Reviews by ella_ayates

It's not the worst album we've had to listen to, but that might be the only nice thing I have to say about it. Hard to win me back after a 12 minute song of droning and occasional beeping, even harder if you don't even try.
Favourite song: The Sad Skinhead
Least: Just a Second

Can't believe before you can hear You Can't Always Get What You Want you have to hear them sing "I'm a cold Italian pizza, I could use a lemon squeezer..." some real highs and lows.
Favourite song: You Can't Always Get What You Want
Least: Monkey Man

I really like the stuff they're saying I just don't love the way they say it. Maybe if I was feeling more energetic but currently I like the album theoretically a lot more than I like it musically.
Favourite song: California Uber Alles
Least: Forward to Death

It's unapologetically messy and noisy and energetic, so much so that if it was made by men I think I'd hate it. But it was made by 17 year old Ari Up and so every choice that might annoy me instead feels revolutionary.
It's also not hard to see why this made it on the list- beyond it's impact it's so interwoven with other artists of the time. Johnny Rotten's stepdaughter, The Clash's Mick Jones' girlfriend and the future Siouxsie and the Banshees drummer make an album together that becomes one of Kurt Cobain's favourite 50 records.
I don't love the reggae aspects.
Favourite song: So Tough
Least: Instant Hit

He's actually got two Grammys so there's a lie right at the start of the album. I liked this album so much more than I thought I would- it didn't have the sexism or homophobia I've come to fear from rap albums of this era and there are some really great and powerful moments in this album. You can feel his anger and frustration and it's explained so well.
Is a bit too long and while I found Bitches 2 really fun just cause it's not calling women bitches doesn't mean it's not sexist... but a lot less sexist than I expected!
Body count is a bit like when a tv show has an episode about a background character to try to launch a spin off show- a backdoor pilot song.
Favourite song: Straight Up N****( or O.G. Original Gangster, or Body Count)
Least: New Jack Hustler

The band was originally called "Daddy", I'm glad they changed it, don't think I would enjoy the album as much if they hadn't changed their name. I enjoyed the album but I'm not sure I'll ever come back to it or even really remember it tomorrow.
Favourite song: Bloody Well Right
Least: Rudy

Such a fun one to listen to, such a joyful concert and so clearly recorded it's hard to remember it's from 1957! She even sounds great when she's singing about how she's messed up the song or forgotten the lyrics.
Favourite song: Willow Weep For Me
Least: Just A Gigolo

Why is the music so much louder than the singing on some songs? What is this production?? Their review in the rolling stone album guide calls them "easily the ugliest, worst dressed rock band of all time" and says the songs on this album sounded like mushy love songs to their fans and sloppy guitar noise to everyone else- a failed attempt to try to make it mainstream. I fall into the sloppy guitar side of things. And I don't really like Hart's voice so half the songs are immediate nos.
Favourite song: Ice cold ice
Least: Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope

The lyrics and vocals feel so disconnected from the music. If I completely tune out the words I quite like some of the songs but I genuinely can't figure out why this is on the list when some of the lyrics are so shit. It's a shame because I think the music itself is good.
Favourite song: I'd Like That
Least: Fruit Nut

I love maths which makes it heartbreaking that I seem to hate math rock. Wonder how many other people have tried to do maths while listening to math rock- it doesn't help, in fact it may actively hinder. Thought the fire alarm was going off at the start of Super Unison and that was one of the best songs.
Favourite song: Super Unison
Least: Here Come the Rome Plows

Their Wikipedia article claims they are the only band in the world to have performed in both north and south Korea and I'm completely fascinated by how that happened. In fact I am a bit fascinated by their whole vibe: it's like some insane piece of performance art. Are they Nazi supporters? Are they making a pointed critique of how much fascism has infiltrated everyday life (as they claim)? Are they having a big laugh at everyone elses expense? Even their name toes the line: its a historic name of Ljubljana last used in the Nazi occupation- was it a reclamation? Nazi support? A claim their city is still occupied?
I fall on the side of believing it to be quite powerful political critique, but I also understand why people feel immediate repulsion at any Nazi imagery no matter how mocking. Uncomfortable but powerful.
I really don't know how to rate this, I would never chose to listen to such military music but I have no doubt that I'll still be thinking about this album and this band for days to come.
Favourite song: The Great Seal
Least: Geburt einer Nation

I likd the musik but not the spllign of the song tytles: "Gudbuy" and "Crazee" especiallee annoy mi. Great energy and despite what the spelling wants you to think it's quite tidy rock- very structured, maybe occasionally bordering on repetitive, but mostly just fun.
I think they would hate what the word slay has come to represent.
Favourite song: Mama Weer All Crazee Now
Leest: Let the Good Times Roll/ Feels so Fine

According to Rolling Stone's 500 best albums of all time list- this is the 500th best album of all time!
I really love how they create a feeling throughout their songs and their lyricism. I don't like it quite as much as the other Arcade Fire album we've had (The Suburbs) but for a debut it's gorgeous. Also Haiti lead me to read about Duvelier and the singers family being massacred in the Jérémie Vespers, what a beautiful song about something so tragic.
Favourite song: Crown of Love
Least: In the Backseat (I don't love her voice on this song although I still really like the imagery of it and the metaphor of learning to drive being growing up)

I liked the calmness while I was working, although I admittedly tuned out a lot. The songs that beeped and bopped more were less enjoyable (and harder to tune out) but overall a pretty calm album- inoffensive.
Favourite song: So Easy
Least: Eple

I really enjoyed this album- a lot more than I expected too, it's like a calmer more mature beach boys album. I think I felt for the belief that Brian Wilson alone was the creative "genius" of the band but this album clearly demonstrates otherwise, it's gorgeous and just the right balance of beachy-boyey to feel distinct but not disappointing.
Favourite song: Pacific Ocean Blues
Least: Thoughts of You

It wasn't what I was expecting at all- I think the first song especially really threw me. But I enjoyed her voice once I'd had some time to warm up to it- I wasn't a big fan of the synths though, I think they make it feel a bit too of its time. The last two songs were my favourites but I can't tell if that was just because of how much her voice had grown on me compared to the start.
Favourite song: Working Class Hero
Least: Broken English

What I've learnt from reading their wikipedia pages is that I shouldn't ride a motorcycle until I'm 25. Also despite two of the band members dying at age 24 the band still managed at least 15 marriages between them.
I can't cope with eighty minutes of guitar licks, it's too much for me. The "Jam sesh" is just the rock version of self indulgent Jazz improv- maybe one day I'll meet a 20 minute song that I like but today isn't that day.
Favourite song: Statesboro Blues
Least: You Don't Love Me

I really liked the vocals and lyrics but was somewhat confused by the music, what are they doing? why are they doing it? why so much synth?
Fun being in Glasgow and listening to a song they called an ode to Glasgow- although it's lovely and sunny today, I'll have to listen again when it rains (sure I won't be waiting long).
Favourite song: Tinseltown in the Rain
Least: Rags to Riches

Really good energy but none of it really stayed with me. My Generation is iconic but there's a bunch of other shit on the track so if I wanted to listen to it this would never be the version I'd pick- after that the energy switched from fun to annoying.
Favourite song: Substitute
Least: Magic Bus

Just because you keep saying it's crazy, sexy and cool doesn't make it so. Other than waterfalls the whole album was fairly underwhelming and occasionally a bit annoying. And I hate an interlude.
Favourite song: Waterfalls
Least: Red Light Special