Some good songs. Not sure it really holds together as an album...
Surprisingly good! I doubt I would ever choose it, but surely happy to have heard it.
Not completely my cup of tea, but the artistry here is really phenomenal. Patti Smith definitely deserves her iconic status.
Of obvious historical import - I remember when this came out, it was amazingly innovative. But on a listen after 20 years, I don’t think it really holds up. Eminem (for example) one ups them significantly. But there would never have been a Marshall Mathers without the Beastie Boys! 5 stars for impact on music. 3 stars for current listenability.
Best song is definitely Sunday. Love the flute interaction with the guitar and drums. Northern Exposure is also worth a listen. Album is definitely something you should hear once through but the rest of the album did not stand out to me.
This is practically the definition of blues, or at least this is what I am thinking of when I say blues. This album and something from Robert Johnson...
Very nice example of punk from that era. Reminds me of B-52s (but obviously Adam and the Ants are their predecessors). Not a music style I particularly like.
Stylistically, sounds a lot like the Adam and the Ants album I just listened to. Maybe a little reminiscent of The Clash? Sort of Adam and the Ants meet The Clash...
I had never heard of this band before. Strikes me as Tangerine Dream meets MGMT meets Alan Parsons Project. A real find and it grows on you - I ended up listening to the album all the way through four times...
I don't mind having listened to it, but probably won't feel a need to listen to it again. Best songs are Intervention and My Body is a Cage (and both are good enough to put in my playlist - maybe even good enough to bump the whole album up by 1/2 star, but I will round down from 3.5).
Rerate 7/7 - After coming back to this several times, it is obviously a 4.
Intro is really good - I had heard this before but had no idea who played it (and never heard of XX before). The rest seems almost like easy listening. Background music for a coffeeshop. Interesting sound, but not very daring.
I had never listened to an MGMT album, but knew the most popular songs from the radio. I love Electric Feel and Kids. I find Kids to be one of the most joyful and uplifting songs around. But the rest of the album is significantly less good than these songs. Kids and Electric Feel are 5/5 and the rest of the songs are either 2 or 3. So I am waffling between 3 and 4. But damn, Kids is SO good. F*ck it - I am going with 4.
This is not my thing. Even if the guy was not a pervert and the lyrics were not offensive, I still would not like it. The best song is Feeling Called Love (I refuse to use all the periods). If you insist on listening start there.
I thought XX was pure Muzak. This is even worse. I listened to one of the discs all the way through and was waiting for something interesting to happen. No dice. The irony is that I am a big Tangerine Dream fan, so I am ok with repetition (which this album has in spades). Now I know how my wife feels when I put on TDream…. I cannot bear to finish the second disc.
I saw this was hip hop/sampling and after Avalanches, thought I was in for a big disappointment. After 30 seconds, I realized this is what sampling is SUPPOSED to sound like. Never heard DJ Shadow before and did not even realize instrumental hip-hop was a thing. Artistry here is great and the first song (Building Steam...) was a treat.
Some of my favorite songs are from the Pumpkins, but I never tried to listen to a whole album. So I was looking forward to this, but surprised to find that I REALLY dislike most of their songs. But when they get it right, they really do get it right! Disarm is a standout songs. Soma, Mayonnaise, and Spaceboy are also good.
Fell asleep several times. The lead singer's voice is pretty, but the music is SLOOOOOW. Makes you think of the sloth in Zootopia. Definitely not something I will ever listen to again.
I hate country, but Johnny Cash rocks.
Not for me. I usually like big female voices, but I did not find anything here that was worth putting on a playlist. I guess I would not leave the room if it was playing...
With the sole exception of Hallelujah, this album is a waste of good vinyl. Hallelujah is worth adding to your playlist, but it is not really any better than the Cale or Wainwright covers.
Wow I hated this. Would leave the room if it was playing.
Rap with a British accent is somewhat interesting. But after the initial novelty, I could not wait for this to end. Do not reccomend.
OMG! This album was mind-blowing when I first heard it decades ago. It is still amazing. One of the best albums ever made and prince could never match it, neither before nor after. This is pure art and I am confident it will have the staying power of Mozart or Beethoven. Favorite song: ALL OF THEM. 10/10 if you somehow have not heard this, stop everything you are doing now and find a way to listen to it.
Interesting, especially the narration about various aspects of Indian music. Not really for me, but good for someone who wants to appreciate Indian music more.
Sort of like an update Smoky Robinson with a bit of rap-iness. Not really my schtick, but not bad.
OMG! Have been waiting for this! One of the best albums of all time. Her voice is amazing and the songs are great. Definitely Adele's best work so far.
I thought punk was supposed to be angry? This is just silly. I liked listening to it once. Maybe would listen to it again and pay more attention to the lyrics (which are sometimes hilarious). I guess I would give it an extra half star if that was possible, mostly because it is refreshing to hear music which is pretty clearly more about the musicians having fun than it is about the listening experience.
British pop. Not terrible, but I would never listen to it voluntarily. Reminds me of Pulp, but a tiny bit less annoying.
If you have never listened to Portishead (I had not), do NOT listen to this album first. It is ONLY for people who 1) already like Portishead and 2) are willing to listen to the album at least three times to let it “grow on them.” If you have not listened to Portishead before, go to Dummy as your first exposure. Guaranteed that if you do not like that, you will HATE this one. I started listening to this and it seemed that it was mostly hurting my ears, but every once in a while there was a flash of genius. So I went to Dummy and then listened to Third a few times. Third is really experimental and it is work to listen to it (and try to appreciate it). I am glad I listened to it (but more glad that it prompted me to listen to Dummy which is actually GOOD), but would not recommend it to anyone. On the other hand, it does get better everytime I listen to it - I could see how someone might even rank this as 5 stars after listening to it enough times. Hard for me to know what to put down here - after three listens, it has gone from 1 star to 2 stars... So I am just putting down 2 stars and thinking I might come back and rerate if I keep listening to it. Best songs: The Rip, Machine Gun, Magic Doors, Threads.
Very upbeat and peppy. Of course, I knew Le Freak but not the other songs. This really does stand the test of time - makes you want to get up and dance! :)
This is just not my thing. I like some pop and some punk and lots of grunge. But this is a mixtrue of the three that seems to be the worst of all worlds. Do not recommend.
Sweet Dreams (the title song) is excellent. I was surprised to find this album a little spotty. Liked all of it, but only loved the songs I already knew. Maybe that would change with enough listening.
Sounds very 60's. Nothing really stands out, but it is not bad.
Industrial tangerine dream?? My first impression was that this was just noise - reminding me of Nurses With Wounds (which is NOT a compliment!). But I appreciated it more after listening through a couple of times. I still did not find any flashes of genius. More like flashes of “musicality” embedded in a sea of mildly interesting colored noise.
Surprising to me that piano heavy pop could become popular in the US. There are some good songs here, but also some inane ones (Italian restaurant, movie’ out) but also some good ones (she’s always a woman and everybody has a dream). Ultimately not something I would ever put on, but can appreciate it.
A classic album, but not in the same category as Rumors. Best songs are Sisters of the Moon, Storms, Beautiful Child and Tusk.
Much of this sounded like noise or like a teenage garage band that did not understand musicality. The only song I would listen to without turning off the radio is Desire Lines - that might actually be good, although my ears were so numb after 5 songs that it is hard to know if my definition of good had fallen to "not terrible" by that time.
I hated this. I listened to the whole thing, but I have to say that I would definitely leave the room if I heard it playing again.
Nice as background music. Good soul/jazz. Nothing really grabbed me though.
Pop plus piano bar jazz but not pop enough for any real hooks and not piano bar jazz enough for anything to grab you. Almost like it was designed to be background music of no consequence. But other Steely Dan can be good, so I am not at all sure why anyone considers this to be the pinnacle of Steely Dan. Deacon Blues is almost good.
Not my cup of tea, but one can see why it is iconic. Born to Run and Jungleland are my favorite songs on the album.
This was interesting. Dennis Wilson was one of the Beach Boys and apparently he was the most talented one (IMHO). This does not sound like Beach Boys at all. Mostly melancholic. There are some great songs here, although mostly I would just say good and worth spending some time with. My favorite is Holy Man.
Of course everyone knows Moondance, which is an excellent song. The rest of the album is fine, but mostly seems like background music. A nice feel and sound, but not much that grabs you by the throat and demands repeated listening. I would go with a 3.5 if there were half stars. And if I had never heard Moondance before, I am sure I would have rated it 4.
Wow. Clearly very slickly produced. First song was very promising but then it seemed to melt into the background and then came Broken Heart and I was woken from my slumber. And then Cop Shoot Cop. Amazing and worth several listens. Right now, I think about half the songs are unremarkable, but after a few more listens I might like them all. Certainly the list of good-great songs just gets longer as I listen to it more. Giving it a four but suspecting I will rerate to a 5 someday…
I was never a big fan of the Beatles, but I have to say that listening to this all the way through really made me appreciate them. Hard to place oneself in their time and get a sense of what was revolutionary at the time but now de rigeur. I always like Eleanor Rigby and maybe that alone makes this album notable. But the rest of the songs are also surprisingly good. Favorite that I did not really know before: Here, There, and Everywhere.
I get the impression that this is probably the first (chronologically) Beatles album that I would appreciate - you can hear some of the transition from Brit Wave drivel to real artistry and the first (?) hints of their eventual fascination with Indian music. But you get Yellow Submarine as a vestige of their earlier drivel. I still will not likely listen to this again, so I am giving it a 3. Maybe it deserves a 4, but I reserve that for albums I am looking forward to listening to again.
This is exactly what I think of when I imagine piano/sax jazz in a smoke-filled bar. I appreciate it greatly, but it does not move me.
From the first notes, this record fills me with joy. I feel like it is a sweet candy musically - lots of sugar and no substance. But it feels like it makes the space bigger and colors brighter. Not at the level of MGMT's Kids, but still... I am going with 4 stars because I am likely to listen to this again of my own accord.
My rating system, for future reference:
1=Leave the room if it is playing
2=I would not put this on
3=I could imagine putting this on
4=I would definitely put this on
5=In pre-streaming days, I would definitely buy this. Today I would be happy to have a physical copy and I might even buy one).
First DNF. First few notes were intriguing and then the singing started. Reminiscent of XX but instead of being mostly mediocre, these guys are actively bad. Do yourself a favor and skip to Two Dancers first. This song is listenable. If you truly enjoy it, go on to the rest of the album. If you merely think it is “not bad,” stop and save yourself 45 minutes of audio pain.
Split myself in two - fast beat, reminiscent of the clash. I like the clash, but this seems like the clash on 45 instead of 33 1/3. I don’t hate it but surely would never put it on voluntarily.
Magic toy missing - it
Is not getting any better. Is this really a different song?
Lost - ok, now it is like the clash at 37rpm. I guess that is an improvement but I still would not put it on without significant monetary inducement.
Plateau - this is like the clash at 16rpm. Oddly, it is getting better.
Aurora Borealis - the first song so far that would pique my interest if it was playing in the background. Annoyingly, it now sounds like they are switching the RPM during the song.
We’re Here - ok, we seem to have plateaued now. At least we are not going downhill yet…
Climbing - They seem to have settled on a single RPM now. But really wondering if I should continue….
New Gods - Mostly didn’t notice this one
Oh, me - THIS is GOOD
Lake of Fire - OK. Definitely would pique my interest if it was playing in the background.
I’m a Mindless Idiot - well, you have to love the title! And there is no singing which is a nice break. It is pretty good - now starting to hear some Lynyrd Skynyrd influences and maybe even Charlie Daniel’s Band.
The Whistling Song - extended whistling in the song! Nice touch.
I can definitely understand why some people might like this. Maybe I would be convinced if I listened enough. Seems like it takes a while for your ears to get used to it and then it improves dramatically. After The Whistling Song, I went back to the beginning and the unexpected speeds and speed fluctuations no longer bothered me. So maybe you just need to spend time with it before trying to form an opinion. I am going to give it a three (but note it definitely was cruising for a one at first! So force yourself to listen to at least half of it before you give up).
Not sure why we are getting two Muddy Waters albums. I actually liked this one better than the previous one (Hard Again). So I am rating this as 5 and downgrading my rating for the previous one.
This is exactly the era of the Beatles which made me dislike them and wonder what the big deal was. These songs are probably the best of that time period. Not my cup of tea, but if you are FORCED to listen to the Beatles from this era, this would be the album to choose.
The ego of Kanye is almost unbelievable, so I was already primed to dislike this from his public persona. Turns out this narcissism comes through all the songs from the lyrics to the titles (I am a God - really???). He samples some really good (and surprising) stuff - Omega and King Crimson! Some of the least bad songs are I am a God, Guilt Trip, and Bound 2.
Sounds a lot like REM to me, but not as good.
Obvious historic interest and definitely influenced much of what came after. But not my cup of tea.
