Not the most variety on this album but thats not what you expect anyways. Good classic hard rock and a great comeback for AC/DC with Brian Johnson as new frontman. A few fillers are definetly there but also some of their biggest songs.
3,7/5
Pretty soft and easy listen to record. Not many skips at all you get what you expect from a Glamrock standout album.
4,0/5
I am pretty surprised about this album and some of the reviews I read to be honest. Mostly I am not the biggest fan of live albums (even though I love Sam Cooke at Harlem Square Club 1963) because often its rather a tiring listening experience with all the extra noise and mediocre sound quality.
This record is pretty short, clear and fun though.
The crowd is noticeable but only loud when it contributes to the experience and doesnt ruin the great vocals of a still young James Brown.
His breakthrough record and I understand why now!
4,4/5
Big footsteps to be the follow up album to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Aladdin Sane is a great piece of music but less accessible and more chaotic in my opinion.
That being said the chaotic feeling of the album fits the Aladdin Sane character perfectly which makes the album kind of having a theme through it not having a clear one.
The influence The Rolling Stones had on Bowie at that time is very noticeable with him even paying them their respect with a Stones cover.
That raw rock'n'roll mixed with his glamrock style works pretty good and the result is a brave energetic sound.
Contributing big time to that sound are the Spiders from Mars and Mike Garson on the piano. Admittedly his kind of avant garde jazz style playing especially in the title track solo wont be enjoyable for everybody but I liked it more and more after hearing the album a few times.
Really great album but not quite Ziggy Stardust level and definetly less accessible.
4,8/5
It never really clicked for me when it comes to Bruce Springsteen. However Im giving every record a chance here so I went through it a few times.
Unfortunately hearing this album doesnt differ from my former experiences. His voice is just not my taste I guess but I find it very exhausting and unpleasent after a few minutes.
The songs itself are good written pieces some of them and I liked the production quite a bit but his voice and delivery just kills it for me.
Im probably giving this a chance again in a few years or months and maybe my opinion will change but until then Im not putting it on again.
2,0/5
I got a bit out of touch with Hip Hop over the last few years simply because I dived more into the Rock genres especially and discovered lots of great stuff there. My hopes are that my connection to Hip Hop gets stronger again with this project and my first album is this classic.
The Score builds a lot on samples and that approach works great here. I loved the beats they give very relaxed vibes and set the tone for a smooth sounding record.
Every member of the Fugees really shines on there and their talent comes to full display.
Not the kind of album where I would play many individual songs but as a whole it works really good for me. Also good work with the covers, chosen fitting interesting songs and implemented flawlessly.
3,9/5
The concept of this album is rock opera like and tells a depressing and realistic story. I love rock operas like S.F. Sorrow or Tommy for example so this kind of concept definetly resonates with my taste.
However the music doesnt necessarily. I cant really point out why maybe its the production or the melodies just arent for me but I do like the instrumentation with many accoustic elements.
It just doesnt sound as appealing as other records to me but its a good one with great storytelling.
3,0/5
Tina made this album after a really hard time and after dealing with all that stuff it came out with a strong great message. Im sure it meant a lot to her.
Musically this isnt the most interesting project even though there are some hits on there. Its just a brutal 80s sound and Im not the biggest fan of that most of the time.
What cant be denied though is Tina Turners voice. Strong and rough as always it carries the album and makes the difference between just some 80s record and the classic it is.
I will give this a listen from time to time when Im in 80s mood.
3,0/5
My knowledge about electronic music is about 0 which is admittedly a real gap. So Im not able to really dive deep into this one since I dont understand enough of whats happening and whats great or new about this.
What I have to say though is Im positively surprised I cleaned the house to it and it was a great background music without having to concentrate too much on it.
I cant ignore how repetitive it is at times but thats kinda the standard in electronic music I think?
Looking foward to the next electronic piece.
2,7/5
Very experimental style with many energetic songs on here. A highly influential album with OutKast paving the way for other artists of what a HipHop record could sound like.
It was commercially huge with hits like Ms. Jackson or So Fresh, So Clean implementing topics that werent the standard for the time and still doesnt lack the credibility and feeling of a HipHop album.
What I just dont understand are the interludes. Out of 24 tracks there are 7 interludes and I dont really get it to be honest. For me it doesnt add much of a feeling but rather interrupts the listening flow a bit. Its a thing in HipHop I know but with all due respect I dont understand it.
Still a good experience though.
3,3/5
Nothing that makes me feel like I just witnessed a monumental piece of music but man it was one of the most peaceful and soothing albums I have ever heard.
The Great Great American Songbook has some of the most beautiful songs ever written in its arsenal and Willie Nelson made some great picks out of that.
Great choice whenever you need a little peace in your day.
3,5/5
Pure late 60s feeling on this one.
We got a bluesy psychedelic Hardrock mix played by Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton. A recipe for something great and thats exactly what it came out to be.
Bruce sings great leadvocals on some songs as well as Clapton. Baker sings lead on his own written song which kinda gives Kinks vibes. I like all of them on the mic so I welcome the variety since there is not a ton of variety on this album otherwise.
The focus is on Claptons guitar playing and he absolutely delivers. His work with Cream was probably his best in his long discography.
I dont think I have to say much about the drumming of Ginger Baker, the man is a legend for a reason.
Jack Bruce contributes with his more than solid bass playing and the iconic voice as well as writing most of the songs with Clapton.
Very enjoyable!
4,8/5
Mark Knopflers voice tells the story but his guitar sings the song.
Dire Straits debut doesnt sound like one. The production is great I love the relaxed sound and the blues folk rock mix.
Even though at that time the Dire Straits were still finding their style and sound for me its one of their best sounding records looking back on it.
Knopflers guitar playing is nearly unrivaled for me when it comes to delivering emotion and feeling and his style of songwriting fits it perfectly. Some really great songs on there but also a few not really outstanding ones. Sultans of Swing is obviously one of the most recognized songs ever and the status is rightly earned for sure.
Really good one this is a regular album pull for me.
4,4/5
Sweet record from the Kinks like expected.
I just like Ray Davies songwriting style and voice it always delivers some kind of lightheartedness on his slower songs like on this album and energy in their faster hardrock riff songs.
Dave Davies guitar playing is always incisive and fits the energy perfectly.
All that being said I dont think its the Kinks best album its a decent charming album with some lovely songs but also some pretty boring lows in my opinion. Looking foward for minimum 2 other Kinks albums.
3,8/5
Dolly Parton one of the sweetest and genuine people in the industry left us yesterday its a real loss for music!
Lovely album there is nothing bad to say about it other than with a playtime of 27 minutes it might be too short for people that like longer albums.
Depends on the mood for me I love long albums just as much but this was such a pleasant and easy listening experience I will 100% listen to it again more than once.
Dolly wrote 7 of the songs herself, the title track is truely a highlight but all of them were great. Her own songwriting skills really show on this album I didnt dislike a single song.
The other 3 were contributed by Porter Wagoner who of course knows exactly what kind of songs fit her and the result confirms it.
Easily 4 stars.
4,0/5
Thats exactly why Im doing this project man.
Why did I never hear this album in my life before?
Incredible songwriting by Curtis Mayfield painting detailed realistic pictures of how life was for black people in the 70s ghettos. Its like I didnt see the movie but I know it now.
Not much needs to be said about his vocals, they are smooth they are emotional they are perfect.
Same goes for the instrumentation. 40 studio musicians were involved and they really created a beautiful sound.
This was mindblowing for me I think this one is a 5 star.
4,8/5
Ready To Die didnt age well.
You cant deny Biggies rapskills though. There hasnt been many MCs that reached his complex rap level. The album itself on the other hand is sadly quite annoying. Interludes interludes interludes its just too much of it. I need someone whos deeper into HipHop to explain to me how it improves his listening experiences to listen to Biggie fucking a bunch of women?
The parts where its no sex are pretty easily summarized. Shoot people and slap bitches.
Biggie one of the goats some individual tracks are really great and his rhyme structure is just brutal but as an album as a whole it doesnt work out at all.
Bloated with over an hour, too many sex interludes, violence against women. Not the best piece of music!
2,0/5
What an interesting piece of music!
I think the title explains the experience pretty much spot on. The whole atmosphere and instrumentation is just mighty and huge but the production is perfect and smooth with it. It gives a soothing deeply calm feeling though not sleepy but still energetic at times.
Instrumentally there is a lot going on they were working with a string quartet, they got piano, keyboard a gospel choir and just many great musicians together on this album. I also loved the vocal harmonies on the title track for example, beautiful work.
This is my favourite psychedelic approach out of the 90s that I have yet listened to. Though calling it psychedelic rock wouldnt do the album right its more like a spacerock psychedelic blues artrock gospel combination or something like that and somehow it works out great.
Is it a bit long and some songs could have been cut to make it a shorter more crispy experience? Yes for sure but on the other hand its one of those albums that gets you in a real spacey calm mood as a whole package and you want that vibe to stay longer than just 30 minutes so in this case I appreciate the length. 10 minutes less still wouldnt have hurt though.
Looking forward to give this a relisten when I am in the right mood!
3,7/5
First time hearing an album by The Damned and its a shame that I never listened to them before.
The songwriting is really catchy and with a big variety of styles especially in regard to punk.
There are some pure fast energetic punk tracks, I have read they were pretty influential on later hardcore punk bands and its understandable they deliver so much energy.
Then there are definetly some hardrock influences noticeable like the solo on Plan 9 Channel 7 for example.
Even though punk was kinda the countermovement to hardrock I love it when both worlds fuse together.
In general the whole piece is very melodic for a punk record I enjoyed the piano intro on Melody Lee a lot for imstance.
Also worth to mention are David Vanian their leadsinger and Captain Sensible on the guitar. Very distinct voice and really good vocals in general by David and Captain Sensible does really great work in my opinion I especially liked the guitar playing a lot on this one.
3,7/5
Is Jimi Hendrix the most influential guitar player that ever touched the strings? Pretty safe to say so. His creativity and ability to create sounds that have never been made to his day with the same instrument as everyone else is unmatched.
Does all that make him automatically my favourite guitarist? With the biggest possible respect no.
If your taste is to listen to pure instrumental virtuosity over album oriented songwriting then this is an instant 5 star without a doubt.
There are moments when I want exactly that but its not my daily kind of bread.
It is really long having 75 minutes of playtime and much of it really is just kind of jamming around. Jamming around with the greatest guitarist of all time of course but still most of the times Im not able to stay focused through the whole album. Probably because I dont understand enough of guitarplaying to comprehend the full extension of his genius though so thats a me problem.
Im also not the biggest fan of his singing but who would put a Hendrix record on for the vocals not the guitar so thats kind of a meaningless point I guess.
Hard to judge because some days I cant focus on it at all and some days its the greatest thing on earth but giving 4 stars feels right.
4,0/5
I read another review here that summarizes this album pretty good in a funny way for me though being a bit too harsh.
"All the songs seem to me a collage of somewhat haphazard ideas. There's a lot of work and pretty innovative stuff, but unfortunately it never becomes memorable or catchy (at least for me).
It was like 52 minutes of "oh yeah, we're gonna put a tambourine there, oh and a robot voice here... And a sampling of that song at this moment", but it remains irrelevant at each time."
I wouldnt agree 100% with the reviewer because there were some songs I liked and I would and probably will listen to again but big parts of the album sounded exactly like the quote says.
I appreciate creativity but creativity doesnt always make it enjoyable to listen and thats sadly the case with many songs on here.
The heavy distortion and instrumentation used on some tracks really stressed me out too and the albums playtime was too long in combination with that.
Still an interesting sound that Beck created I would put it somewhere between hiphop, alternative, folkrock, indie, experimental maybe.
This is a record I will give another chance in some time because it has some interesting music but until then I won't listen to it as a whole album again.
2,7/5
I havent heard much Jazz other than a little Miles Davis and John Coltrane but not their whole discography or something so I am a bit of an unwritten paper when it comes to the genre.
Many jazz records are just hard to access for me to be honest but oh man thats where Herbie Hancock plays his magic.
The album opener is the funkiest jazz piece I have ever been pleased to hear and it catches you with an irresistible groove that keeps you the whole 15 minutes and works perfect as an opener.
The second track is the "weakest point" of the album in my opinion. That being said I dont have bad things to say about it other than I dont really get the groove of the flute.
"Sly" is the climax of the whole thing. The bass, the drums, the sax is otherworldly and Herbie himself solos everything out of that e-piano. This one got me really thinking why I have never dived deeper into jazz before but I guess theres a lot to explore in the future.
After this energetic climax "Vein Melter" comes in and does a great job being the album closer. The calm groove the beautiful strings everything is just peaceful and relaxed.
I dont know if there is some even more accessible jazz out there for people crossing over from rock for example but "Head Hunters" definetly did it for me.
This will absolutely be a regular album pull for me.
4,5/5
First of all I think its cool that The Monkees got at least somewhat the chance to show something of their own real musical talent.
What comes to my mind instantly while listening though is that this album misses something of that individuality that bands like The Beatles or The Kinks had. Is that a surprise keeping their history and what this band was in mind?
No but the fact stands that it sounds like just another 60's pop rock record and nothing really special.
The Monkees absolutely borrowed some stuff from the Beatles but I mean they took from the most influential band of all time and that is for a reason so it is kind of understandable.
I don't deny that a few funny uplifting songs were definetly on there and nothing is really bad or hard to listen but there are just many albums from that time and genre that I prefer every time so I will listen to Headquarters pretty rarely I'm afraid.
3,0/5
Where do I even start with this monumental album?
One of Pink Floyds best selling records and the average review score shows how much it is still loved today.
Though some folks say its too long and bloated and some complain its over dramatic but I disagree for the most part.
I would rather listen to The Wall with its 80 minutes of playtime than to watch a random netflix show or movie. It is one of the finest rock operas out there which means its an opera and what do most operas have in common? They are supposed to be dramatic it absolutely fits and contributes to the concept in my opinion so for me most of the filler or connecting songs absolutely work and do what they should, they connect the storys when needed.
Is it Pink Floyds most ambitious album from a musical point of view? No their catalogue is just too strong but it is their most ambitious project from a storytelling cinematic point of view? Probably yes it is up there without a doubt.
Going through the album is not an easy going listening experience that is for sure it tells a depressing story about life, trauma, isolation and mental health. Definetly not a record you can listen to any day in my opinion it needs to be listened in one piece and with focus.
This one was prime Roger Waters in my eyes. Sadly a prime Roger Waters and a prime David Gilmour couldn't work together for much more time but the music they created in their given time together is exceptional.
4,5/5
Turns out I like Supergrass more than I thought.
I Should Coco was both more versatile and fun than expected. Especially the mix of styles resulting in that punk britpop sound I didnt know they had, was surprising in a positive way.
The first half of the album was a bit more energetic and more filled with that punk sound while on the second half I could really hear some influences of bands like the Stone Roses for example with the songs being more melodic and less fast paced.
What I also noticed was the great guitarwork in particular that Lenny riff was pretty catchy but overall good work.
Really a no skip album out of nothing for me I enjoyed listening to it quite a lot. Even the weaker songs are still fun and I'm sure this is added to my more regular rotation of albums.
Edit 2 weeks later: There are no weak songs and I listen to it a lot. Great album really.
4,8/5
I had high expectations when I saw Hot Fuss by The Killers is the pick because somehow they went completely past me even though having a big hype in the 2000s.
I went through the album a few times now and Somebody Told Me is undeniably pretty catchy but I have to say the whole album is a bit bland.
Other than the mentioned song nothing was really that memorable to me even the big hit Mr. Brightside. Definetly a good song just not as special as expected.
That is also the case with the rest of the album. Solid indie rock no bad songs but like I said there arent any real peaks that make this a memorable record for me.
Maybe I'm not 16 years old enough to get it today but will try it again in some time.
A bit underwhelming to be honest.
3,0/5
Another one thats absolutely ok but thats about it.
Of course there are some catchy hooks and Take Me Out goes hard but the whole thing as an album just seems so bland to me. After 2 songs I lose focus and it becomes background music everytime. I feel like I should like the sound more but it doesnt click for me sadly.
Im starting to get the feeling that indierock just isnt really my thing it was the same with The Killers. But at the same time I consider "Is This It" by The Strokes an absolute masterpiece is this album just that good?
Anyways the mood isnt the best the past few days maybe there just isn't enough headspace for new music I will for sure try again because I have some Franz Ferdinand in my playlist and refuse to believe that I dont remember a single song other than the hitsingle here.
3,0/5
Iggy and the Velvet UnDoorsGround. The influences are pretty obvious which doesn't always has to be a bad thing I just state the fact that The Stooges The Doors and the Velvet Underground contributed a lot to the sound.
On the other hand what needs to be mentioned is that this record really sounds like a precursor to the 90s 2000s indie scene I believe this probably had some kind of influence on many of those later indierock songwriters.
The Modern Lovers self titled album is not flashy or overproduced its pretty raw but also doesnt have real peaks or is that special in any way my opinion.
Surprisingly though it somehow works for me whilst I have a hard time with the indie genre most of the time I found this one quite relaxing and with 35 minutes playtime on the original release its also not too long.
Nothing too special like I mentioned but a relaxed pleasant experience in general.
3,5/5
Studioalbum number 3 from Eric, Paul McCharmley, George Parisol and Ringo Stone!
Having no covers but only John and Paul written songs for the first time this is their most ambitious album up until Help! and both are probably the peak of the pre Rubber Soul Era.
There is not a single weak song on here and several really great ones already. Of course the topics are still pretty limited and you have to like the early poppy Beatles sound but the whole vibe of the album is just so fun it never gets boring for a second.
Contributing to that is the playtime of only 30 minutes which in reality feel more like 10 minutes because its such an easy going fun record.
Both Paul and John were already shining at this point it was obvious that the potential with 2 (3) songwriters of this caliber in one band is enormous.
The vocals are otherworldly they set up those beautiful harmonies ober the album which where probably only rivaled by the Beach Boys in that pop rock n roll genre.
John sings lead on most of the songs, Paul also got some and George only sings lead on one song but nails it of course.
Shoutout Sir Richard Starkey because Ringo is a beast and The Beatles backbone musically as well as personally.
Easy 4,8/5
Never even heard of this band before I don't know what to expect at all.
The whole album feels a little bit like a jamsession in a positive way it is very raw and not overproduced at all the productions fits their sound perfectly.
I have to say though it kinda gives some Clash vibes with their songwriting I believe they have been strongly influenced by the Clashs experimental sound in some ways.
I love the instrumentation over the whole record. Great guitarwork at times but bass and drums are what is really carrying this album. Brutal smooth sometimes big basslines and this funky punk drumming make the listening experience quite a fun one.
The playtime of 31 minutes doesnt hurt that too it makes it feel like a fun jamsession like I mentioned earlier. It works good as a whole thing I didn't feel like any songs where completely out of place it got a good flow.
I will return to this album for sure to give some songs more chances to shine because right now I'm not really able to recall individual songs but like I said as a whole project it works good.
3,5/5
First latin music pick for me and I'm an absolutely unwritten paper when it comes to it.
They put together a huge band to really achieve a great variety of cuban styles so on this album alone there are a ton of genres and styles I have never heard before. This will probably require a bunch of listens for me to get it but I'm curious for sure.
Since I dont speak any spanish I can't say anything about the lyrics I can only judge the music itself.
I really love the guitars and laúds and whatever string instruments they used throughout nearly every song. Very good playing and it gives those dance vibes in combination with the drums the congas and bongos and again whatever they use I dont know. What I do know is that those rhythms are pretty uplifting and overall just bring across good happy feelings.
What I assume are trumpets are also killing it. Thats something I do love about latin music that they involve instruments like the trumpet a lot.
Overall though its hard for me to remember individual songs its more like some 1 hour latin medley.
I don't despise the music at all I actually like it but I'm not able to stay focused on the album through the whole hour it becomes backgroundmusic every time. A great backgroundmusic though.
Like I said I assume my knowledge on latin music is just too small to understand the greatness and nuances of the music but I will eventually get there on my musical journey and this one will be the first to get a relisten when I'm there.
3,0/5
I still don't know much about Jazz so again it is going to be hard for me to comprehend the nuances and greatness of the genius that John Coltrane is without a doubt.
That doesn't hold me back enjoying this record though and I assume it's getting better the more I listen to it and understand it more.
Hard to put in words what I love about it but the saxophone playing from Mr Coltrane is otherworldly intense and just beautiful it seems like every single note and tone is exactly where it needs to be nothing more and nothing less.
I also like how the album is built. Its a 4 part suite and every part is between 7 and 10 minutes long that makes it have enough variety but still enough time for every part to unfold in its complete beauty and intensity.
I have a feeling this will be changed to 5 stars soon because I'm starting to listen to some more jazz every now and then and this one already feels like a masterpiece without me understanding the music behind it completely.
4,5/5
These are the Beatles in the middle of their prime.
We got everything on this album. Some rock, some silly songs, some sad songs, some sweet love songs, some experimental songs, psychedelic stuff and Ringo. Just a brutally ambitious album as a whole.
That of course also means there is not really a common musical theme it absolutely jumps here and there. Whats special about that is that the Beatles operated at the highest level in all of these styles.
John, Paul and Ringo are at the peak of their games and George is getting there too its just great song after great song.
Ending this genius mess of an album is the piece of art that is A Day In The Life. I don't know what else to say about it other than it's simply one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.
I could say something to every song individualy on Sgt Pepper but let's just keep it compact and call it the masterpiece it is.
One of my probably 20 most listened albums of all time for a reason.
4,9/5
I'm not too familiar with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers I know a few hits but never gave one of their albums a focused listen. I also know Tom Petty from his work with the Travelling Wilburys though so I know hes a beast and I like his relaxed voice.
The album is pretty much straight folk rock n roll and doesnt try to be anything else which I like.
I have to say though it hasn't been the most memorable experience the few times I went through it now it doesnt really have that peak where I was like yep that song is really going to have big playtime in the next weeks.
On the other hand though there also wasn't a moment when I thought it's annoying or boring or anything it was just good classic folk rock n roll.
Will give this a relisten when I feel like it and maybe it will click more next time.
3,3/5
Since widely regarded this is not their best album I expect minimum one more Yes record but I'm glad The Yes Album made the cut.
First of all Steve Howe is an absolute god. This is their first album with Howe and I really admire his playing and incredible guitar tone on here.
Then we got Jon Anderson nailing the vocals like he always does I don't think anything else needs to be said.
Also this is for many years the last album of Yes featuring the keyboardist Tony Kaye before he got replaced by Mr Rick Wakeman because he was too normal and the madness really began. So this is still quite accessible for a Yes record and a progressive album in general.
Some brutal 10 minute epics like Starship Trooper or Perpetual Change are there but also something like Steve Howes "Clap" which is a beautiful pure accoustic guitar song.
No weak song on this album every one has its rightful place. The ending of Perpetual Change equally the end of the album is so good I enjoyed that a lot it's a perfect ending.
I do think The Yes Album is kind of underrated I consider it one of the best progressive rock albums of the 70s. Not like top 3 but up there.
4,5/5
I am not too much invested in grunge to be honest I never liked most of it so this kinda is a rough start for The Screaming Trees and Dust.
Hard to explain why that is but often I dont like the guitars they just don't sound appealing to me they even stress me out after some time.
Mark Lanegans voice is pretty good thats out of discussion but I actually think his singing on Dust is a bit flat. Nothing really excites me in any way.
I like that this is not a pure grunge album there are hardrock and a bit of psychedelic influences noticeable which bring some fresh air to the sound.
Songs like Witness and Dime Western for example are pretty enjoyable to me but in general I only liked a few songs and most of it feels a bit flat and not really my type of record.
No disrespect just not my genre.
3,0/5
I don't really know what to say about this. What did I just hear?
Starting with the obvious Tom Waits has a very distinct and significant voice. The way he used it on this album didn't convince me 100% though.
After the first listen I was thinking I like his classic piano songwriter style more than his experimental stuff.
Most of the songs didn't click with me and gave me nothing in any way. But then when I relistened it a few times it kind of grew on me in some ways.
First I thought I don't like the faster rockier tracks then there came a song in exactly that style and I liked it. Again first I thought I don't like the slower quiet songs then came one in that exact style again that I liked.
This was and is a seriously confusing listening experience for me because I can't get behind at all what I like about it and what I don't.
Some songs are just so strange and don't resonate even a little bit and some songs are pretty enjoyable and I understand the groove.
The titletrack is a banger thats a fact.
Strange album but in the end it caught my intention a little bit. I will eventually come back to it and give this another try.
3,1/5
Talk about putting emotion and pain into ones voice, this might be one of the most fierce attempts when it comes to it. I think even more than on their studio albums this live album caught the raspyness rawness and every perfection and equally important imperfection of Kurt Cobains voice perfectly.
The decision to choose the covers they did and don't change keys even though it's out of Kurts controlled range was nothing but genius. Increases everything I said before even more.
This album shows how versatile Nirvana was or could have been because many of those accoustic renditions sound better or as good as the actual studio versions. This includes the David Bowie cover which is an achievement itself.
Also great of them to give respect to Mr. Hudson Ledbetter aka Leadbelly as their favourite performer.
I could go on and on about what I like about this record, Novoselic contributing more than solid bass playing, Grohl is Grohl, the guest musicians are great I can't think of anything negative I could mention.
Simply one of the best live albums in existence.
4,9/5
This was pretty interesting I'm not going to lie and wether I like it or not I'm glad this album is now added to my list.
His voice gave me Bowie vibes sometimes but I really like the vocals across the album.
In general I think this project is influeced quite a bit by David Bowies Berlin trilogy.
Gary Numan created a very dystopian hard and heavy electronic rock sound here.
The general theme of the album with the science fiction machine industrial inspired lyrics work hand in hand with that sound and combined they do a great job at painting pictures in your head.
I have never been the biggest fan of electronic music but I also never listened a lot to it so I may need to get used to it a bit more and listen to a broader variety of albums from the genre.
Particularily this record while not being my genre as mentioned was way more entertaining than I thought though. I was able to stay focused through the whole album which is not the standard with me and electronic music. Often it just tends to become background music for me after some time.
Not so easy to decide where I rank The Pleasure Principle. I feel like my taste shouldn't fit to this but somehow it does.
3,7/5
I have to admit I never gave the Verve a real chance other than of course Bitter Sweet Symphony this is going to be mostly new stuff for me.
Their sound mixes together a bunch of styles and can be described as orchestral psychedelic britpop rock which is really interesting.
The slow pace of the album and the accoustic songs makes this a relaxing calming listen. I'm a ballad enjoyer so this has a good amount of songs that I should like in some ways. Still there are some faster rockier tracks though.
McCabes guitar playing is great and is in big parts responsible for that psychedelic sound. Richard Ashcroft made the right decision to bring him back to the band. I'm sure that had a positive impact on the recordings and the sound.
Also worth mentioning are Ashcrofts vocals which are perfect for the Verves style in my opinion. Really matches the music he just has that britpop voice.
I do think Urban Hymns could have been a bit shorter. Not by cutting out complete songs but by shortening some songs itself. It becomes a bit dragging in some moments where the songs just don't end but don't really profit from that extra length. Not for every song but in some cases.
The whole process was not easy leading up to the finished album. A band breakup followed by rough recording sessions makes me think we are lucky that the record was eventually completed and released.
3,7/5
Sadly the complete album is not available on Spotify I don't know if this is only for my country or if it's a general thing. Gladly I was able to find every song other than one in some Moby Grape best of compilation and went to YouTube for the last one.
I wasn't familiar with the band at all but music from the time is typically my type so I'm looking forward to give it a listen.
The album opens with a raw loud bluesy guitar which stays through the first songs until 8:05 comes around and suddenly it changes to a somewhat beatlesque psychedelic sound for a moment before it gets energetic and more rock n roll again with the next songs.
Every few songs comes a slower song and that runs through the whole album which makes it have a really cool flow.
I loved the vocal harmonies throughout the album taking big part in giving Moby Grapes self titled debut that typical 60s sound alongside the bluesy psychedelic guitars.
The record has a lot of diversity due to all members taking part in the songwriting process and also switching members singing leadvocals on different songs.
Quite an enjoyable album that has a lot of things I like but annoying to listen to it as a whole because of the lacking accesability on streaming platforms. Of course this won't effect my scoring I only judge the music.
4,1/5
Electronic music and synth pop is not really my thing there are often many albums I would pick before I listen to something electronic but I have to admit this is pretty catchy in more than a few moments.
The heavy deep synth beats and some of those brutal basslines really set the tone for Low-Life it is kind of melancholic but powerful. I think the bassplayer plays his bass as a lead melody instrument sometimes which is really cool.
The vocals are solid. Nothing special or outstanding but fits the style in my opinion. I think they lost their old leadsinger who was in Joy Division with them so they had to replace that spot did a solid job as mentioned.
After going through the album a few times I'm still not too sure what to think about it.
There are those catchy moments but its also like expected not my type of music and the moments where I put Low-Life on will be rather rare.
I still have respect for their new and old band and acknowledge their influence.
3,0/5
Todays pick presents me one of P Funks main defining records. Probably the number one from the Parliament side.
I don't know if any album on earth delivers as much funk as the mothership I certainly don't know any.
The music is irresistibly uplifting there is no escape and it leaves you in a good mood every time.
A lot of highclass musicians work together under the genius lead of George Clinton (as in every other P Funk record).
The basslines are straight out of funk space they are incredibly fun and catchy and build the perfect base for the Mothership Connection.
Also great horns they really do this album good and take big part in why I like it. Two of the horn players came over from the JBs which means they played with James Brown as well as Bootsy Collins the bassplayer who also was a former musician with Mr Brown so you know they are more than just good at what they do.
Too many musicians take part to give them all individual credits but they did a great job without exceptions.
The whole mothership theme of the album opened a lot of doors especially for future live performances of the P Funk collective so it was influential for the collective as well as for funk, hip hop etc. on the music side.
Very important and influential piece of music without a doubt and on the list for good reason.
4,5/5
Elton Johns Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was, is and will be amongst my more regular album pulls.
Listening through the album is like walking down a road of musical styles there is not a chance that it gets boring despite the length of 76 minutes.
It opens up with that 11 minute instrumental progressive rock medley with a climatic ending before it slows down with the soft Candle In The Wind only to then take you over to glamrock and even some reggae (I guess) and most important the rock n roll is there across the whole album.
Elton John really created a masterpiece full of variety and hits.
Another reviewer said something very true. With double LPs it is always the question if there was just that amount of great songs that it's enough for the double length or if there were just a few songs too much for a normal album and then it's completed with fillersongs that aren't on the same level. The answer for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is pretty simple. No fillers in sight.
The titletrack might be my favourite Elton song of all time. I even stand with Jamaica Jerk-Off that song got great vibes I don't care that it's hated and also shoutout to Sweet Painted Lady what a charming underrated song.
This album is probably Sir Elton Johns finest work in his big catalogue.
4,8/5
I have heard Singles Going Steady by The Buzzcocks which is a compilation album of their UK singles and is pretty good but didn't get to listen to their first studio album yet.
Another Music In A Different Kitchen is classic brit punk from the early days and it got everything I love this genre for. The aggressive fast paced guitars and drums, the energy loaded basslines and the not giving a fuck vocals with the rebellious lyrics.
While all this feels angry and aggressive as punk from the days mostly did and they are mad angry at modern music you still come out with a good mood it delivers fun and energy for sure.
Now is this the most diverse album I have heard in my life? Of course it's far away from that but I don't believe every album needs (or can be able) to be on the level of an experimental punk masterpiece like London Calling for example. This is a record full of catchy mostly shorter songs that won't let you get near boredom anytime.
It works good as the piece it is without greater variety.
Just classic punk, very entertaining I loved Another Music In A Different Kitchen for its simplicity.
3,8/5
Solid Air by John Martyn is already in my "collection" but I only ever listened to it once and never got to give it some more attention so here's a great chance to go through the album again.
I have read some reviews complaining about his mumbled vocals and slurred speech at times and while thats true I have to say it didn't bother me at all. His style fits to the slow quiet songs and in the more energetic songs he shows that he possesses quite a powerful voice.
John Martyn also possesses a great variety of musical styles in his arsenal which is evident all across the record.
There are the pure folk songs but then influences of jazz, blues, funk and even I think psychedelic rock come to show which results in a good diverse listening experiences that takes you to absolute relaxation.
The titletrack is dedicated to Martyns fellow folk singer songwriter friend Nick Drake of whom I expect one or two albums on this list as well and I respect that a lot.
Solid Air for sure is an album for the smoke enjoyers out there. It's soothing it's relaxing and just overall perfect to chill out to.
I will revisit this on more than one good evening knowing how good it is now.
4,0/5
This album was a lot to say it short. I'm not that far on my jazz journey and while having heard Miles Davis In A Silent Way and Kind Of Blue I haven't come across Bitches Brew yet.
While In A Silent Way feels softer, quieter and more of a straight concept this one is structured chaos and very free in its playing which was quite influental for later jazz musicians and the genre itself.
That also applies to the instrumentation. With that mix of electronic and classic accoustic instruments it takes on where In A Silent Way left and opens the genre up even more. I can hear why the album was also influential on the jazz rock and rock genre in general so really a diverse album in that way.
I have to be honest though I just can't ignore the length of Bitches Brew. It is huge with 1 1/2 hours of playtime and for me as a non musician and not having the most jazz experience it is very hard to stay focused on such a "chaotic" complex jazz record. Often I lose focus for some time and then can't catch the theme back and then it really feels like chaos to me.
I blame that partly on my lack of understanding and knowledge but also thats just too long for an instrumental album in my opinion. An instrumental album of this length is just destined to become background music after some time.
If just the best parts (by my taste) of this record where cut together to like 30-40 minutes then my score would for sure be higher and I could enjoy it a lot more but with it being as it is I will probably prefer albums like Kind Of Blue or Love Supreme by John Coltrane most of the times when the time for a jazz album has come. As an album experience Bitches Brew is simply too long for me.
3,1/5
Lust for Life is Iggy Pops second solo album after his work with the Stooges and after releasing his heavily Bowie influenced and produced and written album The Idiot.
This one is The Stooges but it is also David Bowie. It is a lot more Iggy and a lot less David Bowie than the album before which was important for Iggy and went the right way because the record took the best things from both sides which results in a great sound.
I like the art hard rock punk mixture and the energetic vibes this album gives with every song supported by great vocals.
Apparently the lyrics where only partially written down and mainly improvised while recording which is admittedly pretty impressive. As a result the lyrics are maybe not the strongest but kind of personal since the artist just let them out in some way.
Especially the songs dealing with drug addiction which are quite a few feel like very personal Iggy songs. Looking at the guys not only Iggy but also Bowie and the rest around that time it makes sense they would know a thing or two about drug addiction.
Lust for Life has more catchy songs than just the titletrack and The Passenger I will definetly come back to this one.
3,8/5
Interesting since this is one of the prison albums but not the most well known I assume At Folsom Prison will also follow.
Starting this first of all why the fuck is this censored. Fuck this the noise is fucking annoying.
The whole atmosphere of this live album is amazing you can feel that Johnny Cash as well as the audience enjoyed this concert very much.
There is a lot of interaction and talking going on and I love the way Johnny talks with people including the prisoners. Of course many of them may be pieces of shit but some of them may not be and he's just respectful and genuine with everybody which I definetly respect.
The songs he picked where perfect for the setting especially of course the title track which he intentionally wrote for this concert.
San Quentin is a powerful critical song about prison life and the problems that come with it.
This must have really hit the spot for the prison audience hence he played it twice in a row and I don't feel like the song lost any of its power and importance in the modern days. Absolutely timeless.
I think that is all that need to be said about At San Quentin. Of course from a music standpoint this is not Hendrix at Woodstock or something but it's perfect for what it's intended to be and it's part of a great series of albums by Johnny Cash.
4,2/5
