I remember first hearing the Arctic Monkeys and liking the return to rootsy, raw rock sensibility. On this album, I liked the "garage" quality that gave it power and honesty. I was impressed with the guitar sounds - some of them expanded the sonic palette nicely. The central figure to me seems the vocalist. Unusual quality of voice and style, mixed up front, lyrics biting. It's all attitude, all the time. Rock indeed.
This is a worthy soulful, retro, low-fi effort. The mood is chill and I find it uplifting. I think a wide range of people would enjoy this music. I particularly enjoyed the melodic approach and the relaxed grooves. There was a nice balance of simplicity and layering.
I'd heard the name Fatboy Slim, but I wasn't aware of how familiar I was with some of his work. Some of it is good stuff. But not really my kind of thing. Good manipulations. I'm more into musical conversation. That is not this. Fucking in Heaven is truly obnoxious and horrendous. This type of music, I suppose like much of dance music, is repetitive. To me, it's repetitive to the point of annoyance. Some of it is the self-referential type of lyric that reflects a narcissistic generation. The artist assumes we care about them. We don't. We care about us, or the world as a whole. I prefer something that contributes to a shared experience/understanding. This doesn't attempt that. By the time I got through Build It Up, Tear It Down, it was all I could do to keep going with it. I said "thank God!" to myself when the album was over.
I like Springsteen more as a songwriter than a singer. I respect the musicianship on this album too. I like Badlands quite a bit. But a little Bruce goes a long way for me. These songs are BIG. They have space and density at the same time. There's a yearning quality to this album, and perhaps Bruce's music in general. Some of these songs deserve their place in the annals of rock history, namely Badlands, Prove It All Night, The Promised Land, and Darkness at the Edge of Town. I did not like the vocals or the guitar solo in Streets of Fire - annoying. It was enough for me to downgrade the album from 5 stars to 4.
The album starts with it's two big hits, and then the third was a lesser one. I listened on headphones and noticed a lot of the production craftsmanship. Clearly talented, Prince blends many musical elements, styles, and approaches, with an emphasis on the gospel/soul/R&B of American black music traditions. The album is also a product of the emerging technology of the day - sequencing, drum machines, sampling, advances in musical synthesis. It's a prime example of the marrying of the tools of the digital age with long-established musical lanes. In these ways, the album strikes me as noteworthy. That said, it's not my cup of tea. It's deeply dance pop. While that makes it accessible and catchy, and is not an indictment on its own, I just get bored with repetition, especially across an entire album. Songs that set a drum machine and go get old quick to me. For that reason, I can't give the album five stars, even though I imagine many would. By the end of this album, I was feeling like I don't need to listen to another Prince song for, I don't know, maybe the rest of my life. The lyrics, when they were trying to make sense at all, seemed perverse. I can't give something four stars that produces that reaction, even if I know others would strongly disagree.
I know this album very well. It’s one of the albums I’ve probably heard most, in fact. It’s breakthrough. What three guys can accomplish- wow! Each is so talented, and they work si well together to create a coherent whole. They take us to places we’ve never been before. In this case, a dystopian future. We could do well to heed some of the warnings about too much trust and reliance on authority. The music is iconic, and I think the title track may have been responsible for the invention of air drumming. Panned or ignored when it came out, it survives as an important breakthrough, if nit masterpiece. Definitely 5 stars.
Many of these tracks make me think that this is what Dylan would have done if he had been fifty years later or Tom Petty forty years later. It's a band, not a single artist though. It has an indie-rock production feel - in the mold of Tame Impala, Portugal the Man, and such. It's chill, sort of like Khruangbin. Not objectionable, a little steady-eddy - meaning lacking in dynamics. It's okay for background listening music, but I can't say it grabs me or impresses me much. I'm not surprised I've never heard of them before. It's fine I suppose, if you really enjoy this style. Since nothing strikes me either good or bad, this is the definition of a 3 star effort to me.
I'm not familiar with this music. The name Paul Weller rings a remote bell but I couldn't say why. He has a good voice. Nice bluesy feel to the music. Good amount of soul, groove, and emotion. I find this music engaging and interesting. Has My Fire Really Gone Out? features a nice layered jam - I find that satisfying. I liked Holy Man - reprise too. The overall mood, sound, approach of Weller on this album grew on me as the album continued. A very good sign of a work that has lasting value. I'd say this deserves no less than four stars.
Sade has an intoxicating voice. My only complaint is that the songs tend to feel very similar, so an entire album can get a bit boring. But the quality of the music is high.
I like the Cure and they have a lot of good songs. My personal bias is I tire quickly of singers with a whiny, crying type vocal style. So an entire album of Robert Smith is a chore. If this doesn’t bother you, I’m sure you would enjoy the record more than me.
I’m not a country music fan, so I am not the target audience of this music. From an analytical perspective, the singer does not sound good. This is a vocal-centric genre, so this is a critical part of the equation. A real struggle to listen to.
If you like punk music, I suppose you might like this album. There is some punk I like, but in general, I can't relate. And I really can't relate to the caterwauling of Courtney Love. This was a torturous listen to me, truly awful music.
This is an easy album to admire. Joni Mitchell is universally respected for good reasons. Brilliant lyricist, incredible vocalist, and as an artist, a true trailblazer. Help Me and Free Man in Paris are timeless masterpieces. There are no bad songs, and there is a pleasant variety. Raised on Robbery is a cooking little boogie woogie number, while a number of the others are smooth and slick stories set to a folk-music wrought storytelling approach. I can't see anything but five stars for this album.
This was a pleasant enough album. The style is both nostalgic, bringing back sixties-seventies pop rock like the Byrds, but also setting the stage for indie-rock of the nineties and beyond. Solid effort.
Quite a pleasant album. I can't say any tracks blew me away, but that's not what this kind of music would do for me. It featured good vocals and simple soundscapes. Nothing too disruptive or surprising. The standout features for me was the quality of the vocals and the relaxed mood the music produced. Great album to work to. This one is close for me between three and four stars. I think I'll give three because I'm not likely to go through the rest of their catalogue to find what I've been missing.
I was an early fan of U2. But when Boy and War were played at every single party at college and were so prevalent, I tired of the band. Same thing with this album. The three big hits are the first three tracks, and they were so often played that I just got sick of them. I still liked and respected the band, but I just didn't listen to them as much over the past couple of decades. Listening to this album in its entirety again was a rediscovery of sorts. The deeper tracks are just as good as, if not better than, the near-masterpiece level big hits. This is one of the most important and accomplished albums of its era. It features both restraint and creativity. It gives us power, groove, emotional depth, relevance, and even innovation. It was a deep pleasure to rediscover tracks that I love that I haven't heard in years. Easy five star album - pegs the needle.
I hadn't listened to this album in its entirety for probably 30 years. The hits, Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer - I hear fairly frequently. And I like them. This is slick music. Highly produced. But I think the elevated style of Duran Duran sometimes overshadows the musicality. The songs, while they sound very much products of the 80's with signature electronics, gated snares, etc., nevertheless hold up. Good melodies, talented musicians. I enjoyed the reconnection to this music. For me, it's a borderline rating between 4 and 5 stars. I think I'm going to give it five because this is a definitive work from a successful and innovative band.
This is a good album. I'm not a fan of dance music, but this cannot be dismissed as mindless dance music. There is far too much musicality and dimension to it for that. There are a couple of classic hits, Le Freak and I Want Your Love, that have stood the test of time. The album, and the group, were immensely influential. In my way of evaluation, that elevates it from good music to important music, and from 4 stars to 5.
For Bowie fans, this album must have felt like a gift. It was both a return to roots and a moving forward of his art. The songs were all Bowie, the performance solid, and after a decade hiatus, a strong statement that near the end of his life, he remained a musical force. I enjoyed it front to back. I'm on the border between four and five stars on this one.
Radiohead is unquestionably an important band and this is one of their more important albums. Their importance stems from their innovation, creativity, and artistry. Whether you like the band's music and sound or not largely depends upon whether you enjoy Thom York's vocal style. I perceive it to be an acquired taste. I like it. But I can absolutely see not liking it. This album is another one that, for me, sits on the border between 4 and 5 stars. I'm going to give it 5 because a) I'm a Radiohead fan, and b) I think it is a significant and important record.
Unfortunately, this is not at all my jam. Repetitive electronica is more noise than music to me. It becomes an unpleasant chore to listen to an hour of it. I suppose if you're in a club and you're not critically listening, this album could be evaluated along lines like innovation and interest in the layering. And maybe some of this was new and exciting over thirty years ago. Today, it's just straight out boring. Sorry. My experience of this was unpleasant. One star, and I would give it less if I could.
What is there to be said about a formative artist and songs that birthed one of the most important genres in our lifetimes? The fact that Buddy Holly was taken from us "the night the music died" adds legend to the small body of his work, and makes me wonder what might have been. I heard most of these songs, and the many cover versions and some of them, all of my life. Their influence on the Beatles and the Stones is evident. They, in turn, influenced an entire generation. I never listened to the album straight out. It was a pleasant experience. There's no way this album can be given fewer than five stars.
This was a good album. The band was more important than its commercial success might indicate, and you can hear elements of how they influenced other bands in this record. Enjoyable listen.
Amy Winehouse was a very talented singer and artist. Her work was significant in reimagining jazz sensibilities and applying them in a context that appealed to a generation that would otherwise not notice the incredibly rich musicality in jazz-oriented music. That said, it's not really my thing. If I had to condense my reason why, I would say that she should be called Amy Winer, not Amy Winehouse. I just can't relate to where she's coming from in most of her songs - self-imposed situations that she's resentful about. Yeesh. Nevertheless, the album is an easy, enjoyable listen. If I was an angry young woman, maybe I would give this five stars. Since I'm not. It gets four.
I was not a fan of glam and pop metal in its heyday. There were certain songs I liked, but the genre struck me as all icing, no cake. I was not familiar with Hanoi Rocks, but it did ring a remote bell. The album is okay. Not objectionable - sounds good, basically straight-ahead simple mindless rock. It's not my jam, but if you like this genre, you would probably like this album. I'm between 2 and 3 stars on this one.
This is interesting music to me. I was familiar with The Mars Volta primarily when Thomas Pridgen played with them. I like the creativity, the instrumentality, and the layering in the music. The one thing that keeps them from my playlists is the vocals. They're well done, but the style to my ears becomes grating. There are many bands that fall in this category for me. I like the music, but after just a little while, the vocal style becomes annoying. That is definitely the case here. I'm between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I'll lean 4 because I think it is more significant than simply "another record."
CCR was an important band as it might be the best example of a successful combination of many of the truly American roots music into a widely accessible form. That success was driven by songwriting prowess - proven by the timeliness of the surprising number of hits that came from a relatively small catalogue. This album features two such examples: Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary. This album feels very New Orleans, especially for a band from San Francisco. All of that said, I think this album is uneven. There are two songs that go on and on and provide not much more than filler. Since it's only 33 minutes long, almost half of the album feels that way. Now, when it was released, it may not have been viewed that way. Not everyone in the audience for CCR was familiar with the Black American music that informed rock music. The strength of the record, aside from the songwriting of the two major hits, is John Fogerty's vocal quality. It's a compelling, convincing performance, and CCR has been considered one of the best American rock bands of all time for those reasons. I can't give it five stars, but with Proud Mary and Born on the Bayou, it's impossible to give it less than four.
I won't say the music is bad. It's like a psychopathic Tom Waits. But I don't think the world is a better place with a bunch of demented murder ballads. I'll never listen to this again.
The B-52's take me back to my college days. Rock Lobster came out my freshman year. It was perfect for the time. Interesting band - unique style. It's a bit of a one-note-song though. The album is a bit uneven. Because of its innovation, it's not just an average release, so I feel obliged to give it four stars. But I do so more on the strength of style, innovation, and achievement in history than on the strength of the album as a whole.
This is nothing short of a breakthrough album. Perhaps more than any other contemporary artist, Beck seamlessly blends styles and instrumentation to create something fresh and beautiful. Even things like how claves are used - not only as rhythmic accents but rapid trills that add flavor. Lyrics are creative and intelligent. Vocal performance is versatile and committed. This is an easy five star effort.
This is another album that takes me back to my college days. The Police were huge then. I got the chance to see them, and it was an excellent show. Great energy. I love Stewart Copeland's drumming and style. Sting, in my opinion, is one of the musical geniuses of our time. This album illustrates all of those points. It's creative, dynamic, makes you want to move, and also makes you think. Absolutely excellent.
I, like I'm guessing most who remember Dexys Midnight Runners, only knew them from Come On Eileen. That's a great song. This album doesn't include its equal, or anything close to it. I'm wondering why this was included in the 1001 albums that must be heard. It isn't the worst - there just isn't anything that grabs my attention other than the singer's voice and style get annoying after a few minutes. Let's say there was a category for an album that wins the category "What album seems most like it is comprised of filler?" This might be first nomination. It's between one and two stars for me, but I reserve 1 star for albums that are truly difficult to get through. This one was just blah.
I wasn't at all familiar with the artist or even the genre, which I assume to be something like French Beatnik. It's essentially poetry read in French to jazzy music. It's not bad. But it isn't compelling to me either. I could tell it was a biographical story about Melody Nelson, and it didn't appear to end well. None of the significance of the story was apparent, nor was the artistry of the poetry. If you understand French, maybe it's brilliant. But it's lost on me. It's not hideous to listen to, but I won't be listening again.
This is a good album. I wasn't very familiar with it, but the songs are strong, as are the performances and conviction. I find it more enjoyable than others in this genre, which to me is late 90's grunge/pop. A solid effort.
I wrote a review that didn't save. The album is not worth the effort to recreate. Hard pass on this album and this band.
This is a fine album. I listened to it frequently when it came out. These days, I don't listen to much Neil Young. But it was a nice reminder of this era. My guess (I'm not familiar with everything he's done) is that this is one of his highlight works.
I found the album a bit boring. A little bit of Dr. John's voice goes a long way for me. I'm sure it's an artistically worthy effort, just not my thing.
Great songwriting. Compelling performance. Excellent album. Too bad we lost him at such a young age.
This is music that moves you. Solid vocals, good writing. Well developed style. I enjoyed this album very much. It puts Fishbone on my list of bands to watch.
Bee Gees are legendary for a reason. This early album is an indication as to why. There weren’t any tracks that grabbed me, but it’s enjoyable throughout.
Queen of Soul. Nuff said.
Classic, genre-defining record. Genius songwriting, brilliant vocals and harmony. LOVED this record. Easy 5-star.
I bought the CD of this album when it came out and listened to it fairly regularly. It's excellent music, and culturally important. Strong recommend.
This might be artistically interesting, but it is not listenable music. I couldn't play this in my house - and I mean any portion of the album - for more than a minute before my wife would demand I turn it off. As far as art, I'm thinking it's akin to Piss Christ, or taping a banana to a wall and calling it art. Apparently, this pleases some people. I am inspired, though. Maybe I'll get a big canvas and some paint, and have some babies and maybe some ferrets have at. I think I might be able to sell the result for big money to the people with similar sensibility to art as those who value this album. I simply ask: Why?
A second dip into the CCR catalogue. A classic. I will say that the songs do seem very similar, but that's not so much because they are. It's more that CCR has such a pronounced style. Still, I think they're very enamored of the "newfangled" electric guitar sound, and it doesn't vary much. So when the rhythm guitar, prominent in the mix, just jangles away on perma-repeat, it gets a little old by today's standards. Back then, the novelty was probably still strong enough so that fewer people would react that way. I think this is sufficient reason to withhold the 5-star rating here. If it was simply historical importance, then it's five stars no question.
