Reviews by benc

When I reviewed Kid A, I explained how that album rocked my little mind when I was 13 and how it sounded totally out there because I had no knowledge of Warp Records or experimental music whatsoever. Well, In Rainbows came out when I was 20, which made all the difference in the world. By this age, I was consuming plenty of Can, Faust, Ash Ra, Pop Vuh, Neu, etc and In Rainbows sounded pretty pallid in comparison. On relisten, it's not a bad album -- I especially enjoy the first few tracks. But I think this is the album Radiohead settled into a generic "Radiohead sound" they've maintained ever since. I can respect how/why some find this record mind-blowing in the right context, but that context isn't mine so it sounds pretty mid to me.

Some good California folk rock soft psych. But also some weird exoticism and goofy Hobbit shit.

Gives me fond memories of an old pal, a former roommate who was a country singer and a Parsons enthusiast. Makes me wanna smoke weed and sit around a campfire in Joshua Tree.

It's a miracle this was popular radio music in 1966. It's so gruff and sloppy and nasty. Probably my favorite Stones album.

Sounds great. But, after all, it's Christmas music.

I really liked some songs to an extent that surprised me (because Motorhead have influenced so many other bands I can't stand). I love the raw, stripped down power trio energy. I bet this band was incredible live. But also, this album contains some all-time dumb lyrics. Whenever I could make out what Lemmy was saying, it sounded very Spinal Tap-esque.

Such a heartfelt, introspective, nuanced album set to an incredibly dense, sophisticated musical texture. I love the sound of every instrument (drums, synths, bass, etc) and how Tupac used other voices as a contrast to his own. You can hear how this album influenced generations of rappers across styles and regions. Obviously, the last 25+ years of west coast rap wouldn't have sounded the same without this album. But also, a lot of the newer "emo" rap and other sad trappers clearly use this album as a blueprint.

Also, the way people on this site talk about most rap records is astonishingly ignorant. Only an illiterate racist could listen to this album and think it's "misogynistic." Oh, you don't like curse words? Grow up. Though, I suppose the critics prove Pac's exact point with the themes of the record.

I first listened to this album ~20 years ago and dismissed it because it doesn't really do what I want it to. I've gained an appreciation for it, but it still feels like it splits the difference between a few styles and doesn't go far enough in any direction -- not quite noisy enough, not quite pop enough, not quite dark enough. I understand it has greatly influenced "chill" genres, which seems right -- it feels a bit like taking 2 Benadryl. Sometimes that's nice feeling, but I'm also a bit skeptical of palliative music.

-like a button down shirt had a bad dream and wrote an album about it.

-this band had themselves figured out from day 1. A fully formed, unique style in a debut album.

-file under "so square it's funky." A truly punk rock approach to r&b.

-no skips.

-really sounds like NYC in the late 70s, but also so influential you can hear a glimpse of what 80s new wave will be. Many people copied this sound, but no one did it as well.

-say what you will about Byrne, but the guy has no inhibitions on his voice.

-it would be hard to name a better rhythm section in rock music in the 70s.

These guys can sing their asses off and have some beautiful harmonies. That being said, I don't know that I "enjoy" listening to this album. I don't feel I have the proper context to evaluate it fairly. I basically never listen to acapella choral music and, thus, have no frame of reference.

Morrissey is an insufferable racist and the first song sounds like it could have been written by Nigel Farage. Also, "Girlfriend in a Coma" is probably the dumbest song this band ever recorded. I would rank this lower, but I have a soft spot for the music video to "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"

If a middle schooler drew a dick on their notebook and that dick came to life and started a band, it would sound like this.

-A madcap pop album. The bars go crazy but they keep the verses short and the choruses hooky. There's electro and dnb, but also a ton of turntablism and guitar solos. It's classic funk, but also at the cutting edge of trap.

-Sounds somewhat dated, but also way ahead of its time for 2000.

-I feel like I'm listening to a different album than a lot of other reviewers. The interludes are very short and unobtrusive. Pretty much every song bangs. And what is misogynistic about this album? I think some people hear any rapper talk about sex and assume it's misogynistic -- if that's you, you better check yourself.

I enjoyed this much more than I expected I would. Every synth on every song sounds great. If only PSB had a stronger singer, this album could have been a stone cold classic.

A beautiful, shimmery, heartbreaking, immaculate piece of psychedelia. It sounds better every time I hear it.

-an ostensibly horny album, it's actually all about love, fidelity, and trust (after all, it's Faith)

-GM is an unbelievably underrated singer and producer

A good enough bit of Britpop I'd somehow missed

This album has the been the butt of the joke my whole life, so I really tried to give it a fair listen. I can get down with the Sabbath-style riffage and some of the more psychedelic flute bits, but basically everything else is insufferably corny. The lyrics are distractingly bad (and borderline pedophilic). And there's something especially irritating about British guys who hate religion; we get it, get over it.

I really disliked listening to this. Generic, dime-a-dozen 2000s indie rock. Not sure why it's on this list. Maybe because it feels like something an old person thinks young people listen to.

I spent my late 20s relearning the guitar listening to Bert Jansch and John Fahey. This album kinda changed my life.