Reviews by declaniom

This was really quite good for corporate America rock.

I nearly saw Motorhead not long after this lp was released. I was 14 and they played the Palace Lido in Douglas Isle of Man, a vast old dance hall that received new life in the 60's hosting the big rock bands of the day during the seaside summer. Gradually though the tourists stopped coming and the bands stopped playing. So by the time of my youth it was a lazer disco and now its a car park.

Except during the TT race fortnight when it hosted a big metal band and Miss Wet T-Shirt Contests and 3000 drunken bikers. On the day of the gig me Dad rang the venue to find out when to pick me up afterwards (parents didn't take their kids to gigs in the eighties they dropped the, off and picked them up afterwards but never went in). Then he casually asked if there was an age limit - there was 15! I couldn't go. A year later I'd grown out of Heavy Metal and was an indie kid and far too cool to go.

It's appropriate that this should pop up now since it's TT fortnight again and I tell you there won't be a band as good as this playing. Most of the metal albums on this list are pretentious noodling nomarks but there's no bollocking about with Motorhead. It's proper rock 'n' rool like garage or punk and all the better for it.

“Hey 90’s kid, It’s me. Declan. I’m you from the future.”

“Whatever”

“Now listen up dick splash I’ve got something to tell you.”

Young me grunts assent.

“Do you know Fleetwood Mac?”

“Course, creepy old dude off the Brits”

“That’s him, well long long ago he had a band”

“Yeah Dad has an lp of old people’s blues music” my younger self acknowledged. “It’s shit”

“It got worse. Mac sacked off the blues guys and got in a load of Americans. They inhaled a fuck tonne load of cocaine and started copping off with each other, then they all fell out and made an album.”

“Like ABBA”

“Yeah but much much worser. The songs are inane, and the singer screeches like banshee”.

"Is this the album where he has his balls hanging out? Dirty old sod"

"I think they're clackers, not knackers"

“Ok old man why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t you be telling me the lottery numbers or something.”

“I am. The thing is your kids and grandkids all their mates think it’s the best album ever.”

“No way dude!”

“yes way dude! It’s catnip to them. They couldn’t top punk and grunge and play the blandest shit imaginable to annoy their parents."

“That’s a fucked up world man.”

“You don’t know the half mate, it all started going wrong when David Bowie died.”

“Bowie’s dead? Fuck everything’s changed but at least we’ve seen of totalitarianism. What’s Kurt Cobain up to?”

"And Rumours is bland so inspidily bland it's offensive, everything about it is terrible. Even the font on the cover makes Comic Sans look Helvetica”

"A font like where they christen babies? There are different types in the future"

“Yes different typefaces. Listen I don’t have long. You need to go round every charity shop, tip and bargain bin you can find get Rumours in vinyl (that’s what we call LPs now) they’ll be buttens but keep them long enough you’ll be quids in. But whatever you do don’t play it.”

“Should I also get the cd they’re the future, man, should I get cds?

…old Declan?

… Hey man where did you go?”

“No where did you go young Declan?”

It's loose ... so loose.

I feel guilty with how I am scoring all these Joni Mitchell records. She clearly writes exquisitely crafted character studies. They’re just about people and situations I don’t care about. Bit like Jane Austen.

We can be

Ahh what a pleasant start to the day. The gatekeepers seem to have decreed that Sandie, Dusty, Petula, Lulu, Bobbie, Françoise etc must forfeit there place in the pantheon of classic albums to free up space for all those run of the mill Creedence Floyd and Zeppelin lps.

I suspect if this list was made now this lp would be axed leaving only Dusty in Memphis carrying the torch for soulful 60’s pop. That would be a shame.

Great arrangements, superb vocal performance and solid song selection.

I’ve never understood why this is so popular every other record I’ve heard by him is better. This is very mid level middle of the road rock.

Does the Bluesy Dad Rock thing of having two great songs amidst a sea of self indulgent noodling. Not as bad as Creedence though.

He may be a genius but he does go on a bit.

Good vocals, average songs, weak arrangements.

For all the groundbreaking beats on this album the rapping and lyrics aren ‘t of the same stellar standard.

The music is strong. Epic sweeps. No really memorable songs either. All their albums are similar but they’re a good band.

Bog standard blues rock for the most part. Plant’s voice is shot by this point. Page is bereft of ideas and just solos instead.

Kashmir is great though.

I really love SFA, seen them live a few times and Gruff Rhys many more. This album is where it began for me.

I know this was released in the mid nineties on Creation but it isn’t Brit Pop. It’s unquestionably Welsh rather than British for a start. But also it’s a psyche record for fans of Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev (and prefigured their breakthrough records).

It’s a fun humourous record that’s rooted in the geography of a unique place.

This is a good Goth / Dark Wave record. I've known it a long time and amongst my group of friends my opinion is something of a hot take.

Firstly, I think Joy Division's refusal to put their singles on their lps stops either album being a classic. Atmosphere and Love Will Tear Us Apart were released two and one month before Closer - they'd have added an extra star here.

Secondly, Joy Division can be thought of as New Order's juvenilia. That's not a sleight on Ian Curtis, New Order's albums would have been better had he contributed to them. But the rest of the became better musicians as the eighties wore on. The sound is fuller, the decisions more confident, the rhythm more insistent.

Still an important album though, personally I lean more towards Unknown Pleasures (and the singles).

A cerebral rather than emotional experience. Beautiful and complex.

Although I prefer Panda Bear’s solo stuff or his work with Spaceman 3’s Sonic Boom to anything Animal Collective have done, they’re still good just not great.

Pretty fine. Liked the beats over the rapping but there is the occasional satisfying turn of phrase.

This is where the gains of Punk, New Wave and Post Punk are swept away and Corporate MTV Rock rushes in. This is where the vacuous, pretentious 80's begin.

Music is OK but on later albums Duran are practically prog as they reach for Stadium Rock's cash cow.

The singing and the lyrics though are dreadful. Horrible Thatcherite conspicuous consumption badly hidden behind 6th Form Poetry.

Consistently good band over many years. This lp is consistently good.

Fine album. Singles are the standouts.