37 minutes of pure garage rock perfection. The song Maps alone would warrant a 5 star review (Maps to Y Control is one of the highlights of any album of this era) but this album in its entirety is also relentless non stop fun. I was 22 when this album was released... which maybe contributes a little to the 5 star review.
I didnt expect much of this from this album but was pleasantly suprised. I am not really a fan of psychedelic rock and you can almost smell the LSD and the 'primo grade marijana' on this album (it even features Jerry Garcia as "musical and spiritual advisor"). However, I did actually enjoy it and would even listen again. The standout tracks were the singles White Rabbit and Somebody to Love but I also enjoyed a few of the other (How Do You Feel, My Best Friend and Embryonic Journey). Can we stop using White Rabbit in every single film trailer now.... pretty please!
I really feel that I should have enjoyed this one more than I did. It just sounded like clunky messy noise to me though. The singles remind me of being in grotty student dives the rest of the album is all just pretty ... meh.
The whole thing just sounded like awful background music in 90s cooking show. There was nothing I liked about it- the vocals, lyrics, musical composition all awful! The only saving grace was its run time - small mercies.
I’d rather listen to the Tom Jones version of Burning Down the House (feat. Nina Persson) on repeat than this album again.
I feel like I’m being a real grump here so going to focus on the positives. Mitchell’s voice really is beautiful and I enjoyed having the record playing in the background whilst I worked. However, as much as I appreciate that this is a good record… it just isn’t for me. It just merged too much into the background and there was nothing to make it stand out to me. Apart from that god awful last track which stood out for all the wrong reasons!
I came to REM quite late and aside from the obvious singles I didn’t really listen to them until I met my husband. Therefore they have been a band that I have kind of learnt to love over the years.
It’s tricky to explain but I genuinely feel there are not many bands more perfect than REM. This doesn’t mean they are my favourite band or even one I listen to a lot (I do like a lot of messy bands!) its more that when you break down what a great band should be REM just hit all the goals.
Anyway on to the album - it’s brilliant. Not even my favourite REM album (that goes to New Adventures in Hi-Fi) but still incredible. It was 5 stars before I even pressed play. Even the hugely overplayed Everybody Hurts still packs a punch.
Surprisingly enjoyable! Cannot stand Jaggers voice but the blues rock vibes were entertaining. The album is far too long and a bit samey so could easily have been a single not double album.
Particularly enjoyed Let Loose and Sweet Virginia … I think … they did kind all blur into one.
Some great bops on here but a bit samey. Men were really obsessed with singing about touching women back then.
I think I may actually be coming around to Joni Mitchell. It may be due to the fact that I listened to it whilst relaxing on a lovely Sunday afternoon (and not at work) but there’s something so lovely and dreamy about this. What is this musical genre?Americana, jazz, folk? I’m not sure but I like it.
A Strange Boy and Song for Sharon were great…. Oh and Furry Sings the Blues! Mitchell’s voice on Blue Motel Room is just exquisite. Her lyrics are interesting and sometimes witty, inviting you to look them up and read more!
I loved this! (Might actually have to give Court and Spark another try). Took me a while to see that it was her wrist in the road on the front cover
I could have done without the nearly 10 min Runaway Child, Running Wild especially with the creepy child voice midway through. The Heard it through the Grapevine cover was also pretty terrible.
The album improved dramatically when they get back to the classic Temptations vibes
If you dont take this one too seriously its actually for the most part a lot of fun. I am not sure this is what the band intended though.
The tracks Animal, Pour Some Sugar on Me and Hysteria were the standouts for me but I genuinely would listen to this one again - at full blast to drown out the sound of my weird next door neighbours music
The kind of album you have to firstly know what to expect and secondly be in the right mood to listen to.
It’s completely jarring, mad, messy, primitive rock and I liked it.
First track is awful and not a great set up for the album. I can imagine this is the sort of music being listened to at a grubby festival on the outskirts of Bristol - not somewhere I would ever want to be.
Butterfly and Sutrix, OK are okay but not good enough to justify the dullness of the rest of it
