 10 - Hats off to (Roy) Harper (a cover of a tune originally by the little-known and criminally underrated Bukka White. Zeppelin once again make this song their own as the band deliberately goes for a wiry, degraded sound for their instruments. The guitar especially sounds like it's barely held together, and Plant sounds like he's singing into a century-old grampohone. The whole song has an excellent mood, like it's coming off of a wax cylinder. A true and honest tribute to the blues that so heavily influenced Led Zeppelin) 4.5/5 OVERALL - 8.1/10

1 - Rolling in the Deep (the instantly iconic opener signaled Adele's arrival and subsequent dominance for the next decade. The song has aged incredibly well and is one of relatively few timeless hits from the last 2 decades. Excellent around) 4.5/5 2 - Rumour Has It (a much more soul tinged song with a lovely jazzy breakdown for a bridge. Another excellent song that keeps the album's momentum high) 4.5/5 3 - Turning Tables (a subdued piano ballad with some nice strings to back it up. A bit too much melodrama for me but credit goes to Adele's performance, which carries this song) 3.5 4 - Don't You Remember (another slower ballad though I don't like this one as much as the previous one. Adele is pushed way too high in the mix and she clashes with the slower and quieter parts and only truly fits in when the instruments get a little louder halfway through) 3/5 5 - Set Fire to the Rain (another iconic single from this album. A nice burst of energy to keep the album going after 2 slow songs. Though I prefer the previous singles this one is still a solid indelible addition to the Adele canon) 4/5 6 - He Won't Go (a jazzy start makes way for a slightly more energetic poppier verse. The jazz influence never truly goes away even when the song is at its poppiest. A fine if unmemorable deep cut) 3.5/5 7 - Take It All (another ballad where Adele is too high in the mix. Her voice overpowers just about everything else on this song. It also feels rather underproduced compared to the broad, maximal style of the rest of the tracks) 3/5 8 - I'll Be Waiting (an honest-to-God Britpop song on an Adele song; if this was done by any British rock band in the mid-90s it would be hailed as an underrated alt-rock gem. An unexpected surprise on this otherwise very safe and measured album) 4/5 9 - One and Only (after the huge surprise of the previous song, Adele brings it back to basics with a mid-tempo soul track. It gets a little samey and meandering across its 5 1/2 minutes though the backing chorus and end section is a nice touch recalling divas of eras past) 3.5/5 10 - Lovesong (a moodier acoustic guitar driven piece with some very pretty strings that accompany it later on. An excellent hushed towards song proving the consistent writing across every section of this album) 4/5 11 - Someone Like You (the other huge single; I remember the first time I heard this on radio and though it didn't sound like anything else before or after it. Of all the ballads and torch songs on this album this is far and away the best; the structure and writing make its monster single status evident. All in all a strong final track for a strong breakthrough album) 4/5 OVERALL - 7.5/10

1 - Badlands (a very standard opener, full of the energetic guitar and piano duo. Springsteen himself sounds very far away and unsure of himself when he sings on this song; most of the words are sort of chewed up and buried beneath the band. Unusual for an artist often praised for his songwriting) 3/5 2 - Adam Raised a Cain (a much more fiery and attention-grabbing song with a slinky mid-tempo groove. Springsteen sounds more energized on this song but his voice is still buried in the mix. At least we get to hear some of his more aggressive shouty side on this one. The searing guitar riff 2 minutes in is a real treat) 3.5/5 3 - Something in the Night (the intro is a welcome change with its plaintive piano and wordless vocal by Springsteen. It turns out to be a slow tune with appropriately lonely, isolated imagery to match. This one is fine if a little too slow and samey for me. The outro is very interesting with the final coda accompanied by distant pounding toms before a final return to the intro's motif with Springsteen shouting out the intro melody once more) 3.5/5 4 - Candy's Room (a skittering hi-hat intro leads to the introduction of chimes and bright piano melodies. An upbeat, optimistic and, frankly, almost festive sort of song that offers a needed change of pace from the previous fare. Springsteen is also far most confident he's sounded yet on this album, with his voice prominently featuring in the center of the mix, as would become the standard later on in his career) 4/5 5 - Racing in the Street (a brooding and lonesome track that foreshadows the sparse and echoing sound of Nebraska several years later. The song picks up around 2 minutes in to break up the pace before settling back down. The song rarely picks back up after after that, which is feels a little meandering considering its 7-minute runtime. The flutey melody that comes in towards the end offers the slightest glimmer of hope in this otherwise dour end to the first half) 3/5 6 - The Promised Land (more of the standard Springsteen sound with a bigger and more soaring chorus than the previous songs. The brightness of the song somewhat hides the fatalistic and depressing lyrics about never being able to reach one's true purpose in this world. Much of the album deals with similar subject matter ranging from living down former sins to regret over lost chances. It's more prominent here than on other songs in my opinion. The multiple solos from the sax, harmonica and guitars offer the band a chance to shine) 3.5/5 7 - Factory (a midtempo piece about the harsh conditions and endless loop of working-class life and the inescapable reality of it being the lot in life of so many, trapping them to a world of endless, repetitive work while suppressing their own humanity. This song, despite being among the shortest, captures a feeling unlike any other on this album and is probably among the most poignant songs in Springsteen's catalogue) 4/5 8 - Streets of Fire (Springsteen offers the most powerful performance of his career to this point; for the first time, the dejected persona drops completely in a furious fit of passion, and the instrumental does exactly the same with a fiery guitar solo and a building organ vamp. Probably the brightest point of this album) 4.5/5 9 - Prove It All Night (in sharp contrast to the previous song, this one is a more plain and pedestrian affair. Springsteen has finally dropped the chewed-lyrics styling and bares the song's subject matter - the emptiness of casual relationships despite the genuine love one may feel - to add another dejected card to the cynical stack of lyrics that dominate this album. This one is really elevated by the lyrics, which seem to carry more weight for songs in this later half) 3/5 10 - Darkness on the Edge of Town (a final big, shouty performance to close out this album on an energetic note. Springsteen works about working all his life to a goal that he never got close to - a far cry from the real-life outcome. Of all the songs, this one most proudly emphasizes the "heartland rock" sound Springsteen was associated with. Not too much else to say about this song besides it offering a succinct summary of all the previous songs' general themes) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 7.1/10

1 - Yela (the listener is immediately greeted to a spirited, melismatic vocal that's soon accompanied by a relaxed guitar and distant drums. Some similarly organic instrumentation follows but makes the whole piece a little too new agey for what it's trying to convey: an authentic document of Fulani music) 4/5 2 - Toro (the tropical sound of this one makes it stick out in the opposite direction of the opener. This one feels like a more overt attempt at appealing to a Western audience by making the unusual scales and rhythms stick to a rigid format and structure) 3/5 3 - Daande Lenol (this song is mostly led forward by a plucked string resembling a kora. An occasional flute adds a tasteful note or 2 in places. This one is rather relaxed for the most part despite some more climatic moments here and there. Though it's 6 minutes in length it doesn't overstay its welcome and stays mostly true to an authentic sound) 3/5 4 - Hamady Boiro (this song's instrumental is led by an explicitly artifical keyboard and bass MIDI. Easily among the most commercial sounding songs on this album, it honestly brings to mind a cartoon's opening credits theme. The violin at the end is a very nice touch though and rather surprising given the artifice of the rest) 3.5/5 5 - Daniibe (the strings at the start accompany a subdued start. The speak-singing at the start recalls the epic stories often told by griots. The voice is what's most striking about this song with its immense dynamic range. The instrumental then adds a groove that overpowers the atmospheric opening of the previous 3 minutes and makes the song sound much like the previous one. A wild shift in tone and direction makes this song the best representative of this album's sound as a whole) 4/5 6 - Gidelam (a real-sounding marimba appears and is quickly buried by artificial sounding horns and bass. The rhythms on this one are real earworms and the song maintains the warm tropical sound of the more commercial tracks. The MIDI sounding instruments sometimes break the immersion but the song is nevertheless a joyous romp who energy betrays its 6 minute runtime) 3.5/5 7 - Olel (this song veers into completely commercial territory, making the whole album feels like a concentrated effort at a Western breakthrough. While still warm sounding, this song is mixed just a little too bright and cheery and honestly brings back the cartoon opening feeling of Hamady Boiro...the only other comparison I can think of is a song playing on the beach at an island resort) 3/5 8 - Sy Sawande (led by a guitar and soft piano, this ballad is a return to form after the more explicitly artificial sounding songs. The interplay between instruments almost brings about a polyrhythm despite most of the instruments being used for melodic purposes. Another strong point of this album) 3.5/5 9 - Ndelorel (a great groove anchors this fun 3-minute romp. It's a condensed version of the most upbeat songs on the album with the backup chanting adding to the collaborative atmosphere the recording brings. One of the definite highlights of this album for the way it perfectly mixes the modern sounding organ and flute with the more organic elements) 4/5 10 - Lem Gi (another extended jam featuring artificial instrumentation. These have sort of worn out their welcome for me and sound is much too commercial for the folk album this album is trying to be. The instrumental interplay piques curiosity at times though the song is generally too polished and modernized to communicate the authentic storytelling aspect of lengthy tracks like these especially when the instrumentation change so little) 3/5 11 - Minuit (the only song in a language I can understand, with spoken verses about hope for new days and the mysteries of the late night. There's a quick line about Mandela thrown in the second verse, which is very timely considering his prison release was only a year prior to this album. This song features an honest-to-God electric guitar solo that, oddly enough, fits into this song with no real trouble. This song makes no reservations about being an explicitly commercial new age track, which is what I would have preferred rather than attempting to bridge the authentic West African styles with Western sensibilities) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 6.9/10

1 - Heartattack and Vine (a blown-out guitar opens this song before leading into Waits' unmistakable voice. The haze of drunken antics and stumbling midnight shuffles through empty streets permeate this song. At this point in his career, Waits is still searching for his next sound and is currently content with squaring the new experimental rock sections with the jazz blues of the previous decade. The performance of this one is relatively one-note across the 5 minute mark and is relatively monotone for Tom Waits standards) 3.5/5 2 - In Shades (an instrumental piece. While not unheard of on a Tom Waits album, few are ever allowed to extend past the 4 minute mark as this does. This one captures the feel of a quarter-speed jazz interlude at a smoky club, with a performance delivered after closing time. Not too much else to say about besides the occasional cameo from Waits, whose distance voice sounds like a duck call. The slow pace of the first 2 songs has really halted much of the album's momentum) 3.5/5 3 - Saving All My Love for You (a classic boozy piano ballad that's introduced by a series of church bells. A plaintive string section in the back lends a cinematic quality to the despondent performance Waits gives. This sounds like the absolute saddest Christmas song a person could ever write, and I give it the bulk of its points for allowing me to conjure that image) 4/5 4 - Downtown (a slinky mid-tempo piece that wouldn't sound out of place in a spy movie. It actually features an upbeat chorus section that finally gives the album the steam it desperately needed to move forward. The Hammond does much of the work on infusing the energy into this song, though the return of the blown-out guitar also helps. This song is probably the most representative of the sound Waits was going for in this strange transition era from the 70s to 80s experimentalism) 4.5/5 5 - Jersey Girl (probably the most recognizable song on this album, it's another moody ballad but with a much more passionate performance from Waits with its climactic bridge 3 minutes in anchored by the most bittersweet "sha-la-las" ever commited to tape. An oddly evocative piece as Waits sounds enraged, despaired and overjoyed all at once. The sense of dynamics and sparseness giving way to bigger instrumentation is an added bonus) 4/5 6 - 'Til the Money Runs Out (a refined bass-and-toms groove is interrupted by an utterly manic speak-sung performance from Waits. Most of the lyrics are chewed up and spit out, mimicking the story of whatever crazed vagrant Waits is singing about on this one. Songs like these and Downtown really make me wonder why Waits largely abandoned the Hammond after this album because it's an instrument that grounds his electric, off-kilter performances very effectively) 4/5 7 - On the Nickel (the longest song on the album, this ballad is backed by a sweeping string arrangement and a restrained vocal from Waits, who seems to have written some of the earliest verses too low for his voice. His midrange is also very thick on this record where it would become more even in later years. This lends an incredibly gruff and exaggerated phrasing that really captures the crazed performances of energetic songs but sounds overbearing on slower songs like these. The cinematic, show tuney atmosphere of this track makes me think it was originally written for a musical or Disney movie but was cut for being too sad for children) 3.5/5 8 - Mr. Siegal (a down and dirty blues track complete with honky-tonk plinking on a piano and a guitar that sounds more gas-powered than electric. Waits' voice works absolute wonders for the character he presents here, and this song is one of the stronger genre pieces of Waits' career to this point. This might have been the danger that people heard coming from the music of the Stones when they first got big in the 60s) 4/5 9 - Ruby's Arms (the album ends on one final ballad with the most strained performance from Waits yet; this song truly does demonstrate the immense control he has over his instrument and the variety of colours he can give it. This is a fine closer and doesn't do anything that the previous ballads already didn't do; all of them are essentially recognizable by the lyrical material in this case. A decent enough way to end the album whose other tracks showed signs of the true madness to come....) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 7.6/10

1 - It Won't Be Long (a fine opener whose call and response yeah's catch the listener's attention. The old-school rockabilly sound of the guitars is more of its era than anything else but has aged remarkably well) 4/5 2 - All I've Got to Do (a much more of-its-time follow up to the opener. It captures the 50s doo-wop and early rock and roll sound rather well but songs like these were dime a dozen in this period) 3/5 3 - All My Loving (probably the highlight of this album. A hit single its day but overshadowed by the singles that followed it in this phase of the Beatles' career. Not too much else to say about this one) 3,5/5 4 - Don't Bother Me (more wiry and frankly, more interesting, than the previous 2 tracks with a more unique shuffling beat and lyrics with a slightly harder edge than the previously fluffy songs. A fine deep cut all things considered) 4/5 5 - Little Child (sets itself apart right away with its bluesy start and harmonica peppered throughout. It actually captures a very unique sound, sort of a bluesy, R&B, surf rock vibe) 4/5 6 - Till There Was You (a much more pared down piece sung by Paul. Another unique combination with the guitar almost lending a Latin mood to it while Paul's performance recalls a show tune ballad) 4/5 7 - Please Mister Postman (a very obvious cover here that doesn't do anything too daringly different. John sounds a little more gruff on this song than most others so far) 3.5/5 8 - Roll Over Beethoven (another cover of a rock and roll classic. Much like the previous song it's a fairly 1:1 rendition of the original. All in all it functions well as a tribute to one of the Beatles' heroes) 3.5/5 9 - Hold Me Tight (a fun 50s style romp. Oddly enough, it sounds very high-school-dance to my ears. Not too much else to say beyond it's a fun track that comes and goes with relatively little impact) 3/5 10 - You Really Got a Hold on Me (a Motown classic as covered in the Beatles' recognizable early sound. Like the covers before it, it's played pretty straight without too many stylistic changes. The band does this classic tune service and it stands out among the rest of the poppy rock tracks that cover this album) 3.5/5 11 - I Wanna Be Your Man (another R&B track on this album whose energy and rapid-fire verses turn it into a garage rock track of sorts. Doesn't overstay its welcome but also could've gone just a little longer, that shuffle is infectious) 3.5/5 12 - Devil in Her Heart (a mellower piece full of trademark early Beatles harmonies. It's songs like these that make you realize just how big of a shift drugs-era Beatles really was; they went from this to Tomorrow Never Knows in less than 3 years...! A fine addition to this album late in its runtime) 3.5/5 13 - Not a Second Time (another R&B influenced track made distinct by the piano-led instrumental section halfway through. Despite that songs like these are very samey throughout this album; at least a couple could have been left off though this would shorten this already brisk walk of an album) 3/5 14 - Money (That's What I Want) (a welcome change for the final song of this album, this song is largely led by the piano, lending it a honky-tonk blues feel. John gets screechy on this song, the first time in a while. An early sign that the band had a harder edge than the bulk of this album led on. An excellent track to end things on) 4/5 OVERALL - 7.1/10

1 - Bonde (nice relaxed guitar with a distinctly arid tone. Touré's catchy, sing along vocal lines (if one could sing along to the Songhai lyrics) compliment the laid-back mood very well. Though it's bluesy in structure it's ultimately much more optimistic) 4.5/5 2 - Soukoura (much more relaxed and less energetic than the already laid-back opener. The percussion is a little more forward and almost makes this into an island retreat kind of song. Things really kick up in the second half as a harp-like instrument comes further forward; it almost sounds like a kora. A little overlong but a fine addition to this album regardless) 3.5/5 3 - Gomni (a slinky and much more evident piece of desert blues. Complimented by the repetitive groove that belies the intensity (which is entirely speculative as I have no idea what the song is about.) Slightly overlong as was the last one but this one feels more succinct in a way) 3.5/5 4 - Sega (an interlude largely led by a violin solo with some percussion hidden behind it. A fine break from the desert blues of the previous 3 tracks and a sort of atmospheric piece meant to recall the desert at night) 3.5/5 5 - Amandrai (a slow and langorous guitar intro opens this song and the mood persists throughout the song's 9-minute runtime. A violin comes in here and there to add to the wibble-wobbling desert caravan roaming through this song. The steely guitar tone makes its presence worth it especially as it picks up and begins soloing late into the song. Touré's performance here is very John Lee Hooker, though he long insisted that his sound predated Hooker and that the music he played was older than the blues. All in all an excellent inclusion and probably a key track) 4/5 6 - Lasidan (the resonator guitars on here are a welcome change from the previous pieces; feels like Cooder was more involved with the second half than the first. This song is much more energetic than most of the previous fare and at this point midway through the album it's a well-needed breath of fresh air. Touré also sounds more engaged here than on any other track. This was probably the joyous, freeing atmosphere Touré and Cooder sought on this album and it mostly comes together here) 4.5/5 7 - Keito (Touré's trademark tone sets the stage for some French spoken verses. There's also a slight tambura drone here and there so despite its slower pacing comparable to the first half, the intermittent drones over the relaxed guitar really set it apart, as do the call-and-response voices towards the end, which really leans into the hypnotic feel of the whole thing) 4/5 8 - Banga (a second violin and percussion interlude, this one more animated than the previous one. It's also more repetitive but, like the previous interlude, offers a change of pace and a display of a lesser-known instrumental style from the African continent; perfect for a Western breakthrough album like this one I suppose) 3.5/5 9 - Ai Du (the African percussion has been replaced with a drum set more in line with Western blues conventions. A distinctive crossover song with a traditional blues structure alongside Touré's plaintive voice, accompanied as always by the violin and guitar backup. The violin in particular is noteworthy as it takes the place of the usual electric guitar during solos. There's also the return of the kora/harp instrument in the latter half that really adds to this crossover highlight. A strong key track and a high point of this album) 4.5/5 10 - Diaraby (a moodier and more pensive song closes out this album. It captures the feeling of nightfall on the desert very well and at times sounds like a mourning song. There's also some additional details like a faint accordion sound and a huge sounding guitar that sounds bowed coming in at various points to capture feelings of loneliness and vast expanse. Things brighten for brief moments before returning to the standard. For such a guitar-heavy album there's relatively few extended solo sections, with this song having some of them across its runtime. A very subdued but memorable note to close out this album) 4.5/5 OVERALL - 8/10

1 - Death on Two Legs (a strange ambient opening makes way for a glitchy guitar intro, which sounds like the instrument itself is rebelling against Brian May. Mercury's trademark multilayered, theatrical stylings do much of the heavy lifting on this song, which is quite a bit darker in colour than most of the other songs, making it a distinct standout track on this album) 4/5 2 - Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon (an old-timey music hall interlude which honestly sounds like an old English folk tune updated for the 1930s. That is, until May's guitar kicks in. Very memorable for its camp factor) 3.5/5 3 - I'm in Love with My Car (I was absolutely not expecting the huge symphonic intro leading in from the previous track. Taylor's gritty performance sells the passion and infatuation (?) The song is no philosophical piece and is so overblown and maximalist it makes up for how silly it is under the surface) 4/5 4 - You're My Best Friend (an iconic single that, to me, stands out for the electric piano that anchors it. A soaring track that brings a smile to my face every time I hear it (which is a lot given rock radio overplay.) Mercury gives a wonderful performance that I would rank among his best) 4/5 5 - '39 (a folky acoustic tune sung by Brian May. The cosmic imagery in the lyrics belies how earthy it sounds, and its upbeat sound hides the sadness behind the lyrics. A very interesting addition to this album though outside of its context it's pretty by the numbers pop rock for this era) 3.5/5 6 - Sweet Lady (a much more conventional bombastic track to end the first half. This song has the rare quality where it sounds like a single but also doesn't. It feels like the band doesn't know where to take the song past its simple chorus so it thrashes for a bit and ends off with a guitar solo. Decent enough I guess) 3.5/5 7 - Seaside Rendezvous (another piano led music hall piece for the true end of the first half. It's cutesier than the previous one. Eventually it grows into a jaunty show tune type of song which, honestly, is unsurprising given how over the top Queen were) 3.5/5 8 - The Prophet's Song (an epic, multi-part piece very representative of the prog rock of ites era. Funiily enough, prog would be on its way out just a year or 2 later. Every singer involved gives it their all and then some in an absolute scenery-chewing performance from Mercury. May and Taylor serve the extensive back-up sections well with dense, layered harmonies. The "now I know" section almost halfway through almost sounds medieval compared to the more modern earlier sections. The searing guitar solo towards the end wakes the listener up from the layered madrigal section and the closes with a final blast of bombast followed by a subdued outro which brings everything full circle. Definitely the highlight of this album and among the most overlooked and underrated songs in Queen's catalogue) 5/5 9 - Love of My Life (the calm acoustic outro of the previous song leads to the overwrought piano ballad. Mercury wrote this song for the woman he said he loved most, which somewhat contrasts the exclusively gay imagery Mercury became associated with in the years following his death. More layered harmonies really turn things up a notch for this otherwise acceptable but standard love song) 3.5/5 10 - Good Company (another music hall interlude, this time accompanied by a simple strummed guitar. This one bounces just the same as the previous ones and highlights what they were put on this album to do; break the tension and function as musical palate cleansers to not make the loudness and bombast so overbearing. This one is fine and the most fully developed of the 3 on this album. It sort of sounds like a song Gabriel-era Genesis would have done, now that I think about it. The spaced-out section 2 minutes in solidifies that, as does the strange carnival-sounding ending section) 3.5/5 11 - Bohemian Rhapsody (we all know what this one is; an absolute anomaly, a monument of popular music, and also overplayed to Hell and back. It functions perfectly in the context of this album though as, alongside the Prophet's Song, it's one of the 2 giants dominating this side of the album, and maybe the rest of it too. The 3 (4?) main sections flow very well despite how disparate they are, and the lyrics are a lot more obscure than the song's popularity suggests; what other song can make normies sing about Scaramouche and invoke Bismillah? Despite how overplayed and overhyped the song might be it's one of very few I would say are worth putting on a new Voyager Gold Record) 4.5/5 12 - God Save the Queen (the album closes with a rendition of the British anthem as played by May and a multitude of overlaid guitars. The drumrolls add to the fanfare feel. I suppose there's no better way to end an album so distinctly British as this one) 3.5/5 OVERALL - 8.4/10

1 - 21st Century Schizoid Man (the iconic opener to this album from its eerie, rumbling start to the free jazz chaos of the end. This one is probably the most accessible of the traditional skronk prog songs Crimson made, and definitely the one with the most obvious message; a clear anti-war statement. An iconic piece and an indelible piece of prog history; Voyager record worthy) 5/5 2 - I Talk to the Wind (a more soothing ballad with all the pretty artifice of the more conventional pop songs of the era. It still carries a pensive, pessimistic tone, especially with its final "the wind does not hear, the wind cannot hear" line in each chorus. A welcome change of pace from the mania of the previous piece) 4.5/5 3 - Epitaph (the soaring "power ballad" of this album, not that such a concept existed yet in 1969. Lake delivers the best performance of his Crimson career on this one and it stands as yet another highlight on this album. The Mellotron really shows its vast symphonic sound here (and on the closer coming up later)) 4.5/5 4 - Moonchild (a pretty and soft ballad followed by about 10 minutes of what many would describe as aimless noodling. There are some interesting snippets here and there but the sheer length of this improvisational piece grinds the album's momentum to a halt. It at least serves as a showcase of the band's ability to move into full on indeterminate territory, though they eventually did it much better with Providence from "Red") 3.5/5 5 - The Court of the Crimson King (this was undoubtedly the best way to close this album. Pulling out all the stops, this song pulls out the symphonic Mellotron sound, the soaring "Kiiiing" refrain and even some oddly quiet sections towards the end before resolving to a final coda in a different key. The album doesn't end without leaving behind some uncertainty as the full circle moment of a noise freakout leaves the listener somewhere between a a blissful world of the Crimson King and the chaos of the Schizoid Man, both of whom are displayed on the front and back covers. An excellent way to close out and a sign of prog innovations to come) 5/5 OVERALL - 9/10

1 - Cherry-Coloured Funk (a hazy shuffle opens this album and Liza Fraser's airy fluttering voice compliments this well. Most of the lyrics are indecipherable. Loose shoegaze sound aside, this sounds like a very ahead-of-its-time pop song; there's something distinctly 2010s about this song from 1990. All in all an intriguing start to this album) 4.5/5 2 - Pitch the Baby (a more bass-heavy and swirling followup to the opener. The persistent keyboard gives it a trip hop feel - that genre would slowly develop across the 90s, making this also sound vaguely ahead of its time. Though the lyrics aren't any more evident than the previous songs, Fraser's choice of melody is commendable as she always finds the best earworm for each part of a song) 4.5/5 3 - Iceblink Luck (this one starts with a much more classic shoegaze sound, instantly brings Chapterhouse and their like to mind. Fraser does some actual R&B runs on the verses which offers a distinctive clash of styles on this song. A solid and memorable song even if it's the tiniest step down from the previous two) 4/5 4 - Fifty-Fifty Clown (a more subdued piece with an electronic plinking to keep time. Some relatively sparse chords offer Fraser the space to move her voice up and down the song, and that's the probably the highlight of this song, which functions best as a breather between big tracks. A distant guitar comes in towards the end to offer a slight changeup. This one is fine) 3.5/5 5 - Heaven or Las Vegas (the opening riff of this song recalls Sugar Hiccup from their Head Over Heels album. This version of the riff is cleaned up and gives way to one of the most instantly recognizable melodies in this genre of ethereal dream pop. The song is massive and yet restrained and the excellent layering recalls a drift through space, or and endless ocean of flowers; whichever you prefer) 4.5/5 6 - I Wear Your Ring (a slower and more expected sort of song follows the big single. The melodies wind around but the instrumental sort of stays exactly where it is, leaving Fraser to carry this song much like she did with Fifty-Fifty Clown) 3.5/5 7 - Fotzepolitic (oddly nostalgic in sound, like an old song coming straight out a memory. This song has a light, shimmering vibe that brings to mind lazy summer evening with late sunsets, which adds to the nostalgic feel of this song. A fine addition late into the album) 4/5 8 - Wolf in the Breast (a slower piece with a heftier lower end than most of the previous fare. This feels like another lighter shoegaze song straight out of the Curve or Chapterhouse playbook. A fine addition to this album if a little ordinary by the standards of the rest of the albums especially as it remains mostly samey for its runtime save for the multilayered ending) 3.5/5 9 - Road, River and Rail (another slower song carried mostly by its rhythm section. Fraser's lyrics sound clearer here than anywhere else but are still largely indecipherable. It's a very relaxed and wide-sounding sound, probably to invoke the feeling of travelling great distances since the title references ways to get around. The runs Fraser does on the chorus are very R&B which really shows how good her pop sensibilities were despite how ethereal and sometimes inaccessible Cocteau Twins' sound was) 3.5/5 10 - Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires (the final song begins with a slow, brooding intro with only Fraser and a lonesome piano that take over 2 minutes to get to the first major instrumental burst of the song. This song displays a strong sense of dynamics where most of the other songs essentially moved along a single dynamic window and rhythm. The atmosphere is equally strong here with additional details added periodically rounding out this album closer. A definite highlight) 4/5 OVERALL - 7.9/10

1 - Kicks (a classic garage rock instrumental plays atop a somewhay mysterious R&B melody; it's quite the interesting contrast especially for one of the band's best-known songs. A very strong start to this album) 4/5 2 - There's Always Tomorrow (a bluesy shuffle and speak-sung performance make this into a fun travelling romp. The minimalist guitar solo is a very nice touch and, coupled with the intermittent organ, lends a strangely psychedelic feel to this song) 4/5 3 - Little Girl in the 4th Row (a slower ballad about a pretty girl next door. Many, many songs like this came out in this era, all with a very similar tempo any lyrical content. This one is decent enough but doesn't necessarily stick out of the bunch) 3.5/5 4 - Ballad of a Useless Man (a down on its luck surf rock romp, odd juxtaposition given the lyrics compared to the upbeat instrumental. A solid inclusion on this album as it's a straight-to-the-point that fits perfectly) 4/5 5 - I'm Not Your Stepping Stone (the band returns to the more conventional Zombies/Animals/Kinks type of song but with a slightly harder edge not unlike what more dedicated garage bands would do both currently and in the years following them. It thrashes around here and there for a few seconds, giving this song a legitimate punk energy, though punk was about a decade away from being a fully-fledged genre) 4/5 6 - There She Goes (a much more lighthearted song with another girl-next-door story as its subject matter. It's here that I realize this album sort of sounds like a pastiche of much of the popular rock music of the era it was released in, which is maybe why this band is not as recognized as many of their contemporaries given how catch-all this album has been so far) 3.5/5 7 - All I Really Need Is You (this song starts with an almost Middle Eastern riff and goes at a much more gradual pace that the rest of the toe-tapping one the album has favoured to this point. The layered harmonies help this song stand out compared to the rest as well. Like the second song, the riff lends a psychedelic quality, though the choruses almost serve to snap the listener out of that mood) 4/5 8 - Get It On (led more by the organ and a wavy guitar strum, the title almost makes you feel like it would be a precursor to the T-Rex song, but it ends up being a more standard pop rock tune of its era barring the pretty fiery guitar solo and harder edged sound overall. Another strong highlight of this album) 4/5 9 - Louie, Go Home (a nearly Day-Tripper/Pretty Woman riff introduces us to this song with its distant voice. The album has a great mix for its time with some interesting choices made like the ones on this song. The instrumental section once again has hints of a psychedelic Middle Eastern flavour and offer an actually jarring switch up before the main motif returns. Another highlight in this already strong back half) 4/5 10 - Take a Look at Yourself (a standard, paint-by-numbers beat song for the time. Nothing much to say about it save that it's brief enough not to make the last part of the album drag too much, though its inclusion is sort of a head-scratcher given it does nothing special unlike most of the others) 3/5 11 - Melody for an Unknown Girl (the final song features a brief spoken intro before transitioning to a soft instrumental with a smooth pensive trumpet as its lead instrument. For some reason the chimes in the back of the mix lend an uncomfortable feel to this song. Not sure how to feel about this one...) 3/5 OVERALL - 7.4/10

1 - Luv N' Haight (the classic phased out funk guitar kicks off this album alongside a soaring female vocal and an instantly catchy groove. The horns come in alongside the chorus, giving this opener a warm, communal feel. The song continues adding layers with an additional melody and piano and really is an instant earworm as so many iconic funk songs are. An excellent start to this album) 4.5/5 2 - Just Like a Baby (toned down slinky grooves open this song before a sighing, whispery vocal floats around the instrumental. The song maintains this plaintive groove for much of its runtime and is only occasionally interrupted by individual guitar chords. The electric piano almost drones over this track to lend a more solemn feel that I originally expected) 3.5/5 3 - Poet (a more traditional funk groove pins what is far and away the most powerful vocal performance of the album so far - admittedly, this is relatively early in its runtime. For me, the second major highlight after the opener) 4/5 4 - Family Affair (the biggest song to come out of this album is a rather relaxed affair. The song, like most of Sly Stone's songs, speaks of social issues, this one about the impact of material conditions and community on life outcomes, as well as traditional roles and performance of them; surprisingly radical even half a century later) 4.5/5 5 - Africa Talks to You ("The Asphalt Jungle") (a very soulful intro to this song with some occasional jazz influences. The obvious centerpiece of this half of the album, the early verses give way to a more off-the-cuff, improvised style as the song continues jamming on. Each and every instrument in this large eclectic ensemble has its chance to shine on this song and really emphasizes the togetherness of this band's ethos) 4/5 6 - There's a Riot Going On (it's silence, what can I really write about that?) NA/5 7 - Brave & Strong (some immediate soulful shouting opens this very Motown sounding single. It's separated from the Motown lot by how loose and nonsensical the vocal performance is, as well as the underlying heaviness of the song itself. A definite highlight) 4.5/5 8 - (You Caught Me) Smilin' (a slower and more laid-back affair save Stone's occasional screamy interjections. His voice sounds very direct and almost like he's singing right in your face about being soothed by drugs. The phased guitar returns here to bend the song in a more psychedelic direction. Another strong performance from the band on this one) 4.5/5 9 - Time (a more conventional sounding R&B ballad with a trademark edge of psychedelia thrown in for good measure. Stone delivers his best performance on the album on this song and shows off a sense of dynamics and control in all registers. The electric piano fakes out the listener on more than on occasion by building up to something before dropping right back down. Excellent all around) 4.5/5 10 - Spaced Cowboy (one of the grooviest songs on this album wastes no time getting right to the rhythm and interplay. It subdues after a bit to make way for - get this - Sly Stone yodeling. Oddly enough, it fits convincingly into this soul/funk song, as does the harmonica solo that follows it. One of the oddest genre combinations I've ever heard to actually work) 4/5 11 - Runnin' Away (another standard single from this band. Soft horns and a simple groove move this one along just fine. The softer female voice singing lines about debt traps and oppression trick the listener into thinking about the radical ideas they put forward. People often forget how radical this band was as one of the first integrated and diverse bands to ever come to mainstream prominence) 4/5 12 - Thank You for Talkin' to Me, Africa (the other extended piece moves steadily along a stomping rhythm, though the big, bouncy bass recalls African talking drums to my ears. Stone doesn't come in until a few minutes into the runtime and offers a similarly loose, detached performance as the previous "Africa" tracks. Some of the lyrics are self-referential to add to the mythos that the band had already developed for itself by this point. The groove never outstays its welcome and the 7-minute runtime really flies by. No better way to close this album) 5/5 OVERALL - 8.5/10