It's hard to be objective about an album that's been in the background of half my life. 'Enter Sandman' is a stadium-shaking opener that everyone knows, and 'Nothing Else Matters' is just gorgeous: a heartfelt ballad from the Prince of Darkness himself.
The production is clean and punchy. While it got me through mowing the grass, at over an hour, the heavy middle gets a bit samey and shouty, and that aspect of metal still isn't really my thing. I can respect it without wanting to live in it. 3 stars.
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.
It's just not my thing; too heavy and shouty for me to enjoy. I'm sure there is a parallel universe where I want to shout for over an hour straight, but in this realm, even with the amount of children that I have, I haven't found the need.
Sorry, Leonard. I gave 'You Want It Darker' a 4, so I came to this one hopeful. But this is the album where the gloom is turned all the way up and the tunes are turned down. 'Suzanne' is lovely and 'So Long, Marianne' gets a nod, but by 'Sisters of Mercy' I'd stopped noticing where one track ended and the next began. Same fingerpicked guitar, same hushed delivery but without the gravel - everyone wants gravel in their voice, but noone wants sand! It's sleepy, a decent lullaby for the kids. I respect the lyrics, but I wanted more than poetry on a loop. 2 stars.
The swing numbers are glorious, and ‘Jeep’s Blues’ is a swaggering, sultry-but-muscular bit of blues that makes the live setting feel like the whole point. By the time ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’ gets going, with a sax solo that just. Keeps. Going. and a crowd roaring like it’s a cup final, you can practically hear people dancing in the aisles. Sometimes a little self indulgent, but corrr Blimey this was a whole lotta immersive 50s fun! So-nearly-5 stars.
About ninety seconds in, I was waiting for the chorus of 'Ebeneezer Goode' to arrive. It never does. Every track on here SOUNDS like 'Ebeneezer Goode', with the same bouncing beat and the same rave-in-a-field energy, but not one of them actually is, and it's really annoying! It's like being promised a banger and handed a very well-produced loop.
Credit where it's due: the production is great, the beats are infectious, and I'd happily have it on at a house party. But nearly every song hangs off a single lyrical line, repeated until it's worn smooth. I wanted them to 'Move Any Mountain' and build something bigger than one idea per song. Good vibes, not much to chew on. 3 stars.
Is it hip-hop? Is it a game show? Who knows!? I've had a good run with the genre this year (Illmatic and Wu-Tang both got a 4), so I came in hopeful, and it delivered. 'Me Myself and I' is a properly bouncy, funky singalong and 'The Magic Number' is dangerously catchy, with grooves built out of some cleverly chopped-up samples. It's silly, warm and clever all at once, and for 1989 it sounds like nothing else.
What keeps it from a 5 is the skits. They're daft fun the first time, but they break the momentum, and I'd have happily swapped a couple for more of the grooves. Still, it's a joy of an album, and I'll be putting a few of these on again. 4 stars.
Hmm, where to start. The jittery rhythms and nervy, slightly neurotic vocal are going to be a love-it-or-hate-it thing, and for me it's a bit of both. 'Thank You for Sending Me an Angel' gets things off to a lively start, but 'Take Me to the River' is the clear highlight. It's a slinky, laid-back groove that steals the whole album and makes everything around it sound like it's trying a bit too hard. Outside of the odd gem, the songs feel more like clever ideas than tunes I want to sing along to. Interesting, never boring, but not one I'll rush back to. 3 stars.
Jangly guitars, tight harmonies and a song about a spaceman is a good start in my book. 'Eight Miles High's trippy guitar lines sound ahead of their time, and 'Mr. Spaceman' is a toe-tapper. The production is clean, bright and spacious, and it sounds like it was recorded last week rather than in the sixties. It does wobble.. The quieter folk numbers do sag a bit and the instrumentals feel like filler to me. But it does just enough to grab 3 stars.
If this album were a room, it'd be a lamp-lit living room with a warm blanket and a glass of claret. If it were a song, it'd obviously be 'Love and Affection', which sets the tone, gentle and heartfelt, and sung like every word is meant. A solid 4 stars.
Where has Sarah Vaughan been all my life? Embarrassingly, I'd never heard of her before this project, and I'm slightly cross about that. Early, slow swing jazz is a real preference of mine, and there's obvious traceability between this album and the Motown I was brought up on. That's probably why I enjoy it so much. 'Willow Weep for Me' and 'Stairway to the Stars' are the kind of slow, melting numbers you could lose a whole evening to, and 'September in the Rain' swings along with a wink. And that voice! Rich, playful, effortless, like she's just having a chat with the room. Properly special. So glad this project introduced me to it. 5 stars.
This album is like sprinting for a bus for half an hour, and then missing it.
'Blitzkrieg Bop' is the standout track, obviously. 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' was a surprise; a slower, sweeter number with an actual tune. But "Texas Chainsaw Massacreee", really?
The problem is that it's basically one very excitable song. At under half an hour it shouldn't be possible to outstay your welcome, and yet it does just that. The production is thin and rough, which is fine for a bit of fun but not for a whole album.
Credit where it's due though: this kicked helped to kick off British punk, paved the way for bands like the Sex Pistols and, in turn, the likes of Green Day.
A sugar rush that excites the taste buds at first, but eventually gives you a headache. 2 stars.
It's fine. Genuinely fine. I like blues, so an hour and a quarter of it was never going to be a hardship, and some of the guitar riffs are properly cool, the kind that make you pull that 'gurning guitarist' face. 'Layla' was a highlight. That riff, then the piano that takes the song somewhere completely different, was cool. There's a lot of slow-burning blues, and by the back half I was waiting for something to shake things up. A lovely backdrop nonetheless. 3 stars.
I have a confession to make: I don't really like U2.
However, here's proof that they were so much better before the stadium singalongs. This one is lean, urgent and properly angry, and I mean that as a compliment.
'Sunday Bloody Sunday' is iconic, of course. It's the opening track, so when this tidy 42-minute album finished and cycled straight back round to it, I was genuinely glad. The marching drums and jagged guitar still sound like they mean every word. 'New Year's Day' and 'Two Hearts Beat as One' are strong too.
A couple of tracks feel like filler, still, it's a proper album, and miles ahead of what came later for U2. Could come back for a few of these tracks. 4 stars.
This is a time machine to 1969 that somehow came out in 1989. It's warm and full of sexy swagger. It's rich and analogue, which is not something I'm usually happy with, but the vibe of this album is the perfect home for it. Hard to believe it was mostly one person playing everything. It does lay the hippie stuff on a bit thick, and a few of the slower songs drift, but I'll take sincerity over cynicism any day. 4 stars.
I couldn’t believe it when ‘A Minha Menina’ came on. Just last week I was banging on about the original by Os Mutantes, and how it was in a Citroën ad (I think it was the Picasso). The conversation spawned a whole drunken game of 'guess which ad this song is from', which went on until 1 a.m.
The album itself was good fun. Jazzy, relaxing and sunny, elevator worthy. It starts a bit strangely, but once it settles in it’s an easy listen. Pleasant rather than thrilling. Good company. And any other phrase that mean "fine". 3 stars.
Huge synths, huge hair, but only one banger.
'Jump' deserves some kind of 'service to 80s pop culture' award. Some of the guitar riffs ('Hot for Teacher' for one) are seriously complex - as anyoned checked how many fingers Eddie Van Halen has?
Fun fact: Eddie himself apparently said his inspiration for all that finger tapping was Jimmy Page's solo on Led Zeppelin's 'Heartbreaker'.
Apart from 'Jump', I couldn't hum any of it afterwards, so bumped it down to 3 stars. Maybe it's a grower?
What a joy. Brilliant music to work to. I stuck this on, got my head down, and the time just flew by. There's a huge amount of Latin swing, warm and relaxed, and it's beautifully produced. Every horn, string and shaker hits just right. The only thing missing for me was a banger I could belt out, and that's entirely on me, because I don't speak much Spanish. So it's a 4 for now. I'm off to learn the language, and when I'm back this is getting bumped up to a 5. Música hermosa.
