A haunting piece of art. 3.5/5
Can imagine that you would be nostalgic for this if you listened as a child
It's hard to listen to Parklife objectively since it is a large part of the British canon. The instrumentation and production is good, the lyrics aren't poetry-clever, but they are interesting enough to carry the whole album (apart from Bank Holiday). I've never liked Boys and Girls, but enjoyed the first half of Badhead and weirdly Parklife was better than I thought. 2.5/5, so having to round up to 3 stars
Fun, funky and jazzy. Will be listening again. Hot Rats!!
Your older brother's best friend's favourite album. YEEEARGH! 🤘😎🤘
Didn't finish this but the B side is definitely more my jam. Cheer up sleepy jean! But the boy can write some nice lyrics. So long Marianne! I'm drunk in an Indian restaurant
An album that gives men the permission to feel (it's fine)
What does it mean to review something? Is it subjective or objective? Does it depend on the context of the review? Is it a review of what someone thinks of it, or what something is itself?
Dry by PJ Harvey is an exceptional album, that is everything alternative rock should be. Every song spoke to my soul and showed innovation that only a decent artist could achieve. Why did we go from this to the shit rock of the 00s that has continued today?
I am not a fan of Let England Shake or her latest album, but these songs are so fuckin' good. I wish I was cool enough to hang out with Polly Jean! 5 ⭐s
Sounds like a good gig to be at tbf! Just didn't love all the songs :( 3.5/5
I think listening to this album on YouTube over 2 days is not the way to listen to this album. Also I'm tired and this needs your full attention to appreciate, on vinyl. This wasn't the time to listen to this album for me, so factor that into my review. It's very very good
So I am already a fan of Teenage Fanclub. Grand Prix, Songs From Northern Britain and Here are the only albums of theirs that I have, but I did have their greatest hits collection 365 days (I've just checked the actual title and it's Four Thousand Seven Hundred And Sixty-Six Seconds) so I have heard the hits from this album before. I'm pretty sure I've listened to this in full and maybe wasn't as impressed by some of the less memorable tracks (Satan?) and this hasn't changed much on the re-listen.
The start of The Concept is great and love the jangly, noodly guitars they do so well. I think I first heard What You Do To Me (and I guess therefore of Teenage Fanclub) in the film The World's End, and I still love it here. The extended intro to Star Sign (compared to the shortened intro on single) makes this version extra special and probably my favourite on the album. December is classic TF, and Guiding Light was a beautiful stringed surprise to (almost) close the album with.
It's an objective 3 but I love TF (and so did Kurt Cobain!!!) so it gets a 4 x
Obviously the GOAT of albums. What a year '77 was. Of course I couldn't have told you the titles of many of these songs but have heard all of them before. I don't know what stops me from fully 'loving' this album though, maybe it's *too* full on? It just feels more like an effort to listen and like it than it should be. But still gotta respect the band format. Maybe I just need to relax. Run a bath or something. Good closer though. 4 stars.
A hug of an album. Apparently Fiona wants to redo this album a là Taylor Swift because her "voice was too pretty" the first time around. I don't know if that quote is true, but her voice is very good! I guess what a critic in the music biz would call a 'slice of neo(?)-soul'. Good stuff from Fiona! Your arty divorced mum's favourite album from when she met your dad. Somewhere between 3.75 to 4.95 stars. Bada bing, bada boom! :)
Fell asleep on the train listening to this, so it's relaxing at least. Heat and Bones is a great song! But a lot of 80s shite pop etc on here and awful topics for lyrics (numbers, cars and allergies). Looking forward to listening to Graceland, Allergies by The Lovely Eggs is a better song.
I listened to the start of this album twice and finally finished it today. I think it's great, should be listened to on vinyl (preferably from your granddad's collection) and would be fun to listen to and dance / drink / make dinner with your friends. The songs are a bit long and not having the ability to get up and switch on the sides listening to it on full on YouTube, plus being generally jazzy (not my fave vibe) makes it a slightly tougher hang and album to get through. But it's deffo important and enjoyable and should be listened to :)
Look, it's better than Back In Black and birthed School Of Rock (the film), so kudos to that. Enjoyed it more than I should've, but women aren't objects guys!
Great for what it is. Potentially an objective 5 for dance music if it is as influential as it sounds. Reminded me of Timesplitters and other late 90s / 00s videogames. Overall probably wouldn't listen again though so it's a 3. (Also I've never been a fan of the album cover, the one with the samurai is better)
I think this album has some very funny lines, but would've been better as an EP to negate the duff tracks on here. Can smell the sweat of the basement gigs Skepta would've played on his way up. 'Man' was the standout track that I hadn't heard before (That's Not Me and Shutdown obviously being grime classics), but I don't think it's enough to ever want to listen to the album again. Boy Better Know #grime4corbyn
Tried to get into Elvis Costello and never really managed to. In this one the singing sounds a bit like They Might Be Giants.
I accidentally gave another album two instead on 3 stars, so ol' Paulie boy can join them.
Classic rock for a reason. I am a sucker for a good electric rock guitar! A very good 3 stars.
Song good songs and probably incredibly influential on all the different genres it covers, but is a bit of a mess
Probably just in a bad mood but felt saccharine (if that's the right word) yet also just a bit depressing? The production and Micheal Stipes' voice grate a bit. Man On The Moon and Nightswimming are still good though.
Some good songs and some electric organ songs. Mixed bag, more funk please.
Good stuff. Close to a 5 but couldn't bring myself to voting that high. But I like English folk! (Keep on) bring(ing) it back!
I listened to 3/4 of this ages ago, then just relistened to most of the second half just now. I think it makes me laugh people thinking this is really emotional, but I do think it's good for what it is and I'm just a snob, critic and a hater. So I think it is a 2 but could easily understand why certain people would put this a 5. And good for them. Let people like what they chuffin' like!
Always hated Muse, and I'm not sure why. Didn't mind Knights of Cydonia on GH3, but grew to like them less and less over the years. I've even seen them live and didn't enjoy it. I think listening to this hasn't really changed it, but I can see something of Radiohead in there? Idky I don't like it/them, but I just think it's soulless sort of bluesy rock/proggy guitars that I think is all male bravado. If Muse sorta stayed at Feeder's level of success, maybe I would respect them more - a little local band in Devon. But why they are so huge I cannot say, unless the majority of the public have a shit taste in music (they probably do).
I once made a joke about Muse calling it "Matt Bellamy's [something something]" which really made me laugh at the time, but I can't remember what it was. Ah well, here's 1 star on me lol.
Some were good, some weren't as good. Always thought this album was going to be better than it actually was. But still a nice album to listen to on vinyl on an autumnal evening.
I've tried to listen to this three times since 2024. The production is great, I like Ice Cube's rapping, but god I can't finish this album. Every song goes on for way too long, Easy E has some shit lines and it's so fucking misogynistic. The first parts of Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police and Gangsta Gangsta are good, and I actually really like Express Yourself, but I just can't.
So I stopped doing this for a little while and came back to this one. Did I really enjoy it? Not really. I think the country stuff is okay, and he's a great musician, but I don't think it has much soul. Maybe he sold it to Satan?
Your barber's favourite album.
It was alright, sad he died, but wasn't a massive fan of the style of 90s guitar-based bluesy rock.
Great album. Michael Kiwanuka reminds me of my ex. It's relaxing, soulful, expertly played and deserves to be listened all the way through at least once. I am picky about giving 5 stars to an album but it's an extremely high 4. Brilliant.
Some good some not so good. Definitely running out of ideas a bit on this one. But can't give it too low as I like their style of music (less so some of the singing)
I don't know if it was because I was already feeling ill, but the production on this made me feel very nauseous. Also awful name for an album, extremely dated album cover and some lyrics were cringe. Still, he seems conscientious. 2 stars.
Okay so not much to say on this one. Do I like it? Are the criticisms labelled at Paul Simon now and at the time important in ranking this album? I like some of the songs a lot ('You Can Call Me Al', 'Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes'), and I think that if you were given this on cassette for Christmas when you were 8 years old on the year it came out, you would treasure it forever and it'd be one of your favourite albums. Seems absurd to come back to this and give it the same mark as Pantera, but it's not really for me. A subjective 3 (an objective 4, and a music critic's 5)
Fine. Does what it says on the tin. 3 stars.
This album is just fine. I am going to rate it 2 stars though as there must be another underground killer album that could've gone on this list instead of Aqualung.
So I've obviously heard Laura before, but I had to relisten to it as it went out of my head straight away. A bit like David Bowie and of course the nod to Frankie Goes To Hollywood makes sense. They seem like they'd be sick live. It's fine, it's no Mika.
Surprised DP weren't in more guitar hero games as the guitar suitably rocks. I had a copy of this on vinyl which used to be my uncle's, although I'm not quite sure where it is. Child In Time made me laugh as it sounded like a Spinal Tap song. Most of the songs were too long.
Another great album from Polly Jean, only hampered by some slightly naff turn-of-the-millenium production and didn't like the duet (turns out it was Thom Yorke!). Some excellent songs on here though. Evocative of the last time that (some) of humanity was (somewhat) free. Wonder which ones were stories from the sea?
Having only really heard 'Beautiful Day' on countless Match of the Day end credit goal highlight sequences, my only other experiences with U2 have been watching a live performance on BBC 2 from the 80s when they shared a stage with Stiff Little Fingers before U2 got big; listening to my dad's copy of the live album they did which has the orange cover with Bono in a silhouette on tape; and my dad showing me the Las Vegas sphere live experience thing they did fairly recently. This is the first time I've properly listened to one of their albums.
Firstly, I'm blown away by how many bands that came after who must've been influenced them. I can hear James, The Alarm (obviously to any Alarm fans reading (Mike Peters R.I.P)) and even some Big Thief-esque vocals in there, plus other big artists such as Coldplay, The Killers etc. Basically, I think anyone who wanted to take stadium rock seriously (i.e. not hair metal Bon Jovi types) post 00s would've probably gone to see U2 in the 80s/early 90s. Being of the inclenation to not pay more than £25 for a ticket to see someone live, with the hope that I can see more bands and redistribute my wealth (this rarely happens - I don't see enough live music !), I have only just started seeing Big Bands live over the last year (e.g. Foo Fighters, err Texas and err Kaiser Chiefs - with two of those being gifted as free tickets anyway). But this album would make me want to see U2 live.
I am not quite sure what to think of this album. Is it a 4 because it's obviously very good, made incredibly well, still sounds fresh, probably could've only been made in the desert at that time, but I am not in love with it? Or is it a guilty pleasure 5 as I may not listen to this again unless I am playing the album in full on a record player, alone in my room, while the light slowly dies and day turns into night? It is special, but it is hard to tell if I love the songs enough to fully commit 100%. I am going to have to listen to it in the car on the way home from work to see if I still enjoy it or if it fully grates on me.
Part 2:
I think this album is the pinnacle of it's genre (Irish(/American) Christian rock). It's difficult to summise what makes this album so great; I don't even particularly like any one song, and I couldn't have told you that the first 3 songs were the singles. I read somewhere that the band wanted this album to be a bit like a film, and I can see that. I think it is an 'album' in the truest sense of the word. Having listened to a lot of albums for this project so far, rarely do I find a choice more than some songs, sort of put together, in some semblance of coherence. Maybe it's just the 15,000 pedals The Edge uses to make that reverb-y tremolo sound, but more than most there is no real duff sound in the album to my ears. Often I will like an album for some of the songs, with some clangers, leading to an uneven journey through; other times I understand why it is regarded as an all-time classic, yet just not 'get' some of the actual songs themselves. This album, I don't particularly 'love' any of it, but I think it just works so well it has to be a 5. It sort of sounds timeless (probably because bands still sound like this now) and the many subsequent imitators (U2 included) create a faux sense of feeling that I think this just about gets away with; with 'The Joshua Tree' actually being earnest, and not solely to satisfy the tastes of the mainstream. Sadly this has led to the death of many an interesting rock band becoming big, and a lot of the shite pop-rock today (Coldplay, basically any other all-male 4 piece since the 90s) but basing my review wholly on the piece of art itself, I guess it'll have to be a 5. Great stuff.
"Listen to my music" no thanks! When will it end? Uneven idea to have the first half of an album tell a mystical story all in one 20 min song, then just kinda have random separate songs afterwards on the B side.
A chill album for a hot day. Sounds throughout the album reminded me of a Mario game, a Bond theme and early The Go! Team. Think I preferred the songs without any vocals.
Second time listening to this on the 1001 album thing. Still grates quite a bit, although I appreciated the guitar playing a lot more this time. But stop droning on and on and get to a chorus or something. Some good songs, but not a 'driving home from work on a 28°C Friday' album listen
Last time I rated an album I forgot to write a review. Anyway...
I tried listening to this 11 months ago (to the day) and I recall not enjoying the first few songs (bar Immigrant Song) and so I came into this with that memory still lingering.
Unfortunately, a listen this time didn't particularly change my views of the first few songs (bar Immigrant Song). I think I definitely prefer Led Zepp's folkier stuff, and I figured out I really don't like the blues-y stuff much at all. Too much slide guitar for me to be enjoyable. Was going to be a 2, but I did enjoy the B-side a lot more. But I think there's a reason I hadn't heard of nor listened to most of these songs before. Definitely one of the weaker Led Zepp albums, but still overall a 3/5 stars.
I think that this album/EP is such a statement of intent. I resonant so much to how lost/angry Mudhoney sound. I like their punk routes clearly coming through, and can definitely see their influence on so many bands (grunge or otherwise) that came so soon after. I can hear The Replacements, The Lemonheads, Pearl Jam... But this is so short and sweet (and I a HUGE sucker for an excellent EP), so I will definitely be listening again. Also OH FUCK DID PRIMAL SCREAM STEAL THE WILD ANGELS INTRO FROM THIS??? However, guitars slightly too noodley for me so it sticks to a 4. Great fun though!
Wow! What a great album! The production on these songs are so infectious, there's a reason why Cyndi Lauper got so famous. 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' must surely to God be in the 'pop' canon. The guitars are so good on that song. 'Money Changes Everything' is alright, and it's probably my least favourite version of 'When You Were Mine' (after The Flatmates' cover and the Prince original) but it's still a great version of a Prince song, so still better than almost any other song. 'Time After Time' has probably always been my favourite Cyndi Lauper song, and I still really enjoyed it here. What a banger of an A side!
B-side fades a bit for me; 'She Bop' is very good but I don't think I'd ever really listen to it on its own. Wasn't a massive fan of 'All Thought The Night' and I couldn't really tell you what 'Yeah Yeah' sounded like. But loved the 2-Tone era ska of 'Witness' and the Cure-like 'I'll Kiss You' was a great surprise. I really don't think it's a 5/5 but it's the closest it's going to get for me.
Just listened to this for our house 1001 albums. I usually put less effort into those reviews, which is a shame, but I don't have much else to add here at the moment, except in an ideal world I would listen to this again and hopefully give it a 5. But I won't, so here's my review:
Very good (it's good stuff!). Only really listened to Buzzcocks, but really enjoyed this. Don't think I've heard anything that similar from that time period. On the art side of punk - ska and Elvis Costello-esque piano. Would like to listen to this again ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So. I like every other song on the A side (the pop ones, i.e. Debaser, Wave Of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven) but can't really gel with the other ones.
Chris Morris (The Day Today, Brasseye, Four Lions, The Day Shall Come) does a Pixies parody called 'Motherbanger', which nails why I don't like the other songs, as sometimes Black Francis just seems to be singing absolute nonsense, which works in a pop song because I love the production of all the other instruments, but the other songs come across as just a bit meaningless (to me). I had thought this before when I had first listened to it years ago and I wondered on this listen if it needed those songs to make the pop hits even better, and... Maybe. They're not filler but I don't know how fully needed they are.
The B Side is good - more of a B side with not many hits for me, but overall makes up for the sum of its parts. No. 13 Baby and Hey were good, was falling asleep by Silver and some of Gouge Away.
Regardless, when it hits high, God only knows how to write (and produce!) music as good as this.
Pretty good! On paper, these 60s rock and roll records should be right up my street, as I do think the musicianship on here is great and the songs overall have a good energy to them. But I just sort of don't really care about them (emotionally)? I've only just started to realise why The Beatles are so good, so another late 60s rock band probably isn't going to convince me that this is a 5/5 album anyway. Maybe objectively this is a 4, but subjectively it's a 3 from me. 'Hey Grandma' is a fun name for a song. It's the kind of music they'd have on at a bar you don't go to often, but like going occasionally for a change from your local haunt. You'd hear it once, think about how there was so much of this stuff from the 60s, and that maybe you should get into it (because it's good!); then the next song comes on, and you'd never think about it again.
This is probably going to be one of my all time albums if I'm honest.
I first listened to this album as a teen, when I used to collect CDs from charity shops. This would be especially exciting when I actually found something good by a Cool band, rather than the usual dross I saw sifting through the racks every weekend, bored and depressed, with nothing to do.
At the time I remember liking it, the shocking green of the album taking me to 1990s America, inspired by the sound of 60s America before it. However, it wasn't until I was at university that I fully unlocked why I resonated with this album.
I remember I was in the computer cluster in the Biological Sciences building of the University of Leeds when the repeating line "Like a ship without a rudder" from 'Rudderless' came on, with that final guitar squeal to end this song about being adrift and lost in this world. I was lost in the midst of doing my undergraduate degree, late at night in a computer cluster; unsure of myself, and so, so tired.
I'm not sure if I still have any real idea of who I am, and still feel lost myself. But I think it's Evan Dando's drug-fuelled sense of loneliness and escapism of not being able to cope with himself ("I'm too much with myself / I wanna be someone else" from 'My Drug Buddy') that I can also resonate with. Like Dando, 'Confetti' could've also been written about my parent's marriage; and maybe it's (definitely) self-centred and self-pitying, but there's been many a break-up where I would die just for a "bit part" in their lives, just to try and quell the loneliness.
But apart from the sadness and lost confusion that underlies so many of these songs, the music itself helps by being production perfect. Every drum fill is exquistley placed; the layers of guitars (acoustic, electric, bass) with the occasional slide, electric organ (?) and harmonies make it such an excellent record. Every song sounds very similar, but, on so many later listens, every song has one or two key differences that make the whole thing cohesive yet still somehow fresh again and again.
I think my favourite thing about this era of The Lemonheads are the weird bits of noise that add so much to each recording (e.g. the scream when Alison is "getting her tit pierced" in 'Alison's Starting to Happen'; the gutteral gargling during 'Mrs Robinson'). I know the original version didn't have 'Mrs Robinson' on the album, which ending on 'Frank Mills', although I quite like, would've been a bit too quaint(?) of an ending (for me). However, the CD I bought did have 'Mrs Robinson' on and what a cover it is. The simple bass, guitars and drums just show how a slightly punked up version of a song (done well!) can make it a hit all over again.
Yes, songs like 'Hannah and Gabi', 'Celing Fan In My Spoon' and 'The Turnpike Down' are kinda filler, but personally I think that's fine if you still like them and don't skip through them when listening to the album. This isn't a perfect album - but then again, neither are we.
Evan, you can take me on a rocking stroll anyday. They're "the puzzle piece behind the couch, made the sky complete" - The Lemonheads are (always) starting to happen (to me).
Nice album. I love 70s reggae. Some of the songs end up sounding kinda the same, but I really liked it. Although I don't agree with his medical diagnosis of taking weed for tuberculosis, it would maybe help with the pain I guess? Summer vibes. Something you'd put on at a BBQ.
Not finished it yet. Some absolute bangers on here and now I totally get the Alanis to Avril Lavigne lineage. Wanted it to be a five but some cringey lines ("You're my best friend // Best friend with benefits") and some filler songs here. But maybe that's just my Britishness coming out and being a guy and not celebrating someone to expressing their emotions wholly and truly. I think the first three songs of this album are immaculate, however. Ironically, 'Ironic' didn't hit that hard on this listen, but I've always preferred 'Hand In Pocket' anyway. Still, it's an album that definitely deserves to be on this list and would recommend anyone to listen to it, especially in the summer, after a breakup. God, the 90s were shit, but I fuckin' hate the modern age. Turn your phone off and put this on, you'll have a better time. 3.5/5? Will probably listen to this more than some of my other 4s or 5s but Qué Sera, Sera, apologies Alanis.
Knew 'Highway Star' and of course 'Smoke On The Water'. Thought the solos went on to long and the keyboard solo was shite in the former. The latter actually felt a bit lacklustre to me, and I always get it confused with 'Sunshine Of Your Love' by Cream, which I think has better (beefier) sounding guitars. 'Space Truckin'' had echoes of what early Metallica would come to sound like, which I enjoyed. I guess I really don't like blues-y rock (or at least the albums suggested to me so far).
Not much I can say about this. The production is great, every song is played to perfection and each one has some interesting instrumentation. I would be interested to listen to this on Mono, as I know the songs do sound different. Lyrically, there's a lot of woman-hating, but overall I enjoyed the songs a lot more on a second listen. The violence on 'Run For Your Life' reminds me of 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', which used to scare me when I sang it as a child in primary school. What's changed? Or has nothing changed? Would probably listen to a lot of this again though.
