Reviews by forestfly2009

These guys sound like The Doors, or Sgt. Pepper era Beatles. Pretty solid 60's synth pop/psychadelic rock. Apparently these guys used to dress as civil war reenactors on stage during their shows.

Favourite songs: SS 396, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, There's Always Tomorrow, Ballad of a Useless Man, "Louis, Go Home", Get It On, Shake It Up, Kicks

Least favourite songs: Melody For An Unknown Girl

4/5

Favourite songs: The Real Slim Shady, The Way I Am, Bitch Please II, Stan, Under the Influence, I'm Back, Criminal, Remember Me?

Least favourite songs: Public Service Announcement 2000, Paul, Steve Berman, Ken Kaniff (fuck skits)

4/5

This album is part of Bowie's glam period. Really weird, but good.

I like how Aladdin Sane was meant to be the American Ziggy, and was an anagram for " A Lad Insane", which was how he felt about his newfound fame surrounding the success of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. That being said, I think that the slamming on instruments section of the song Aladdin Sane was meant to represent someone losing their mind. Fuckin deep stuff.

This was the last album to feature his backing band: The Spiders From Mars too. I also find the cover art is such an iconic image of Bowie, with the lightning bolt makeup. This album partially suffered from directly following Ziggy Stardust and kinda got overshadowed by that fuckin smash of an album. Kinda in the same way Fleetwood Mac's Tusk was overshadowed by Rumours. This album was different, but still really solid!

Favourite songs: The Jean Genie, Let's Spend the Night Together, Watch That Man, Cracked Actor, Panic in Detroit, Time

Least favourite songs: Lady Grinning Soul

4/5

Really solid blues rock.

Favourite songs: It Ain't Right, Parchman Farm, Key to Love, Little Girl, Bernard Jenkins, Lonely Years, Double Crossin' Time, All Your Love, Ramblin' On My Mind, Steppin' Out

Least favourite songs: if forced to pick: What'd I Say

5/5

Today's album is like indie pop or operatic pop, similar to Michael Buble, Nick Drake, or Jeff Buckley. Not terrible, but you really have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Not a type of music that I would really gravitate to personally. But I get that the dude is talented, so I can understand him being included on this list.

Interesting side note for all Canadian's who were around in the 80's: Rufus' mother, Kate McGarrigle, was a member of the duo Kate & Anna McGarrigle with her sister. They famously sang the song Log Driver's Waltz, which was written by Wade Hemsworth, and featured on Canadian TV sets across the country through the 80's and 90's. His mother is actually featured on this album in the song 14th Street where she provides a banjo solo.

Favourite songs: Go or Go Ahead, 14th Street, Harvester of Hearts, Oh What a World, Movies of Myself

Least favourite songs: Pretty Things, Vicious World, Vibrate

3/5

Today's album is super early hip hop, like Grandmaster Flash or The Sugarhill Gang. This album is super important to the evolution of modern hip hop and rap. These songs have been sampled any times, and have influenced so many artists.

Interesting side note: Planet Rock (the song) features samples of Kraftwerk's song Trans-Europe Express. These aren't traditional samples, however, as DJ and producer Arthur Baker met with Afrika Bambaataa and decided that instead of just playing a recording of the Kraftwerk tune, they would recreate it. This was done without Kraftwerk's permission, so the band approached the record label, and got royalties awarded to them for sales of the single. Afrika's version of the song (Planet Rock) was sampled and featured in an episode of Trailer Park Boys (I've Met Cats and Dogs Smarter Than Trevor and Cory). In the episode, the boys open an illegal night club in the park. Cory and Trevor are put in, charge of promoting the club around town, and hand out flyers at a gay bar called The Empty Closet. This leads to J-Roc's Crib being full of dudes on opening night. This song is being mixed in the background on opening night. Sampling another artist without asking for permission sounds like another episode of Trailer Park Boys called Who's the Microphone Assassin where J-Roc bootlegs songs of rap artist Detroit Velvet Smooth and calls it "cross promotion". It's also interesting that Rage Against The Machine's song Renegades of Funk is a cover of an Afrika Bambaataa song. I had no idea.

This is a super solid album. Too bad Afrika Bambaataa is accused of sexually assaulting a bunch of kids.

Favourite songs: Planet Rock, Renegades of Funk, Who You Funkin' With?, Looking for the Perfect Beat, Frantic Situation

Least favourite songs: if forced to pick, They Made a Mistake

5/5

Today's album is like country folk, which has a genre title. It's called folkabilly, apparently. Pretty solid easy listening record. Nancy's like Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, or, in modern music, like Alison Krauss.

Favourite songs: St. Olav's Gate, Love's Found a Shoulder, Lookin' For the Time (Workin' Girl), Banks of The Pontchartrain, Love at the Five & Dime, More Than a Whisper, The Last of the True Believers, Goin' Gone, One of These Days, Fly By Night

Least favourite songs: The Wing & the Wheel

5/5

Favourite songs: Sympathy for the Devil, Stray Cat Blues, Parachute Woman, Street Fighting Man, No Expectations

Least favourite songs: Dear Doctor

3/5

Favourite songs: Everyday People, Sing a Simple Song, Stand!, I Want to Take You Higher, You Can Make It If You Try, Soul Clappin' II, My Brain (Zig Zag)

Least favourite songs: "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey"

4/5

Favourite songs: "Another Girl, Another Planet", No Peace For The Wicked

Least favourite songs: Breaking Down, It's The Truth, The Immortal Story

2/5

Not sure what to class this as.... Reminded me of Steve Winwood. It wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about

Favourite songs: Dealer, Dancing

Least favourite songs: Small Hours (nothing really happens, except some geese fly overhead...)

2/5

Today's album is Norwegian downbeat ambient electronica. Perfect call centre hold music. I've heard worse, but it's not great. It's electronica after all....

So Easy samples the song Blue on Blue by Bobby Vinton, which was featured in Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day. It plays after Mr. Lahey accidentally shaves part of Bubbles hair, and Bubbles is biking down to the animal shelter to see his kitties. One of my favourite scenes from the movie.

Favourite songs: So Easy, Sparks, Remind Me

Least favourite songs: A Higher Place

2/5

Korn has such a distinctive sound. I love how low Fieldy's bass is tuned, making that rattling noise from the strings slapping against the bass. And Jonathan Davis' weird vocal delivery. They encapsulate that whole nu metal movement that was massive in the late 90's - early 00's.

I remember my introduction to Korn. I bought a cd at ROW called Family Values '98. It was a live compilation album of a bunch of nu metal/rap artists who played the Family Values Tour. It had Incubus, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Orgy, Rammstein... and Korn on it. I remember my first listen to the cd I had no idea who Korn were. Jonathan Davis comes out on stage playing bagpipes, then they blast into Shoots and Ladders. It blew my mind. So weird and awesome. Not like anything I'd ever heard before. I went out and bought this album (Follow the Leader) after that. That was my skateboarding/JNCO jeans with chain wallets phase. I also distinctly remember after that seeing the music video for Freak on a Leash where the whole video follows a bullet as it flies through the air, going through vases and milk bottles and shit. It was awesome to a young teenager!

I also think listening to Korn kind of fed into my rebellious phase of life. Up to that point, mom had us so prim and proper. No swearing in the house, straight laced as can be. This album scratched that rebellious itch I had. Made me feel bad ass because they swore and played heavy music. As corny as Korn may have been (pun intended), this album, and the nu metal movement in general, is steeped in nostalgia for me. This music brings back so many great memories. It is hard to be objective when rating this album because of that.

Favourite songs: Got the Life, Freak on a Leash, B.B.K., Reclaim My Place, Children of the Korn, Dead Bodies Everywhere

Least favourite songs: All in the Family, Earache My Eye

4/5

Carole Baker is like a split between Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt. Her singing reminds me a lot of Joni, but her music is inviting like Linda. I find Joni's music is good, but ya gotta be in the right headspace to enjoy it. This music of Carole's just makes ya get into a good mood. It's so easy listening.

Favourite songs: I Feel The Earth Move, It's Too Late, Home Again, Smackwater Jack, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, So Far Away, Way Over Yonder

Least favourite songs: if forced to pick, Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

5/5

This is early 90's hip hop. It's a breath of fresh air in a time when Gangsta rap was ruling the scene, to have this solid, clean rap. This is hip hop that you could actually listen to in mixed company without fear of offense. SFW. Reminds me of A Tribe Called Quest

Favourite songs: Dawn of the Dreads, Give a Man a Fish, Fishin' 4 Religion, U, Mama's Always on Stage, People Everyday

Least favourite songs: Blues Happy

3/5

This is the second Mothers of Invention album that I've reviewed. If this is anything like the first record, it's going to be super weird. Judging by the album art (which features Frank Zappa in a dress), I feel like I am right.

There are a few call backs to their satirical Doo Wop musical stylings throughout the album. Also, portions of Concentration Moon sounds like it was sung by Petey the Sexual Harassment Panda from South Park.... So does Bow Tie Daddy. What's with the constant whispering throughout the whole record?? This whole record is a concept of sorts. It all runs together into one huge fucked up acid trip.

When they decide to play music, it's actually good, such as in the song "Harry, You're a Beast". But half way through, they record someone snoring for 30 seconds, then play the rest of the song backwards. Clearly, as I said in my review of the first Mothers of Invention album I reviewed (Freak Out!), all of the drugs were consumed during the recording of this album. ALL OF THEM!!!

Favourite songs: Let's Make The Water Turn Black, Absolutely Free, Lonely Little Girl

Least favourite songs: Are You Hung Up?, Telephone Conversation, Hot Poop (fuck skits), Nasal Retentive Calliope Music, The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny (just noises and static).

2/5. I wasn't nearly high enough for that!!

Today's album is like shitty Destinys Child, and literally every second song on the record is an interview with a different woman who talks about how they control their relationships because they have the pussy or they only have time for rich men. Shallow music for shallow bitches is what this is. Not sure why this generic R&B is on this list. Sounds like every other over produced pop star making "music" today.

Favourite songs: Put it Down, Price Tags

Least favourite songs: Antoinette's Tale, Ari's Tale, Donna's Tale, Rashida's Tale, Precious' Tale, Amanda's Tale (fuck skits)

2/5

Favourite songs: The Distance From Her to There, Up With People, The Old Gold Shoe

Least favourite songs: Petrified Florist

3/5

Favourite songs: Cinnamon Girl, Cowgirl in the Sand, Down By The River, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Least favourite songs: Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets)

4/5

Fuck yes! This album is phenomenal! Hard to Handle, Jealous Again, She Talks to Angels, Twice As Hard.... Fuckin love me some Black Crowes! The even crazier thing is that this was a debut album. It hits hard for a first album!! That kinda cohesion on a first album is super rare! Every fucking song is gold. Even the lesser known songs are certifiable bangers. Blues rock at its finest right here! This has to be one of the best debut albums I've ever listened to. Easily top 10!

Favourite songs: She Talks To Angels, Hard To Handle, Twice As Hard, Jealous Again, Struttin' Blues, Thick N' Thin, Stare It Cold, Sister Luck, Could I've Been So Blind, Seeing Things

Least favourite songs: none

5/5