Reviews by aretzorn

She has a great voice, but the music and the singing style are completely derivative. The lyrics are certainly edgier than the originals the music emulates. I enjoyed most of the first half but it really lost me in the second half (after In My Bed, which I liked). Favorite Tracks: Moody's Mood for Love (very derivative, but it caught my attention), In My Bed (cool sounding track), Amy Amy Amy (catchy track, but I wonder if the teacher constantly got "Don't Stand So Close to Me" stuck in his head...).

A cheery punk dystopian album. Heck, it starts with a cheery song about killing the poor. If that's not genius, I don't know what is. Really fun, clever punk album, with a lot of surprisingly unusual guitar sounds and progressions (for punk, at least). Jello Biafra has a kind of insane way of singing, but I dig it. The whole album is a little too insane to call a 5, but I'd definitely revisit. Favorite tracks (but I liked pretty much all of them): Kill the Poor, When Ya Get Drafted, Let's Lynch the Landlord, Drug Me (really cool unusual chords in this one), Chemical Warfare, California Uber Alles (classic).

Decent songs with meh singing. I'm generally not a fan of slacker out of tune singing. I don't outright dislike the album (hence the 3 rather than a 2), it just didn't pull me in, particularly on close listening (decent as background). It's kind of a shame, because most of the songs sounded good but her singing dragged it down repeatedly for me. Moving on. Tracks I liked: Never Said (catchy track, but I wish she didn't do the slacker singing thing), Divorce Song, Shatter, Johnny Sunshine.

I'm a prog fan, so you'd think I'd like this more. I've tried to get into them before, but they're just TOO MUCH. Every song is frenetic and over the top, and the lyrics are a little over the top too. Then there's the vocals: I don't mind high and/or unusual singing (just enjoyed the Dead Kennedys with Jello Biafra's insane singing, and I love Rush and Yes) but I've never been a fan of the Mars Volta's vocals - too over the top (I keep coming back to that phrase). It also didn't help that I disliked the metallic effect on the vocals in This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed (and really disliked the bonus track Ambuletz, which I started skipping on relistens). There were a lot of moments I liked, but it was just TOO MUCH and I don't see myself actively revisiting. Favorite tracks: Inertiatic ESP, Eriatarka, Televators, Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (the instrumental part midway through really caught my attention on every listen).

Damn, this album grew on me. My initial reaction was that it was a bit relentless and Chuck D's rapping style made me want to take a breath for him (and hearing him gasp at the end of every line in Nighttrain was kind of annoying). I was planning to go with a 3, with respect for the grooves and the powerful lyrics. Then I continued listening to the album and instead of "relentless" I realized this album flows and flies by on every listen. Certain tracks got me grooving every time I heard them. And, of course, their powerful lyrics hit me every time. Bottom line - this album ROCKS. I still want to take a breath for Chuck D, but his rapping is powerful and impressive, and Flavor Flav is just awesome. Would definitely revisit (and this is also the first PE album I've listened to in the list - looking forward to the others). Finally, love the Anthrax / PE mashup (not the first time I've heard this one). Favorite tracks: Can't Truss It, By the Time I Get to Arizona, Move!, 1 Million Bottlebags, Shut 'Em Down, Get the Fuck Outta Dodge, Bring the Noise.

Ok, I certainly like P-Funk, but man, these songs just go too long almost every time. Decent rapping, good grooves (but too long and repetitive), usually funny lyrics (Freaks of the Industry cracked me up, even if it was totally inappropriate). Favorite tracks: The Humpty Dance (stupid, but catchy), The Way We Swing, Packet Man.

Nice vibe throughout. Has a lot of cool moments but is mainly great background music. I'd say 3.5 but I'll give it the 4 since I would definitely go back to it. Favorite tracks: Sexy Boy, All I Need, Talisman, and New Star in the Sky.

While I definitely didn't need to hear this before I die, it did grow on me over multiple listens. My initial reaction was "relatively boring country-rock." Relistens revealed some good soul elements in the songs. Won't seek it out again, but it was ok. Favorite tracks: Beautiful (sort of Black Crowes-ish - yes, I know this was decades before The Black Crowes), Rain Song, Sham. Didn't like Ride the Wind, which felt like I was going to hear "Attention K-Mart shoppers" over the bland elevator music style. A real letdown because Sham was a rollicking track.

This album has a split personality. About half the tracks are dance/electronica (Fine Time, Round & Round, Mr. Disco, Vanishing Point), while the other half are typical 80s UK pop-rock band. The latter sound is a logical evolution from Joy Division to New Order, although the songs are a bit generic (and certainly not as dark as Joy Division). I think I'd give the "regular" 80s UK pop-rock band songs a 3. I find I don't like electronica/dance music so I think I'd give the dance tracks a 2 (with the exception of Vanishing Point, which is kind of in between the two genres on this album). I'll go with the 3 because I enjoyed most of the album, but don't see myself seeking it out again. Favorite tracks: All the Way, Love Less, Guilty Partner.

I don't smoke pot. This album made me want to smoke pot. Decent variety of songs, even if it's all based on the same reggae beat. At least each song has its own character and every song oozes cool. Good stuff. [lights one up]. Favorite tracks: What'cha Gonna Do, Igziabeher.

Somewhat generic 90s alt rock, but I enjoyed it. Favorite tracks: A Good Idea, Hoover Dam, The Slim, Slick, Man on the Moon.

Super dated 60s pretentious psychedelia with a fair share of cool moments to offset the 60s cliches. Was interesting to hear primarily as a historical capsule. I went back and forth between a 3 and a 4, but settled on a 4 because I kind of dig the weirdness. Favorite tracks: Cloud Song, I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar (amusing track), Coming Down, Stranded in Time, The American Way of Love (except for the shrill electric violin solo - but there were some rocking moments, especially the heavy part at the start of Part III: Love is All).

Wow, what a lame album. The only reason I'm not giving it a 1 is because it was inoffensive - there was nothing bad about listening in the background, but damn this is some soulless dance music. How can you take a song as great as "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and make it boring?? Tracks that were ok: Spring, Stoned to Say the Least, Like the Swallow.

The album is a little overly heavy on the repetitive ballad side, but I enjoyed it. I'd probably call it a 3.5, but I'll round down because I don't know if I would seek it out again. Favorite tracks: Marz, Where Dreams Go to Die ("I regret the day your lovely carcass caught my eye"??), Sigourney Weaver (shades of Freebird), Chicken Bones, Jesus Hates F**** (tough lyrics, but clever).

I'm not a big electronica fan, but I definitely enjoyed this album. Great grooves throughout and it kept my interest. I particularly appreciated the quality of the drum programming. Would revisit. Favorite tracks: My Mate Paul (pulled me in immediately), Let's Get Killed (really liked how the rapid bass drum beat started as the voice-over said "my legs start going like this", like his legs are shaking on the bass drum. Also liked how the dark music fit the narrative), Freaknik, Caddell Returns, Don't Die Just Yet.

Love this album! Long time fan. It was fun to put it on and listen closely again as part of the 1001. The songs are so varied yet all share great composition and production quality. Shout is an anthemic opening. Play it on 11. The Working Hour is a nice track - I hear Peter Gabriel influence, but maybe that's just me. Love the sax solo and TIL it's Mel Collins from King Crimson! Nice. Jerry Marotta was also involved in the track, so maybe that's part of the Gabriel perception I'm getting (Jerry was Gabriel's drummer on his first set of solo albums). Everybody Wants to Rule the World - classic track. Simple, yet brilliantly composed and arranged. Mothers Talk - great rocking track. I Believe - Mellow track apparently influenced by Robert Wyatt, but without Wyatt's weirdness (they also covered Wyatt's Sea Song around this time). Broken - fun track, but for me it's just a segue into my favorite track on the album: Head Over Heels. Man, that opening piano line. So good. The song is like riding a wave. Love the flanged drums on the transition to the "four-leaf clover" section. Love the la la section - so easy to get swept away singing along. For a good laugh, look up the "Head Over Heels Literal Video" on YouTube. I admit that the Literal Video lyrics live rent free in my head when I hear this song, but I still love it. Such a great song. Listen brings us to a nice mellow close. Brilliant, perfect album.

RAWK. Verges towards metal cheese (including the lyrics), but manages not to go too far over that edge. Great musicianship, Halford has pipes, and every track just rocks. Good stuff. Favorite tracks: Rapid Fire, Metal Gods, Living After Midnight.

Rocking album. Even though some of it comes close to formulaic hard rock, they were ahead of the curve and also have a very unique sound - you hear a song and you know it's Aerosmith (and not just because of Steven Tyler's voice). So, gotta give them their due. Also, the guitar playing is outstanding, so kudos to Joe Perry (and Brad Whitford where applicable). "You See Me Crying" is a little cheesy - never really been a fan of Aerosmith's over the top ballads - but the instrumental outro is pretty good so I can say it's pretty much a great album start to finish. And, yeah, the word "sleazy" does come to mind for a lot of the lyrics, but it just rocks. If I could give Ice Cube a 5 despite the misogyny, surely I can do the same here despite the sleaze. Favorite tracks: Uncle Salty (especially the "it's a sunny day" part - cool sound), Walk This Way (which I first became familiar with through the Run-DMC version!), Sweet Emotion (classic, with those unique Aerosmith stylings), Round and Round.

Long-time fan of this underrated album. It's interesting that you can hear the transition from his 70s style (e.g., heavy use of the Fender Rhodes on songs like Train in the Distance) to his 80s world music style (e.g., use of marimba on Think Too Much (b). Even though version "a" is Paul Simon with Chic it also has more of that Graceland sound. Even the outro to Train in the Distance has vocals that make me think of his 80s world music style. Cars are Cars also). Then there are songs that are just beautiful and uniquely timeless like Hearts and Bones (about his relationship with Carrie Fisher), Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War (a surrealistic song written about a photograph of surrealist Magritte and his wife), and The Late Great Johnny Ace (about John Lennon's murder). Let's talk about that last one - I remember when Paul Simon debuted it during the Concert in Central Park and a crazy person ran on stage yelling "I need to talk to you!" just after Simon sang "A stranger came up and asked me if I'd heard John Lennon had died." That was an eerie moment. It's a captivating sad song, which ends with a gorgeous coda by Philip Glass. I've always loved this album and always will.

Super 80s cheesy synth pop. I admit it grew on me after a couple of listens, but I don't think I will revisit. Favorite tracks: Small Talk, Absolute. Liked the end of A Little Knowledge. Wood Beez kind of grew on me.