Reviews by abee

After a run of 9, that’s 9! classic brilliant albums I get this one. Know the genre and it’s not for me, but I really liked this, I thought the melodies and production were ace. Now I am actually thinking I will like Wu-Tang Clan if I get them. Who knew.
I felt the skits detracted a bit from the album though. First skit – Return of Clyde Smith - What?! The second about directions to Heart Street and letting the young lady know it’s just off “D**k Lane made me nervous, until her well put “f**in pervert”, but the one about the kid swearing? Gosh this meme has been done to death, better than getting some poor kid to swear for your album would be to teach them how to spell. Its Killer not “Killah”.

I liked this – wonderful tracks, brilliant production and what a voice. But yet again, despite the high score it is not something I would buy.

My second Bob album where I have felt his passion and had an emotional connection to the tracks. Complex lyrics including the opening track’s “How does it feel” coupled with the Ballad of the Thin Man’s talk of “somethings going on and you don’t know what” is powerfully blended with a mix of styles, including blues, rock n roll and singer songwriter. I love the album cover, sitting there holding his sunglasses, it’s like he has been captured after being told “man, take off the glasses Bob, look at the world you are writing about”, and this time I feel his gaze.

I love 50s country Johnny and adore his 1990s American Recordings. Even though I am not a fan of covers, these songs, done in his honey-rich voice are magnificent. I am considering though why this one of his American Recordings was chosen, and wonder if the rest are here. My favourite is American Recordings II: Unchained. His rendition of Southern Accents and the title track make me cry like a baby bird.

What I know of this band is that it included Henry Rollins, whose solo work I really liked, I even bought his poetry (yep that is me keeping doom poetry alive). The first track reminded me of “beat the clock” by Sparks funnily enough but still a great song. This album was more punky and less thrash metal. Great lyrics fantastic energy, good stuff here.

I know this band from the excellent (cover) Get Together which adorns most soundtracks for 60s films. It is interesting that this album seemed so fresh, almost like it was recorded yesterday. Really liked it.

Interesting, but I think only part IV is any good I muttered and my bro knew instantly what album I was talking about. It is strange that as someone who hates instrumental albums I have listed to a few of them recently by Miles Davis and Ludovico Einaudi. This was equally interesting and reminded me of the theme tune to a kid’s science programme. Oh, and sod IV, III is pretty damn sharp itself!

I am not a fan of instrumental Jazz but I know that any greatest hits list of the 70s will always include this gentleman’s Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew so was interested.
This was absolutely beautiful. It was like sparkling rain on my head tempered with rolling thunder. Never has a trumpet sounded so yearning. It made me happy in a way I can’t explain and I can only imagine that when I eventually get (I hope) his two greatest albums my head will explode with the sheer immensity of his work.

Continuing my reckoning of why I don’t love this legend – starting off with Blowin in the Wind is inspired; what an incredible song that works on so many levels, easily at home at a protest march and a school assembly. I really like Masters of War and Hard Rains a- gonna Fall is my particular favourite. Perhaps it’s the harmonica? I’m blaming the harmonica. Giving it 5 STARS because it’s so magnificent, even if I don’t really care.

So, the generator allowed me to go from oh no, another 1990s indie artist I couldn’t be bothered with to amazing, sounds like Joni Mitchell, what lovely songs. Cheers generator!

Reuben Blades? Ah good reeeeeeeeeeeal good.

If someone had asked me before I started this project whether I liked Elvis C I would have answered cheerily of course, love that guy, but that was on the basis of his greatest hits and listening to his entire albums confuses me as when he is good, as he is with Beyond Belief, he is amazing but the rest of the tracks as well crafted as they are feel a bit fillery.

I liked Cherub Rock and this album has elements of it but no one song stood out and whoa double album distress as too long and lost concentration.

I hadn’t heard this in a while and listening to it I can see why it is lauded, with its fierce rock easing easily into indie ballads it is remarkable. I am a sucker for shifting tempos; I love songs that sound like Pink Floyd and Nick Drake and adore any mention of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – this album is pure excellence.

I have come to have a lot of respect for this band above their singles as they are featured heavily in a TV music programme where I am. This was great, with its Roxy music inspired New Wave sound. Even Peaches, which in someone else’s hands, could be tawdry, here seems tragic and oddly kind of cool.
One star off for not featuring a rat on their cover. At least RATT knew how to pull in the rat lovers.

I bought this years ago because someone told me it was “good”. I can’t remember who I need to “thank”. I understand that this album polarizes people. Personally, I think the issue is where I may mutter “keep to a time signature, you gits”, others will say “ahh polyrhythm” and while I may complain about whether this can actually be called music due to no good tunes, others may happily wax lyrical about polytonality. It worries me that the hype for this album is at such a high level that it reminds me of the old tale of the emperor’s new clothes. Is it good? or is that people think because it is challenging it must be arty? It has even been compared as eclectic as walking Christmas trees and, like this album, that is not something I need thanks.

I have heard of them but couldn’t place the genre. Ah yes Jass-Fusion my beloved detested.
This exceeded expectations though – Birdland is wonderful and it’s a song that I have heard for many years. The other songs were brill too but I think that is because some of them reminded me of a scene in a cheesy 90s movie where the woman and man fall onto the bed undressing and the shot changes to blousy white curtains blowing in the wind, whereas others felt like the soundtrack to a 70s detective series. It’s like the soundtrack of my youth.

I am loathe to give anything by Bowie a low score but I am more of a fan of his 70s albums. This was incredible – Valentines Day being the highlight – but for me there is something emotionally missing from this album.

What an album to leave the week on, here it is my favourite Beatles album. From the first sounds of the aeroplane you know you are going to go on a wild rock n roll ride but as soon as Back in the USSR ends you are immediately submerged into psychedelia. And on it goes, from Ska to Flamenco through Blues and Prog Rock, over to Music Hall, while stopping at Folk, Baroque and Country. Every single ruddy song an absolute classic, and yes, I do include you Rocky Racoon!
Let me summarise - Clashing time signatures! Eric Clapton! Yoko Ono! Sheep Dogs! Avant Garde! Chocolates! Mother! Maharishi! Donovan! and Pastiche that sounds like genuine songs of the genre!
The band was crumbling at this point but I am left with the wonder of this album’s disparate cohesiveness, where there is no need for a fancy cover. Good night, guys, sleep tight 😊

With a name like Incubus they were never going to be flower-pop so I was thrilled to get this. However, it was generic 1990s American Rock.