Reviews by abitfishy

I though the first quarter was complete garbage - not a fan of the experimental vocals - it was heading straight towards a 2. I thought possibly maybe this was the album sound, but no, it opened up in a good way in the last half and got rid of the terrible club music-like vocals.

Mostly I think this album is an album I've completely forgot about other than certain melodic moments, so I personally don't think this is a must-hear in anyway. I feel because it has Madonna on it as the artist name that it's made people overrate it because of that and think this is a maddening release.

I think I could live my life without this one.

Highlight Song/s: "Don't Tell Me" and "What It Feels Like for a Girl"

This had that warm, sincere, sleepyhead indie charm written all over it. I loved how straightforward some songs are. There is some interesting/peculiar experimental sounds in some moments on the album, that were a hit or miss to me.

Conclusion is, I'm not fully sold yet. I think this would be a good to put on at a later date to see if it hits better.

Highlight Song/s: "Jesus, etc." and "Pot Kettle Black"

This has a nice vibe to it, and made me realise the Dexys were a bit more than just their hit "Come On Eileen." I suppose this album is kind of Eileen-like songs. The celtic-influenced rock, with the new wave cheeriness and solid pop hooks, the half talking half singing vocal style. I don't think as a whole this album really strikes a chord, only really the other singles of the album I personally enjoyed. I can see why others like it a lot and underrate it in the face of a overshadowing huge hit.

Possibly maybe I might return, though not fully sure. I think this deserves a place on the list as it captures a certain point in time well that should be documented down for the future.

Highlight Song/s: "The Celtic Soul Brothers", "Jackie Wilson Said" and "Come On Eileen"

To me I feel this is an album that had to be experienced when it was released for it to be real meaningful. I've only heard this for the first time when this album popped up as my album a day to keep the doctor away (though I already knew the title track.)

Flea is a wonderful bassist, on this one he fully knows when to play and when to hold off, which is a masterful talent. I love some of the unorthodox approaches to guitar that John Frusciante brings along to the album. Chad Smith's drumming is pretty amazing. I didn't ever felt they were too overbearing unlike some other drummers. I think the vocals were my least favourite 'instrument' of the album, just a bit predictable and complacent, though I can totally see the appeal why people like it.

I don't think this is an album that would ever appeal to me. I believe this one was a right album released at the right time, and I think it's worthy enough to be on a must-hear list.

Highlight Song/s: "Scar Tissue" and "Porcelain"

I'm sure I'm sold on this sort of music. I have had quite a ambivalent experience towards to singer-songwriter music, so I don't hate it, but I find it this one doesn't compel me much other than some brief catchy moments. It's quite lush and Beth has nice quality to her singing voice.

Ultimately I just don't think it's a must-hear.

Highlight Song/s: "Pass in Time"

Hmm, it was fine. I see a lot of people praise this album but I can't join them in that, even though I'd like to go deeper into Soundgarden. It has nice variety, probably a bit more than what Badmotorfinger (which I really love that album) has on it. Just overall my enjoyment of this album isn't very high.

This is my second listen and I don't feel really keen to listen to this album again, I think will keep at it with Badmotorfinger, which is way, way less than a disappointment to me.

Highlight Song/s: "Fell on Black Days", "Mailman", "Black Hole Sun", "The Day I Tried to Live" and "4th of July"

This has quite a relaxing vibe to it, unlike a fair amount of 'relaxing' albums it actually goes places and develops rather than it being sparse and ambient-like, definitely this music is quite blues-orientated. The instrumentation is superb (especially the songs that are the highlights; last line in the review) all around.

Highlight Song/s: "Gomni" and "Amandrai"

Some parts of this really shined like the tracks "Ball and Biscuit" and "Little Acorns." If the album was more filled with songs like that it would be so good. I just think this could've been better or maybe I'm simply not a White Stripes fan. I feel this is - in my mind - an in-between album of White Blood Cells and Get Behind Me Satan (in regards of my rating,) the latter I thought was terrible and the former being not half-bad.

I personally don't think this is a must-hear album. I just think I don't like it but it doesn't mean it's a 'bad' album, it's just not for me.

Highlight Song/s: "Ball and Biscuit" and "Little Acorns"

I can totally see why this quite edgy for the time, and probably bit of a shock from a big-named band. It's loud, snotty, rambunctious. And this album I can tell was made on a lot of drugs just by my ears, let alone having Wikipedia tell me about it. Musically, it seems to be a continuation of their previous albums with it's country and blues-induced hard rock. Maybe the length is a bit much, maybe not, the album however didn't seem to drag just perhaps it would've benefited from a tighter structure and bit of a shortening.

This has been by a long-shot the best Rolling Stones album yet (I've gotten Aftermath, Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed.) I definitely gotten a couple songs from this I'd return to, not sure about the entire album.

Highlight Song/s: "Rocks Off", "Tumbling Dice" and "Sweet Virginia"

This is really lovely/sweet album. It's completely honest and straightforward with what these brothers with the last name Everly want. I can with certainty, hearing this album and all the Beatles albums, that the Beatles (earlier career) are complete rip-offs of the Everly Brothers. Like wow, my god! A lot of it sounds like some of John Lennon's songs early on in the Beatles career. This albums really invokes a certain period of time really well, like all those nostalgia-for-the-50s 70s movies and media.

This was a nice palate cleanser of an album, but I don't think I'd revisit it.

Highlight Song/s: "Made to Love" and "Cathy's Clown"

This was a really nice sombre album. It nails a lot of things melancholy as well. Just something about the country/folk-y sound mixed with this incredible darkness and a little bit of lo-fi-ness is a bit charming to my ears. I believe this scratches a similar itch to that of Nebraska (by Bruce Springsteen.)

Unsure if I'd return really, but if I am seeking the Nebraska-like mood again I think I'd give it another shot.

Highlight Song/s: "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"

I think this one was a lot longer than it needed to be. I believe this was mostly predictable and had all the clichés of gangsta rap. The rhymes and lyrics tend to be quite cheesy especially when a lot of it is put over a mid-school hip-hop beat. There were some songs I liked but it's nothing that is crazy or something I'd want to return to in the future.

Highlight Song/s: "Ziplock" and "O.G. Original Gangster"

Hmm, not sure about this one. Some lovely sounding songs with awful lyrics on it. There are some songs that really nail atmosphere ("Through Hollow Lands (For Harold Budd)") while the more 'popular' songs off this album I found myself not really enjoying ("King's Lead Hat.") So, I feel this album has left me a bit confused, but I know for sure the songs on here that nearly leans totally to the ambient side are pretty good; just the more traditional songs not so much.

Highlight Song/s: "Here He Comes" and "Through Hollow Lands (For Harold Budd)"

This album excels at mellowness; it's not hurried whatsoever! Musically it's quite jazzy and piano-centric. The atmosphere the album carries is quite mesmerising to my ears, this is totally what I need when I'm in need of a calm album.

I believe it's worthy enough to be on a must-hear of all time list.

Highlight Song/s: "Cold Cold Heart" and "Shoot the Moon"

This one was quite sweet. I always though for some reason Sparks was this lone globally-noticed Japanese glam rock band, but no they're American! I suppose the album cover fooled me. It has good hooks and silly lyrics. This album has aged pretty well I'd say, I assume because of the production. It does every good of glam rock, it sits right up there with other glam classics like Ziggy Stardust and Electric Warrior.

I think I'd need another listen to understand this album more, so I think it will be a 3 star from me.

Highlight Song/s: "Falling in Love With Myself Again" and "Thank God It's Not Christmas"

Definitely Straight Outta Compton was an album that pushed the standard way back when it was released. It's provocative and edgy. I can totally see how this album converted a lot of white people into hip-hop enjoyers. However I think seeing it from a nowadays perspective has probably made me not fully like it, probably I would see this differently had I listened to this in it's heyday. It seems a bit underdeveloped maybe? I suppose it's that mid-school hip-hop sound, but I reckon even Licensed to Ill does it better.

I think the only 'essential' songs are the title track, "Fuck Tha Police", "Express Yourself" and "Dopeman (Remix)" - I think the rest can be safely forgotten to the test of time. I know it's very influential, so I think it has a place on the list, I just won't give it a high rating.

Highlight Song/s: "Straight Outta Compton", "Express Yourself" and "Dopeman (Remix)"

Wasn't expecting to like this album as much as I did. It's actually pretty sweet. This is an example of New Jack Swing music, which I've always heard about and less so actually heard, and I know that it's fairly hated from some of the rap music I listen to, I suppose that's why I didn't have high expectation. One of the biggest characteristics of this album that stand out to me is the very rigid, stiff and mechanical-like drum beats. It seems mostly dance-leaning pop songs earlier in the album, and more slower vulnerable songs later on, with interludes inbetween songs galore.

I think this is just slightly below a 4 star rating, so 3 star it is!

Highlight Song/s: "Miss You Much" and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)

I will say it straight up, does this need to be a must-hear album before one dies? No, I do not believe this is a must the one has to hear before eternal sleep. I wonder what about this is remarkable or where it stands out enough that it's a must hear album. Yes, it has some good parts, but Christina's voice though stands out to me as one of my 'no's' for this album, not a fan of the roar-like vocals.

Just really don't think this should've been include on a must-hear list, not sure what the guy was thinking. Maybe he started to realise there aren't 1001 albums that are good, so he started chucking slop on here.

Highlight Song/s: "Loving Me 4 Me" and "Beautiful"

I didn't like this one. Just the guitar riffs are so predictable, just what I'd put to lyrics like what the album has. The vocals are just the same, that easily distinguishable glam singing. The songs just were very off from what I want in a song. Only real exception is "Giddy Up a Ding Dong" - which I wasn't expecting to like because of the cheesy song title.

I don't see myself returning to this one.

Highlight Song/s: "Giddy Up a Ding Dong"

I've listened to Movement and Power, Corruption and Lies (PCL,) but I never felt those were compelling - especially the latter - enough to keep going through New Order's discography. The list yet has forced my hand many times and this time is no exception. (spoiler: This one was more compelling.)

This has New Order at a more developed point in their synth-pop leaning direction that they started earlier in the decade. Some of the songs are like Smiths-like jangle pop and others sound like the danceable Madchester scene music.
I think New Orders melodies on this album are so lovely, they really aced it on here. In particular the vocal melodies are what stands out to me the most (probably because the vocals were god-awful on PCL, like truly bottom-of-the-barrel stuff.)

I think if I were to return to any of New Order's albums this would probably be the one I'd be the most inclined to return to.

Highlight Song/s: "All The Way" and "Dream Attack"