The 'popular' songs are good some of the deep cuts had the flowery over-prose that ruins music like Father John Misty's. Dylan-y, and not in a good way.
The instrumentation is interesting and complex and I'd love to go back to this pure-analog era.
The tracks that I already knew fit in well, but everything else felt like filler between those. It's almost a monotone album - not many highs or lows, just a lot of the same thing. Which isnt a bad, but it just all ran together.
I think this is a rock opera? it sure felt like one, in that I dont really remember any amazing melodies, but the singer was trying to tell me something - a story? I dont know, I could barely understand what was being said. Maybe its not an album for running.
The keyboards and drums were amazing though, there was a thickness to the low end of the album that felt unique.
Nothing better than good driving rhythm sections with lively piano, and its all over this album!
What a joy this album is!
It sounded like Sade made an album with the Swampers and a classical 4 piece band. She wields her voice like an amazing instrument, with little regard for convention - it'sEzra Furman esque in places.
The slide guitar work and piano is layered and beautiful. Whoever played on this album was ON.
It made me dance in my chair but not my kinda music. It's interesting, but not good? Or good but not interesting?
I guess I like my reggae a little more upbeat. Maybe I should give this one a try on a different day.
This is an album from a not-great period of life. I can see why it connected then.
An album of my youth. It's an interesting exercise to listen as part of this project, and tying to figure out musically what clicked. Its upbeat musically, but Julian is kinda dour. And desperate. The guitars are jangly and fill space with lovely runs (Someday). The drums are upbeat. Decidedly happy. Its dynamic music, fast and slow, loud and soft. One of the best albums of MY all time.
It's bright and sunny and I'm walking listening to 'Race for the Prize'. I'm on the kinda high that comes from running forever on some edibles and 'A Spoonful Weighs a Ton' is carrying me into the sky.
The singers voice is bright and uplifting. So is the music. It's almost TOO happy. Its like a 19 year old walking down the PCT thinking its all figured out. The world will slap this kid in the face someday but for right now, they dont know that, and life is AWESOME DUDE.
And with all that, at the end of the day, its almost too repetitive. It's just sunshine all over. The music is really nice and I do appreciate that these are some incredible musicians (it feels like theatrical rock). But at the end of the day, it might be a masterpiece, but its not my masterpiece.
A good way to judge an album is, would I listen again, and in what situation? I dont know that I'd ever come back to this one?
WOWIE! This is like Oasis meets the War on Drugs. I wonder if it inspired so much of what came after it, or if it was inspired by that stuff? This is damn good music.
Billy Joe freakin' Armstrong. So much energy.
Hard to comment on this musically, because it feels like a lotta powerchords and its not subtle at all. If i knew more about the history of this kinda music, it could be a 5 (cultural impact points). It's a solid, solid 4.
first album I'm not gonna listen all the way through. not sure who would consider this essential but yeesh, it's like a bad elementary school play.
