aka The Rolling Beach Beatles, with the Genesis of a good album, but wrapped in pretension.
Sorry to say I’ve never got the appeal of rap/hip-hop (whichever this is). Most tracks very repetitive and I was more impressed by whoever found and weaved together the quirky samples, than by QL chanting all over them. So ironically might have enjoyed the instrumental album version more.
Never heard of this (or her). A mixed bag of songs and styles - but on the whole positive. Might listen again at some point.
Awesome. Still sounding 20 years ahead of its time. Goes down nice with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
Better than I thought it would be. Always found DD to be a little bit earnest, but this wasn’t bad. Rio and Save a Prayer still the better singles.
Only 3 songs available on Spotify (though Wikipedia suggests that is the full original album). Starts bright, but repetition soon sets in. As a single, it’s fun and upbeat. But by the end of 3 songs I was starting to want it to funk off.
At this early stage in their career, lead singer trying too hard to sound like Chili Peppers. Occasional glimpses of some good ideas. But wrapped in a lot of forgettable dross. Thankful it was a short album. They got better.
Never would have chosen this. But it caught me in the right mood. Where it’s good, it’s very very good. But one star knocked off for the 4 or 5 tracks that are just a bit too weird and kept it all going about 20 mins too long.
If Badly Drawn Boy had soundtracked Charlie Brown/Peanuts. Quirky, and atmospheric. But I enjoyed.
Never liked Bowie. And was expecting this peak Ziggy period to be the pinnacle of his pretensive bollocks. Was surprised to find not so at all. Rock-y and riff-led, with hints of Beatles and Cat Stephens, listened twice through back to back. And enjoyed.
Had I first heard this when released in 1995, it likely would have had appeal, and I’d be reviewing it now with the benefit of 30 years’ worth of fond nostalgia. But I didn’t, so it’s wholly new. So it’s just ok.
Was a fan of mid 90s trip-hop. And this Latin themed version of it is quite atmospheric (if a bit drawn out and repetitive in places). Had on background - probably best way to listen.
Had no idea what genre this was (from the artist or album name or the cover) before it started. But it ticked all the “country” tropes from the very first note to the last. Which is fine for about 4-5 tracks. Beyond that, very samey. Feels like this is how Disney would have done a country album. And I bet all his other albums sound exactly the same.
Have loved their second album for years. But for some reason I never listened to this, their debut, before now. On first listen (on Friday), I didn’t find the appeal - too much like early 80s punk for my liking, and Tracks 1-3 all sounded like one long single song). But liked it more by Sunday. And Alright is an anthem obviously.
As with jazz, I find some blues tracks have a good starting idea that soon gets lost in too much self-indulgent, repetitive looping. This album has some of that, but also some genius tracks too. Where it’s good, it’s great. Where it’s not it’s tiresomely turgid. A good example of where less can be so much more.
All about the riffs. Better than I was expecting.
The latest in what seems to be a higher than expected number of operatic and overly theatrical albums among this 1001 collection... Not a huge Kate Bush fan and I’m sure this isn’t her best album. Interesting and irritating in equal measure.
Doubt it’s very trendy to say it… but who gives a folk. Actually quite enjoyed this.
An obviously epic opening track. Track 2 had a 90s indie feel (which, in 1968, was quite ahead of its time). Track 3 was crap however, and after that a mixed bag.
So much to unpack here. It’s a real (B)Eton Mess of an album. Some tracks are the big chunks, others are more the cream that connects and binds it all together. But from where they came from with their first album, it is fascinating listening.
I’m sure the lyrics have some deep meaning given it’s supposed to be a “concept” album (usually code for inaccessible). But the melodies and production were spot on. Never listened to XTC before (was expecting them to be a US all female hip-hop trio - pleased they were not). May dig out more.
Being from the 50s gives this a bit of a nostalgic feel. The fast big band jamming feel can sound fun. And the songs are short. But none of this compensates for the excess of scatting and pratting about that makes this overall just a bit too annoying.
Besides the overplayed Back to Life and the lesser played Keep on Moving, I was unfamiliar with all of this. But there isn’t much to the rest of it. Just a bunch of half-baked ideas that meander nowhere in particular. It has an undeniable summer feel, but while the pre-programmed drum machines provide the spine to each song, Jazzie B’s preachy rapping, and the jazzy flute (that suffers from too much jazz noodling), are irritating. So I know this is a reputed classic, but I just didn’t get why.
Not been a fan of Green Day (which is to say they’re a band that just simply passed me by - see also Foo Fighters). But this was bouncy and brash, and the production was clean. Liked.
