callimar

The rumors are true: really bad music was produced in the ’70s, too. On “The Modern Dance,” however, Pere Ubu present - as I see it - not just music, but also a whole lot of noise - albeit with timing that’s remarkably deliberate. And Robert Christgau is also right, in a way, that not all the experiments on this recording can be considered failures.
The question remains, though: did they really have to release all the fails? Is this art, or can it be thrown out?

Prince has always been in a league of his own, so I’ll spare you a description of *Sing ‘O’ The Times* here - he just makes whatever music he feels like making at the moment.
A review could go on and on about his meticulous arrangements, his sometimes rather inaccessible song structures, the excellent production, or even the somewhat idiosyncratic vocal timbre found in places on this album. The only problem is: to do that in a reasonably informed way, you’d have to invest more time than just one full listen.
So for today, I’ll stick with a superficial conclusion: I like it pretty well overall - that’s 4 out of 5 stars.

Phew... It was obvious that ABBA would come up at some point, but I’m not really ready to rate them. Of all the music my parents used to play, that was the best in my eyes back then. Today, I see them as pioneers of studio pop - in short, the ones ultimately responsible for the fact that nothing but trash has been produced in the mainstream since the ’80s.
If it’s been all downhill from there, does that mean, by extension, that this was the peak of pop? Maybe we can agree on this: 5/5 for the peak and 1/5 for the legacy...

After listening to 400 albums, including what feels like 100 by relatively unknown British singer-songwriters, I’m always skeptical at first when I see this combination. In this case, that skepticism is unwarranted - and PJ Harvey is certainly no hidden gem. “Stories...” features relatively enjoyable and mature material, even if the big hits are missing. I find the production a bit jarring, as it largely forgoes a substantial bass line - in addition to volume, it particularly lacks solid arrangements - and a professional could certainly have gotten more out of it.
All in all, still a decent recording.

Frank Zappa is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get. In this case, technically speaking, it's hip-hop/gangsta rap: someone spouts socially critical lines laced with the occasional obscenity, while rather monotonous music featuring various samples plays in the background. So is “Flower Punk” a diss track aimed at Jimi Hendrix fans?
But back to today’s topic: is “We’re Only In For The Money” comedy? Technically speaking, maybe - much like a beef steak is a meatball. In my view, this recording is the first - and to date, the only - variety album that you absolutely must hear. Those who like easy listening will probably see it differently, but this list obviously isn’t meant for them anyway.