Rated 8/10
The power that Girls Just Want to Have Fun has over me on a night out cannot be overstated- I could be having the worst time of my life and as soon as it starts playing I'm on the dancefloor. There are definitely some low points on the album but the highs are just so high!
Favourite song: Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Least: All Through The Night
Rated 6/10
I love his voice as always but I find this album a bit underwhelming. Maybe I was just overly excited for a Neil Young album but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
Favourite song: Revolution Blues
Least: Motion Pictures (For Carrie)
Rated 6/10
Found the first song so annoying I had to take a break after it was finished. But I think the rest of the album is actually pretty lovely. The French singing won me back over and I stayed won over. There were definitely some more annoying moments (the opening of the title track for one) but I didn't hate it anywhere near as much as I initially thought I would.
Favourite song: Les Yper-Sound
Least: Metronomic Underground
Rated 6/10
Feels a bit like a parody of a hip hop album, but I guess that shows just how influential it is: literally the blueprint for the genre. The sound did get very repetitive.
Favourite song: Hard Times
Least: Hollis Crew (Krush-Groove 2)
Rated 2/10
Actually think I could have died without being shouted at by a Nazi for 50 minutes.
While I neither enjoy the music or the people, it has led me to discover branded caskets for the first time... Hope Diamond Darrell and Vinnie Paul rest in peace in their KISS Kaskets.
Favourite: Hollow
Least: Live In a Hole
Rated 8/10
Iconic album. I'd obviously heard some of the songs before (and seen the cover) but I'd never listened through to the whole album. I really really enjoyed it (so much more than In Utero). Couple songs I'd be happy to cut but so much great stuff.
This album changed the face of popular music forever and it shaped a generation. The global reviews are full of stories of "I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this album", it's pretty amazing stuff.
Favourite song: Smells Like Teen Spirit (or Come as You Are)
Least: Endless, Nameless
Rated 8/10
Do you think they made their sister who wasn't in the band hang out while they recorded We Are Family so they weren't lying when they sang "I've got all my sisters with me."?
Some great bops on this album. Some songs a little too long and repetitive.
Favourite song: We Are Family
Least: You're A Friend to Me
Rated 8/10
The second side is definitely better than the first. I'm always disappointed when albums claim to be concept albums but don't put any effort into actually sticking to the concept. It's not as good as I was hoping from a Simon & Garfunkel album but I still really enjoyed it.
Favourite song: Fakin' It
Least: Old Friends
Love their funky suits, I want one.
Reading their Wikipedias there are so many familiar names that come up, as session musicians and Byrd's members these guys appeared all over the place (and all over this list- Joni Mitchells Blue, Willie Nelson's Stardust, Leonard Cohen's I'm Your Man, the Byrd's albums). Also David Crosby is on this album!
I enjoyed this album although I do think it's definitely very of the time. I think I expected something a bit more interesting from it.
Favourite song: Do You Know How It Feels
Least: Hot Burrito #2
Rated 6/10
He's clearly still figuring out his exact voice, feels like hearing Elvis before he was at full Elvis.
Favourite song: Blue Suede Shoes
Least: One-Sided Love Affair
Rated 10/10
Lovely storytelling, iconic artwork and so much nostalgia for me. Father and Son is such a gorgeous song that that alone nearly gets in 5 stars. I also really loved On The Road to Find Out which I wasn't as familiar with.
Favourite song: Father And Son
Least: Sad Lisa
Rated 6/10
I really enjoy the super dramatic music in some of the songs but I'm not into the conspiracy theory shit (according to his wikipedia neither is modern day Bellamy) and I don't love the style of the slower songs.
Favourite song: Supermassive Black Hole
Least: Invincible
Rated 6/10
Can't believe this guy is still alive and still performing! Can hear how influential he's been and was a nice little listen, but nothing that remarkable.
Favourite song: Cocaine
Least: Grey Goose
Rated 8/10
I hadn't heard of 10cc before (although I do recognise some of their bigger songs and have definitely seen some of the music videos they went on to direct). I really really enjoyed the album, it's so creative and varied and just the right side of weird. Some really fun moments too, love that The Sacro-Iliac is a "dance" where you just sit still.
Favourite song: Clockwork Creep
Least: Baron Samedi
Rated 8/10
I feel bad not rating it five stars because if I wrote an album and then the government killed my mum because of it I'd hope everyone who listened loved it. RIP Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti, an incredibly impressive woman who I would strongly recommend reading about.
Musically it's not my favourite album but it's such a great example of the power and political influence of music that I'm very glad to have listened to.
Favourite song: Zombie
Least: Mr. Follow Follow
Rated 4/10
Some good beats, some awful lyrics. I get annoyed at reviews that say "I'm just not the target audience" because I always want to listen to albums with an open mind and to take into account the cultural context but honestly I'm just never going to enjoy an album where a man says bitch this much (and the fact he's a dogg doesn't magically make that smart or funny).
Favourite song: Who Am I (What's My Name)?
Least: Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)
The Kinks were banned from touring in the US and their response was essentially to write as British of an album as they could. I think it's such a fun concept album and such a distinct theme that really makes it stand out amongst the rest of the list.
Favourite song: The Village Green Preservation Society
Least: Village Green
Rated 6/10
Their last album before they aged out of being The Young Rascals and just became The Rascals, the remaining members are in their 80s so I imagine they'll become The Old Rascals any day now.
It's a fun album but I'm really not sure why it's on the list.
Favourite song: Sueno
Least: Find Somebody
Rated 8/10
Thought it was gorgeous, I love her voice and she's such a great lyricist. I've heard (and loved) some Fiona Apple songs before but never listened to a full album- I think it lives up to the hype.
Favourite song: Shadowboxer
Least: Carrion
Rated 6/10
Not a fan of his voice. But what a crazy list of people who cite Magazine and this album as an influence and a crazy list of other projects the band members have been a part of! One of the first post punk albums and I'd never heard of it, so even though I didn't love it I'm glad I've heard it.
Favourite song: Burst
Least: Parade
