Is it because the World Cup kicks off this week, or does every song on this album sound like 'World in Motion'!? The late 80's acid house vibe, the driving drums, the syths, the rap, the spoken word, sound-tracking the "dark underbelly" of English football culture (think Football Factory) in my head. This album makes me want to join a Firm, sink 10 pints of lager, a couple of grams, and thow a chair to throw across a piazza somewhere in mainland Europe (joking, obvs).
World Cup fever is pushing me to give this a 4... can I be convinced? Course I can... it's coming home...
Admittedly this entire genre carries a huge amount of nostalgic weight in my household. Rat Pack is our dinner-time prep go to and I'm very much looking forward to the day that my children put on some Frank Sinatra of their own volition.
This particular album is filled with timeless classics sung in Frank's signature style. I love the dancing bassline combined with the punching brass section. Sure it lacks some of the emotional depth of Sinatra's later work but if you want cool, sophisticated, suave, then this it. Grab yourself a Martini. 5 stars.
Strong, stirring start with crunchy guitars, toe-tapping bass lines and honky-tonk piano, but descends into a fever dream of an album which lacks depth. By the time you reach Indian Summer (apparently the first song ever recorded by The Doors, but one that didn't make the first album cut) it's a mess, the lyrics are the output of a 5yo, and the instrumentation masquerades as psychedelic and moody, but is weak an uninspiring. 2 stars.
Some interesting passages and generally I like the haunting vibe. But the execution of that second vocal is so distracting I found it hard to immerse myself. 2 stars.
I found myself listening to this much longer than expected. While some of the vocal sections are not to my taste, the winding instrumental sections are emotive, stirring and occasionally anthemic. Perfect for driving. 3 stars.
A punk rock gem. Dissonant riffs, sharp lyrics, a great soundtrack for protesting. May not come back to this one, but happy I took the time to listen.
An album that changed music forever, as heavy rock bands, influenced by Led Zeppelin, departed from relying solely on blues. It's raucous, unhinged and wild, and took music to a whole new level. Play this to your kids and you'll be surprised at how many tracks have them dancefloor-walking around the house. 4 stars.
I hadn't listened to this album before from start to finish but I'm glad that I have. I get the feeling that if my parents were 20 years younger then I might have been brought up on it. A perfect accompaniment for 80s film, pop culture and fashion. Seamlessly blends electronica, punk, rock, soul, R&B, falsetto-cum-screaming and virtuoso guitar licks. It's not for every day, but when you're in the mood to commit to an hour's worth of air guitar and squealing, look no further.
I'm conflicted by this album. Who doesn't love 'biker-dive-bar opera' as a genre? The theatrical pageantry of it all! And by the time the live version of Bat Out Of Hell is played as the last track, I'm reminded of the talent involved in writing those arrangements. But I think that's exactly the problem, the live versions are full of embellishments, flourishes, and are Broadway show pieces. But for me the mix of the album lacks that same expression and energy. The whole album lacks the bottom end, and the drums lack clarity in the mix. A live performance might get a 5, but the studio album gets a 3.
Destiny's Child arrived at a formative time for anyone born in the 80s with a taste for R&B. This album smacks of all the characteristics from that era, and when you layer on Beyonce's world-class vocal... well... it's hard to rate this lower than a 4. That said, it could have been an EP; anything outside of the successful releases (Independant Women, Survivor, Bootilicious and Dangerously In Love) is really quite sub-par.
I wanted to like it, I really did, and I think I need to listen to this a few more times to really lock it in. Admittedly, American Folk/Rock or Country haven't historically been my vibe (probably due to the amount of Reba Mcentire rammed down my neck as a kid) but the likes of Noah Kahan, Post Malone and Shaboozy have created inroads in my head in recent times. Writing this down, it's clear that my ear seeks a more polished production, and this one sounds like it was recorded in a dusty camper somewhere. While I appreciate this presents as "earthy" and "honest" for some, it's just not for me. I don't actively dislike it and may give it another go. It's a 3 from me.
I immediately messaged my 1001 Albums groupmate to ask "what other albums do you know that start with the most successful track?". "Let's get it on" came the reply (great pluck).
Nevermind wastes no time in giving disillusioned and angsty Generation Xs a pure and unrestrained set of anthems to serve as nostalgia for decades to come. To be clear, that wasn't me, all I have is memories of older kids at school waving their hair around and jumping into each other, some using it as an excuse for (playful but nonetheless actual) physical violence. Maybe this is why I shyed away from heavier rock during my formative years...
Anyway, I do enjoy the classics from this album, I play(ed) the guitar and learned Smells Like Teen Spirit as a kid. There's no doubting how important this album was (is) to so many people, but it's too hard for me and stops just shy of a 5.
Solomon Burke is underrated
Hated it. Is it rap? Is it spoken word? Is it West Coast psychadelia? So confused. The standout moment though, was the lyric "TV is the place where the pursuit of happiness has become the pursuit of trivia, where toothpaste and cars have become sex objects, where imagination is sucked out of children by a cathode ray nipple - TV is the only wet nurse that would create a cripple". 2 stars.
Shouty. Not my thing.
Quite a sombre experience; not necessarily because this album is depressiong (though, imo, it is) but because of the realisation that I might not have as broad a music taste as I thought I had.
I think it might be the shoe-gazing, the raw instrumentation and mumbled vocals buried below layer upon layer of reverb fighting against years of cleaner-but-mass-produced music that I swam around in during my formative years. Regardless, on the whole, I wasn't a fan of this. It has an interesting... "sonic texture"... but not one that I want to chew on again.
Not super familiar with this and as such, so not a huge amocunt of nostalgia to rely on for vibing through it, but it did a good job on its own! The first track is an entry drug, that's for sure, with is rolling piano, lazy drums and sweeping vocals. You're then taken on a wild journey through powerhouse orchestral tracks such as 'Empty Room' and back. By the time 'Wasted Hours' arrives, you're glad to resolve on the now familiar, sundrenched, relaxed, porch-sitting groove. #
Respect for when an album feels like a complete work, rather than a collection of individual songs. 3 stars.
Trying to listen to white, British, kids try and play soulful Rock 'n' Roll, or black-American Blues, is offensive to my ears. The main offender, 'Going Home' is like a high-school project gone wrong - painful. You can really tell this was their first album. I understand you have to start somewhere, but blimey. 2 stars for trying something new, I guess.
With my recent Dandy Warhols review ringing in my ears (eyes?), I ran through the first few numbers with trepidation. But as it unfolded, it was clear this wasn't the same reverb-fest. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Kate Bush-inspired, whimsy-filled, etherial, almost alien landscape. The lead vocalist (who I've learned is Elizabeth Fraser) has an incredible range, and her voice is 10% human vocal chords, 90% synth from the stars.
Not for repeat listening, but an auditory experience nonetheless. 3 stars.
Eccentric arrangements, sharp-edged basslines, distorted mics and that deep south vibe. Those electric pianos on 'Love Interruption' and those quirky-yet-impactful lyrics. That vibe in 'I'm Shakin'... This album really knows how to blend rock with a soulful groove. 4 stars.
Is it for mud-soaked festivals, is it for light up dancfloors, who cares?! 'Take Me Out' stands as a banger today, foot-stomping its way into any house party setlist. Other standsouts for me are 'Come on Home' for the call and response, and 'Tell Her Tonight' for the hi-hat. 4 stars.
What is this mess? Sure, Big Star eventually make some nice music, but none of it is on this album. Is this a collection of demos or a production release? Blimey! Hated it. 1 star.
Banger after banger... A clear 5.
I didn't think I would like this, as I have a history of veering away from anything resembling "Heavy Metal". But I did enjoy this, perhaps it's Ozzy Ozboarne's familiar vocal, perhaps it's the cleanliness of the production (almost to a fault, as the instruments are sometimes TOO separate), perhaps it was just Changes that hooked me in, or perhaps it's because their influence has clearly inspired a lot of what I have enjoyed - such as Tenacious D. Who knows!? Regardless, this gets 3 fingers up from me!
I didn't know that Jonsi was the lead singer of Sigur Ros, I didn't know that he played the electric guitar with a cello bow, but what I DID know was how much I am moved by their music. The ethereal soundscapes and the sweeping orchestration make this album a immersive listen. For me the rewards are in sitting and listening deliberately, on relatively good equipment, and without distraction. The album does lack a single stand out banger, such as Hoppipolla, but Svefn-g-Englar is as close as it comes, and its beautiful. 4 stars.
