The best songs--America, Fakin' It, A Hazy Shade of Winter, Mrs. Robinson--are classics for a reason. But to me, there's a big dropoff to the second tier songs. Save the Life of My Child's attempts at light psychedelia just sound mushy; Overs, Old Friends, and Punky's Dilemma sound gushy; The attempts at a conceptual suite with the Bookends theme and Voices of Old People sound pretentious. But man, the highs are very high!
Urban Hymns has long been one of my favorite albums of the 90s. Listening again, the whole albums flows as a whole. The jams jam and the bangers bang. I should be sick of Bittersweet Symphony, but I'm not.
The first time I heard this band I had a visceral dislike of the shouted lyrics and mashed together noise. Very melody and very little complexity. I still can’t stand this.
I mean, this is a no-brainer 5 star album, obviously. But it's long been a bit of a frustrating listen for me. The best tracks are some of the best of all-time from anyone anywhere-Visons of Johanna, One of Us Must Know, Stuck Inside of Memphis, etc. But the album also grinds to a halt when the boring bluesy numbers pop up--Pledging My Time, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Temporary Like Achilles. But between the iconic cover and the majority of the fabulous songs, this one is undeniable.
Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Still rocks!
Oh boy. I went through a Doors phase in junior high, obsessed with every album. I'm no longer in junior high. The Doors have not aged well for me. Twentieth Century Fox is still a good tune though.
I've tried to get into this one several times over the years. It never connects and this listen was no exception. I get why people like the harmonies and soulful lead vocals, but I just can't take the baroque arrangements.
Lovely. Samey, but a lovely kind of samey
I've long loved Stereolab, and I"m always happy when a song pops up on a playlist or radio. It's been a while since I listened to this entire album though, and I must admit that, while still very enjoyable, it demands a certain relaxed mood. It's got a repetitive groove, but whether I'm digging that groove depends upon the mood.
Phenomenal album from start to finish. The songs are definitely swingin', and the album never lets up. Frank at his best.
I absolutely love Catch a Fire and Live!, but have grown sick of the greatest hits type stuff from overplay. I was interested to hear Exodus in full since it's been a while, and I thought maybe the overplayed songs (Exodus, Three Little Birds, Waiting in Vain, Jamming, One Love) might sound fresh integrated within the album. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Honestly, I wanted to like it more.
What an album. Intense and dirty from start to finish, with grooves that never let up. I mean, those first three tunes alone. Damn
I knew some of the songs--most obviously, Public Image, which rules. But I've never listened to the whole album. I didn't expect to like it so much, but damn, it's great. Relentless, powerful, thrilling.
Creedence rules, and somehow they are still underrated. Green River and Willie and the Poor Boys are near perfect albums, and Bayou Country is solid as well. The heights of Cosmo's Factory are the heights of 60s rock--Who'll Stop the Rain and Run Through the Jungle in particular. The other hits--Travel Band, Looking Out My Back Door, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and Long as I Can See the Light--are a step down, but still fantastic. Of the deep cuts, Ramble Tamble rules--love the extended jam that loops back to the jagged licks that form the basis of the song. What knocks this album down a notch for me are the boring and mediocre covers of Before You Accuse Me, Ooby Dooby, and My Baby Left Me. While they elevate Grapevine, they play the other three covers straight. Still a great album though.
As with other artists on the list, this seems like the wrong album. Remain in Light, Fear of Music, and even More Songs about Buildings and Food show much more intensity and depth. However, this one is a very pleasant listen from start to finish. It doesn't have the bangers of the other albums, but not many weak spots either.
Everyone knows the big hits, which are unassailable. The second tier tunes are also fantastic--DMSR, Lady Cab Driver, Automatic.
Wow, this one was unexpectedly bad. Again, why this album on the list rather than melty face? Solsbury Hill is obviously fantastic, but most of the album sounds like he's trying to work out some of the prog hangover of Genesis while trying to keep up with the times by inserting late 70s classic rock riffs into tunes. The opener, Moribund and Here Comes the Flood are interesting, but most of it is a mess. What the heck is Excuse Me? The best I can say is that he was learning how to be himself to pave the way for his excellent later albums.
Loved it when it came out. Love it now. Time has made stuff like Slanted and Enchanted more approachable and, to my ears, made Crooked Rain less a "pop" follow up and more consistent with their debut, albeit with some more immediate songs like Cut Your Hair, Unfair, and Range Life. But the flow of Crooked Rain is what makes it great, with lots of loose, shaggy tunes interspersed with the "hits." Not a bad song in the bunch.
I understand why this would be considered important, groundbreaking, and cool. I can see how someone could get into it with more listens or with the right mood. But I probably won't. Not for me. Sorry.
Enjoyable listen, but didn't expect so much to be instrumental. It's smooth and funky, with standout tracks like Cisco Kid and the title track. Not sure I'll return to it much but solid album.
