Reviews by abitfishy

This album is the grandest tier of meh, I like the entire story around Bitter Sweet Symphony; the debacle about the songwriting credits. I just can't help but feel they chose to extend the album out to the CD's maximum length, which is lame - It's good value if you like the album - but its lame for me and others who aren't a fan. And of course because it's a 90s album it has to have a hidden track which is also lame.

I feel a bit of a jerk giving it a 2 star, as the band members of The Verve seem like humble guys, from having seen some interviews here and there. But ultimately I'm not a fan of the album.

Highlight Song/s: Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu and Africa Brasil (Zumbi)

Samba has a nice sound to it, It sounds really hopeful, I also quite like the luscious backing vocals, and it has some cool guitar lines. I'm not too sure what just samba sounds like by itself without the fusion of other genres, as I'm quite new to the sound and was only introduced via the generator, but it's not too shabby. It has a nice jungle vibe to it, it's definitely the bongos that give me that impression!

I believe some people are just way too quick to dismiss non-English music, just for the reason it isn't in English. As if that removes all emotion and tone to the voices.

Really abrasive. I haven't listened to pretty much any industrial of any sort before, except for The Downward Spiral; but that one is really really derivative. And I don't believe I've really listened to tape music apart from a song or two on an album from like the 60s (like Electric Ladyland or the White Album.)

Most of the rating comes from it being novelty to me. It isn't a bad album, but I don't think I would want to listen to it again; maybe after a couple years.

Highlight Song/s: Albatross and Poptones

What a bleak album. I feel dreariness; I imagine heavy fog; I feel like I'm on a conveyor belt in this huge factory and seeing thousands of other conveyor belts whilst being completely stunned and helpless; It is SO repetitive to the point it's hypnotic; Possibly, just maybe, I could dance or march to my death whilst listening to this album.

All of that above is what I would imagine if it was a type of weather, or if it was a place, or ultimately my feelings this album evokes. This album has me in its complete grasp.

This is a miss. This album does have quite a cool unique sound to it, but I can't seem to get into it. Perhaps it's the vocals, they are to be frank quite strange. I was going to listen to Sticky Fingers but haven't gotten around to it, perhaps it's just this album I don't like. I think I just don't like albums that have titles that start with "Let It..."

Conclusion: Album has a cool vibe to it, but I just can't get into it.

Highlight Song/s: Girl

Beck is a really weird musician, so many strange sounds and styles on this album but it 9 times out of 10 tends to work well. East Asian styled music, beep boop electronic music, Latin hip-hop. Really eclectic. I think this album might work better for me if I re-visit sometime.

Highlight Song/s: Beauty Lies in the Eye, Pipeline/Kill Time

My second Sonic Youth album (first is Daydream Nation,) I've listened to songs here and there and I have a couple of favourite songs of theirs but haven't listened to too much of them. First impressions tells me that, there's this cool post-punk undertone to the songs, like the ringing guitars and the rhythm section is something you'd hear from any of the post-punk pioneers.

I have been a recent enjoyer of white noise parts in songs and this is literally a gold mine for it. My Bloody Valentine was the band the turned me over to it; and they were heavily inspired by Sonic Youth. MBV's e.p. and first album, You Made Me Realise and Isn't Anything is very adjacent to this album if you turn down the pop-ness halfway

I didn't know where to fit this next sentence, so I will just leave it here: Schizophrenia, to my ears has this yearning sort of sound; which I really like.

Highlight Song/s: Subterranean Homesick Blues and Mr. Tambourine Man

My first Bob Dylan album, if you don't count me listening to the first few songs of Highway 61 Revisited and promptly turning it off because of his voice.

I love albums that do different stuff for each side. Such as this album doing electric with a backing band for the A-side and solo folk music for the B-side. Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young and Low by David Bowie are some other examples.

About the album contents:
-The voice is definitely difficult to get into, but it's MOSTLY fine now, I think, perhaps listening to more albums might make it even more tolerable.
-Obviously the lyrics are superb, you best hope they are, otherwise nothing would be redeemable with this album for me.
-I love the light-heartiness feel to the album, especially in Bob Dylan's 115th Dream, where the producer burst out laughing during the first take, and then they restarted it.

Highlight Song/s: Castles Made of Sand

This is definitely my least favourite of the Jimi Hendrix Experience albums. It completely missed me twice now. While on the other hand, I fell in love with Are You Experienced? (U.S. version specifcally) and Electric Ladyland easily. I mean it has intricate guitar parts and amazing drum fills just like the other two, so why wouldn't I like this one? No clue, but that's how I feel about it.

Highlight Song/s: I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better and It's No Use

It is a BIT generic, lots of it seems to blend together if you don't give it at least 90-100% attention. It reminds me of Help!-era Beatles, but a bit more off-brand. I enjoyed this a lot more than Sweetheart of the Rodeo, I just couldn't stand that one because of the country overtones and it having every single one the cliches of country. I'm fine (mostly) with beatles-esque pop, so naturally I'd prefer this one.

Highlight Song/s: Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless and Once in a Lifetime

Wow, wow, wow. This is my probably favourite of the bunch by Talking Heads on this list. Having had listened to 3/4 albums now (1. Fear of Music, 2. More Songs, 3. Remain in Light.) It has this really solid dance sound to it, David Byrne's voice is a lot more tolerable to my ears. I also really enjoy the unorthodox approach to the album; the last 3 or so songs really represent the unorthodox side pretty well! They definitely refined their sound by this album.

Highlight Song/s: G-Song and Sun Hits the Sky

I think this is not too shabby. It definitely isn't as good as I Should Coco. I'm not exactly too sure why. The follow-up albums to really good albums is tricky to nail.

This one right here is the second album by Talking Heads that I've got from the generator; having got the album after this as my first one. ...And I just can't get with it. Which is completely fine, I'm not going to get everything. Talking Heads are definitely talented, no doubt. they are probably one of the best examples of early post-punk and new wave music, they have all the main qualities of the genre/s, they were pretty much the first of their kind. That dance-punk sound was for sure pioneering; it's undeniable.

Some other things that I noticed whilst listening:
-The Girl Wants... sounds a bit like Obstacle 1 (guitar wise) by Interpol, or more like Interpol yoinked the melody. Some other songs on this album have slight hints but this one is the most
-David Byrne's voice on top of sounding like Berlin Trilogy-era David Bowie, Byrne's inflection also sounds a bit like Bruce Dickinson's (Iron Maiden) current live singing style, a bit yelp-styled. Specifically on the live versions of The Trooper and Aces High.

Highlight Song/s: One Way Or Another and Picture This

I've only heard Blondie songs here and there, but never a full album before. And it was WAY better than I thought it would be. Going in I thought the songs were going to be more akin to Sunday Girl (poppy) rather than another Blondie song I heard previously such as One Way Or Another (more punk adjacent.) Though it seems Sunday Girl-styled songs on the album are the exception rather than the standard. Sunday Girl tricked me into thinking that Blondie made an entire album filled with that song, I'm glad lots of the songs are strrrrrrraight rockers. Even though Sunday Girl is great, I probably couldn't stomach an entire album of that or a 20 minute extended version.

I legitimately can't think of anything bad to say about this, which is surprising.

Incredibly same-y this album is, and just monotonous like the debut album. I do believe if The xx has to be on this list, then it should've just been their debut, I have no clue what this album brings to the table that the debut doesn't.

Highlight Song/s: Groovallegiance

Really solid, not much to say. But solid grooves, solid bass and amazing guitar lines. I found this a lot more tolerable than Mothership Connection, yes its by Parliament, similar enough to me. Mothership was completely un-listenable after the halfway point due to it being insanely repetitive. This was not. Here's hoping Maggot Brain is good.

What on earth is this album, like seriously. I'd reckon this would make a great parody album, with the painfully bad lyrics and all. But I suspect that it unfortunately it isn't. The lyrics seriously bring this album down quite a lot, I usually can try to ignore bad lyrics and try to focus on the instruments and the vocal delivery instead. But with this one I'd have to ignore the entire album, as I find the songs instrumentally and vocals a bit obnoxious.

So yeah, I thought maybe Hole wasn't that bad prior to listening to this album. If this is them when they are poppy, I don't think I could stand to listen to their non-poppy stuff for more than a minute; it'd be completely un-listenable. I would like to be proven wrong. But we'll see if I stand them, should I listen to an other album of theirs.

Highlight Song/s: Think About Me, Storms and Beautiful Child

I saw that new album today was a Fleetwood Mac album, my stomach dropped a little. I then found out the length of the album, my stomach dropped further. But honest to god it wasn't that bad, Rumours had tainted my perception a little. Yes, still overly ballad-y and soft. But a lot more digestible - even thought it is a double album - than the aforementioned album. And it most likely has to do with Lindsay Buckingham and his insistence on Tusk not being Rumours 2. Which is quite funny as the songs he was on predominately was the reason I didn't like Rumours; and made it a forgettable album altogether.

Some other thoughts: The album has such a good atmosphere, and solid sombre tone to it (on majority of the songs.) Lindsay's voice is a lot more tolerable than on Rumours. I am a fan of the drums sound on the album.

Highlight Song/s: Heaps Of Sheeps and Was A Friend

This one has a really nice subdued sound to it, really really calming. The backing tracks are quite layered which in this instance, gives me the feel of floating around up and above the clouds, perhaps the album cover is that reason of that feeling. Love the jazz elements as well, especially September The Ninth, that song reminds me a lot Radiohead's Life in a Glasshouse song, which I love that song.

Highlight Song/s: Chan Chan, De Camino a la Verda, Orgullecida and Murmullo

This album has an absolutely killer atmosphere, literally second-to-none. Just that killer. I think it's because of it being sombre in parts, a bit bittersweet-sounding and the passionate singing. Now, I'm not sure if that's something that's just specific to this album or if it's just the Latin sound or the specific sub-genre. But I dig it hard. My only gripe is that it goes on for just a bit TOO long, it would've been great if it was a 45m long album. Though I do get that album length is an artistic choice, I just can't help but feel that way.