Reviews by ella_ayates

Smile(Brian's Version)(From The Vault). Crazy coincidence to get this album the same week we had Pet Sounds. The story behind the album, good vibrations, the sheer joy of some of the songs and the gorgeous harmonies are nearly enough to make it a five star album. But I can't help but feel like it would be even better if it had been a 1967 Beach Boys album instead of a 2004 Brian Wilson album (and sometimes I felt a little thrown about by all the little snippets of different things happening).
(feel like I should say good vibrations is my favourite but that's not the song that's been playing non-stop in my head...)
Favourite: Vega-Tables
Least: Mrs O'Leary's Cow

Think there's a real mix of chore and enchantment on this album and I'm not quite sure which is winning. Mostly enjoyed his odd style of singing but there were a few songs where I started to really understand why other people would find it annoying. Almost gave it four stars but then I relistened to some of the earlier tracks and remembered how much I didn't like them.
Favourite: Shiver or Dirty From the Rain
Least: X-Tra Wide

I like it but I feel like I've heard the same thing but better before.
Favourite: Show Girl
Least: Junk Shop Clothes

Kind of hate that Brian Wilson was 23 when he made this album. But I love everything else about it. Some true classics I've heard many times and some amazing songs I've never heard before but will definitely hear again.
Favourite: God Only Knows
Least: Let's Go Away For Awhile

Tended to like the singing more than the rapping more than the screaming but not a huge fan no matter what, don't think I'm angsty enough for it. Some songs I quite liked but most of them I just wanted to be over.
Favourite: In the End
Least: With You

Found it a bit boring on my first listen but it grew on me as the album progressed and when I went back to listen to the first few songs again (to pick a least favourite) I found that they weren't as boring as when I first heard them. Maybe if I listened through a third time I would really love it... but I haven't and I don't.
Favourite: Velvet Elvis or Golden Hour
Least: Mother

Found the music itself super interesting and fun even when the lyrics didn't live up to them (thinking of Vaseline especially) . A lot of songs that I will definitely be coming back to listen to again!
Favourite: Connection or Car Song
Least: Hold Me Now

Not music I would normally listen to and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. But it was a bit too long for me and the string of instrumentals in the middle drove me a little bit crazy.
Favourite: Dark as a Dungeon
Least: Sailin' On To Hawaii

Some really incredible and enjoyable bits of music surrounded by some cringe lyrics and a lot of overpowering annoying fake drum sounds. A couple of the songs that I really loved were ruined by going on too long.
(Absolutely loved I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and then it kept going for three and a half extra minutes after it should have finished.)
Favourite: The Cross
Least: Starfish and Coffee

Revolutionary for its time. A waste of mine.
Not my least favourite kraftwerk album but I still won't be listening again.
Favourite: The first three minutes of Neon Lights
Least: The Man Machine (the song... but also the album) or the last five minutes of Neon Lights

An album made to be sung in the shower. Bit too screamy for me at points.
Favourite: Friday Night
Least: Stuck in a Rut

An album where I hadn't listened to any of the songs before and am very glad to have them heard now! Exactly what I want the list to deliver.
Favourite: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
Least: English Rose

Iconic music, can see why these guys got famous famous. The whininess of his voice does get a tiny bit annoying...
Favourite: She's Electric
Least: Morning Glory

Enjoyed the beats, often a lot more than the lyrics. (That being said I really loved Ham 'N' Eggs despite it being objectively silly- great to be able to hear how much fun they're having).
Favourite: Can I Kick It?
Least: Pubic Enemy

Take back what I said before about repetitive music... turns out sometimes I really like it! Just really fun.
Favourite: The Rockafeller Skank
Least: Fucking in Heaven

It's called timeless because it feels like it will never end.
Favourite song: State of Mind
Least: Saint Angel

Manages to pull off both fun dancing vibes and gorgeous harmonies on slower songs. Couple of songs that I'll be skipping on future listens, but there definitely will be future listens.
Favourite song: Take It Easy (or Train Leaves Here This Morning)
Least: Most of Us Are Sad (or Take the Devil)

Not a huge fan of songs where one line is just put on a non stop repeat- even the songs I initially liked ended up getting a bit repetitive or going on a little too long.
Favourite: South Side or Run on
Least: Machete

Love love love the hits but there's some other great songs I hadn't heard before on here too- will definitely be listening to 11:59 again. Not every song reached the level that Hanging On The Telephone sets the album up for but overall really good listening experience!
Favourite song: Heart Of Glass
Least: Fade Away and Radiate

Enjoyable music with haunting lyrics. Strange to have a war themed album but I thought it was really well done. The vocals themselves sometimes weren't my thing but I still think it's an incredible album.
Favourite: The Last Living Rose
Least: England