Reviews by conorr90

Really like this, and I can't believe I slept on Hole for so long. I prefer the more raw sound of Live Through This, but there are still many great songs on here. 9/10

Enjoyed this a lot more than her debut album. Has some really great standout tracks; the first three and last two are brilliant, and also Breakfast in Bed, Windmills of Your Mind in the middle.

I thought it reminded me a lot of Carole King in places, then Checked the credits to find that she's all over them! I don't think it's as good as Tapestry, but not far off. 8/10

I kind of wanted to like this more, and did really enjoy the opening song and a lot of the instrumentation on other tracks. But overall it feels a bit inauthentic, given that Bossa Nova was by no means a "new sound" at the time. Maybe it was new to Sinatra's fans at the time I guess. Pretty creepy lyrics on "Change Partners" and "I Concentrate On You" as well there, Frank.

I was something of a Led Zeppelin super fan as a teenager, so it feels weird to rate this so low. There are some great songs on here, but overall it's not them at their best. A very promising debut in retrospect, but wonder how well I would have reviewed it if I was around in 1969. The production is also rough AF. The best songs imo are Good Times Bad Times, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Dazed and Confused, and Communication Breakdown. The rest I can kinda take or leave. I always thought that Your Time is Gonna Come sounds like a completely different band - it sticks out like a sore thumb.

This was a pretty trailblazing album for women in hip hop (and the genre in general I guess), but it's not perfect, and the beats and production are a bit dated. Lots of really great songs though (Dance for Me, Come into my House, Latifah's Law, Ladies First, Evil That Men Do), and she is a very skilled rapper. The house beats are very danceable, even though they are quite "of the time" and a bit repetitive.

The baby voice on "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" is unforgivable though, she loses a full star for that.

I don't have the historical knowledge to fully appreciate what this style was such a departure from. But I really enjoy it - it has a very classy sound.

Really enjoyed this one. I've known of them for a while, since watching High Fidelty like 15 years ago, but have only really listened to the 3 EPs (and Squares). Lots of interesting styles on here, combined in a very listenable, laid back way.

Quite liked this, although it was a bit repetitive and sometimes faded into the background. I really enjoyed the overall vibe though. The guitar playing was excellent, like American blues played with a distinctly West African flavor. I didn't like the fiddle centred songs as much, but didn't hate them either.

One of my all time faves, and arguably the best grunge album (fight me). I was always a bigger Pearl Jam fan, but these days I always find myself revisiting Superunknown more than any PJ or Nirvana album. I just love the heavy, sludgy, psychedelic guitar sound, mingled with Chris Cornell's incredible voice. He was one of the best ever, such a sad loss for humanity.

I can see the argument that it's maybe a bit too long, but that's just the way with 90s albums isn't it? There's only 2 or 3 tracks I could see dropping...maybe Limo Wreck, Kickstand and Half. Everything thing else on here is essential though IMO.

I think of RHCP as a sort of "crowd pleaser" band for people born in the 80s and 90s. Put them on at a party and most people won't complain, but most likely they'll just fade into the background. That's at least true for their greatest hits, but doesn't really apply to this album. The hits on here are indeed great, but the rest of the songs are mostly terrible. Stupid lyrics, recorded way too loud, and too long as well. It's a shame really, because Flea and Frusciante have huge talent that are kind of wasted. Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Road Trippin are great songs though.

This guy confuses me so much. Sometimes he's brilliant, but other times he's (seemingly) intentionally bad. There's a couple of decent songs on here (Manhattan and Everybody), but apart from that, terrible. Also creepy

This album is pretty iconic, and much more solid than I expected it to be. The three best songs are the singles of course (Kinky Afro, Step On, Loose Fit), but the general vibe is great, and it's an important point in the evolution and popularisation of dance music.

Fantastic album, I have listened to it off and on over the years, but never as closely as I have now. I love her piano playing, melodies and lyrics. Not a bad song on here really, and even after many listens, several of these songs still give me chills.

I've known this album for a long time, and like a lot about it, but don't think it hits the highs of his trip hop contemporaries like Massive Attack and Portishead. Some great songs though and inventive production - it sounds very unique.

Not a bad album, even if most of the songs are covers, a few of them slap. They do seem to have been quite influential, so they get some extra points there. But I did get a bit tired of the repetitive sounds and screaming from the singer.

I listened to this a couple of times when it came out, didn't really get it then. I kind of get it now, but feel like it's just not really for me. Particularly the first few songs - I find women rapping/singing about dicks and pussy just as cringe as when men do it, apparently! The middle and end of the album are much better though. By then I've warmed up a bit to her vocal style, and like the introspective and vulnerable lyrics. Might give her newer albums a go now.

I don't know how many times I've listened to this album, and for the life of me, I don't get the hype. There are some really good songs (Tumbling Dice, Shake Your Hips, Ventilator Blues, Let it Loose, Shine A Light, Soul Survivor), but no really great or timeless ones. The rest of it just sounds messy and in need of editing, to my ears. Not as bad as some of their earlier albums though, I guess.

I love a lot of hip hop, but mostly not gangsta rap, so I went into this one pretty cautiously. I'm a big Kendrick Lamar fan though, so I was curious to hear more about the guy who was such a big inspiration to him.

This honestly surprised me, with its introspective and vulnerable lyrics. There is a lot of the gansta/thug type lyrics, but also a lot of context provided for how he fell into that lifestyle (similar to Kendrick). This is exactly what I feel is missing from the Dre and Snoop albums on this list, so it's very welcome. The beats and production are also great as well, g-funk at it's best.

The downsides though, it is a bit repetitive and too long. After a while it starts to feel like 2Pac has a bit of a Saviour complex. There are also some misogynistic and creepy lyrics here and there, but not nearly as much as some of his contemporaries. I don't really want to comment on his crimes - it sounds like he was guilty, but also did his time from what I understand.

Overall, I enjoyed finally listening to some 2Pac and can see what the hype is. Not sure I would listen again though, and some of the songs I would drop. I think Kendrick did it better. Realistically this is a 3 star for me, but I'm bumping it to 4 to counter some of the "all-rap-sucks" cretins.

This is a pretty perfect album. Apart from the two big hits that open up the set, there's some great melodies, lyrics and songwriting. Lots of variation in styles as well, and very relatable stories in the lyrics. Definitely deserves its place, and I think it will stand as an all time classic.

This was unexpected, but kind of interesting. Reminds me a lot of the Cabaret film. I really enjoyed some of the songs and arrangements, but after a while the clunky lyrics and musical theatre style started to grate on me. Wouldn't listen again.