I really enjoyed listening to this album. As someone who hasn't listened to a lot of Blues in the past, I felt like was a great introduction, and the fact that it's a live album really adds to the energy and brings even more life to the music.
One of my all time favourites
One of the best punk albums - I find some punk albums can be fairly repetitive but this one kept things varied and interesting throughout. ‘Holiday in Cambodia’ is the obvious highlight, but ‘California Uber Alles’, ‘Let’s Lynch the Landlord’ and ‘Ill in the Head’ are also personal favourites.
My impression of Muse as a second-rate Radiohead isn’t really dispelled by this album, Matt Bellamy is still putting on his best Thom Yorke impression throughout. They seem to be heading in more of a pop direction though. I liked the first half better, particularly the opener and ‘Supermassive Black Hole’, and ‘Soldier’s Poem’ works well as a quieter, more reflective track amidst all the bombast. But I found it started to drag a bit in the second half and a lot of the music felt quite generic.
Possibly my favourite Rolling Stones album. The musicianship and songwriting throughout is incredible and the album is bookended by two of their finest songs in 'Sympathy for the Devil' and 'Salt of the Earth'. I'm also a big fan of 'No Expectations' and 'Stray Cat Blues'.
A good album, on balance I probably prefer What's the Story (Morning Glory) but there's plenty to enjoy here. 'Supersonic', 'Up In the Sky' and 'Married with Children' are my personal favourites.
The Smiths' swan song sees them branching out musically, with strings and keyboards playing a more prominent role. It works well, not least because the record contains some of their strongest songs, although these are mostly front-loaded into the first half. 'I've Started Something I Couldn't Finish' and 'Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before' might well be the finest songs the band ever made. The second half is less strong, however, which is why I'm giving this a 4 rather than a 5.
Went into this one blind as I was completely unfamiliar with Mike Ladd coming into this. I felt it was an interesting mix of hip hop and electronic music which worked well for the most part. The main highlights for me are ‘The Animist’ and ‘5000 Miles West of the Future’. I wasn’t immediately taken by it at first, but it grew on me the second time of listening. I suspect it might be one of those albums which rewards repeat listening, but at the moment I would give it a solid 3.
An album I really enjoyed. The opening track is the standout for me, although I also enjoy ‘Jet’ and ‘Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five’ and have a soft spot for ‘Mamunia’. The references to earlier sections of the album on ‘Picasso’s Last Words’ gave the album a cyclical feel.
Almost a 5 but the middle few tracks didn’t have quite the same impact as the opening tracks and final few. Still, it’s a brilliant collection of songs. Outstanding songwriting and production that surprisingly doesn’t really feel dated in the same way a lot of 80s records do.
An album combining poppier melodies (like in the opener and ‘Silver Rocket’) balanced with plenty of abrasive guitars and longer improvised sections, that works really well. I enjoyed it throughout, although like many albums (especially double albums) it tended to lull a bit towards the end.
I really enjoyed the wider range of instrumentation on this record, with the use of strings and the folkier influences. While more obviously hard rock opener ‘Immmigrant Song’ is one of the best tracks, the more acoustic songs are among the strongest tracks here. I’m particularly fond of ‘Tangerine.’
As someone who’s still only really scratching the surface of jazz music, this was a good introduction to the more abstract side of it, as it didn’t just feel avant garde for the sake of being avant garde. I loved the overall feeling the album gave me.
This was a perfectly enjoyable album to listen to - though it didn't feel particularly innovative or original. It's 60s psychedelic-tinged folk rock, which was the style at the time. The songs I enjoyed best were the more jazz influenced tracks like 'Sunlight', 'Trillium' and album closer 'Ride the Wind'.
Nothing on this album is shocking, this is true, but there’s also not much that’s great or memorable either. Maybe with further listens it will grow on me, but for now it’s getting a 2.
A brilliant album, possibly the best of the britpop era. Jarvis Cocker’s talent for storytelling and character studies is fully in evidence here, and it’s backed up by lush instrumentation. There isn’t a bad or even mediocre song here. “Common People” and “Disco 2000” are the big hits, and deservedly so, but “Mis-Shapes”, “Something Changed” and “Live Bed Show” are the other highlights.
I’ve known this album for a long time, and have memories attached to it, which colours my perception of this album to a large degree. I think this is a great collection of songs, with opener ‘The Shining’ and ‘Camping Next to Water’ being favourites. At over an hour and with 18 tracks, there is a certain amount of what could be called filler, but that’s all part of the experience as far as I’m concerned.
This album represents a return to the blues rock style but it’s actually the more psychedelic tracks I’m drawn to on this album, “Waiting for the Sun” in particular. I’m also very fond of “Blue Sunday” and “Indian Summer.” Overall, a decent collection of tracks strong enough for a 4.
I really enjoyed this album - the storytelling and songwriting is at such a high level, especially considering she was 19 at the time of release. Great production too.
This album redeemed itself towards the end. The middle part in particular wasn’t great, with the rather tuneless vocals we hear throughout really starting to grate when combined with slower paced tracks. I was about ready to give it a 2. But then ‘Abernant 1984/5’ and ‘Last Dance’ came along - two faster-paced tracks sufficiently good to warrant this album a generous 3.
An enthralling mixture of indie, folk, and experimental music. Gorgeous melodies on songs like ‘While You Wait for the Others’. There’s very little to dislike about this album.
I enjoyed elements of this, it was very Beatles-y and there were some funk elements on some tracks, but I have to say there wasn’t a lot that stuck in my mind. ‘Mr. Cab Driver’ and the title track ‘Let Love Rule’ were the highlights.
There’s a lot to like about this album. The songwriting is great, and the grooves are still infectious, especially on tracks like ‘Brave and Strong’ and ‘Family Affair’. There aren’t as many obvious hits as there were on their previous album and they’ve shed some of their sixties optimism in favour of a darker sound which, although I prefer ‘Stand!’ overall, I think works very well indeed.
This is a strong 4 for me. The start of the album is excellent, especially the first four tracks. ‘Animal Nitrate’ might well be my favourite britpop song (though the band themselves hated the britpop label) ‘So Young’ and ‘Moving’ are also bangers and ‘She’s Not Dead’ has an ethereal beauty to it. The rest of the album, while still very good, didn’t grab me in quite the same way, which is why I’m giving this a 4 and not a 5.
There was a lot I enjoyed about this album. The varying styles of the songs kept the album interesting throughout its long run time. My three favourite tracks ‘Over and Over’, ‘That’s All for Everyone’ and the title track are all representative of different styles. That being said, it’s an album I like rather than love, which is why I’m giving it 4 stars.
A really good album. Going into this I was only familiar with the track ‘Alright’ which as it turns out is markedly different from much of the rest of the album! Much of the album is quite punky but combined with memorable pop melodies, a combination that’s right up my street.
This was a fascinating, intense album that is a lot to take in upon first listen. Bleak and uncompromising with dark lyrics matched with a ferocious energy that’s maintained over the 50 minute runtime. There isn’t really a bad song here and no song really outstays its welcome. Even the 6-minute ‘Intense Humming of Evil’ works well in further developing the dark feel of the album.
Of all Stevie Wonder’s classic period albums I would say this is his third best. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Innervisions of Songs in the Key of Life, but it’s still a brilliant collection of songs. ‘Superstition’ is deservedly the best known song on here, but the album contains plenty of other gems like ‘Tuesday Heartbreak’ and ‘I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will be Forever)’ Even as someone who’s usually less of a fan of ballads (of which there are quite a few on this album) I enjoy them when Stevie Wonder does them!
Their first album with Brian Eno as producer is a step up from an already good debut, with a range of brilliant well-crafted tracks. The musicianship is impeccable and tracks such as ‘Warning Sign’ and ‘Artists Only’ demonstrate Eno’s influence and serve as indication of the direction they take on the next two albums. Other highlights are the opener, ‘The Girl Wants to Be With the Girls’, and ‘Take Me to the River’. I didn’t love it quite as much as their next three which is why I’m not giving it the maximum 5 stars, but still a very strong 4.
This was all rather run-of-the-mill pop punk with nothing particularly original or engaging. The best track by a long way was ‘Come and Play’ which had a nice surf guitar riff, but other than that it felt like a rehash of what’s been done before, which is often a problem with newer punk releases.
This album, unlike his comments on immigration from around the same time, is largely inoffensive. Most of the songs are good, because most of them are written by better songwriters than Clapton. There are just three original tracks here, and even one of those, while quite good, rips off 'Stairway to Heaven.' The guitar playing is good, as you would expect, though fairly restrained. I expect my rating of 2 is more driven by personal animosity than an accurate reflection of the album's merits, but there you go.
An incredibly influential album that still sounds ahead of its time. Aside from the album’s significance to the development of experimental music, art rock, glam rock, and what was to become alternative rock, it’s an album I really enjoy listening to. There’s so much variety, from the dream-like opener ‘Sunday Morning’ to songs describing the grittiness of life in New York on songs like ‘I’m Waiting for My Man’ and ‘There She Goes Again’ to the hypnotic psychedelia of ‘Venus in Furs’. This really is an album you should listen to before you die.
An interesting mix of Hip Hop, R&B, Rock, and Jazz. There were enough interesting ideas on there to keep it interesting throughout despite the long run-time. Favourites were the rock-influenced 'The Seed 2.0' and the jazzy 'Break You Off'. It was borderline between a 3 and a 4, but I'm feeling generous and think it's just about good enough to warrant a 4.
To say this is a challenging listen would be an understatement. To it's credit, it is certainly an interesting album and you can hear in some of the guitar work how it influenced later post-punk bands (though most of them would take it in a much more melodic direction). However, by and large, this is a cacophonous mess with each band member seemingly playing a different song to everyone else. A lot of times when I've read people singing this album's praises they've talked about it taking four or five listens before they have a 'road to Damascus' moment and it all suddenly clicks into place. But frankly life is too short for me to want to test that theory out.
This was a very enjoyable album - jazzy, souful, and with a chilled downtempo feel. D'Angelo's vocals are great of course, but credit should also go the instrumentation and production. Favourites were 'Brown Sugar', 'Smooth' and 'Lady'.
A thrilling journey from beginning to end. Hendrix's guitar playing is obviously the key appeal, but credit should also go to the instrumentation, and the songwriting is pretty strong too. The album saves the best until last with the iconic cover of 'All Along the Watchtower' and 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)'
I ended up quite liking this album, an elegant mix of country, alternative rock, post rock and even some jazzy elements. All things I like. The first half was definitely stronger with the opener ‘The Old Gold Shoe’ setting the tone, followed by the excellent ‘Grumpus’. The second half was weaker overall but the last two tracks ensure the album finishes strongly.
This one is a firm favourite of mine. A tour-de-force of massive guitar riffs and lyrics about death and destruction that helped create a whole new genre of music. The epic opener ‘War Pigs’ and the title track start the album on the strongest possible note before the softer, psychedelic ‘Planet Caravan’ showcases another side to the band. After that it’s more thunderous guitar riffs, and great musicianship from all members of the band throughout.
Going into this, I'd only heard the excellent title track, so was curious to see if the rest of the album lived up to that quality. For the most part, it does. It's great country-tinged rock throughout. Although the second half didn't grab me as much as the start, it ends strongly with the reflective, acoustic number 'Jackson.'
An enjoyable, well-crafted jangle pop album. There are a few particularly strong cuts on the record with the title track, ‘Forest Fire’, ‘Patience’ and ‘Are You Ready to be Heartbroken?’ In general though, there isn’t really a bad song on the album.
Probably the best album out of their two classic releases in my view. There's a lot of variety on this and its full of terrific songwriting throughout. You can't really ask for much more. Favourites are 'Don't Look Back in Anger', 'Cast No Shadow' and 'She's Electric'.
Another great album released in 2016 by a music legend just before their death. The mesmerising title track sets the dark tone, and remains the best track. But the whole album is a compelling exploration of death and faith. ‘Treaty’ and ‘Travelling Light’ are my other two favourites.
This album had some good moments. Tracks 2 and 4, had some nice jazzy elements which I enjoyed. Overall, however, it was far too long-winded and impenetrable to be truly enjoyable.
This album has some brilliant songs on it, namely ‘You Can Call Me Al’ which always gets stuck in my head whenever I listen to it, ‘Graceland’ and ‘Crazy Love, Vol. II’. The instrumentation is great, and the blend of pop and South African musical styles is tastefully done. Overall I didn’t enjoy it quite enough for a 5, but still a strong 4.
A great album all round. The brilliant production and good lyricism, and the world it creates, make for a very rewarding first time listener. I can see this becoming a firm favourite as I listen to it more, but currently I would give it a high 4.
This was a decent record, with nice vocal melodies, but sounds like a lot of the kind of alternative rock that was coming out around that time. As such, it wasn't really particularly groundbreaking, but a good listen all the same and there's some tracks I'll be sure to revisit.
I enjoyed the instrumentation, the use of Ayn Rand and Geddy Lee's vocals less so.
As an album that captures the anger of black America in 1992, it works really well, and is worth a listen on that basis. It is tarnished by some of the more misogynist lyrics on some tracks.
An enjoyable enough album, with heavy hitters like the title track and 'You Shook Me All Night Long', I was quite fond of the opener 'Hells Bells'. I wasn't always massively keen on the vocals, but it didn't ruin the album. Overall, though, I can't say I enjoyed the album enough to give it anything higher than a 3.
The name 'A Night At The Opera' is certainly fitting. It has all the drama and bombast of an opera, but reminds me the most of a variety show. There's something here for everyone, from prog rock epics, to more straightforward pop, to quirky music hall-inspired ditties. Standouts are the terrific opener 'Death on Two Legs', '39', 'You're My Best Friend', 'Prophet's Song' and the perhaps overplayed but not overrated 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' I genuinely enjoyed all of the songs, however. As someone who isn't a big listener of Queen, I wasn't expecting to give this a 5, but the strength of the album just about warrants it.
This was a very enjoyable jazz album, with a real timeless quality to it. The album starts strongly with the upbeat 'Mandela', followed by what for me is the standout track, the stunning 'Song for Sathima.' Overall, the album is a good blend of classic jazz and traditional South African music which I enjoyed enough for 4 stars.
There are several great albums that have markedly different first and second halves, like ‘Hounds of Love’ by Kate Bush or ‘Low’ by David Bowie. This is another one of those. The album is bookended by two very different versions of ‘My My, Hey Hey’ which are demonstrative of the different styles. One very acoustic and plaintive, the other backed by the distorted and proto-grunge guitars that are present through the second half of the album. The switch from acoustic to the harder, rockier sound on side two could be quite jarring but on this album it feels like a logical progression.
This album starts very strongly with two fantastic tracks. Lyrically the album is strong throughout, with incisive social commentary, and tales of people escaping difficult situations. While the rest of the album never quite lives up to the strength of the first two tracks, there are still some great moments with 'Mountains O' Things' and 'Baby Can I Hold You' being the best of the rest.
As the album title suggests, this is an album of two very different halves, equally brilliant in their own way. As the first half of the last album before he devoted his solo career almost entirely to ambient music, the 'Before Science' section is all jaunty, offbeat art rock. It's bookended by two tracks inspired by the band Eno would go on to produce three albums for, Talking Heads, the opener 'No One Receiving' and 'King's Lead Hat' (an anagram of Talking Heads). The more ambient and pastoral 'After Science' half is full of lush, dreamlike soundscapes that are evocative and never dull. The album showcases two styles of music that are very different but which I like very much.
The great thing about doing this is that it makes you listen to albums that you would otherwise just dismiss. Sometimes you find the dismissive attitude was justified, other times you are pleasantly surprised. 'Rio' by Duran Duran is an example of the latter. Their incredible popularity in the early 1980s meant they were deemed uncool and worthy of derision by much of the music press who regarded their material as throwaway pop music. This probably fed into my own perception of the band's material. Yet the songs on this album speak for themselves. 9 melodic, well produced tracks which hold real emotional depth, and seamlessly blend the kind of new wave music they started out making with catchy pop hooks. Very enjoyable.
This album was indeed a lot of fun. The overall feel of the album, like their debut, is still raw and primal and it’s easy to see the album’s influence on punk rock. There’s also more left field elements to it though, especially on ‘LA Blues’ where everything collapses into an inferno of saxophones, screaming, and shrieking guitars. If hell has a sound, it’ll be something like this. Great stuff.
With the fantastic 'Sweet Love' this album starts very strongly, but the rest of the album doesn't live up to the same quality. This is smooth R&B, with glossy 80s production that is pleasant to listen to, if not always that interesting. The production style does date it a bit, but it works well enough for some songs. 'Sweet Love' is elevated by glistening synths that give it a sense of grandeur. 'Caught Up in the Rapture' and 'Watch Your Step' are best of the other tracks. With the exception of the songs already mentioned, its not an album I'm likely to go back to regularly.
