Reviews by conorr90

I expected this to be more dated, but it actually holds up pretty well. I didn't really get into them at the time, as I thought they had blatantly ripped off Purity Ring's sound (who you should definitely check out if you like this). I still feel a hit like that, but there are a few really good songs on here so I can forgive them.

As mediocre as this album is, it's beautifully recorded. The title track does a lot of the heavy lifting though - nothing else made much impact on me.

Haven't listened to this one in a while. It's great but not as great as Dig Your Own Hole. I absolutely love the first and last song, but find the bits in the middle hit and miss.

I've always considered this a big turning point in popular music. So much so, that I once classified everything after the release of this album as "Modern Rock" or "Modern Alternative". I've since discarded that system, but stand by the idea. This still sounds like music from the future to me, over 25 years after it was released.

I wrote a fairly long spiel about this one, but it didn't save for some reason. I really liked the other Dexys albums on the list, but this one is completely unnecessary.

No strong feelings about this really. Some good songs, but like a lot of the other 60s SF albums, I think you had to be there. I appreciate Janis Joplin's vocal talents, but don't really enjoy them that much.

I enjoyed this more than I expected, not knowing any of the songs going in. She's a very talented singer, but this just isn't really my thing - particularly the more soppy ballads. I generally hate excessive vocal runs, Christina Aguilera is always at that too. Some decent songs, particularly Honey, The Roof, Breakdown, and the Prince cover. The rest would nearly put me to sleep!

I've tried to get into this guy many times before, but he never clicked with me. I really like a lot of these songs now though (after about 3 listens). Maybe I just needed to give him some more time. He writes great melodies, but I think it takes a while to get used to his somewhat whiny voice.

Enjoyed this one more than I expected for a late career Dylan album. First time around I didn't think much of it, but second time I listened in the car at dusk, and it went down very nicely

Did these lads just discover synthesisers that day, or...? Obviously very talented musicians, but the incessant noodling felt like a bit of an assault on my brain. Definitely worse than their Tarkus album that I had already. Hopefully that's all I have to endure from ELP now.

Not quite as good as If I Should Fall From Grace (lacks the variation in genres), but I really enjoyed this today.

I approached Eno's discography in a somewhat backwards way. I heard about him as a renowned producer first, then checked out his Ambient 1 album and loved it. I think I listened to this around the same time and didn't get it at all. Much later on, when I had a better understanding of Art Rock in general, I went back and listened to Another Green World and Taking Tiger Mountain, and loved them too. I think I still dismissed this one as too glam or too messy or something though.

Coming back to it again now though, I appreciate the wild experimentation and can see where he was going with a lot of it. The first and last tracks are fantastic, and the ones with Robert Fripp on guitar too. 8/10

This is a really solid album, but not as good as Blue Lines or Mezzanine. Some great songs on it though, particularly the Tracy Thorn and Tricky ones. It's baffling that Mezzanine isn't in the book - it's their best by far!

I like Sonic Youth, but never really got into this one. There are some good songs on the first half (especially Schizophrenia), but I find it dips a bit in the second half though. Appreciate it for what it is however, very experimental and obviously influential on grunge.

I appreciate this for the unusual experiment it is, but don't see myself listening again. I found the first few songs very danceable, even though they are repetitive. I enjoyed the bass playing a lot too, which is surprising given that I hated the Jah Wobble album. Maybe I need to give that another listen. This album is way too long and repetitive though. By the end I had stopped paying attention to everything except the driving drum and bass. I was still moving to it though, so I guess that's something.

I've been listening to this for a few years, and I still feel like I'm unpacking it. There's so much material, and a lot of different styles, but it mostly works really well. The only negatives I would have are that there aren't many standout tracks for me, so it's one I just listen to through. But it's quite long, so I rarely get to the end!

I've always been a big R.E.M. fan, despite not being around for their heyday. They were actually the first gig I ever went to (the Around the Sun tour). This is definitely one of their best, and possibly my favourite of the IRS years. I'm also partial to Reckoning and Murmur. This one just has really solid songs from start to finish, not a bad one among them. And the hits are some of their best singles too. Love the weird and extremely specific lyrics - I've been listening to this album for decades and still have only vague ideas what some of these are about.

This is a messy and noisy album, but definitely worthy of a listen if you have any interest in punk music. Yes, some of the lyrics are a bit immature, but I think it's notable that very few people in "macho" type bands of this era were singing so candidly about mental health issues. There's only a few songs on here that I'd return to, but glad to have given it a full listen, as I only really knew Rise Above before this.

This made no impact on me at all, apart from the Os Mutantes cover. I'd rather just listen to the original. No need for this in the book

Easy 5 star for me, not a bad song on here. It's a big improvement over Five Leaves Left, and I love the addition of orchestral instruments and varied styles. Great guitar playing and singing as well of course.