Had not listened to this album before. Good grooves, recognizable riffs, great guitar solos. Heavy blues influence. Lots of songs about mean, mistreatin' women!
These guys either influenced or took cues from so many people, I hear thievery corporation, bonobo, Tycho, daft punk, Fatboy slim, Moby...
Some weak songs but track 1 is a real standout. Sexy Boy is not the best song on album.
Some beats and melodies a bit basic, but a majority of the music was stand out skilled musicianship and creative melodic music and wordsmithing. I can see why there's so much love for these guys and this album specifically.
1 or 2 standouts but overall didn't sound spectacular. Maybe a fad of the times?
Rock solid groves, so many good riffs, even excluding the big hits. Hard to believe this was their first album with their new singer and it still crushes to this day. Straightforward rock was never more infectious.
I've always dismissed Morrissey as "less than" the Smiths, but after actually listening to this album I've changed my mind. Some great guitar work and melodies paired with really great lyrical lines made this album for me.
Storytelling reminds me of Eminem. Spans the gamut of rap styles, some I don't like, but musically it is excellent. I can't relate too much of the lyrical content but he is a great lyricist.
Instantly liked from the first melody.
Smooth Operator brought me back to my childhood and defines the '80s adult contemporary/smooth jazz sound for me. Chill out / good vibes music, a cousin of bossa Nova.
Really great rock n roll. Solid riffs, excellent guitar solos, and feel-good vocals. That they performed this live is a testament to their skill as musicians and performers.
Reminds me of that era Pink Floyd, which I love... psychedelic flower powered rock. Great last song (Time of the Season), but I think I need a few listens to appreciate the rest.
Great synths and harmonized melodies. Standout album for 1979 and great musicianship from an enduring artist.
A bit unhinged to be sure. Great energy and intensity in a solid rock and roll performance, perhaps after its time.
Good jams make the body sway and the head nod. Makes sense now why the rap kids I knew in high school talked the way they did. I can't relate to the lyrics but the music is pretty great.
Closer, Vasoline, and Black Hole Sun dominated radio and Mtv in my summer of '94. NIN's self-destruct tour was my first real concert and I buzzed for days afterwards. I based an rpg campaign on this artist and album tour, and played A Warm Place on a loop during the intense parts. Formative for sure, making me a bit biased, but I still go back to this album these days, and it holds all the power and emotion for me now as it did then.
Critics say this album was ahead of its time, which may explain why a lot of 70s rock sounds like it, even if it was released in '74. The orchestration and production probably are, but that's what I really like about this album. I can hear its influence in Terry Reid and others, in either the melodies, song structures, orchestration, vocals, take your pick. Surprisingly good, even despite the gospel bits. Pity it was treated so poorly upon release, and not until after Clark's death did it begin being recognized.
A lot more jazz than this than I was expecting. The vocals are raw at times as is the sentiment toward the end, but they feel like sage observations someone who's seen too much. Musically all over the place but with real talent to pull it all together.
I dumb-rebel hated Radiohead and many other great bands when they were popular bc they were "trendy." I came to love them after maturing a bit. The melodies and layered instrumentation in this album always grab my attention. The guitar on some songs sound a bit dated now but their brilliance still shines brightly. This is one of the great albums of the 90's, characteristic of the brooding atmosphere, loneliness, and discontent that nurtured bands like Porcupine Tree, The Cure, and the grunge and goth scenes. Worth re-spinning and never shelving for long.
Great concept for an album. I'm a Wilco fan and hadn't realized California Stars came out of this Collab. A slice of Americana and country that sits well with me.
Emotive soulful music. This guy became a preacher; I can't imagine the influence he held over his congregation as such a skilled vocalist. Underappreciated in his time.
If you like improvisational piano jazz, this album is amazing. Despite it being a bit all over the place due to stream of consciousness (and all the backstory bullshittery), Jarrett ties everything together and it flows well from one movement to the next. But I can't do jazz all the time.
Proto-Doom metal. Thanks for the blueprint! Also for Jay in the white pickup truck in high school who blasted Iron Man in the Burrito Stop parking lot every day at lunch. And War Pigs, covered by Faith No More and Dresden Dolls.
RIP Ozzy.
The '70s have a sound and steely Dan definitely rides that wave. A lot more jazzy than I thought it would be, but some of the noodling just doesn't click with me.
I never liked Belle and Sebastian. They are pretentious and their lyrics don't make any sense, but I listened to this anyway. I decided to read the lyrics for "The boy done wrong again" and really liked it. 1 out of 10 still isn't great, but maybe I should set aside superficial bias and listen more to the lyrics.
I like the jangly slide guitar. Great opening song, the rest seemed more experimental, or closer to country/folk at times. Need a closer listen but so far not my fave Zep album.
It's House music. It has its place on the dancefloor, but I don't like much House except Daft Punk and Praga Khan. Though this album does have more going on in the production than most tracks on Daft Punk's Homework released the same year, the latter caught my attention with Da Funk and Around the World, both catchy tunes with equally mesmerizing music videos.
Some of this reminds me of DJ Shadow.
I like the salsa horns and upbeat tone of Bingo Bongo, and Being With U could be mistaken for an Outkast song.
Great music. Never have the chance to really listen but Ive always liked the Smiths. I've sung variations of Girlfriend in a Coma to my spouse and cats for 16 years.
Excellent production, Prince's perfect pitch and guitar shredding, and top-notch sounds from the 80s. I really need to watch that movie.
Reminiscent of Suicide and Pailhead. Excellent intersection of styles I personally love, hardcore, industrial, and punk, a pioneering release from 1985. They were diy to the extreme too, never signing contracts and booking their own tours, maintaining complete control over their careers in a consistent fsck you to the music industry. Led many in indie rock and industrial rock scenes. Discomforting, thought provoking lyrical content too.
Found this in high school. Awesome riffs and jams, made me rage! Never got behind politics so, soon put it down. The album still holds up tho, and Tom Morello's guitars are the bomb.
More depth than I was expecting. After the tremendous loss of his young partner to cancer and the ongoing issue of segregation and the unpopular overseas Vietnam war (echoing on 2026), Gaye recorded a heartfelt album that masterfully weaves together melody, hope, and love. Repeating themes unify it and give it a cohesive feel.
The radio singles were the standouts on this work. It was the first of a persistent, though sparse, musical career of a virtual band with real musical talent behind it. The phenomenon of the media mask apes concepts introduced in the Macross Plus OVA with Sharon Apple, the AI musician that created visual performances using sophisticated holograms, which Gorillaz executed well to a stateside audience.
I still love Demon Days waaaaay more.
Afro Beat with a conscience. Jazz, soul, and some Caribbean in there with the horns. Good upbeat world music, solid grooves and melodies. Some loooong tracks that can be like mantras or refrains.
Nick Cave is one of those artists wise music is exponentially better when you pay attention to the lyrics. I've been unable to do that for 3 listens, though what I've caught I've liked a lot! So I'ma rate this comparably to other Nick Cave albums.
Can't say I've ever loved a Pixies album, so this once was fine. It's supposedly their weakest, but I can't tell. It has a couple decent tracks, but none blew my socks off.
An anachronism and amalgamation of complementary styles that span several decades.
Some vocal harmony, jam band noodling, a bit of progressive rock, post-rock elements, and Appalachian 70's rock influence create something upbeat, not entirely new, yet still worthwhile.
As part of the NWoBHM, Def Leppard's 3rd album ushers in the era of stadium rock and hair metal. Polished in the studio, metal edges bugged out, the album brought Def Leppard mainstream success near the top of the charts. Sounds good for what it is.
I had no idea The Kinks had such a long, eclectic, prolific career. Or that they were banned from the US in the 60's.
I see similarities between the songwriting on this and some Beatles records, and early Pink Floyd, purposely reflecting Ray Davies' intent to preserve British the songwriting style. This proto-concept album is a slice of music history and artistic growth unknown or forgotten by so many.
Intelligent rap worth listening to.
It's a vibe. Upbeat, poppy, dancey. The lyrics make no sense.
Guitar on verses of High Flyin' Baby sounds like the This Old House theme from the '10s.
A little rough but still working the rock/abilly vibes of the 50's. Kudos to them for bucking the psychedelia of 60's SF, that time must have been rough if you weren't into space travel.
Groovy, smooth jazzy, and mellow.
Good emulation of great Black blues musicians.
Not sure what I just listened to but it jibes with my love of early Pink Floyd and Kinks (Village Green). Story guitar rock that makes you sway with your arms around the people next to you. A lost art.
I hear this album's influence from Johnny Cash to Mumford and Sons and King Dude. Excellent production for 1959, this is a nostalgic and romanticized male-centric slice of Americana.
The album was so successful that Robbins made 2 more gunfighter albums afterwards...
Awesome to hear a Black woman representing their problems in life at a foundational time in hip hop.
Not exactly what I was expecting from Fiona Apple, having only heard the early hits from her debut. From the historical records it seems this album's success was largely due to a subject matter of oppression and isolation timed with the terrifyingly raw new normal of COVID lockdown. Humorous, good melodies, interesting lyricism, with some wacky bits thrown in... I still hear the parallels drawn with Tori Amos.
First ever Stones album listen unlocked. My frame of reference is Denis Leary's bit about his dream bar that played nothing but the Stones, and "Weird Al's" Hot Rocks Polka lol.
More musically diverse than I was expecting, and all good. Great guitar work and riffs, notably Wild Horses. Keith Richards earned his status.
Amazing vocal melodies predominating over rap makes this r&B album stand out to me. Relatable stories about love and loss with with Great harmonization and musical composition made this a pleasurable discovery. A talented voice in modern music.
I like jazz singers, but I wasn't sure I would like this one because of her vibrato at the start, but she quickly found her groove and put a lot of heart into her songs, and friendly humor into the interludes (and some songs!). It's these, what would otherwise be outtakes in a studio, that gives the recording character. An exquisite singer among the top of her peers.
I wish this album was easier to find! According to Domino, his music is no different than the rhythm and blues he'd been playing in New Orleans for 3 years before "the fat man " was recorded and released in '49. Elvis Presley himself called Fats Domino the real King of rock and roll and cited him as a huge influence in his earlier years.
Though it is a style, several of the songs on this release had a very similar rhythm and melody to Blueberry Hill. Regardless of that, the style he pioneered was the foundation of rock and roll music, and the fact that Domino was a black musician from the south gave the music power and authenticity, diminishing (in some capacity) the adage that rock and roll is just ripped off blues riffs.
This was released around the time of German reunification and almost 15 years into U2's career as their 7th studio album. Bono drew ideas from 2 failed marriages of friends, including that of bandmate, the Edge.
The album name and colorful, multi-picture sleeve was chosen to confuse the public as the material was certainly darker, with themes of broken love, loneliness, and tragedy. Rich arrangements and Bowie's influence come through to intensify deeply introspective and personal themes.
A phenomenal album benchmarking a high point in one incredible band's career.
A Brisbane band that started out post-punk in '79? Yes, please! Though almost 10 years into their career here, they sound a lot like James and at times the Smiths, and I love both. Great production. Will be digging into them more.
Santana vibes on "Do It Again" of course, but a strong start for their debut. A bit of Bowie on Fire In the Hole.
Easy listening, good times 70s rock, and the start of something to frame an era; but per critics, Steely Dan's best and most innovative was yet to come.
This is an oddity and I hear Byrne coming through stronger than Eno on many tracks. Props for the collab with Bill Laswell. Interesting that this was made before there were samplers, so precision playback wasn't a thing, putting the "art" into the artistry. Psychic TV comes to mind, who made similar music around the time of this release, but much noisier and without ethnic field recordings. The improvised instruments gave some freshness to the sounds as well, like cardboard boxes as kick drums.
The experimental nature of this piece demonstrated what was possible for the electronic, industrial, and avant-garde music to come. There are some standouts (Solo Guitar with Tin Foil for me), but this stands more as a study on influence and a turning point in music history than an album I'd put on just to enjoy.
Mixed feelings about this one because of a past relationship that went sour; they introduced me to Cohen.
I love the melodies but they are repetitive, essentially a base on which to build Cohen's poetry. A lot is lost without hearing the words, making this not so much a background album, but art to be experienced with one's whole focus.
I'm a big fan of the sisters of Mercy, who took their name from the Leonard Cohen song, and the name of their early singles compilation, Some Girls Wander by Mistake (into the mess that scalpels make), from another song on this album. Reconciling Cohen and Eldritch's philosophies and music has been an interesting thought experiment.
I'm surprised this is on 4AD, but my knowledge of their catalog is 30 years old...
I like the sounds used and the production. A melodic hypnotic din of dream pop with heaps of reverb and guitar overdriven just enough.
Warm, fuzzy vocals in "Memory Boy" and "Desire Lines" Hints of Jeff Buckley, Matt Berry, and His Clancyness in "Sailing." Dandy Warhols-inspired grooves in "Fountain Stairs". Some Shins influence too, but maybe that's just "indie music"??
Feelgood mellow music for aging, slightly broken people.
Great example of 70's rock and an outstanding, legendary live performance.
Guitar innovation technology is also featured here with Bob Heil's talk box, and Frampton's mastery of it. This was cutting edge!
Fantastic performance of a musician in his prime that (mostly) aged really well.
Amazing 1979 post-punk. Stylistic similarities to Bauhaus' first album in 1980. RIP guitarist Andy Gill.
Fantastic energy and musicianship. Good live shows are something else, and we are fortunate that Mr. Brown had the gumption to pay for this recording out of his own pocket.
I'd only heard his hits, so all the slower, soulful songs he performed at the Apollo that night were a surprise and a treat.
RIP James Brown.
