Reviews by florida-metalhead810

Out of the whopping NINE albums Bowie has on the list, this is my first. There's plenty of good stuff here, but some of it isn't exactly my vibe. That's not to say it isn't good, because it is objectively a great album. Musically, it's excellent. Lyrically, it's good but not great(except Rock and Roll Suicide, which probably has the best writing on the album). Whether this truly is his greatest work remains to be seen, as I have many other albums of his to listen to.

This is a very dark and heavy alternative metal album. The lyrics tell tales of drug abuse and self destruction, and the album uses haunting, heavy soundscapes to great effect. The uniquely dark, droning vocal harmonies and sludgy guitar are the record's most distinctive and strong attributes.

Learning what Beefheart vocals sound like on "Willie the Pimp" gives me anticipation for his albums. With that out of the way, this is very clearly instrumental jazz-rock jams with little formal structure. They clearly show technical prowess, but I don't know how much I enjoy them. "The Gumbo Variations" is a bit of a slog to get through, but most other tracks are fun enough.

This album is best described as jangly, poppy indie rock before indie rock was a thing. It's obviously influential, being the breakthrough album of one of the biggest bands of the 90s. The lyrics are quite good, and the lead and backing vocals are both good, if not excellent.

This album is exactly what you'd expect from Talking Heads: art rock with the distinctive, deeply uneasy vocal delivery of David Byrne. It mostly lacks the engaging African rhythms of Remain in Light, but has the song craft to make up for it. Ultimately, it's a pretty good first outing for the Heads, with one of their signature tracks in "Psycho Killer".

This is a pretty good double album of 70s pop/rock. Most of it is consistently good, and some of it is great. Lyrics are fairly standard fare, but the album sounds good musically. It could stand to lose some of the songs(did Isn't It A Pity? really need a reprise in the second half?) The jam sessions at the back of the album go on forever and go absolutely nowhere. If they were a separate LP, they would be nowhere near this list.

This album feels like typical 2017 pop music. There is some funk here, but it feels very sterile and devoid of passion. It's not particularly good lyrically, nor does it create an atmosphere. The second half of the album is noticeably better than the first, which helps this album a lot as the first half was rather boring. "Them Changes" gave me a sense of deja vu, despite me not having heard of Thundercat prior to this challenge.

My first impression of this album is that it's highly likely to be awful. It's not awful. The production is good. but the album is brought down by laughably trite and cliche gangsta rap lyrics. The backing vocals are bad, but 2Pac's flow and tone works well. There is a definite soul influence here, but the lyrics are still exactly what you'd expect. "Dear Mama" was a nice change of pace that showed off heartfelt lyrics instead of the typical gangsta rap cliches that permeate a lot of the album. It's a little too long, but the lack of skits helps it keep a consistent quality.

A detached yet softly emotional electronic rock album. The singing has a melancholy quality to it, but somehow feels detached at the same time. Instrumental arrangements are typical of post-OK Computer indie/alt rock, being a mix of acoustic guitar and synths. These qualities combine, however, to produce a beautifully melancholic masterpiece of indie songwriting and arrangements. This band might just be America's answer to Radiohead, at least in terms of sound if not lyricism.

Just some Australian dudes making loud alt-rock. Unfortunately, though it has the loud guitars, it lacks the special sauce that characterizes the genre's best bands. As a matter of fact, I found it aggressively boring. I could do just as well to forget about this album as listen to it.

This album is some high quality 70s pop/rock. I can hear the influence this had on Cheap Trick, who are themselves considered influential. The songwriting is of excellent quality, and it feels weird that this didn't get hugely popular with how accessible it is. I could hear pretty much anything off this album being played on rock radio to this day, and I would enjoy it.

This album is full of passion and vigor, as soul should be. It may not be the most refined soul record, but it packs a punch. The voice is appropriately great, but the lyrics are standard soul fare. That doesn't matter, though, because this album is at least 7 years ahead of its time. A true soul classic.

Smooth, well produced jazz-rock that lacks the vigor and passion of either genre. We do get some quality instrumental playing, but the music has a smoothness and polish to it that makes it more palatable to the average listener. Lyrics are unimportant and take a back seat to the actual music, which is competently performed but lacks emotion.

This often gets lumped in with 70s punk. However, it sacrifices the anti-establishment energy and raucous anger for artsy inclinations and quality guitar melodies. This is music for the head, whereas most of the punk it gets lumped in with is music for the heart. That's not to say it isn't good, because it is. The songs are melodic and fairly accessible while also being sure to be technical showcases for the players' abilities.

Just a good old-fashioned bluesy rock album. It feels like something you'd find in an old, dusty record bin, the faded cover and yellowed inner sleeve telling stories of days long past. I'd buy it for $5 at a Goodwill and throw it on at home the next day, listening to the crackles and pops of the vinyl as the record plays out with a distinct analog warmness. Lyrics aren't great, but I never expected them to be. For many, it's trite, annoying rock with bad singing. For me, it's a trip back in time to the early 70s, even though I wasn't there when it happened.

This album is an easy listening soul record. Some aspects of it are dated, but Burke's versatile and emotional voice makes up for it. The combined effect is a nice, relaxing record to listen to after a long day.

This album is a masterpiece of storytelling; what it lacks in instrumental virtuosity is more than made up for by the lyricism and storytelling. Cash's unique baritone narrates stories of outlaw living and being behind bars like no other ever could. His songs paint vivid pictures of life as an outlaw, and he remembers to engage the crowd with often-entertaining banter. Country may not have the best reputation, but this shows just how good it can be when done properly.

This is a very good early rap album. "The New Style" feels like it could have been written in the modern day with how many gangsta rap cliches it incorporates. The rest of the album continues in this vein, sending up frat bro and party culture. However, the vocal stylings were decidedly not great. Each Beastie only seems to have one voice that they use consistently throughout the record, and the interplay tends to follow a specific pattern.

This album is a weird choice to include over one of his more popular 90s albums. After listening to it, I learned that it has all the trite lyrics Kravitz's hits have with none of the fun and energy. He would probably do well to shy away from political statements and social activism and stick to "Are You Gonna Go My Way?".

Let me get something out of the way: I can't do long albums. 60 minutes is pushing it, and anything over that tends to drag on. That said, this album is full of emotive ballads, driving rockers, and a couple duds. The tracks are for the most part highly enjoyable and well made, with a handful of exceptions(Dirty Little Girl, Jamaica Jerk Off) that brought the album down a couple pegs.