Reviews by deepee

Very ambitious album. Not sure why they felt the need to make a double album- a bit long for my attention span. Cohesive, which I suppose is good for an album but in this case almost turns into too much of the same. Would give it a 3.5 if I could but the musicality involved is going to tip it to a 4.

Lively. Nothing special

When I say that Rush was the soundtrack to my high school years I mean it literally. Because back in the day the boys in my high school would carry big boomboxes through the hallways and Rush was what they played. Didn’t like them then, turns out I still don’t like them. Apart from the unpleasant vocals, they tend to repeat each riff just long enough to annoy me before moving on. I am very aware that this band is well-loved and this will be a controversial review but I call em like I hear em.

Ray Charles was a gift to us all, and I almost wanted to give this album a five just for being him. That said, it’s big band Ray, not blues-y Ray, which I think is a shame. There were several ballads on here that I feel didn’t show him off at his best, so I’m downgrading it by one star and praying that there is a five star Ray album on this list.

This may not be life changing, but it’s catchy as hell.
That said, it’s less than 40 minutes long and by the last quarter it was all starting to sound the same and I was tired of it.
Can you tell I wrote this review while listening? The importance of listening all the way until the end.

Only knew the two big hits. This guy is an incredible lyricist. Just when I was thinking the music was a bit repetitive he changed it up. Then he hit me with a song called “The Grave” that may be the saddest song I’ve ever heard. Reminded me the album was fun the Vietnam War era.
Good listen overall.

Ugh this guy.
The music is good! Can’t question his creativity. When he wrote some of these songs he was clearly in a manic phase. The song “I Am a God” could be used in medical schools to help teach what mania is (I am a healthcare provider and have treated patients with bipolar disease).
But as a woman, his misogyny is so off-putting that it dramatically impairs my enjoyment of this album. Actually makes it a difficult listen.
Going to take some time to think how to rate this one tomorrow!

I know, I know, the guy was a sexual predator. I will rate his personal life a one or zero stars.
But this album demonstrates a rock and roll energy that I don’t think existed in many people in 1964. The guy had musical magic in him. You can try, but good luck not tapping along to this one.

What in God’s name made these Irish people decide to try make a west coast USA sound album? It’s so derivative, and so not successful. I have no idea how this album made the list.
I never heard of this group and was really excited to give them a listen! I tend to like Irish music. The Cranberries, Sinead, early U2, all great.
Instead we get…MY FIRST ONE STAR ALBUM!
I really didn’t know what it would take for me to do it. I have listened to numerous albums I didn’t enjoy (metal, prog rock, some jazz) where I could acknowledge the talent or creativity. Nobody deserves a one star review just for not being to my taste. But THIS album showed neither creativity nor particular talent. This one TRULY bothers me. It is pablum. Now I know what will drive me to really pan an album. Sorry not sorry.

Many people citing the last track as the stand out, but that one really didn’t hold my interest. The first one was my favorite. I had never heard of this band. It’s unique, but I eventually lost some interest and it became a bit of background music.

It’s all about Aretha’s voice. Nothing else particularly earthshattering, but that’s enough to make it good.

Gorgeous vocals. Mostly covers, but covers that are done really well, changed to suit their style. I love their funk, will listen to this again, but can’t get a five with covers.

Yeah, this is pure brilliance. Not always easy to listen to, due to some intense subject matter. But pay attention because this hits hard, both musically and emotionally.

Couple of hits. The ones that aren’t really didn’t deserve to be. Didn’t help its rating that the music Spotify played for me after the album ended was more enjoyable (I had dozed off and woke up thinking “wow, that’s Duran Duran?” No, it’s not).
Overall album average despite it probably being a top seller in its time.

Is funky, it was a very fresh sound when it was first released (yup I’m old). That said, within itself the songs start to feel a bit repetitive. So not quite a 5 but a good listen!

I’m not sure what it would take got me to give an album one star. This one was definitely not my taste, but I can acknowledge some crazy guitar licks. That takes talent: dedication so two stars for that. It didn’t hurt my ears, but it felt repetitive, so I was more than ready for it to end before it did. So it can’t get three stars, which is what I give background music that I dan take or leave. This one I wanted to leave so two stars it is.

Dude has an EGO!
That being said alot of the music on this album slaps. I had fun listening to much of it, but at over an hour long, and with a couple of clunkers (Sometimes… you need to take a song out. Like Sometimes), this album could have used some editing for sure.
Cee-Lo seems to think fitting in as many words as possible into a breath is a skill to be proud of. Again, editing would have helped.
But there is enough funk on this album for me to enjoy it more than not. I know how to hit the skip button on the two-three tracks that drag it down.

It’s classic for a reason.
Creativity abounds all the way through.

Like, for real? Why is this album on this list? The music on this album made in 2005 is extremely reminiscent of the “old people” lounge music that would be sung by Steve Lawrence on variety shows in the 1970s.
I’m not going to give it a 1, because it is atmospheric. I can easily imagine a 60 year old guy whose wife left him, sitting in a bar drowning his sorrows to this music. It just seems strange to find something so derivative on this list. I will now be upset if Barry Manilow isn’t included at some point. At least he was more original than this.

Wow the energy on this album is infectious. Made me want to find a mosh pit. I can’t give it five stars because, well, music, but this group wasn’t never about the music. They achieved the personification of rebellion. What a vibe.