Some great beats, evokes badu, and dilla, like the overall vibe, must be an influential piece but feels like an album that if you don’t know it when you are 18, you won’t appreciate the brilliance. This isn’t timeless.
One of my favourites of all time, when have you ever heard an album so driven by i bass lines? Peter hook is the real genius here, that bass through disorder an shadow play really make them the stand out tracks. Ian Curtis is so raw, it couldn’t work without him wailing and shaking. I haven’t listened to it in a while and it does get a bit bogged down on some of the middle tracks, and made me realise how much I lean on other singles in their narrow catalogue. Still, nothing like it.
Waiting in Vain is an absolute tune, it felt a bit generic until then. Turn your lights down low turns up the soul and suddenly I’m in. Beautiful track. If I was more of a fan of the genre I’m sure it would get full marks. It’s just unfortunate that the ferry from Rotterdam to Harwich wakes you up at 5am playing 3 little birds, and so I can’t stand it. Same for one love, they’re just naff, overplayed songs now sadly.
Liked a bit more than Exodus, feels a bit more interesting musically even if the lyrics can sometimes sound like random train of thought, a lowlight: And then Georgie would make the fire light, I say, A log wood burning through the night, Then we would cook corn meal porridge, I say, Of which I'll share with you, yeah....
Drums on Them Belly Full are great, I also like Natty Dread a lot, Rebel Music, Bend Down Low, all sound like the band are having a bit more fun with it.
Superb album, an album of hers I have not listened to as much as others, but the familiarity of a couple of songs, Court and Spark, Help Me mean this is laced with all timers. An incredible musician, artist, and without a doubt the most iconic female voice of all time. Put it straight back on repeat to enjoy all over again, love this and I will be rinsing it a lot more.
Just a little bit too 'middle-aged white woman gets home to her kitchen after a long day, sticks this on, pours herself a large glass of wine, and looks lornfully out of the window as the rain pours down' for me...
Fine, I liked burning spear
One of those ones I’m sure is influential and a pretty enjoyable listen, some talented musicians and tight horns. Rocks and diamonds though, Apache is brilliant, always love hearing a famous sample, then ‘Raunchy 73’ sounds like the backing to an opening level in crash bandicoot, as does a lot of the album. Sounds ridiculous to say but maybe a bit too much bongo at times, ‘duelling bongos’ was the point at which I had had enough bongos, pls end the bongos. Enjoyed the album but won’t be back in a hurry.
Unlistenable. Had me begging for the bongos again.
Beauty, has not aged at all. The production value throughout is phenomenal, its hard to believe it was recorded 50 years ago. I have never heard it before, and am really only familiar with his eponymous album.
Here, he trades that famous rolling uplifting soul from 'Move on Up' with a more mature commentary on 1970's America. We hear more, I believe, of just how talented Mayfield is on this record. Effortless falsetto and a guitar playing ability I had not considere before. It really plays a lot like a short 'Whats Going On', but where Gaye sets a vibe, Mayfield hits home a bit more with his storytelling, particularly on 'Billy Jack' and 'Jesus'.
Loses a point for the gospel taking a bit too long to get going on 'Jesus', but this is a massively underrated and not well enough known album.
I love the band just from knowing a couple of singles so was nice to dive into one of their albums. I had an excellent time, 'Darklands' quite poppy, and expected more of this style. Then immediately you hear the baritone on the second track as we get get a bit more baritone all the way into into 'Fall'; the darkest track on the album, and probably the best. It's a bit post punk, a whole lot of Stone-Roses and it's massively 80's all at the same time. A new classic for me.
Come at this as an Arctic Monkeys fan, and one who did not enjoy their pivot to lounge rock in their later albums so heavily influenced by Richard Hawley the Sheffield lad. I have been meaning to look him up, and found this album absolutely superb.
Where Alex Turner makes this style sound like self indulgent shite through pretentious lyrics, Richard Hawley sounds like a geniune old school crooner, he can pull it off. He also clearly isn't so bothered about the vibe, this is varied from big strings on Coles Corner to cash esque country on The Waters of my Time. Who's going to shoe your pretty feet is a beauty.
Full marks for this one.
I am completely unfamiliar with Fairport Convention and loved this album. Very surprised to read they are English. A sailors life is fantastic, a big rolling tune that builds and builds. Who Knows Where the Time Goes I must have heard before and if I haven’t it is one of those songs that feels like it’s been with you forever.
Wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this
This is brilliant, I was expecting more blues in 1966 from them, but its just full of pop with the odd nod to their earlier days in Doncha Bother Me. Lady Jane is timeless, and Under my Thumb is one of my favourite singles of the Stones.
This could have come out last week, a definite sense that current Grunge and Shoegaze lean heavily on this. It didn't do it that much for me but a good listen.
The yachtiest of rock, pretty good
