Reviews by dcspool

More MPB, more World.

5/5

Surfbword

This album is full of bangers, don’t try and fight it. Not sure there’s a miss on here.

Fave Tracks: Pretty Hurts, Drunk in Love, Blow, Jealous, XO, Blue

4.8/5

What is there to say?

I find Kid A to be slightly overrated, but at the same time its really quite hard to poke any holes in it. Idioteque has long been my favourite Radiohead song.

I listened twice through today to ensure I was fully engaged with the album, because I knew this was going to be right on the 4-5 border for me.

Fave Tracks: Everything In Its Right Place, Kid A, How To Disappear Completely, Idioteque

4.5/5

Medium.

Fave Tracks: So Young, Animal Nitrate

3/5

Bee Gees are like 1970s Coldplay. I quite liked the first couple of tracks, but then it mostly faded from there. I had an expectation I might find it a little bit insufferable, which I did not, but there wasn't much that grabbed me.

2.8/5

I get this impression with CCR that they are capable of making brilliant interesting rock songs (like Ramble Tamble), but at this point in time they were very caught up with churning out blues rock staples and amped up cover songs. These tunes are mostly decent, but don't have much staying power with me. The Grapevine cover is pretty good I guess.

Fave Tracks: Ramble Tamble, Run Through the Jungle, Who'll Stop The Rain?, Long as I can See the Light,

3.9/5

Very medium rap album. Few standout tracks, but also thought most were decent.

3.1/5

The album as a whole is not really my bag, but Pacific 202 (or is it called "Pacific State" or just "Pacific"?) is a real vibe. If I understand it correctly this track is the oft-imitated OG; I remember having this on the DDJ having downloaded loads of House/Electronic tracks and I definitely thought it was a modern track.

On the whole though the album didn't do much for me. I want more acidity in my house.

Fave Tracks: Magical Dream, Pacific 202

3.1/5

Not as good as Things Fall Apart for me, which I assume has to also be on the list. The tracks with female vocal hooks seem to be my favourite. The instrumentals are all round pleasant, the rapping is a little bit vanilla.

It feels generous but its a 3.5 round up to 4 for me.

Fave Tracks: Sacrifice, Complexity

3.5/5

Confusing that there are two tracks called El Paso. Quite enjoyed this, mostly just as background music.

Fave Tracks: Big Iron, The Hanging Tree

3.3/5

Another live album that did nothing for me. I was expecting more from this one.

2.2/5

Falls into the unnecessary category for me. Not really as annoying as I thought it would be, but also didn’t find any of it catchy (save maybe the penultimate track), just feels very generic at this point.

2.4/5

I don’t want to listen to Eminem rap about murdering women and impregnating underage girls. I think it was meant to be shocking, but it’s just gross and creepy. The sonics of the album have aged poorly, and none of the tracks really stand out to me. Eminem’s voice is so annoying.

The chorus of I’m Shady was the first time anything grabbed me in a pleasant way. Bloody hell that was track 18.

Do yourself a favour and listen to I Got The… by Labi Siffre instead of the My Name Is instrumental

1.7/5

I’ve tried to get into DJ Shadow before and not really managed it, but this album listening experience was great to me. The first few tracks are a bit of a slow burn to me, but once the mood is established I feel totally immersed. The album is the soundtrack to walking through a bright but seedy urban landscape at night. It reminds me of Tokyo or Hong Kong. I love the way the Organ Donor motif is teased throughout the album, it’s eerie.

This album really won me over. I see why it’s a classic, it’s groundbreaking and influential and a really interesting listen.

Fave Tracks: Changeling, What Does Your Soul Look Like pt 4, Transmission 2, Midnight in a Perfect World, Scatter Brain

4.6/5

Everybody knows that Paul’s best work happened after the Beatles. This album feels like an important stepping stone to Wings (“the band the Beatles could’ve been”), but it feels like a lot of loose ideas without all that much substance. I breezed through this album without really being grabbed by any of it. I do like the cover art.

Fave Tracks: Maybe I’m Amazed

2.6/5

This is fun. What’s a swampsnake?

In some ways I love this and in some ways I find it deeply offensive. It’s garish, but its still oddly compelling to me.

Fave Traxks: Swampsnake, Gang Bang, Vambo Marble Eye

3.4/5

I like the dynamics on the first two tracks, songs segue from section to section elegantly. It’s kinda downhill from there for me though.

Fave Tracks: Novocaine for the Soul, Susan’s House, Your Lucky Day in Hell

2.9/5

This is beautifully produced/performed. Never heard of this band or album but it’s definitely another in my wheelhouse. Only complaints - slightly lacking in variety, and I don’t think the Sweet Jane cover is all that strong.

Fave Tracks: Blue Moon Revisited, I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

4/5

LC has a very unique poetic delivery, but I find it to be too samey at points on this album. Quite a few songs feel like they are diet versions of Suzanne. Tracks like Sisters of Mercy with its Christmassy foley sounds are more engaging to me.

Fave Tracks: Suzanne, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

3.5/5

Drum solos are a terrible waste of time.

Fave tracks: Thank You, Ramble On

3.1/5