Reviews by bob

The Good: Attention given to ear hygiene!
The Bad: turns out this is not about a cotton ball on top of a little plastic stick…
The Ugly: or is it???…

I shall be a skipping record here and state that I don’t particularly care for Rap…
And this record has not changed my mind…

Yes, some of the tracks are not bad to listen to, however, half-way through I was too tempted to hit the skip button…

So, I will give 2* because I didn’t want to stab myself repeatedly in the ear with a Q-Tip...

The Good: Johnny Cash was not really in jail, he was just visiting
The Bad: he needed to ask for a glass of water, due to cocaine abuse…
The Ugly: the prisoners cheered him on

Okay, so JC is viewed like JC by one too many persons.
Could the man walk on water? No.
Could the man turn water into wine? No.
Was the man crucified? Well, not in the literal sense of the word, no.

I had never listened to the entire recording before, and I have to say that I found myself in a little lul after a while. I was being rocked, ever so gently, to and fro, while I was wetting my diaper and sucking on my thumb. It was pleasant.
But not so pleasant as to warrant all the accolades that he receives.

Yet, let’s all be rebels, snort some cocaine, and then go shoot someone down!

3/12*

The Good: It’s a candy bar reference… no?
The Bad: or are we referring to a planet turning?
The Ugly: Turns out that part of the name was inspired by Fellini…

Truth be told, I was actually excited when this band popped up! Not because I am a fan, but more because I have heard of them, but never listened to their music, and that is what I hoped to experience with this journey: listening to music I’d probably never listen to otherwise…

So, my thoughts? Nah, not my cup of tea.
It has some good things, but mostly, IMHO, bad things as it seems that modern “prog rock” just needs to try too much to be different, and by doing so fails, in my book.

So, thanks to the 1001 app for making me listen to this, and boo to the 1001 app for making me listen to this...

The Good: We get a fair warning, that this album isn’t finished…
The Bad: trying to figure out what additional work the album needs…
The Ugly: all the subliminal context.

Rap, remains, my least favorite, even when I can give 2-3* where credit is due.

Missy Elliot, I recall as the artist who used to wear those puffy winter coats in her videos—or, very well possible, I only saw 1 of her videos in my life time and in this video she was wearing a puffy winter coat… or, even more probable, I can’t distinguish this from many of the other cut-n-paste hip-hop acts of the 00’s

Tell you the truth, I was actually enjoying the first couple of tracks, but then it just turned into what it turned into… music I am no fan of.

2 1/2* for trying, and warning us about the construction issues… downgraded to 2* as I don’t like… rap.

The Good: The Duke!
The Bad: This isn’t a Western…
The Ugly: which means nobody can get shot…

Wikipedia is a great tool to learn a little more about that which you’re listening to, and today that was really needed. Not because I wasn’t aware of Duke Ellington, or his music for that matter, more so because I needed to understand why this album specifically showed up on the list…

So, Duke’s out on his luck as music has evolved from big band swing, to more laidback versions of jazz performed by smaller groups.
And yet here we are, decades later, listening to music that was, at the time, decades old, to what is considered his opus maestro.

Well, good for you Duke.

Did we need to listen to the chatter in-between the tunes?
The album could have been a cool 55 minutes feast of tonal eargasm…
which is why I am giving this album a solid 4*

The Good: actual rock ’n roll
The Bad: it seems like we need to wear a dead animal as a hat to be the lead-singer…
The Ugly: the fact that only the lead-singer is allowed to wear a hat… I mean, have you looked at the haircuts of the other band-members?

People bitch and complain too much when it comes to The Cult. At the end of the day, they never sold-out and started making those fuckin’ power ballads like all the hair-metal bands started to do.

I saw them live once, but can’t recall the venue, nor the year… guess I was wasted.
Anyway, as a rock-n-roll band they could have gone further than they did, don’t know if that has to do with the ego of mr singer-man, or we can blame the dead animal on his head…

Sonic Temple is a better album, and Ceremony is where they should have bowed out, knowing they did the best they could.

4* because I really enjoyed just listening to music today.

The Good: Who doesn’t like a good fire?
The Bad: Still don’t understand what a scope has to do with a fire…
The Ugly: The fact that this album wasn’t called Nostradamus…

I got to say that listening to this album has not proven the challange which I thought it was going to be. I found myself boppin’ my head left and right, the occasional fist-pump into the air… I had a good time.

And that, for me at least, is what Def Leopard has always been about: having a good time.
Mutt Lange did a great job with this album, even if, on one too many songs, it seemed like DL was trying to be another AC/DC.

3* because, at the end of the day, it still is cheesy and should not get a 4*, unless I change my mind overnight...

The Good: the words “another” and “different” in the same title…
The Bad: grammatically it might be okay, the title makes no sense
The Ugly: that they just didn’t stick to being the band that helped name one of the greatest punk albums ever…

I don’t like punk, but I do appreciate the fact that they, at least, keep their songs to around 3 minutes max, so it’s easy to listen to one song without being overburdened.
As I don’t like the genre, I wouldn’t be able to explain why The Sex Pistols used part of this bands name in their classic album, but maybe it’s because these lads are the OG?
I don’t know…
I don’t care…

Will dish out 2*...

The Good: anthemic album off an age gone by
The Bad: that too many people confuse this with Synth-Pop
The Ugly: or just plain’ ol’ po’ p’

Back in the day, like any teenager, I too enjoyed Everybody Wants To Rule The World, while Shout was a little beyond my taste at the time…
Today, I wish I could go back in time and actually purchase the album and listen to it countless times, like I did to the more poppy contemporary artist such as Prince, Phil Collins, Duran Duran. Madonna, What and later George Michael.

Tears For Fears are one of few acts that survived the ‘80s and when you listen to their “old” recordings now, you realize that how great the stuff is. It has held up wonderfully, even if it sounds like the ‘80s, it isn’t like listening to Spandau Ballet, or ABC, or Bronski Beat, or any true synth-pop from that era.

5* even if, technically speaking, it should get a 4 1/4

The Good: Using Mt Rushmore to push through the ROCK aspect!
The Bad: this rock is too hard…
The Ugly: the blood-soaked bandages caused by the headbanging…

Blackmore is an insanely good guitarist, Gillan knows how to belt out a scream, Glover and Paice keep the groove and Lord is doing the organ thing… it is all very impressive for the period of time.

There are people out there whom will swear by this, put the album on an altar, while ceremoniesly sacrificing a goat, or maybe a joint…
Me, I can listen to it only so long before the music starts effecting my nervous system… Child In Time is a lovely tune, and overly used media, but WAY TOO LONG, and that is how the album feels to me…

3*

The Good: a band which reminds us that we must stay hydrated!
The Bad: not a single song that tells us to drink water...
The Ugly: I was forced to drink whiskey with a massive hangover as a reward...

Earlier this year, on a randomly generated Playlist on the Spotify, I listened for the first time to the title song of this album and fell in live with it. Not being familiar with the band, I went to Wikipedia and that's where I found out about this 1001 album list as, thankfully, it was mentioned that this album is on it...

So, today, album 201, is the cause of my little adventure here...

I can listen to this album over and over, understanding that it isn't a masterpiece, yet, for me, it is very very special, and thus deserves all the praise I can give.

Here's to 5* bumping up the average score of this lovely album

The Good: Joy… is good…
The Bad: It seems to be divided…
The Ugly: trying to figure out by what…

I love me a nice rabbit hole to go down on Spotify, and this album was part of one of them there journeys a while back. At the time I did not like it… and today I kinda felt the same.

You like a depressed voice telling you their viewpoint about stuff, then this is your thing…
Myself, I prefer something less straight razor to your inner thigh…

2*

The Good: album #199 on the list is my first The Rolling Stones album to listen to, and that made me excited!
The Bad: that it wasn’t Goats Head Soup
The Ugly: me realizing that I should have listened more critically to this album decades ago…

Funny how time changes tastes. When going through a phase of listening to all albums in a bands repertoire several years ago, I did not understand why this album is considered one of the greatest rock and roll albums period.

Today, I am still a bigger fan of Goats Head Soup, but I really enjoyed the listening experience and will keep enjoying it for days/weeks/months to come

Just not certain if I can give it 5*…. but 4 1/2* for certain!

The Good: “Since I Left You” instantly makes me feel like I am part of the Avalanches multiverse, as they are talking to me…
The Bad: Though I might be part of the multiverse, they are kicking me out
The Ugly: Nobody likes being left…

Yes, I am unable to be as imaginative with my above, as The Avalanches were with all the samples they used for their opus.
And an opus it is…

After the second listen to my conclusion is that
a) a 10 for effort and creativity
b) as background music it is un-intrusive, which is really nice
c) at times I felt like being part in a quiz where you’d have to blurt out which actor was saying which line from which movie!

Originally I was going to rate this album 1 - 1 1/2 *
But they’ve changed my mind…

3 1/2*

The Good: who doesn’t like an “everything must go” event?
The Bad: the fact that even the band knows things must go…
The Ugly: me getting snubbed while I was offering to help make things go a little faster…

Can somebody explain to me why a band would call themselves “Manic Street Preachers”? Isn’t that just an open invitation for people to run away and not listen?

Also, though I can understand that there is a segment of society who appreciates this kind of music, I do fear they should all be kept far away from sharp objects…

The songs all sound the same to me, the singer’s voice is annoying as fuck, and overall I felt vindicated in my disdain for the band… but at least it’s not crappy rap.

2* just barily

The Good: Classic ‘80s New Wave
The Bad: being synonymous for an entire style of music is dangerous…
The Ugly: like their stage name, the album is repetitive…

I was not on the Duran Duran wagon during the ‘80s, though I knew several people who swore by them. They were, at the time, at least in Europe, the biggest act to follow.
Good for them…

Rio, as an album, isn’t bad, and even palatable seeing as it only lasts a modest 42 and some minutes which brought me back to a more youthful era, which is always nice.

Yet, I can not dish out more than 3* as it is what it is...

The Good: Brothers making music
The Bad: Their outfits
The Ugly: really… their outfits… unless you are heading to a pimps party…

I knew the name of the band, but couldn’t recall ever having listened to one of their song… to find out that I’d listened to several of these songs, like most of us, via movies, or tv shows.

And what a treat it is to listen to their versions of several contemporary classics… damn.

4*

The Good: Swinging lovers getting some much needed attention!
The Bad: Frank probably not knowing what that kind of swinging is all about…
The Ugly: imagining swinging swingers on a swing…

‘50s relax
‘50s “innocence”
‘50s showing why there will never be another Frank Sinatra

Hate to admit it, but this stuff is just soooooo nice to listen to as background music, that I played it 5x in a row by accident.

4*

The Good: CCR!
The Bad: bands that are recognized by their initials alone…
The Ugly: Another acronym band used this album’s name as a reference…

What?

Who in their right mind would not give this album 4*+?
-Someone who prefers techno music!
-Someone who hates the ‘60s!
-Someone who doesn’t like rock n roll music!
-Someone who has a phobia for rivers…

I am not one of the above.

The Good: an album which informs us about climate change…
The Bad: wait, I misread that, Sea Change is not about climate change…
The Ugly: the break-up?

Let me ask you this: if an unknown artist would have released this exact album, would people have been raving about it? Because I believe that the answer to that question is a resounding NO!
Which makes one wonder if this album is overrated, or if we’ve been ignorant to many other albums from unknown people which should be rated a lot higher!

What we’ve learned from this album is that break-ups are always great muses for musicians, and that sadness sucks…

As I was never that much into Beck, I had not heard about this album, nor had I listened to the album Odelay, which I really liked. So, I was curious about this album… and now, well, now I understand better the ol’ saying of “curiosity killed the cat”…

2* for not hating it totally, but I could have been spared this listening experience...