Rated 8/10
There's some great story telling in this album, moments of really lovely poetry and powerful queer imagery backed by stunning music. And then there's nonsense like "when people say her feet smell they mean her nose". It's a very hit or miss album for me, I think it hits more than it misses but not by much.
Favourite song: Walk on the Wild Side
Least: Andy's Chest
Rated 6/10
I feel the same way people seemed to feel when this first came out- I don't like it as much as the other Led Zeppelin albums I've heard.
Favourite song: Out on the Tiles
Least: Hats off To (Roy) Harper
Rated 4/10
Al Doyle was simultaneously in Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem (and he lived with Alex Horne at uni), busy guy!
I really like the album cover but I'm fairly neutral on the music and I wasn't a big fan of the vocals.
Favourite song: Now There Is Nothing
Least: Ends Of The Earth
Rated 6/10
Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball, Taylor Swift's "the old Taylor can't come to the phone", even Beyonce's Lemonade all owe some credit to this album. Madonna is the queen of the pop reinvention and this album was the peak of success of her biggest rebranding- from sex icon to respectable mother. As much as I appreciate its legacy and success I think musically I prefer the messier Madonna eras.
Favourite song: Ray Of Light
Least: Shanti/ Ashtangi
Rated 4/10
They're one of my aunt's favourite bands, so much so that she came to London to see their reunion tour (something notoriously difficult to get her to do). It's not at all what I expected and it's fun to imagine her in her 20s loving this album.
I however do not love it- I kept liking starts of songs and then they'd get weird and annoying.
Favourite song: Presidential Suite
Least: No Sympathy
I definitely listened to this with prejudice. He's got an incredible voice but I think it's the context that made me find the music so moving. Hearing a closeted gay man sing "There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner" just years after section 28 was passed and in the midst of the AIDs epidemic is heartbreaking. Maybe I'm putting more into it than he meant but I found it very emotional nonetheless.
Favourite song: Freedom! (or the cover of They Won't Go When I Go)
Least: Soul Free
Rated 6/10
I've read the book but never seen the film so I assumed I'd never have heard any of the album before, but the first few notes started to play and I realised I've heard them many many times on tiktok edits.
Musically I don't love the album and I don't see myself coming back to it but I really appreciate the cinematic quality and the emotion within it. Maybe knowing the story makes me appreciate the album more but I think either way it's a great example of the power of music in emotional storytelling- maybe that's why the tiktok editors like it.
Favourite song: Playground Love
Least: The Word Hurricane
Rated 8/10
Really nice sunny day album, lovely happy chill music. I did find that I would tune out by the end of the song but honestly even that was quite nice. (You don’t often get saxophone nice enough that you can tune it out)
Favourite song: Messy Bessie
Least: Minor Chant
Rated 8/10
I’ve given a total of 3 stars across the previous two velvet underground albums we’ve had so I expected very little from this album. So it really surprised me how gorgeously well written and performed it is- and so not weird! Perfect chill album for skipping conference talks to read in a park.
Favourite song: Pale Blue Eyes
Least: The Murder Mystery
I just love women! And I love women who admire each other so much that they spend years figuring out how they can collaborate on an album. I think we pit female artists against each other far too much- and this is the kind of collaboration we're missing out on!!!
Favourite song: The Pain of Loving You
Least: I've Had Enough
Rated 4/10
He's dating Jennifer Hudson?? Wonder if he played her The Light to win her over.
We've had much catchier and smarter hip hop albums so I struggle to see what makes this album notable. Glad he's said he won't be homophobic anymore but I wish he'd decided that before this album.
Favourite song: The Questions
Least: Dooinit
Rated 6/10
The first song is so good and there were a couple other enjoyable tracks but most of the album is completely forgettable.
Favourite song: Bitter Sweet Symphony
Least: One Day
Rated 4/10
Atmospheric bordering on boring. Or maybe boring bordering on atmospheric.
Favourite song: Ce matin-la
Least: La femm d'argent
Kraftwerk by any other name would sound as shit. Just not a fan of this album or this guy.
Favourite song: Go Go Pop
Least: Planet Rock
Rated 6/10
Start was almost Smiths like, and then it went very 80s. Fine but unremarkable.
Favourite song: Faron Young
Least: Horsin' Around
Rated 8/10
I enjoyed a lot of the songs individually but I found myself getting a little sick of the whole album at points. Her voice is just gorgeous though, so powerful. Amazed that she was just 19 and would go on to do so much- and bring Bob Dylan with her. Fun to have a Glasgow mention!
Favourite: House Of The Rising Sun
Least: East Virginia
Rated 8/10
His voice is incredible, just a gorgeous album really.
Steve Backshall and Gillian Anderson both picked songs off this album for their desert island discs.
Favourite song: Grace
Least: Corpus Christi Carol
Rated 6/10
I've a strong preference for one of the singers over the other-if it was just the songs sung by Tom Fleming (and Hooting & Howling) I would love this album but as it is the good doesn't outweigh the annoying.
Also I'm obsessed with the name The Fun Powder Plot (even though I didn't like the song).
Favourite song: All The King's Men
Least: The Fun Powder Plot
Rated 6/10
I knew she was famous but I didn't realise she was as big as she was! I'm glad we had this album just so I could read her wikipedia and learn more about her cultural impact. But musically I didn't love it. A bit too repetitive for me and some slightly annoying production choices.
Favourite song: Black Cat
Least: State of the World
Rated 8/10
The list supposedly doesn't have any "best of" albums but this might be as close as you can get without technically breaking the rule. Turns out overdubbing fixes everything I don't like about live albums, I think this is the best of both worlds (chill it out take it slow then rock out the show).
Favourite song: Don't Believe a Word
Least: Warriors
