Reviews by abee

More East Coast Rap (not only do I know what this means I actually like rap now) its so raw and has an unabashed social conscious which hits hard.

I must admit this pleased me greatly. Bombastic Heavy Metal with screeching guitars, and though leaning towards a more commercial sound, this album still holds up well. Def Leppard are great songwriters and it is only that it got a bit repetitive later on in the album that prevents me giving it four stars.

I love Killers and what a brilliant debut! Two of these songs – Mr Brightside/Somebody told Me - were heard all over 2004 but that over exposure didn’t dimmish their power. I would say that this is not my favourite album of theirs, that’s Sam’s Town, so could only give 4 stars here (thanks for the kind person putting ST on the user list). Having said that, they are a band who could go from indie rock to heartland rock to dance pop without reducing excellence and I salute them.

I thought I had most of their albums but only have one. Well, this album definitely has made me want to explore their back catalogue. With syncopated percussion and beautiful lo – fi vocals speaking honest thoughts, it almost sounds like it’s an impromptu jam in a parents garage back when the band were not well known.

This was nice and liked the spoken word inserts. It felt retro soul but also modern R&B at the same time.

For some reason I always get them muddled up with Talk Talk which I like. I remembered most of these tracks which was strange as I never bought anything by them. I wasn’t sure I liked the way it seemed to be a strange mix of poppiness and alternative sound but by the end I realised this just meant they defied pigeonholing and I really liked it. Felt a bit like an alternative Lloyd Cold and the Commotions and that’s good.

Love heavy metal. Less enthused on what I consider thrash metal. Spider was good but I felt that the rest of the tracks leaned heavily to shouting and less towards melodies.

Arts for Arts sake is one of my many pet peeves. Its like if a film looks stylish and is state of the art alternative but has no soul or plot, I would not appreciate it.

Here, I do appreciate the sounds of a tin being struck but ultimately it felt dull not deep. The only song I could get behind was Life in the Glasshouse with the brass section. I love brass.

Its kind of sad as I love everything up to OK computer and this feels more like the Radiohead I knew and obsessed over.

Respect stands out here and the rest of the tracks highlight her incredible voice but nothing really captured my heart.

Migraine inducing or migraine sustaining, I don’t know it’s a blur to me now. I now understand that the word groundbreaking when it’s a genre I don’t like is meaningless. I don’t think it helped that I listened to the double album by accident. It had it’s highs, state of Mind is lovely and got me musing on what ever happened to good ole Goldie but then soon after another heavy dance track started and I decided I just didn’t care.

I have this album but I will often think when I haven’t listened to it in a while isn’t it just a bunch of well-known covers. Then I listen to it and it astounds me. Its not just his distinctive sparse voice that makes these tracks sound otherworldly it is the slight country tinge and incredible production work that enhances the original work.

Starting off with the rebel-rousing Folsom Prison Blues and carrying on with the beautiful Dark as the Dungeon is inspired. Johnny manages seamlessly to intersperse prison songs with songs of longing even throwing in some gallows humour to boot; with highlights such as telling the inmates not to use profanity, as they are recording the concert, while happily swearing himself. His voice is as ever hard and beautiful, you can hear how these honest songs were so appreciated by this select audience.

Didn’t feel Slider, their other album here, really stood out but this one is wonderful. Cosmic Dancer is so Bowiesque due, I am sure, to Visconti’s superlative production work here. Life’s a Gas is beautiful, all good here.

Its experimental, clinical and Germanic and has a huge gothic element. I find it interesting that with the name Joy Division they have made happiness feel very clinical, here unknown. I like it a lot, it resonates.

This was not bad but it just didnt do anything for me.

Starts off boring and derivative but the singles are really catchy. This was said to be one of the most influential albums ever. I think because lots of people copied a band that made a living out of copying great 1970s bands and that is the definition of post punk revival. To be generous there was probably not a lot else going on musically in early 2000s.

John took all the pain and anger he had built up and made one of the most beautiful confessional albums ever made. In turn he cries out to be heard then tells us firmly he doesn’t care what we think of him. I hope it was as therapeutic for him as it is for us.

I hate Blue Monday so went into this with some trepidation and loved it. Sounds like a poppier Joy Division and almost like Cure at one point. Great sound and I could have given it four but didn’t feel it was one I would buy.

I never really liked Seven Nation Army so didn’t explore their work. To say that Jack White’s Blunderbuss album was a pleasant surprise is an understatement and this album has made me realise not listening to them was a big mistake. I really rate the disjointed drum beats, Avant garde instrumentation and mix of genres.

This, live, in a Cuban bar while sipping a Mojito = fantastic.
This, listening at home in a drab concrete town = bit samey.