Reviews by abrisskull

I will not include the CD bonus track "Master-Dik" for this review.

I know I’ve listened to Sonic Youth before as an influential experimental noise rock band. Though I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard anything from this album until now. After listening through, Sister left me feeling that it was more of a transitional album.

While I’ll admit that noise rock is not my forte and the blaring fuzzy sound can get homogenous in places, I can recognize where the group were working in more traditional song structures and implementing other instruments like acoustic guitars and Moog synthesizers.
Songs like “Catholic Block”, “Beauty Lies in the Eye” and “Pipeline/Killing Time” pop off well in their droning yet melodic sensibilities that aren’t overwhelming.

There are moments where I can hear the stylings of what Sonic Youth would become from Daydream Nation onward, and it’s cool to hear the formation of that sound. The songwriting potential may not be fully realized yet on Sister, but it’s still a nice listen through for those curious.

Here we go, the Phil Spector Christmas album. I heard about this album on the r/1001AlbumsGenerator subreddit and how it’s picked for a project’s first Christmas if it hasn’t been chosen already. I also heard about this album’s unfortunate associations, that it was released on the same day as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and that the man behind the production Phil Spector would later be convicted for the murder of actress Lara Jackson. This is on top of it being a Christmas album, which in of itself is a novelty limited to a specific window of the year for a specific audience celebrating that holiday. With all that said, this album is fine for what it is.

The selected acts do a solid enough job with their renditions of these Christmas classics, aided by the Wall of Sound production Phil was known for to make these songs come off brighter. In some cases, these renditions became staples of their own such as The Crystals’ cover of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, Darlene Love’s original “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, and The Ronettes’ covers of “Sleigh Ride” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”. Come to think of it, I consider the Ronettes to be the best act on this collection, given the harmonious vocals that they shared alongside the tight compositions.

That said, again it is a Christmas album which is a novelty that doesn’t get sought after beyond the last two months of the year at best. Not helping matters is the fact that not every song on here has exactly aged well in the pantheon of holiday music. I can’t imagine how often people seek out “The Bells of St. Mary”, “A Marshmallow World”, or even “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”. Also the sign-off at the end from Phil over “Silent Night” is a bit creepy, not gonna lie.

Still, I get why this album is special for the time of year when holiday spirits are bright, in spite of some unfortunate circumstances outside of the actual music. I’m at least glad to have listened to it during the appropriate season.

I hadn’t heard of Fred Neil before. Apparently he’s a pioneering folk musician, though only achieved notoriety for others covering his songs and being influenced by him. I saw that he was looked up to by the likes of Tim Buckley, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, and David Crosby. After listening to this self-titled album of his, I can certainly hear the legacy.

This is folk album led by acoustic guitar with prominent harmonica accompaniment that’s well-played and pleasant to have in the background. You get a good sense of the musicianship from the personnel involved with Fred. This is especially the case for the eight-minute instrumental closer “Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga” in which they took their folk-rock instruments and created an Indian-esque classic instrumental piece of improvisation.

Pairing with the good instrumentation are the lyrics in which I get a harrowing sense hardships endured. Whether it’s the narrator being lost in their thoughts on “Everybody’s Talkin’”, the yearning for escapism on “The Dolphins”, or the lower-class and poverty imagery on “That’s the Bag I’m In” and “Everything Happens”, these songs invoke the feeling of being down on your luck and looking for something better in life, even if the framing is rather simplistic.

While I get the pathos of this album and it’s well-played, it doesn’t quite go beyond being a decent record. It’s still a 1960s folk record, complete with grainy production that can feel muted in places, and a couple of cover songs added for a longer runtime even if I think they did well with the traditional “Sweet Cocaine”.

Still, I had a pleasant time with Fred Neil’s album, and I’m glad to have enjoyed it beyond the historical significance of his influence.

For this review, I will not consider the live tracks added to the expanded edition from 2006.

Well, I’ve already heard the other ZZ Top album on this list Eliminator two months ago, and Tres Hombres is easily the better of the two. This decision boils down to the live percussion, more laid-back compositions that maintain emphasis on the guitar riffs, and less embarrassing songwriting.

This album is straightforward Texas blues rock affair, and sticks in that lane without much deviation. If you’ve heard the single “La Grange” before, then you have a good idea what this album sounds like. It’s not mind blowing, but it’s efficient in its execution, from the one-two punch of “Waitin’ for the Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago”, into cuts like “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”, “Master of Sparks”, “Precious and Grace”, and “Move Me On Down the Line”.

Tres Hombres is an overall fun album that doesn’t waste time. Give it a listen.

I’ve already heard Tusk on this journey, and going back to the album prior fits like a glove.

Before I dive deep into Rumours, I will acknowledge that this album has been considered overrated by some people, and not everyone carries the same enthusiasm for the heartland rock style of Fleetwood Mac. After all, art is subjective, and therefore opinions are going to be different amongst everyone. This is from my perspective why I consider Rumours is an amazing album, and more than justifies its placement on this list.

For starters, much like with David Bowie’s Station to Station which I covered earlier, this is an album that works in spite of the trouble brewing behind the scenes. Every band member in Fleetwood Mac was going through heartbreak at the time, in addition to extensive touring, extensive cocaine usage, tabloid interruptions, and the drive to follow up their successful self-titled album. Yet despite those mounting issues, the band were able to come together and craft an album that maintains strong instrumentation, vocal presence, and production quality. In some cases, the band went above and beyond, such as Lindsey Buckingham changing his guitar strings every twenty minutes to maintain a bright acoustic sound on “Never Going Back Again”, or the layering of clean and distorted guitars for a fuller experience on “Go Your Own Way”, or even the audio splicing of several tapes together to create “The Chain”.

Also even though the relationship drama was touched upon in some songs like “The Chain”, “Dreams”, and “Go Your Own Way”, as well as the drug usage on “Gold Dust Woman”, there are also a number of tracks that take a more optimistic outlook. This sentimentality is apparent in “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun”, but it also carries into Christine McVie’s solo piece “Songbird” about the sacrifices one makes in the pursuit of love, and “I Don’t Want to Know” with the prospect of reconciling one another after going through a rough patch. Even the pair of “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way” maintain a more positive-leaning sense of moving on after a relationship is over.

That is all to say why I personally enjoy Rumours and why I accept this album in its legendary status. To each their own, but I can come to understand why this one is well-regarded.

Finally as a side-note, I can't believe it took me over a decade and a half to notice the pair of balls dangling from Mick Fleetwood's pants. Thank you to the person who wrote the top comment at the time of writing for pointing that out.

I can't say I've heard of Count Basie before. From what I gather, he was a renowned jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer who led his own innovative orchestra for fifty years. The Atomic Mr. Basie is one of several albums he recorded with them, and it was a delight to hear.

They let out the bombast from the get-go with "The Kid from Red Bank" with its big band swing style. Throughout the album, the blaring horns, piano arrangements, and accompanying reeds and percussion coalesce into an active lounge sound. Sure this style was declining in post-World War II America but the orchestra wanted to go out on a high note. Aside from a few lulls in the compositions, I was thoroughly engaged.

I'm glad this list included a good album to represent swing music because The Atomic Mr. Basie delivered that experience.

I've enjoyed a few Mudhoney songs in the past, and I understand their importance in the foundation of the grunge genre. That said, this is my first full-album listen to them and I'm unfortunately not that impressed with Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.

Aside from a few decent jams with "Let It Slide", "Good Enough", "Thorn", "Into the Drink", and "Fuzzgun '91", there isn't much here that catches my attention or can be retained well in memory. I know these guys are technically proficient, and I certainly don't mind Mark Arm's abrasive vocal delivery, but the song construction on this album doesn't illicit much in the way of distinct hooks and the lyrics admittedly get repetitive in the nihilistic nature. Also not helping matters is the low-quality production that comes off as muted without any means for the percussion or the fuzzy guitars to have any punch, which is what you should have for garage music based on my previous listening to The Stooges, The Sonics, and The White Stripes.

I really wanted to like this album, because I get why Mudhoney is important to grunge and alternative rock, and again I've enjoyed songs from them in the past. But I'm sorry, this did not click for me as well as it should. Cherry-pick your favorites and go from there.

I have heard two songs from this album from Rocket from the Crypt before. What I did not know before is that frontman John Reis founded this band and Drive Like Jehu at the same time. I already enjoyed Yank Crime from the latter on this journey, though I did temper my expectations here from my understanding that these are two different kinds of punk bands. Where Drive Like Jehu was a post-hardcore outfit with visceral lyrics and complex rhythmic structures, Rocket from the Crypt is the more straightforward "party-vibe" punk band with angsty lyrics, popping guitar riffs, big hooks, and liberal use of horns. I can see why these guys toured with Rancid back in the day.

Also like with Rancid, this album goes on longer than it should. I started feeling the length around "Misbeaten", track 10 of 14. That track and a couple of others would have been better left on the cutting room floor.

Still, I had a pleasant time with Scream, Dracula, Scream! It's a nice party album to have on during the day and gets a solid recommendation.

I'll admit this was a difficult album to digest. For context, Serge Gainsbourg was a renowned French singer-songwriter known for provocative releases across numerous styles. He became the artist's favorite, and countless musicians consider him an influence—Beck, Pulp, R.E.M., Arctic Monkeys, Massive Attack, Portishead, and the list goes on.
For this list of albums to listen to before you die, it does make sense to include at least one from this guy, especially if it is an album that has become one of the most critically acclaimed in French pop music.

Also, to this album's credit, the style and production are top-notch. The avant-funk compositions where the rollicking guitar and complementing rhythm sections, complete with Serge and Jane Birkin's sultry hushed vocal deliveries made for such a delectable listen that transcends its time. Sonically, this album slaps, and it almost made me wish the runtime was
longer than 28 minutes to continue further in this soundscape. I say almost because now we get to dive into the "fun" part of Histoire de Melody Nelson - the lyrical content...

I had to check the English translation of these lyrics after reading the synopsis of this album's concept because it was shocking. This is the story of a man who nearly kills a teenage girl - the titular Melody Nelson - by hitting her with his car, is enamored with her to the point where he decides to take her virginity, and then said girl dies in a plane crash the next morning. The man can't accept what happened and proceeds to search for whatever remains of her body. The only saving grace for this kind of twisted tragic love story is that it is well-established that the male protagonist is a narcissist - he had no care for his reckless driving, he possessed an uncontrolled desire for this girl, and then later after she dies he compares his loss to that of the cargo cults of Melanesia as a self-centered justification to go off and find her remains. In that respect, Serge understood how to make a provocative piece that doesn't
misconstrue what is considered morally acceptable. Though that does put this album at odds with the replayability - how willing is one to go through this story again knowing the circumstances and what's to come?

I will say this - Histoire de Melody Nelson is an album that belongs on this list for its significance in the pantheon of French music and its large influence across the board. It does deserve to be listened through at least once to appreciate technically and understand the complex nature of its story. Whether you choose to keep coming back to this album is your decision. I don't see myself coming back anytime soon, but I can walk away and acknowledge its importance. Make of that what you will.

I will not be factoring in the bonus tracks included with the 1996 reissue for this review.

I've heard of the band Spirit for their biggest single, "I Got a Line on You," though that came from their second album. Instead, we have their fourth album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. Based on my prior experience, I figured we were getting a straightforward 70s hard rock record, and it started in that manner from "Prelude—Nothin' to Hide" through "Animal Zoo." Then the album got weird.

The backmasked instrumentation transitioning into a xylophone piece on "Love Has Found a Way" marked this album's ventures into psychedelia and I was here for it. The experimentation continued with the funky horn arrangements on "Mr. Skin" and "Morning Will Come", the ethereal instrumental "Space Child" with the guitar delay effects, sprawling synthesizers, and commanding piano lines, and the buildup into "When I Touch You" with that reverbed guitar hook. When this album cooks in its progressive compositions and songwriting, it cooks. What connects these tracks are Randy California's excellent guitar work, Jay Ferguson's jazz-influenced vocal lead with occasional harmonized vocals, and John Locke's superb piano play.

Call me genuinely surprised by Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. It might not be the most mind-blowing experience given that it's still indebted to 70's progressive rock styling and limitations, but it showcased a lot more to this band than a simple hard rock love song ever could. Give it a shot.

Thank you everyone on the reviews page for this album for directing me to YouTube instead, as the purported release on Spotify is a re-recording by Shivkumar Sharma's son Rahul.

With that established, Call of the Valley is a collaborative album between three prominent Indian musicians: music director and flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, slide guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra, and santoor player Shivkumar Sharma. All three rose to prominence by introducing their particular instruments into the pantheon of Indian classical music, as exemplified by this album which is an instrumental suite following a day in the life of an Indian shepherd from Kashmir.

The ambiance is impeccable as an introduction to Indian classical music for a Western audience. The big three musicians are excellent in their play, but I should also credit Manikrao Popatkar on the tablas, particularly on passages of "Ahir Bhairav/Nat Bhairav", "Rag Piloo" and "Rag Des" that bring up the intensity and complement the santoor and guitar interplay.

My only complaint is that aside from certain melodic frameworks used to identify different parts of the day following the shepherd's day, there isn't much else distinct between tracks. It's effective in the atmosphere, but the album can't quite go beyond that notion.

I enjoyed Call of the Valley for what it is as an introduction to world music, and in that regard, the album secured its place on this list. Give it a listen.

This is the second R.E.M. album on my journey after Document, and I admittedly enjoyed this more.

The song compositions are tighter with more hooks popping off. From the get-go on songs like "Pop Song 89", "Get Up" and "Stand" there is an immediate energy that resonates in how they parody pop song tropes. Complimenting that is Michael Stipe's abstract lyricism which captures the tone of the given song while coming off as self-reflective.

Even the attempts at political commentary are better here than on Document because the few times they have a crack at it, they used particular imagery and lines to express their perspective on the given event. They reflect on the Vietnam War in "Orange Crush" with a focus on the Agent Orange chemical, the line "to serve your conscience overseas" to imply American political influence in combating the perceived threat of communism in Asia, and the commentary and soldier march in the interlude to evoke the wartime scenery. "Turn You Inside-Out" takes a simpler but striking approach to highlight the influence and culpability of major corporations and the protestors' involvement with what they have in choice, heart, tool, etc. to exercise their protest of said corporations.

That said, there are a few songs on this album that aren't as strong as the rest. "The Wrong Child" and "Hairshirt" are slower and lighter-fare songs that for me aren't as compositionally or lyrically tight as the rest of the album. Not bad, but they could have been better.

Green marked quite the improvement from Document for R.E.M. and as such it comes with a high recommendation.

Well, it was a matter of time before I started getting David Bowie's albums out of chronological order. After my run through Young Americans, Station to Station, and Low, I get to go back and check out Aladdin Sane.

After the success of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Bowie was able to write and record one more album with the Spiders albeit under a different persona from Ziggy. This time he was Aladdin Sane, a rather witty-punned name for a man who embodied what Ziggy would have been like if he went to America and embraced the glam rock and urban decay rampant at the time. As a result, the album of his namesake becomes a good, sometimes great, schizophrenic experience.

Continuing from where Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust left off, there are a fair amount of delectable rockers here such as opener "Watch That Man", "Drive-In Saturday", "Panic in Detroit" and "The Jean Genie" which share Bowie's knack for writing songs with strong hooks in observance of the surrounding culture. In addition, there are some songs such as the title track, "Cracked Actor", "Time", and "The Prettiest Star" that show cracks in the foundation, where the sprawling madness takes over as Aladdin is found struggling with the glitz, glamour and the death and destruction of oneself in dealing with vanity, violence, and anxiety.

That said, as much as I enjoy Aladdin Sane in its insanity, it's also a double-edged sword in that the overall album feels less cohesive. Between the maddening deep cuts and the more straightforward hits, not to mention the cover of the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" that's not doesn't capture the same highs as the original, there isn't much in the way of tying it all together. This is certainly the point if you think about the Aladdin Sane persona and what it represents, but the tracks don't coalesce as well as they should.

I still enjoyed Aladdin Sane for what it is as a Bowie fan, and highly recommend it. Even if the album is a mess, it is still iconic in its insanity.

For this review, I will not factor in the bonus tracks included with the expanded edition.

I already heard the other Pogues album on this list, If I Should Fall from Grace with God. Now here's the prior album, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, and it's yet another fun Celtic punk romp.

I enjoyed Rum Sodomy & the Lash slightly more than If I Should Fall From Grace with God as the former is not as long, and there wasn't an odd piece like "Worms" was. But at the end of the day, it is a neat mixture of traditional Irish songs and original tracks with their brand of rollicking guitar-driven madness, especially for cuts like "Wild Cats of Kilkenny" and "Sally MacLennane". If that sounds up your alley, then by all means check this album out.

For this review, I will only examine the original UK and Canada release and ignore the bonus tracks from the 2000 remaster.

I can't say I've heard of The Associates before. They were a short-lived Scottish post-punk and synth-pop band from the 1980s, apparently cited as an influence by acts like U2 and Björk. After listening to their commercial breakthrough Sulk, that legacy has some merit, even if I struggle to connect with this album.

There is a haunting atmosphere evoked by Alan Rankine's spare synth-keyboard play and Billy Mackenzie's wailing somber vocals. This style may be stuck in the 80s, but it makes due in the darker pastiches of that era. Songs such as "No" and "Gloomy Sunday" make the most effective use of that dreary ambiance before the synth club booms kick in the latter half with "Party Fears Two" and "Club Country" that are danceable in their macabre mannerisms.

Yet as much as I respect Sulk's style, it does not have much memorability. Aside from the above songs, most of this album tends to be homogenous in its presentation, going in one ear and out the other. It's not the worst experience out there, but it does leave me desiring more hooks or cohesion.

At the end of the day, this album is a product of its time with some good moments. Whether it belongs on this list is subjective, but for now, I'd give it a listen and cherry-pick your favorites.

For this review, I will only examine the original UK and Canada release and ignore the bonus tracks from the 2000 remaster.

I can't say I've heard of The Associates before. They were a short-lived Scottish post-punk and synth-pop band from the 1980s, apparently cited as an influence by acts like U2 and Björk. After listening to their commercial breakthrough Sulk, that legacy has some merit, even if I struggle to connect with this album.

There is a haunting atmosphere evoked by Alan Rankine's spare synth-keyboard play and Billy Mackenzie's wailing somber vocals. This style may be stuck in the 80s, but it makes due in the darker pastiches of that era. Songs such as "No" and "Gloomy Sunday" make the most effective use of that dreary ambiance before the synth club booms kick in the latter half with "Party Fears Two" and "Club Country" that are danceable in their macabre mannerisms.

Yet as much as I respect Sulk's style, it does not have much memorability. Aside from the above songs, most of this album tends to be homogenous in its presentation, going in one ear and out the other. It's not the worst experience out there, but it does leave me desiring more hooks or cohesion.

At the end of the day, this album is a product of its time with some good moments. Whether it belongs on this list is subjective, but for now, I'd give it a listen and cherry-pick your favorites.

For this review, I will not include the bonus tracks "Hong Kong Garden" and "The Staircase (Mystery)" from the 2006 reissue.

I've heard of Siouxsie and the Banshees as an influential band in the post-punk and alternative genres. I certainly respect that the Banshees' debut album The Scream is considered the genesis of several later acts. After giving the album a couple of listens, I like it albeit with some caveats.

Let's start with the positives. I genuinely enjoy the melodrama in Siouxise Sioux's vibrato vocal delivery, where she commanded attention with near-operatic wails. She's backed up well by John McKay's crunchy guitar riffs, Kenny Morris's pounding tom-tom-focused percussion, and Steven Severin's elegant bass. Songs like "Jigsaw Feeling", "Carcass", and "Mirage" pop off well early on in the album given how synchronized the band was in their unorthodox mannerisms.

That said, not every song on The Scream is great. It took two minutes for this album to get going with the intro track "Pure" taking a while to crescendo. Halfway through, "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" kills the pacing starts. I understand if they were going for a more mechanical-sounding presentation for a track about the metal aesthetic, but I find it a slog. By the time that song is over, the album has difficulty getting its momentum back, even with fun tracks like "Nicotine Stain" and the seven-minute closer "The Switch".

Overall, I enjoyed The Scream and what Siouxsie and the Banshees brought to their table with their sound. It can be a difficult listen, but one that is worth the effort.

The last I heard Nick Drake on this journey was his final album, Pink Moon, all by himself. Here's the album prior, Bryter Layter, which is his last with backing musicians, in this case, members of the folk-rock group Fairport Convention, guitarist John Cale, and session musicians for the Beach Boys.

I appreciate the instrumental accompaniment on this album, giving some weight to Nick's acoustic songwriting. Personal highlights include Robert Kirby's lush string arrangements on select songs, the alto saxophone soloing from Ray Warleigh on "At the Chime of a City Clock" and "Poor Boy", and the drum and bass that hold the foundation. Nick's vocals and intricate guitarwork are still the main focus, and the mixing on this album keeps that in check as the other instruments only compliment him lightly.

Lyrically, Nick still used vivid imagery to paint a scene that invited the listener to explore and reflect on himself and what could have been. While the album may not have the immediacy and intimate details of Pink Moon, it's still plenty ambitious in its balance between melancholy and search for happiness. I can read into songs like "One of These Things First", "Fly" and especially "Northern Sky" and recognize the genuine effort Nick was making for himself at the time.

Overall, I had a pleasant time with Bryter Layter. I get that Pink Moon is the more popular choice of Nick's albums, but this one still carved its unique path. I'd give it a solid recommendation.

Alright, this album is one of those enriching experiences of a culture different from my own. In this case, the Buena Vista Social Club was a Cuban musician ensemble organized by World Circuit executive Nick Gold, with their sole album produced by guitarist Ry Cooder and directed by bandleader Juan de Marcos González. Together, they recruited a dozen veteran musicians to record a collection of songs in the style of Son cubano, a popular dance genre with a call-and-response structure and a clave rhythm.

In that regard, this music was well-executed as the Spanish guitars act as a superb driving force with the percussion following suit, while these gents sang fondly of romantic passions with vivid imagery. Also in the mix are two instrumentals "Pueblo Nuevo" and the title track which are dedicated to popular locations in Havana, adding to the experience.

I wouldn't say this album lit my world on fire, as it feels like I'm seated in a Cuban restaurant while a band plays off in the distance. But the fact that they captured that essence is astounding. Buena Vista Social Club knew what they wanted to accomplish by bringing awareness of their culture to the larger world, and they did just that. I absolutely would recommend giving this a listen with an open mind and feel free to follow along to translated lyrics if you wish.

I hadn't heard of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. From what I gather, they were a short-lived hip-hop ensemble, with Michael Franti on vocals on production, and Rono Tse on percussion and programming. They only worked together on two albums before splitting up - this album Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury and a spoken word album with William S. Boroughs. After listening through the former, I can see why this group was short-lived.

The main problem with this album is that it's a hip-hop album where the lyrics and delivery are lackluster. Michael certainly had the populism in mind with his aim towards America's problems at the time including racial disparity, the backward outlook of the conservative George Bush administration, and the United States' involvement in the Gulf War
and other such atrocities. But Michael's flow is stilted, where more often than not he has to pause himself to stay on beat. Not to mention, the nuance is belittled to the point where there are names roped in that add to the clunkiness such as "Nintendo casualties of the ratings war" or "Well, the only cola that I support/Would be a union C.O.L.A. (Cost Of Living Allowance)".

I will say the production at least salvages this album a bit, as the duo with help from Mark Pistel were able to reasonably mesh chopped-up samples with the industrial beats. However, I find it irritating how most of this record is stuck in the mid-tempo range, where it feels long and songs run together. By the time I got to "Socio-Genetic Experiment", it dawned on me - these guys seriously thought they could be the next Public Enemy. Michael Franti is just a poor man's Chuck D. without the sharp lyrical wit and the ability to keep in a pocket, and the production, while solid, can't match the tenacity of the Bomb Squad.

I genuinely feel disappointed in Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury. It's a political hip-hop album that was not inspiring or thought-provoking to someone like me who would share the same viewpoints, and that's a shame. Decent production is not enough for me to recommend this.