Went into this album with no expectations, and it started off great! I Feel the Earth Move is a great album opener and the next few songs were a bit milder but still good. Overall a pretty easy listen, but I doubt I will be really reaching for it again, it's not really my style. But I understand why it might be here, and it has not a single bad song on it. I think the production is very good and her vocals are definitely a high note of this piece.
This is a great rock and roll record! I'd heard of Janis, but I'd never listened to any of her work. She's got an incredible powerful voice and blues influence adds a great touch to this piece. It gets a pit honky tonk towards the middle with Me and Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz, which brings this record down for me a little. Overall a great album which I forsee myself relistening to (albeit a few skips).
I think this album sounds stunning. It's a little bit more country leaning than truly rock, but I like the rock instruments in this setting, because the bass is very strong (a personal preference of mine). It alternates between a very rustic sound and and a theatrical one, but somehow it works. The final song Words is a really fantastic unique song that highlights the rock elements well. Though it was a very mellow, country rock album, which isn't my style, I kinda liked it. Probably wouldn't listen to the whole piece through again, though.
Ok, I fell asleep while listening to it, SORRY! But I never was super keen on The Police to begin with so I was never expecting to fall in love with this album anyway. I'll Be Watching You is a classic (duh) but nothing else really stuck out too much. I like the nontraditional rhythmics, like the first two songs felt very inspired by African percussion IMO. Otherwise it's kinda like a normal soft rock album, besides Mother. Maybe my rating would be different if I really listened, but I really cannot be bothered.
Disk one might be as close to a 10/10 as possible IMO. I have been meaning to listen to Led Zeppelin for a while now, and had no reason to dislike their style and music which has been proven to me after this listen. Some songs are very long, which is about my only complaint because I like it short and sweet, but this album makes it work (I listened to the entirety of an eleven minute song for this). Guitar work is excellent, as expected and each preceding song had a unique riff and drew me in every time. Second disk was a little less my speed so this is really a 4.5. But it was still good, and had some songs worth a second listen to. If I had an hour and a half maybe I'd listen to the entirety, but the highlight was always disk 1.
I've been meaning to listen to some of Elvis Costello's work and this is an amazing album to start with. It started so upbeat and good, then just kept going. I was waiting for a bad song and it never came. It's really nice rock and roll that's definitely up my alley, with some keyboard in it that reminds me of The Doors. Not a miss on this album, and I'd be shocked if I never listen to it again.
This album is very easy to listen to, and I can understand the wide appeal. Karen's voice is buttery and rich and the arrangements that accompany it are good as well. But I think it's mass appeal does bring it down in my opinion, as no songs stood out for me until the last few. The beginning lacked some intrigue, but it was quick and palletable enough to endure it. The cover of Help had my head shoot up, because I didn't expect it at all, but it was fine (I feel that there are very few Beatles covers that are better than the originals). Might listen again, but I think once is enough to get an idea of The Carpenters.
