I was into The Cure in the 1980s and I think I had this one on tape. Definitely a bit gloomy atmospheric rather than some of their later, much poppier hits.
Happy to hear it but apart from ‘A Forest’ it’s just not that exciting
2.4/5
Ashamed to say I’d not listened to this album in full for a long time (where are all the CD players?) but this is surely why we have the challenge- anyone hearing for the first time has got to go WOW!
Track after track of original, dynamic, witty, catchy and well-observed tunes.
Full of characters and experiences- coppers, bouncers, taxi drivers, chavs, ‘Top Shop Princesses’, drunken idiots and mates. References to vampires, many nights out on the pull in mighty hometown Sheffield and even Frank Spencer.
Classic lines- ‘you’re not from New York City, you’re from Rotherham!’, ‘The proof that love’s not only blind but deaf’
Also the record that brought the meaning of Yorkshire word ‘mardy’ to the wider world. Still sounds fresh after 20 years.
Outstanding 4.95/5
Two or three great tunes- I’ve loved ‘Norwegian Wood’ since I was very young so guessing we had this at home.
Probably ground-breaking when released but quite a few slightly dull tracks that I’d now call ‘easy listening’
Ringo doing a sort of country song was hit with F though!
2.6/5
I’m familiar with Nick Drake from another record- ‘Five Leaves Left’ which, as I remember, is pretty similar to this.
The music is simple but beautiful, the playing makes you wish you’d leaned to play guitar and the atmosphere is of tranquil, hippy times in the early 1970s although sadness comes through.
A bit samey after a few listens though.
2.4/5
Knew the singles ‘Just the way you are’ and ‘She’s always a woman’ but not heard this album before. I wasn’t expecting to like it but was pleasantly surprised.
All pretty upbeat with a kind of New York vibe.
Liked the title track and the Italian Restaurant track. Second half a bit weaker but all much better than the stuff he did in the 80s.
2.6/5
All I knew about these was that lead singer is called Evan Dando and they covered Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs Robinson’ (weirdly)
Turns out they’re American which maybe explains that this totally misses being any good as an indie guitar-type album.
A couple of okay tracks but basically dull.
0.8/5
This guy was in the Byrds in the 1960s- most famous for ‘8 miles high’ and Dylan covers a bit sort of jangly.
The title track is very cool indeed and the tracks either side of it are okay but not the whole album.
Maybe ground-breaking on release but only okay (ish) now overall.
1.7/5
This sounds like a late 60s jumble of loads of other music- Beatles, Beach Boys, Kinks, Pink Floyd, Small Faces…
and not their good bits- just feels nondescript.
0.9/5
Great to hear this whole album again (we had it at home)- feel like my mum’s more the Springsteen fan.
Plenty of lively tunes. Definitely the most poppy, mainstream ‘produced’ record he made - not sure if that’s good or bad.
I think ‘Downbound train’ my favourite track.
Really good but not a classic.
Straight 3/5 from me.
Can’t believe this is nearly 40 years old.
I knew a couple of the tracks so it was okay to hear them again. Tried hard to listen to the whole record but it’s not really my thing.
Didn’t seem to be too much swearing or guns!
Hugely influential and talented, but only..
1.9/5
More 60s mysogyny from British top bands!
This is when they started only doing their own tracks rather than any old blues covers so maybe still learning the art of lyric-writing.
‘Going home’ way too long!
One of my favourite ever bands but they definitely got a lot better than this.
I like a some of the songs but much of this doesn’t stand up so well these days.
2.4/5
Didn’t make me Smile!
Just seemed like a hotch-porch of randomness. Improved very slightly on repeated listening. Was it all the bits the rest of the Beach Boys hated?
0.8/5
Listened to this in bits due to his Amazon boycott ( new fact for me).
Genuinely deserves its place on the list.
There are some weaker tunes but also 2 or 3 classics.
3.2/5
Lovely smooth voice and 1 or 2 good songs but feels kind of dated.
1.6/5
More enjoyable than I was expecting. This is less ‘middle of the road’ than their big hit ‘Drive’ ( pun!) but I don’t think much will stick in my head.
1.8/5
First two tunes are perfect.
I feel if you love Prince this is great. Super- talented guy.
Decent three from me.
3.3/5
A really unique sound, with a great vocal- very reminiscent of its time, but not dated. I like it but it didn’t grow on me with repeated listens which is what I was hoping for.
2.2/5
Proof that ‘metal’ can be great and have tunes. Bit repetitive though.
Still worth a low 3
2.7/5
Really enjoyed this! Didn’t know too much about this band apart from recognising first song. There’s plenty of attitude here but also variation between the tracks.
3.2/5
It’s nice music but not uplifting or( to my ear) very interesting. All seems the same.
1.1/5
For much of this album I had no clue what was going on! However, that didn’t seem to matter- I loved the sound, the vocals, the atmosphere, the originality (even the covers were crazy) and the European-ness.Really enjoyable.
Going high 3 though considered 4.
3.49/5
First the positives: appreciate that this is a fairly major piece of work- there’s plenty going on and a decent variety between the tracks. My favourites were the bonus tracks, don’t know if they’re part of the original record and they’re maybe more mainstream.
However, not my bag overall. Don’t like the style, the lyrics or the vibe. Sorry- white, middle-aged and middle-class(ish) so hopefully it’s okay to really dislike.
0.6/5
Another example of late 60s pleasant stuff that hasn’t aged all that well. Two or three decent tracks but much a bit nothing.
Love the first tune- whole album grew with repeated listening but only..
1.3/5
We had the greatest hits album back in the day and always thought of Madness as a ‘singles band’ because they had tons of catchy, tunes. Maybe ska-lite/pop/novelty (?) however much of the rest of the record is also good. Like the title track and the buy a drink song particularly.
Lots of little reflections and observations about their youth.
The odd racial stereotype would be frowned on now - dodgy Asian-type accent in one tune (anyone else spot the blacked out face on the cover?!)
Deserves a reasonable
2.9/5
Enjoyed much of this despite it not being my favourite genre- I think thanks to knowing a couple of tunes already.
Having Lauryn Hill vocals instead of exclusively ‘gangsta fellas’ also helps.
Good little samples of other things too like the Bob Marley.
2.2/5
Like to think I know my music but literally never heard of these!
One or two okay (ish) tunes but, hard as I try, I’m no gangsta (or fan of the whole thing)
1.3/5
Was going to knock the double album for too long and too many fillers but actually only 2 or 3 that shouldn’t be present. After a poor first track there are loads of terrific tunes on this record, all the way through track 3 to 16.
Taken into account that Cope was/is into drugs and tripping I think a fairly crazy mix is to be expected.
Really good by 3rd listen-3.7 makes it a 4 stars!
Will certainly enjoy playing this again.
Sounds exactly like everyone imagines late 60s California without feeling dated at all. Great music and voices- hippy, trippy, bluesy and bright. Listen to this on a drive or walk in the sunshine. There’s a few ordinary tracks but I can take that.
3.4/5
This is a nice listen with 3 or 4 classic tracks, especially the wonderful America and Hazy Shade of Winter. The bits in between don’t excite so much though.
2.3/5
Well done to whatever person/mechanism that seems to have virtually deleted this album in its entirety from the usual listening platforms. Terrible.
0.1/5
I’d never heard of this band so not expecting much. However, it delivers what you’d expect from a punk record - energy, attitude, ferociousness. The music is good- if you like punk you’ll like this. Too short though!
2.2/5
Gloomy stuff in general, which is basically about Bowie dying. Plenty of great playing from his talented guys and
a couple of ‘enjoyable’ tracks but mainly makes me feel a bit sad.
1.6/5
Only the hardest-hearted ‘’jingle-jangle’ hater cannot at least appreciate what a great move ‘popping up’ early Dylan folk and bringing it to the mainstream was. Some great tunes here even if a few fillers are only okay.
Pretty sure my Dad once told me that the title tune was his funeral request so maybe that biases me a bit.
2.6/5
Good voice and some quite listenable songs but again very much of its era.
1.6/5
I wasn’t too sure about this at first and expected much ‘woe is me’ country stuff (of which there is some) but after a couple of listens there are some really good tunes, particularly Love Letter and I Will not be Denied. Enjoyed the bluesy attitude of Real Man and The Roads My Middle Name.
You would have no idea what year this record was made in which is really impressive. Not entirely my thing but struggling with 2 or 3 rating.
2.49/5
Not heard this before apart from the famous song. Only had time for 2 listens but didn’t feel it growing on me. The singer has a strong voice but slightly annoying (?)
Average Brit pop stuff.
1.3/5
This is just a very cool record. Only 2 of them in the band so the music is ‘straightforward’ but the playing is great, the voice is powerful, the lyrics are full of meaning (love lost and found), soul and blues.
So pleased to have revisited this classic.
4.7/5
My memory of this album was that it started really great with Faron Young but then, even though it was good musically, it was too ‘middle of the road’ for me to really like it. All this time later it feels just the same!
1.4/5
Unfamiliar with this but I guess you know what to expect with Stevie Wonder. None of his classic tunes feature but there are sounds present that are maybe hints at greater things to come. I think his legendary ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ was a couple of years later. Also reminded of ‘Superstition’ by ‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’
1.6/5
This is a really original sound from a band I like. Of it’s time but doesn’t sound lame. A great combination of folk and rock. Maybe a bit odd in places. Not many contain this much flute!
Great to hear it again.
3.8/5
An all-time classic. Side 2 not quite as good as first 4 tracks but just timeless nonetheless!
Been thinking about my favourite track but I can’t choose only 1 from Black Dog, Rock and Roll, Stairway to Heaven, Battle of Evermore.
It needs to go up to 6 stars!
No record is ‘perfect’ so
4.97/5
