folk
bare guitar
very bare
very low dynamics
guitar and vocals mainly
from the morning is a good song, a great closer
honestly this album is just too fuckin sad lol Lord protect me from this kind of depression cause the dude sounds fucking saaaaad bro.
it's okay i can see the importance of an album like this, it's crossed my mind that minimalism is necessary at times and it can be one of the most tough listens if you happen to be willing to face some real BLUE shit head on. Not for me though. Never really needed folk in my life, at least not this kind. I think 3/5 for me...probably closer to a 2/5.
Wanted man goes hard…he played at a prison, it sounds super crisp despite it being live
His voice sounds insane
He’s a great showman
He makes the crowd really feel the music
He can get a bit repetitive with the way he phrases his music but it’s mostly an enjoyable experience
This is the type of folk I can see myself liking better. It’s more tongue in cheek more for the people more direct more storytelling more playful more bombastic
I think this was a 4/5 if not 5/5 experience somewhere in the between.
great funk, it was very easy to listen to. I think the lyrical content was dope as well. I never tried funk with this much attention so I'm glad I did.
simple, direct, bar chord extravaganza with muted drums, which for it's time was probably insane
the vocals are a mixed bag,
the riffs really only appear on a few songs
the drums really changed the game at the time
its a time capsule for skinny tiny shirts and a lot of fucking chainsmoking
it doesn't really say much but it feels very youthful
the singles do a lot of carrying on this thing though.
you don't really hear any riffs until SOMA, and that song has vocal issues imo
i always wondered why the shitty "electric guitar" midi VSTs sounded like that shit, and i found the reason, it's the fuckin weird guitar tone on Alone, Together. That's what's to blame lmao. the guitar on the right side sounds like fuckin cheap shit. the solo at the end of that song really sends it home. it would've been a good closer, but instead we get some vocal clipping at the end.
after a while, the vocals being run through an amp get a bit tiring, but it's obvious that this album doesn't work without it.
Last Nite is an enigma, because people love this song but i really think his vocals on it are insaaaane. They're wonky and very odd. They're almost forced as if he's trying to sing like some old blues dude. But the instrumental palette just carries. People love this shit. I think the best song that encapsulates the strokes is "Hard to Explain", with better guitar tones, a little more electronic drum hits, better melodic vocal phrases, a speedier tempo, and a more solid bass foundation. It's the best song on here imo.
on take it or leave it, i'll take the instrumentation and leave his vocals behind. but whatever man at this point you gotta just accept this whole thing as it is, influential? yeah, i guess.
please fuck all the way off with the horrible vocal melodic phrasing on "when it started" the way he strains for the high notes on the verses is jokes.
i don't think you NEED to listen to this shit before you die. I think it's fine, and while it might've inspired millions afterwards, i think in the grand scheme of music, it's just fine.
the time capsule known as the Someday video just wraps up the whole vibe. doesn't it? it's a product of it's time. You just had to fuckin be there. i would be cool with never having to hear this again though.
what a grand album. I think the first song is very iconic with its instrumental passages and layering. Very influential. Then you get Welcome to the Machine, an even grander experiment in synthesizer and climax. the way the synthesizers pan left and right are insane. then you get the scathing assault on the music industry as a whole in the middle. and the instrumental ending is very cinematic as a tribute to their ex lead singer.
i think its close to being a 5, i think they couldve been more lyrically poignant, everything else is insane. But i think the lyrics and the writing could have been more detailed and direct. what an album. It feels like a 4/5 is too low. Because there are some other mid albums that deserve a 4/5. I think its closer to a 4.75/5, it's not perfect, but i will be giving this a 5.
it honestly just feels like a longer beatles record. and while i enjoyed it, i don't think it's a 5/5, probably more like a 4pointsomething/5. it was really fun though and I'll have to come back to it eventually.
pretty neat
i think there are better zeppelin albums right.
there's some stomp clap on this
it's okay, somewhere in the 3pointsomethings to light 4, i'll give it a 4 because there's defo some worse stuff out there on this list of 1001 albums YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE APPARENTLY
I don’t think this needs to be on this list. Layla could be on a 1001 songs you need to hear before you die list…but idk I think there’s a lot of the same flavor of 70s rock on this album.
quintessential
this is the standard of the great lyricist and the great beatmaker and the great album curator and the great feature and the concept album
it is what it is. The first album that i've heard doing this 1001 thing that makes me say, this IS one of the 1001 albums that EVERYONE should listen to before they die. Even if they don't like it, it's important to gauge whether or not you have a future in listening to AAAAAANNYYY hiphop after trying this. It is a snapshot of 90s New York, audibly presented as a movie through a masterful storyteller's pen. The first time I can say, yeah, it's a 5/5
the 20 minute song is certainly a journey, at one point halfway through it gets ripped apart backwards and forwards and i can't help but think it could've been split into a different track at that point. Then around 18 mins in, it does the same thing, with a new drum beat and synth pattern emerging, but then it hits you with the beginning swirls, so i realize that my opinion is trash lol
i think the 2nd track is more post rock than the first, but the first is certainly a journey.
the 3rd track is okay, pulsating and simple
the 4th track feels more mathy, i like the synths all across this thing
all in all, i see the value of an album like this, i think everyone should try a post-rock album at least once, there's a lot of incredible textures on here and i could certainly see how something like this is influential. At the same time, I know a lot of people are gonna be put off, and I'm not sure i think it's a requirement to listen to THIS particular piece of music before you do. I think it should be the case, but i also think that there are other post rock examples that while not as influential are probably better representatives on a list of music you HAAAAAVE to hear before you die.
I think a 3/5 is fair. I wish the rating system was out of 10 because I'd aim for a 7 out of ten, closer to a 7 than an 8.
psych folk that i've never heard
he has a great voice,
he has a masterful way of making long songs feel fresh and intentional
i think this is a strong 7, i'll be giving it a 3/5 because i am not sure if i think you HAVE to hear it before you die. I'm on the fence, I think it's something that could be debated heavily, since it is so influential. its closer to a 4 than a 3 though, i can't decide, i hate this rating system being out of 5
nice
ehhh. i think it's a 3/5. Idk i think for sure the Life on Mars? track should be on a list of 1001 songs you should hear before you die. This album is well put together but i've come to the thought that the album is a beatles-esque pop record with lyrics that serve as a stark contrast to uplifting pop music of the 70s. I think it's good, but I don't think you'll have incredible regrets if you don't listen to this before you die. Out of 10 I'd probably give this a 6 or 7, i'm not sure. I didn't love it. I think it's a little bit forgettable as well.
I sat with this album a bit more over the weekend and I seemed to like it less and less than first listen. I just think it’s not worthy of being on this list. Maybe it’s important, but Bowie seemed to refine this very sound and lyrical content on following albums. I think it doesn’t deserve to be on the list.
fucking fire, honestly, makes time fly by because her voice is insane and the backing instrumentals are so full of life. She's great. This is definitely a part of music history and it's such a quick burst of musical energy that I do think it's something everyone should hear at least once. Like if aliens came down to this earth, this would be a good first piece of music to show them.
I think it has to be a 5/5. it's probably as close to vocal pop perfection as you can get.
some hardcore stuff on here, but it's very apparent that this album is on this list because of it's "cowpunk" country punk blend. I am led to believe that this is the first or best of it's kind. For that reason I think it deserves to be on a list of 1001 albums you should hear before you die. From what I can deduce from this album, the blend of songs and themes and psych inspired elements make it revolutionary for it's time. Personally, the singing is a bit strained, but aside from that the instrumentation is pretty well put together. I'll give it 3/5, as it's an easy listen, and someone from the desert west can really grow to love something like this. I see it's merit.
hey man, what a fun listen. late 80s hard rock meets the real shit level themes of late 80s new york from the eyes of the black men who rock harder than most of the contemporaries of this time. C.O.P. Still stands the test of time as a political stinger and hard rock riff STANDARD, but damn they have some jams on here about housing, poverty, and the american dream. This shit knocks and i do think it deserves to be on here as a representation of hard rock from the 80s. Damn these foos got funky with it to at times. I will rate it as a 5/5, but out of 10 it would be somewhere between an 8 and a 9.
damn these dudes are super technical with it, the drums and the bass and the guitar are all just grabbing my attention without any remorse, then these dudes decided to fake me out on Funny Vibe with the funk fade out that hits back with the instrumental right hook. This album is sooooo colorful.
from trailblazing jazz fusion, with electric guitar flourishes, masterful brass, incredibly crisp drums and the most solid upright bass foundations to what ended in ambient soundscapes of ethereal electric pianos, moody chord flourishes and somber low tones. I was going to originally list this as a 4/5 because I feel it's more of a 9 than a 10, but that would be incredibly disrespectful to this masterpiece. You don't even feel the time go by.
based on whether or not I think people need to hear this before they die, part of a 1001 albums series, I think this falls short. I think instrumentally there are other projects on here that encapsulate the 70's better than this, I think there are better vocalists on here as well. I think that the genre she is presenting as a whole is also represented in a better way by other artists that she is influenced by.
Perhaps it's really mean to say what I really think about this album's standing in terms of recognition in the grand scheme of music, so I'll leave it there. I think musically this is nowhere near a 1/10 or a 1/5 or whatever. It's somewhere in the boomer/10 category, but still.
his growling voice muses through topics of life and death, loneliness, regrets and the bleakness of reflecting on your past. It's heavy, it's somber, it's melancholic and his voice carries the weight associated with the feelings I mentioned. I think it's an important listen, not every artist reaching this part of their career. For that reason I think it deserves it's spot on the list of music that should be listened to before you die.
I will say, if I encounter a lot of these types of albums on this list, I will be adjusting the ratings as necessary. I think that there are other albums out there that will do either better or much worse in a similar context. I'm not sure where to rate this. It's too minimalist to be a 5/5 for me, the voice is something that you have to like in order to enjoy the entire project at it's fullest. You have to be ready for the somber feeling across the entire runtime. I think it's around a 7/10, so I'll be giving it a 3/5 for now.
Honestly, a super fun British 90’s club album. It’s great for the gym.
I think that “Connected” is one of those hits that should be on a “must hear songs before you die” list. I think this track serves as a great entrance to the remainder of a very upbeat and very “let-play-through” type of experience. I think the album, if it is the sole representative of English 90s club music, should be on this list. Overall I would rate it a 7/10 but I’ll be rounding up
baaaand on the run
baaaaand on the run
honestly man, all these beatles adjacent albums just make me want to listen to the beatles albums. I am a firm believer that the beatles are the beatles because of their incredible sum of their parts. I don't think any solo album lights a candle to the work that they made. I do not believe that this is one of those YOUUUUU MUST HEAR IT BEFORE YOU DIE albums. You'll be fine without this. Honestly, maybe just the title track should be heard but at the same time I woudln't be made if someone said that's not true. I think I'm giving this one a 2/5. I expected much more.
I think Sympathy is a great song. I also am starting to get the feeling that most of these albums are here for their hit and maybe some rose tinted glasses + nostalgia. Idk maybe I’m being too cynical because it is probably super hard to fill out 1001 albums you need to hear before you die. I will say, I was kind of underwhelmed by this album and I expected more. For me, Let it Bleed is better, so this can’t be rated higher than that. For now I’ll leave it at a 3…it’s probably closer to a 7/10
I think this album is a four out of five in the truest nature. I really enjoyed the tone and the various types of reverbs and chorus effects and flanges on the vocals and all these type of creative elements that made this Gothic album feel very dark. I can see how this album is very inspirational to a lot of musicians down the line. I really enjoyed the tracks. I think the tracks were very layered and complex and emotional. I think this album is closer to a nine out of 10 and a four out of five. I see its quality, I hear its influences in music today and these songs kicked butt.
I'm stuck on this one. I almost don't want to review it because I feel like I might be being too harsh. Anywho:
I'm giving it a 2/5 but I think it's closer to a 5/10, based on the critiria of whether or not this should be on a list of albums you should hear before you die.
I think the songs are very one dimensional. I think that the brand of hard rock this is flavored with is very close to that 80s hair metal that you would've found on the sunset strip. I think that the title track carries a lot of weight on this otherwise horny album. The vocals are just not appealing to me. I think if you have Back in Black on this list, you gotta get rid of this. If I ever get Back in Black, I'll be reducing this to a 1. I can appreciate the hard rock elements, but was AC/DC trailblazing in '79 as they are presented to have been doing simply by being included on this list?
It’s closer to a 7/10 but I’ll round up.
I think this album displays a great mix of that synth pop and 80s pop rock across the board. I think an artist like New Order deserves to be on this list, because of their influence and what loving an album like this can lead to. I think it has some great textures and songs on it. Not much else to say.
You cannot understate the iconic influence of something like this. They made it so it was cool to rhyme, cool to mix and scratch records, cool to sample, and cool to be a down to earth, righteous MC. A lot of eye catching themes of being a model citizen to wishing for a better world where people aren't so hateful towards each other. It's an insane dose of positivity behind some of the fattest drum samples I've ever heard. I think you got to give it it's due. That means 5/5 for me. I think everyone needs to hear it at least once, for sure. Come sit down and take a look at where hip hop started.
way better than i anticipated
some real jams on this one
uplifting, upbeat and very layered for it's time
i could see this being extremely inspirational
for the late 60s, it's gonna be up there
merits the classic label
that crazy 6 min feedback guitar solo, though
I think 9/10 is fair
I'll round up and grant it a 5/5
Extremely well cut and energetic album that serves as a precursor to conscious hip hop. It's full of topics that are still relevant in today's America. Chuck D positions himself as a knowledgeable MC alongside a hype Flavor Flav as they both navigate strong and eye opening topics on some of the sickest Terminator X beats. It's a party and it's real life wrapped into a strongly thematic album. I have to give it it's flowers and hand it a 5/5. It's probably closer to a 9/10.
So, my only gripe with this album is that the first half is fantastic compared to the second half, which is good but not amazing.
Some of the best political pop and folk rock from the 80s lands on this album, including some amazing songs that you've already heard.
I think it deserves to be on the list, I'll be surprised if other R.E.M. albums make it onto the list but we'll see. For now I've given it an 8/10, it's a very strong 8 though and maybe if the world changes more each day this album would increase in rating.
I enjoyed the first half of the album. I think that the jazz rock is very complex and fun and they switch it up every couple of minutes or so it doesn’t get stale. I do think that the third track is to the detriment of the album. I think the singing is very amateurish and rough. I think they played to their strengths by making the album mostly instrumental. I can probably see that this is an influential album in the setup of PROG rock and other jazz rock down the road however at face value I don’t think you have to hear this before you die.
Social satire and jokes, but not required listening imo
I don't know if this is a 3/5 or a 2/5. I think it's somewhere in the middle. I don't know...you have to be like well of and horny to enjoy this album. Every song is mostly about sex, and while that could be fun, you get these weird moments like Janie's got a Gun, where you should be thinking about deeper topics, but can't help but feel like he's also going on about another innuendo. The band is pretty one dimensional on here, but if you like glam metal then yea it's a required listen. For me, nah man, I'm good. I think after writing my thoughts down it's more of a 2/5. I don't think it needs to be on a list of albums you need to hear before you die.
stripped down and with an acoustic focus, this album really captures the feeling of vast Americana, open roads, hard themes, nostalgia and pain. The lyrics are potent and at times story like, the songs are well put together in minimalism and simplicity. I really enjoyed it. I think it should be a required listen, as it culturally feels important to this country and the era in which it was written. Almost movie like. I think it's almost a strong 4
They say this was a turning point in the career of this legendary group, but only the first few tracks are psychedelic. Also, they did this as a reaction to the "There's a Riot Going On" release, seeing their contemporaries' success forced them to make the change. About 2/3 of the album is their typical style of music, which to me doesn't make this a required listen. They have better albums. I think this one is somewhere between a 2 and a 3 out of 5. While the song about the runaway kid is pretty neat, I don't think I'll be going back to this one.
It starts off super hot, then it meanders a bit. Guero is a new fav of mine though, so thanks for the exposure to it. Ehhh I'm not sure if other Beck albums are gonna be as good as this one, so I'll rate this one a 3. Beck is Beck, you get what you get. Slide guitars, a bit of rapping, a bit of na na na na na's and some left field instrument choices. It's nifty music.
Should it be on this list? Sure, I think people should try something like it from time to time. - 2.75ish / 5, I'll round up
It's a light and breezy country album, with fun song topics, gentle guitar arpeggios, some neat bass riffs, some moments of upbeat rushes and slow burners. It's America at it's core, unrelentingly classy and at the same time a bit rustic and down to earth. It's not the show stopping Dolly Parton, but the country girl that sings about experiences and her own truths. While some songs on here are very simple, the standouts do stick in your head after you've finished this 30 minute album. I think if I had to be honest, for me it's around a 3/5. I am not a country lover, but I can recognize the impact and influence that this album has had on country music. I have to judge the art alone. Maybe for it's time it was groundbreaking and you had to be there. I like that the site recommended this to everyone today, a day after her passing. I think it's a sweet way to memorialize someone. RIP
Drum and Bass? It definitely helped me lock in for some work. Very cool beats, atmospheric, well put together. I don't know much about the samples or the history of drum and bass, but some of these songs were very well arranged, with a lot of width and some nice bass hits. I think it's worth a checking out if you've never heard drum and bass before. Probably somewhere around a 3.5-4 stars. Will round up.
I think my fav Beatles songs are on here. However, as an album experience, I think it has a few duds. There’s a couple songs that don’t feel like they’d be part of the Sgt Pepper band’s discography… i expected there to be more uniformity across the tracklist, as the band pretends to be another band with a psychedelic edge. It’s still a great album, but I don’t think I can give it 5 stars.
I think it deserves to be on the list for the influence that it definitely has on modern punk rock and rock from the 80s onward. I think the crude, simplistic and bleak lyrics are very poignant, very straightforward and feel super direct. The record never lets off the gas pedal, and in 40 minutes it has you thinking about abortions, uk politics, liars and cheats. I think there's a definite, "representation of the state of the youth" feeling on this album. After a while, the songs will feel very one dimensional, and the growling and foaming at the mouth that the singer provides does get a little tedious. As I type this, I feel that if no one before them really released an album this vitriolic, you would have to give them 5 stars. You'd have to acknowledge the worth of all of it. I would land somewhere between a 4.3 and 4.5, I don't think it's a masterpiece by any means, but I think the influence is literally undeniable. I should round up and give it a 5/5, but I'm stuck on 4 for now. I'm not too sure.
A very wired and eyes on the prize type of new wave album, which is full of some of the most mundane singing I’ve ever heard paired with some slick brass instruments and jangly guitar textures. I don’t know what to make of it. The songs need some more tuned singing and sometimes the vocals feel extremely phoned in. It was an interesting listen. I don’t know, I think it’s the most 3.5 album of all time. I will have to leave it at a 3 for now and maybe reassess down the line
I’ll reassess at a later date but this one was fire
Alright, so this one was a very awkward listen. I looked into the history and Syd was essentially forced to complete this album despite him having been kicked out of Pink Floyd due to his mental struggles. Um...yea man, the first half is okay, but the lyrics are just not it and the instrumental passages don't ever really impress me, especially for psych rock things that were popular at the time. And then as you keep listening the album is just very struggled and hair brained and they all feel like drafts of songs? Some other review said outtakes and yeah, it kind of feels like that. The dude had no business putting this album together and it just feels like a view into this dude's brain. I don't think this should be on this list. I don't think this would exist if Pink Floyd wasn't the behemoth in music that it is. Sorry. This is no offense to the musician who was pushed to release this.
I think 4 is fair
This might be a bit of rose tinted glasses talking, but the other day, before going on vacation to HI, I was singing "Tighten Up" a lot to myself, just something about that breakdown at the end of the song where they slow the tempo down and go into a refrain is very cool. When I saw this album pop up on my listening list, I was intruiged, I had never heard the entire record through.
I think they do a great job at what they do on this album, it's refined blues rock, with slow tempo and faster tracks as well, with thick riffs, solid bass lines and very thick and suffocating drum patterns. I think the vocals are very pained and passionate as well. The themes are shallow, but they're meant to be so in order to provide their sticky hooks. I think they hit their peak here, the background is love loss and betrayal really fueled something for them. I'm glad they got their moment and I think this album deserves to be on this list more than a lot of other ones I've reviewed already. Very cool.
I might be jumping the gun on this one, but I can't get behind these vocals properly. It starts with a bang, but it's really evident that Billy Corgan's hand in this writing process is thick and involved. The song could be a Pumpkins B-side, which feels disrespectful to Hole, but those guitar tones are extremely borrowed. In the heaviest sense borrowed. I think the best songs on here could be some of the most middle of the road Pumpkin jams. I think this album is carried by the lore, by the experiences and the 90s happenings that whirled around Courtney Love and her personal life. I think the song themes are very loose, and the 90s jams are very well put together but they don't really inspire much in me. I think it falls somewhere between a 2 and a 3. Her vocals are grating at points. It's iconic for it's time, maybe. I don't see it as a necessary inclusion on this list. I see the influences on today's women in rock, so I guess I'll give it a 3. I am feeling very cynical and I want to give it a 2. I'm torn.
dude can you call it a concept album if it's that label dependent on the text you wrote that accompanies your album? I mean I guess it is because that's what's going on here.
So let's break it down a bit, we got some fun dub with wubbing bass synths and very metallic, sloppy and slushing drums that feel industrial but are more on the friendlier side. They're not the clanks and bangs of a depeche mode or NIN album, but they're very poppy and friendly. They're a bit tinny at times, but it's fine. The ambient pads are nice and there's some loooooong attack pads that ease chords in and out of the passages. I feel that it's a bit of a shortcut to call this a concept album if you just write a concept that goes along with your music.
It's great to help me lock in with work. I don't know about it being required listening. It seems to be a heavy influence of trip hop. And I can feel that halfway with Duke of Earlsfield. There are some distorted 808 bass hits here with a somewhat hip hop beat. I don’t think it should be a required listen though. I’ll respect the influence, and maybe more so on video game soundtracks, but yeah…not needed
I think 2pac's smoothest tracks land on this album. It's far from perfect, there are a few tracks on here that have some iffy features and shaky background vocals. The beats, for the peak of the 90s gangsta rap and west coast revival, are a bit subdued and leave more than enough room for 2pac to do his thing. It's a great album, smooth and intoxicating, with the feelings of cognac and real world struggles embedded. I can't argue that it's anything less than a 4. Stop being a fucking bitch and open your ears to the struggle of the black community. Simple as that. I think 2pac has a better album though.
this album cover is fucking crazy lol.
I think it being an album solely dedicated to heartbreak, divorce, anger (there's a song called anger on here), and sour feelings is pretty intense. I think that I'm not super won over by the textures and moods to call this a 5. I think it's somewhere around a 3.8, but I'll round up.
The vibes are immaculate, as I've come to expect from Marvin Gaye, who has a nice and smooth vocal palette across this thing. There are some great bass riffs and super silky smooth pads, alongside the funky wah wah guitars. The instrumental palette dances with perc hits everywhere and it's definitely a good album when it finds a faster groove. I'm not so hot about the slower rolls, especially with the topics not being so sexy and loving and rather being rough and bitter. It's a unique blend of lyricism and instrumentation, undoubtedly. Yeah, somewhere around a 4, but not quite a 4.
I know the influence that Neil Young has had on music as a whole. I respect the legacy, however, this album falls short in a lot of places. I don't love the vocals on it, I don't really like the orchestral bits because they sound extremely unnecessary and like...i don't know, "disney music" levels of theater? They're soooo grand and they swallow his vocals and he's singing about simple life topics. I don't know, it's just not for me.
3/5, I think. I think it could be a 4. I think the one dimensional writing is what brings this album down. There are a lot of songs on here that are extremely similar in tone and structure. Chorus verses and tempos that all merge well into one single beatles project that arguably took them to the peak of beatlemania. Influential? of course. No arguing the iconic nature of this album (and even more when you think about the album). But I can't give it a 4. It's somewhere around a 3.6-3.8. There's better beatles albums, with better singles.
The live at San Quentin album was better, I think. There were better songs on that one, alongside more banter and more moments of unique realism/interaction between artist and audience. I think this one was looked at by Cash and his team, analyzed and then perfected on San Quentin. For that reason I am giving this album a 3. I enjoyed it, but I think the other is so great that there's no way to highly rate this one.
I definitely can see the importance of an album like this. The queer, gender bending, and sexual topics are definitely more reflective of the post 2010's. I think historically, albums like these will be looked at as reference points down the line. I think the writing is the strongest part of this album.
I will say however, that the minimalist, stripped down pop is very very very ran through at this point in 2018. I think the standards set by pop queens like Lorde (I guess, in the 2010s moreso) are very high for someone to just come along and expect to be showered with praise for because they hit different topics. On a musical basis, I don't think the songs are here are as strong as some of the songs you'd find on other minimalist pop albums. It is what it is. Also, I admire the fact that the 2nd disc is strictly in French, but when these types of plays are made, I can't help but look at the lyrical differences between the 2+ versions. I compared the lyrics and the songs are thematically similar, so I see the potential crossover and increased audience reach when this is done well. I think for what it is, it's nice, but it's not strong enough to warrant a 4+. I think it's disrespectful to give it a 2, but it is somewhere around a 2.8+ I just think the minimalist pop has been done really well already by 2018.
fun album. Like a more mature beatles-esque pop rock album. There are some doot-doots and doo-wop vocalizations here and there, similar tempos of the pop rock of its time, but there are a few stand outs. I want to point to the "melody for an unknown girl" track, where you essentially get this late 90's fuckin 2:45am ass crack of dawn morning TV infomercial sound palette, with a very aesthetically pleasing, warming and comforting feel. It was extremely interesting amongst the rest of it.
Welp, not much to it, though. Very neat early pop rock from the late 60s. I don't think it's a 4, but somewhere around 3.5. It's not bad. They used to dress up in revolutionary war america attire lmfao.
It's actually insane how many Hip Hop albums can be a 5/5. I think this says a lot about the genre of Hip Hop as a whole, especially most recently from the 90s and onwards. I mean compare it to other genres that have been spitting 10/10 classics since the 60s and even before then.
That being said. I think that this album has to be rated at a 5/5 for it's influence and it's staying power from the 2000s onwards. It's tough to think of ONE of Eminem's albums not being listed as a 5/5 (but honestly, it's closer to 4.5/5 and higher)
THE POINT IS TO MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. THE POINT IS TO MAKE YOU MAKE A SCRUNCHED FACE AND BE DISGUSTED WITH HIM. THE POINT IS TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS DATED, BECAUSE IT FUCKING IS DATED. IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HOW DIFFERENT THE CULTURE WAS MOVING IN 2000. IT'S A HISTORICAL MOMENT WHERE HIP HOP TRANSCENDED FROM THE EAST COAST V WEST COAST, BLACK COMMUNITY, AND GANGSTA RAP ERA OF THE 90S. A WHITE DUDE HAD TO RAP HIS ASS OFF AND SAY SOME OF THE MOST UNHINGED SHIT IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO HIM. LOL. YOU'RE MISSING THE FUCKING POINT IF YOU RATE THIS A 1/5. ALIENS HAVE TO HEAR THIS SHIT. (at least one of the 2 between MMLP and SSLP by Eminem, tbh I'll list the other one as a 4). BUT DUDE YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT, THIS ALBUM IS WHACKED OUT AND IT HAS TO BE ON THIS LIST.
The production knocks because Dr. Dre was experienced and a FORCE at what he was doing. Eminem was going stupid on the bars on this one, and spit his way to creating 2 iconic songs in Stan and The Real Slim Shady. The former is literally the reason why it's a word that's used as slang today to refer to crazy people who love a pop culture figure.
I don't know man. Kim is one of the most "free speech premium" moments of all time. An unhinged dramatic recreation of domestic abuse on fucking wax that is soooo off putting that I doubted leaving 5 stars on this thing, but THAT'S THE FUCKING POINT.
It's closer to a 4.75/5 but I gotta round up. It's gotta be on this list. Even if you've watched FD's video on white rappers and realize that yeah man...this dude definitely benefitted from being a white rapper who rapped his ass off. Whatever man. Politics aside, it's a stupid moment in history that has to be accounted for. He was a cult figure. If we cut this album list down to 100, he would have one album on it. It's that serious. Fucking kids in (insert 3rd world nation here) give a fuck about this record still. It's fucking crazy. You don't gotta love it, I get it.
Welp, what a funky time this was. Suuuuuuuuuper groovy, hoooooly crap. Super smooooooth vocals, basslines that run the game, some poignant lyrics about crime and being in the inner city under the violence of police and your enemies, some great moments with the drummer flexing their chops, all around a short hit of funk and power. Fucking great. I think that the album stands tall amongst a lot of the albums on this list. While I think it's a 4.5/5 overall, I think that amongst funk, I'm yet to encounter more albums to compare it to. I am not sure if in the funk genre this would be a 5/5. I will have to come back to this in the future. It could be that I'm slipping and this is a 5/5 on a list of albums YOU HAVE TO listen to.
Thankfully straight to the point, and while Rod Stewart doesn’t have the most annoying vocals of all time, I think this album doesn’t really stand out to me for its time. I think if you like Stewart this is amazing to you. I don’t think it goes toe to toe with truly iconic pop rock and blues rock from the 70s. Idk maybe it’s just me
you like that one frequency between very low (like 100hz) and like lower mid? (400hzish?) yeah, you'll love this album lol
I listened to the original version without the bass improvements, and i gotta admit, it's still pretty heavy. I've heard the fan "improvements" do bring back the clearly missing bass element, but it is what it is
There are some really poignant and strong songs on this one, with great lyrics that reference the evils of greed and capitalism and war and imperialism. It's dope. It definitely starts strong, but then it gets one note-ish pretty fast. It's a heavy metal album for metalheads, and I can't admit that I'm one of them. It does have my fav metallica song in "One" though, such a great song...great phrasing and riffing and a very strong build up and climax...all along with the most real as fuck lyrics I think the bad has ever put into one song. Anywho, I think if there were more impressive moments like that this would be regarded as iconic. I think a 3 is fair, because I know they have a better album than this.
I think it’s somewhere around a 3.5 I think that the legacy Curtis left is palpable and this band eventually grew as a result. It’s great gothic music, but it’s not as great as UP in my opinion. It’s good and I have no complaints. Very moody, very dark and a window to Curtis’ mind
ehhhh...I've much given better albums a 3 and I have to stand on something of consistency when it comes to reviewing an album like this. Yes. Clocks is fucking important as a single and it made your dad and mom feel something back when it was released. Yes. The Scientist has been used in movies and tv moments that might've helped make you cry.
but damn. I can't call this anything but pop dribble with a melancholic rock spray paint coating. I think Coldplay did a great job of using pianos with their high falsettos and very low gain distortion "explosive" moments. I think they got away with some clever riffs and a moment in time where pop rock was finding a modern sound. Call me a hater but...man, these lyrics...have you ever read such ambiguous tat? Fuck.
I mean, coming off that ridiculous Coldplay album, I don't hate this man. Is this there best? probably not. They start with message in a bottle, and I think arguably that's the best song on the record. It's the most well put together song on here. There's a lot of really nice grooves and a lot of really nice vocalizations on it. Some great instrumental passages. Something tells me t that the record would've started with the title track being an instrumental intro, but it's nice. I appreciate the variations in tempo and grooves on here. I think it's better than a 3, somewhere around 3.6, I'm going to round up.
now this one was different. It was very early punk! The vocals on some of these songs are influential and you can see them in the noise rocks and experimental rock acts today... the dudes use very rickety distortions, thumping and jungle rocking drum patterns and are very solid cohesively. They really impressed. I think for it's 1960s era, the anti war sentiments and early rock foundations are really cool. I think it's nothing less than a 4 on influence alone. There are a few tracks on here that maybe should've been left off, but I have no complaints. Thisssss is some of that early stuff that HAS to be listened to. The influential elements are undeniable. I think the album sloooowwwwlly unravels into some really goofy sounding song ideas, but I can't knock it for it. It's almost unsettling.
it's interesting, but just saying you are the music, doesn't really make it so lol. That 9th track on this album is very encapsulating of what the entire album is...mostly self inflating and being wayyy too overly proud. It's interesting, but there are some songs on here when the fast rapping doesn't really say much? Also moments where the instrumentals just fall flat and feel dated. Also his mic fuckin clips at multiple places on here. I get that it was the peak of the loudness wars but it's distracting.
His voice isn't the most amazing to me, and on multiple tracks on here he isn't doing much singing at all. Some of these more groovy, slow tempo, slow jam adjacent songs contain very "watching paint dry"/mundane lyrics like going to blockbuster to get a movie to watch. That line in particular felt like a subtle sponsored ad read. Insane. Yeah idk if this would fall under the YOU GOT TO LISTEN TO THIS category, so I'll be leaving it a 2 and wishing it well. I think it might even be a 1, but I don't think it fully warrants that. Idk.
lol sike. I'm coming back to this after hearing the entire album and it's lyrically full of fucking tat and platitudes and fuckin empty words along with rough interpolations and even a moment where an uncredited interpolation of oasis' Live Forever can be found (on "let's stay together", with pharrell williams obviously the culprit of this)
fuck off, it's a 1/5, somewhere around a 1.8-2.5/10. He keeps saying he's fucking great but he's so fucking mid. He's this and that and oh my gosh i'm supposed to just accept it as true lmaoooo 100 fuckouttaheres / 10
Almost everywhere I look, I see a ton of glowing reviews regarding this album. I think there are some things in this artist that warrant a nod or maybe a type "oh I see what you mean" feeling.
This album is about having lost friends to drugs, and it's an album that is written to convey mourning and grief, but I didn't get that feeling upon my listen. I think the harebrained singing, and rough song ideas might seem like that's the fucking point, but I can't accept it. This is supposed to be a list of 1001 albums you have to hear before you die, and with this being yet another Neil Young album, I have to admit that I'm already tired of hearing this dude's fucked up high register straining and goofy middle text platitudes in the middle of a song. I don't know. I just can't accept that we might've left off some really great music for t he 5th or 6th fuckin' album by this. Boomers, I respect that you guys grew up bumping this and seeing this dude live, but I still have to admit I think most of you have lead in your brain.
This dude warranted a musical contract back in the day? You lot are really the luckiest fucks.
