Reviews by abitfishy

Quite a wide range of music is presented here, though it mainly focuses on soul and R&B. 1/4 of the album is these song that seem like fragments of a song that just didn't get properly finished. Some of the ideas are really promising, and I wished he fleshed out the fragments a bit more; especially "Jethro" and the first track "Rabbot Ho." The album managed to pick up in quality by track 10 and it stayed pretty consistent.

Highlight Song/s: "Lava Lamp", "Jethro", "Walk On By" and "Them Changes

First things first, this album is STACKED. Like, my god. It's literally like a greatest hits album. Other than the objective fact that the album is indeed, stacked. It is the most sold album ever, because of that fact I thought it would be ever meh or a bad one, but it isn't half bad.

The title track holds a memory for me where me and my brother were scared shit-less of the music video, It definitely was the zombies that were the reason. It's also crazy how much I remember of the song even though I haven't heard it in a long time, especially the spoken word part with the church-like organs, and that laugh the closes the track.

This honestly exceeded my expectations, even if it sounds a bit weird with it being the most sold album.

Highlight Song/s: "The Girl Is Mine", "Thriller", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean"

I haven't heard anything from Primal Scream other than the classic "Movin' on Up." This album is QUITE eclectic, featuring a cool mix of, rock, dance and ambient elements. Though one thing the album always brings back is the annoying electronic laser sound; it being the most annoying on "Kowalski." The instrumentals are really busy, to the point of it feeling overwhelming. Whilst on the other hand the vocals are not, and are more subdued.

The songs on this album sound songs elsewhere I've heard, such as but not limited to, "Get Duffy" sounding similar to a Soundgarden deep cut called "Mind Riot" or how "If They Move Kill 'Em" goes full "Rebel Without a Pause" at the start with that high-pitched noise or, "Trainspotting"'s beat sounding like "Shook Ones Pt. 2"

Highlight Song/s: "Get Duffy" and "Out of the Void"

I was quite apprehensive with this album, it just reeked of indie-ness. And it kinda does, mainly the vocals are where I'm getting indie from. You know I would describe what makes them indie, but my brain won't give me a reasonable definition to put into my own words. Some of the riffs are quite cool I suppose. This is just a 'meh' album to me, probably won't be returning.

Highlight Song/s: "Next Girl" and "She's Long Gone",

There's just something about it with these old-timey standards, they're just so charming. Perhaps it's the Big Band instrumentation or it's something else but It gives a good 50s vibe. you know, when people were lived life slow, and fear of being nuked back to the stone age, and being explicitly racist (more than today at least.)

Highlight Song/s: "It Happened In Monterey"

I was thinking to myself yesterday that I ought to listen to the 'jazz classics.' AND a classic showed its face. It's a really nice album, especially "Track B," I am a straight sucker for moody-sounding brass in songs. I've heard many great things about Charles Mingus, so it's good to finally hear him and his band play.

Highlight Song/s: "Track B"

This is an album by a band that decided to fuse punk and rockabilly together and it happens to work. With the cynicism of punk, the macabre lyrics work really well. The songs genuinely sounds like a parody of actual rockabilly. It has these cool guitar parts, with a Joey Ramone-like inflection alongside guitars buzzing like flies around a corpse.

Highlight Song/s: "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," "Sunglasses After Dark" and "I'm Cramped"

I had previously heard about this album, with the mind-boggling song lengths and all its glory. The album is quite warm and cozy and colourful. The songs have a LOT of parts to them. I think this might work better as a re-lsiten.

Highlight Song/s: Slightly All The Time

Some of the songs sounds like they belong to a musical, the endings in particular. Not a fan of the horns on this album they pierce my ears. I really like the positive attitude these guys have. This is definitely an album where I wouldn't turn it off if it was on, but I wouldn't go seeking this.

My only other experience other than this album was their album Bookends which I thought was incredibly underwhelming other than like "Mrs. Robinson" and "America." Rest of the songs on Bookends felt like demoes. This album is similar in sound, but I believe this one was executed better than Bookends such as, it has a nice subdued sound with wonderful melodies with Mike Love making a surprise appearance appearing as a guest vocalist on "Baby Driver."

Highlight Song/s: Cecilla and Baby Driver

I had previously knew the title track from Grand Theft Auto IV's main rock station, and I always can't help but sway my head along to it when it comes on. So I was pointing at my screen thinking 'that's the song that I like.' Not really, but I was excited to get another excuse to listen to that song. Boy, did the album fell of a cliff after the first two songs and it turned into classic slop rock.

Stewart's raspy voice makes him sound quite old, like he is singing about the good ol' days or something but in reality he was 25/26 at the time of the making of this album. I do admit that the title track is carrying a lot of the rating if the title track wasn't on this one, this would be easy 2/5. But alas it is on here, so 3/5.

Highlight Song/s: Every Picture Tells A Story

Sonic Youth's magnum opus which is filled with anthemic songs, especially with that explosive opener that is "Teenage Riot;" A song which calls out to all the outsiders, far and wide. This would be their final independent release (if you don't count the Ciccone Youth side-project album,) after this album they would depart to a major label. Coming around in the point in time of music when alternative rock became mainstream for a while. They manage to balance the harshness of their early days whilst bring in more melody.

I believe the album cover says it all, in my opinion. Bleakness. There's this moodiness/nocturnal sound that's present on the album, which I always happen to love.

Highlight Song/s: "Teenage Riot" and "Silver Rocket"

My second Prince album. The first one was 1999 which was horrid I was completely sick of of it by the end of it, as I for some reason I set myself this challenge for this generator where I have to listen to all the songs (because I'm just like that,) which I sometimes regret, sometimes not. I definitely regretted it for 1999. Back on topic, I thought it wasn't half bad.

Just like 1999, Sign O' the Times it's quite dense instrumentally, even if this sort of music isn't my jam, he still manages to make all the songs have their own character. I quite like how he approaches vocals, just having something new to try out. I felt like the album would've been better if it was just the first side, as 80 minute long albums are hard to digest and process.

Highlight Song/s: Play In The Sunshine, Starfish And Coffee and I Could Never...

Another krautrock album for me, this might possibly be my last one. But I have really enjoyed krautrock probably because lots of my favourite musicians have borrowed from bands like Neu!. It's kinda like proto-Post-punk in a way. All of the songs on the album have a great vibe/mood to it

On "ISI" it sounds really blissful and I feel complete tranquillity with myself and others.
"Seeland" brings on a similar feeling like the previous track does except it's just a less spacey.
Nice moody atmosphere on "Leb'woah," that is definitely enhanced by the thunderstorm effects.
The vocals on "Hero" sounds quite vicious, reminds a bit of the vocals on album The Fat of the Land by Keith Flint. It's quite punk sounding.
"E-Musik" doesn't have too much to go off of but what stands out to ME, is that it has a really good drum beat accompanied by this spacey sound.
And finally "After Eight" continues the punk-like sound, which I believe was better done than on "Hero."

All of the songs on the album have such a great vibe/mood to it. I really enjoyed the album.

Highlight Song/s: ISI and Leb'woh

I have previously heard songs from their Miami album, such as "Fire Of Love" (not the album!) and "Mother of Earth" those songs have a very country-oriented sound to it unlike on this album which focuses more on punk rock and blues. It gets quite rockabilly (or psychobilly I suppose) at certain moments.

The first half of the album massively threw me off, I was thinking for sure 'it's at least a 2/5.' But near the end it go a bit better, so 3/5 it shall be.

Highlight Song/s: Fire Spirit

I just love the human feel live albums tend to have, even though I've never heard of Sarah Vaughn before but she's managed to make me adore these tunes - that I've been heard before - she (and maybe her backing band) picked. I liked the mistake near the end in "Willow Weep for Me," especially her playing off the mistake, as well as the Ella Fitzgerald shout out in "How High The Moon," where she does some (improvised??) scat singing.

All in all I really enjoyed this one.

Highlight Song/s: September In The Rain

It is a bit disheartening to hear the guy who did that song from Toy Story say the Hard R. I do however know that he is using the Hard R in a way that is a critique of actual people who think that backwards way and can't help but say nasty words, so I do quite like the message of the song "Rednecks." Most of the other songs aren't as interesting I'm afraid, with all that disney-like orchestration, with an exception for "Every Man a King" which sounds like a military song.

Highlight Song/s: Rednecks, Mr President and Every Man a King

This one is one I've been meaning to take a listen to, It was alright. The first three songs had me having high expectations, so not every song managed to match in quality. But I reckon its a solid indie album, it sounds quite Smiths-y at times, especially on "The Devil's Eye."

Highlight Song/s: Loves Goes On!

This was my first Radiohead album that I had listened to, I felt very Intimidated by the band and the album, my opinion on the album on a first listen was mixed, It took a couple different listens but now I consider it a great album. This album is when Radiohead decided to not become another grunge-like band and started a bit of experimenting with unconventional sounds.

The album features a couple different styles: There's the noisy anthemic songs such as the title track "Bones" and "Just." The acoustic rock songs like, "High and Dry," "Fake Plastic Trees," "(Nice Dream)." The more experimental-leaning songs featuring new sounds by the band like "Planet Telex" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)."

Some lines that are on the album seem to resonate with me:
"you've got to feel it in your bones" (Bones)
"you do it to yourself, yeah you just do" (Just)
"and we are grateful for our iron lung" (My Iron Lung)

Some closing remarks from is that "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" are overrated, they're good songs but they are liked by some really loud fanatics. And "Sulk" is just awful. My conclusion is that this is definitely an album you must hear before you die.

Highlight Song/s: Planet Telex, High and Dry, Bones, Just and My Iron Lung

This has a really nice tone to it. I'm honestly surprised at myself that I haven't ripped my hair out due to 10 minute long techno songs. The lyrics and the song titles are very cryptic, I could theoretically spent a long time trying to understand what they mean, but I guess sometimes lyrics aren't meant to symbolise anything. The singer kind of sounds like British version of R.E.M.'s singer Michael Stipe.

Like I said the tone and ambience is great, just not completely sure if I would want to return to this, perhaps if electronic music is on my mind I would.

Highlight Song/s: Confusion The Waitress