Reviews by abee

Never listened to this guy before. Lots of swearing and talk of "Gurls". But if I am to focus on the energy, the tunes, and the rhythm I feel compelled to give it a high rating. I will need some time to reflet on wth just
happened. Was four stars but one taken off he is just appropriating other peoples songs and that sucks.

Just like a greatest hits album and taking me happily through midweek with a bit of brilliant disco.

We all know the opening track from Trainspotting but imagine its 1977 and you are hearing this epic song from the godfather of punk for the first time. Definitely a “wish I had a time machine” moment.
I thought this new wave album would be very “shout at the top of your lungs in a monotone” type of affair that I hate about punk but it is beautiful, deep and wonderful. Though perhaps that is due to the fact the Bowie wrote the tunes and he is a genius. I will be buying this in any case.

Nothing really to be said except I have loved this gent's music for many years, that his voice is the very definition of yearning and he could sing the phone book and I would be there.

Artists I like fall into two categories, the "greatest hits" category where I like the songs if I hear them on the radio and would be happy with a greatest hits album and those artists that I adore where I want to have every album. Elvis is in the former and this was really lovely but apart from the song I Want You, one of my favorite songs ever, the rest was energetic but didn't stick with me.

Day from hell yesterday culminating in loss of water AND a flood so seeing this dance album come up this morning made me wonder what I had done wrong lately. Dance/House/Acid has to be my least favourite genre of music. It started off really nice with the opening refrain of What Time is Love and I started thinking I misjudged them, but sure enough then came the pounding bass. I have to give them credit though for making me laugh uncontrollably. WAIT! I take it all back, this was great. It’s a hugely accessible album for someone like me who doesn’t like this type of music.

The first song Sweet Love transported me back to the 80s but during that decade I was too busy listening to 60s and 70s music and this album largely passed me by.
Normally when I get an album generated, I either clap excitedly or groan, but this was met with why? It’s a nice soul album to listen to but I do not think it is very innovative. The tracks are written by a team of songwriters including Rod Temperton who wrote Boogie Nights and the tremendous Thriller and even his song here is quite boring. That’s when something is wrong, when you don’t even use Rod to great effect.

I know that Fela largely invented Afrobeat and this was a great live album, with energetic drumming and possessing an album cover that feels like the band are jumping off the photo. But I prefer a more lyrics-based sound so while liked, it was not something I would listen to again.

I must admit I am a fan of this guy and so am very happy to listen to this though it doesn’t contain his great hit a cover of Fred Neil’s Everybody’s Talking from the film Midnight Cowboy.

Tracks like Coconut really showcases the zany side of him. His version of Without You, written by Badfinger, is also loved. Some of the tracks were less good. Hence the 4 rating

I must be missing something here. Ok, it is in the 1001 book, but that’s true of lots of albums I don’t like, but specifically it is on Vulture and Mojo’s lists of the top 100 greatest albums ever. Why?
I don’t think it’s interesting or innovative and, in order to bring a bit of joy back into my morning, I will give it a rare 1, my sweet vengeance-highlighting how irritated I am-for this album to sit with all the noise rock albums at the bottom of my list.

What a voice, both sweet and grainy, you can feel the emotion pouring out of him.
His great songs are showcased here with some covers that celebrate his talent.
No one quite like him.

At first groan this seemed to tick all the wrong boxes for me, not much in the way of vocals and lots of sampling. In fact, and this made me laugh hollowly, it is composed almost entirely from samples”.
But I didn’t actually hate it. Some of it sounded ok when it was melancholic but even then I was thinking this sounds like Bach or at least Mike Oldfield doing the Exorcist.
I feel 3 stars perfectly incapsulates my mixed feelings about this one.

Bought this, actually his fifth album, when it first came out and really love it. It feels quintessentially 90s but has a freshness missing from many of its contemporary albums. Interestingly I didn’t really buy much of his after this, only Midnite Vultures, which I also highly rate. Perhaps because the album is totally a 90s album and seems stuck there or because though there are not any obvious samples the album takes a fair bit from the group Them.

I have heard of Lorde but never actively listened to her songs.
This was amazing, loved the electropop and how they fully blended in with her ballads.
Want to hear more of her now.

I was quite tired this morning so it took a while and some visits to “soundalike websites” to remind me who she sounded like: Tori Amos who I really like.
Her voice is interesting and fitted the songs but at the end it was not her voice that I focused on but the lush orchestral production that I loved, which was by Van Dyke Parks. But. I don’t know if I would have fully appreciated the songs without that production. Another one for the half a point club and because I cannot give it 3.5 it will be 3 STARS.

I have never heard of this band before and my initial thoughts with the brass intro were that they sounded like They Might Be Giants, but the rest of the album didn’t. I liked it, it was interesting but did not sound like they were trying too hard to make something so eccentric it was unlistenable.
But because my head was full of TMBG and why they are not in the book, and because it went on less interestingly with no highs and lows, I will give three stars.

I love classic metal and this band are one of the prime immortals of this group.
Powerful vocals, thumping drums and bass, all tempered by wonderful lyrics and beautiful melodies.
As Ozzy clearly tells us Enjoy Your Life and I know my life has been better with these guys in the world.

After last week’s running theme of “bands I successfully swerved in the 90s seeking retribution” I am off to a great start with some classic 70s gold.
Have heard this album many times but it still feels fresh. Never before has swamp rock been so polished, so vibrant. You really wrote songs for everyone John Fogerty, never stop rocking.

I really like this gent, his voice and his songs.

This feels like the soundtrack to a meaningless modern art installation video I started to write, aimlessly irritated by the noise. Continuing to listen I felt myself drawn in to the undulating sound. What on earth? It does feel like the soundtrack to an indie film but not in a bad way. At the end the listen was positive. Would I buy it? no, but enjoyed the ride.