Reviews by forestfly2009

Today's album takes a hard look at the state of America for the African American population in the 70's (rampant racism, poverty, crime) and puts it on display. Sadly, many of the issues brought up on this record still ring true today. Even the album cover tells a story. African Americans standing in a poverty line, being overshadowed by a large billboard which depicts a happy white family.

This album is much more stripped down than the Curtis Mayfield that I'm used to. It isn't the fast paced, danceable music that was featured on albums such as Superfly. This is much more reserved, and dark. It is very similar to Marvin Gaye's album What's Going On.

This album starts with the song Billy Jack, which has some amazing bass grooves throughout.

Overall, a very different, but very culturally important album today. It is super heavy, and hard to digest, so I don't see myself listening to it much in the future, however the message is super important, and I'm glad I listened to it today.

Favourite songs: Billy Jack, Jesus, Love to the People

Least favourite songs: So In Love

3/5

Before today I'd never heard of the Dictators. They are an early punk band who sound quite a bit like New York Dolls, with the farcical attitude of Turbonegro. Apparently, one of their guitarists, Ross "the Boss" Funichello went on to join Manowar after the band went on a hiatus. There was also, in their early days, a member of the band "Handsome Dick Manitoba" whose sole role was to be the band's mascot (he is seen on the cover of this album).

Overall, an excellent album! I really like how the band doesn't take themselves too seriously. The foundations of what these guys were doing would go on to facilitate the formation of punk. These guys just didn't catch their break like New York Dolls or the Ramones because of a few failed record company deals. They would always remain an underground favourite, and they gained a new fan today!

Favourite songs: (I Live For) Cars and Girls, California Sun, I Got You Babe, Two Tub Man, Back to Africa, Weekend

Least favourite songs: Master Race Rock

5/5

I am very familiar with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, as well as Tom's solo stuff. This is his only album included on this list. That's crazy, Full Moon Fever is his best album. Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down, Yer So Bad, Love Is a Long Road, Runnin' Down a Dream, The Apartment Song, Zombie Zoo..... That album is a fuckin hit machine. I don't understand this generator sometimes. Utter trash like Pere Ubu or The Jesus and Mary Chain get a couple albums, but someone as huge and influential as Tom Petty only gets one, and one of his weaker albums at that. Don't get me wrong, this album is fantastic (Breakdown, and American Girl are huge hits), but it just goes to show how hard this generator is skewed to obscure British garbage.

Favourite songs: American Girl, Breakdown, Strangered In The Night, Hometown Blues, Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll

Least favourite songs: Rockin' Around (With You)

5/5

Before today, I'd never heard of Todd Rundgren before. Todd's type of music is pop rock with some psychadelic elements to it. It's like the Eagles crossed with Jefferson Starship. Nice easy listening.

Something impressive about this album is that Todd produced it and played all the instruments on 3/4 of this record himself. That takes a lot of talent. Apparently after this album, he focused heavier on the psychadelic elements of his music, but this stuff is super chill.

This album would be excellent as background music while doing work or sitting back and enjoying a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning.

There are a lot of different things going on with this album. Everything from psychadelic rock to blues rock to pop. Even a few live numbers at the end of the record.

Overall, an excellent album today. I enjoyed the genre changes throughout the album. Given the fact that this was a double album clocking in at 1hr 30mins, the constant changing kept it fresh. I will definately listen again!

Favourite songs: Wolfman Jack, Slut, Piss Aaron, Messin' With The Kid, It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference, Couldn't I Just Tell You, Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me, I Saw The Light, Cold Morning Light, Black Maria, Hello It's Me, You Left Me Sore

Least favourite songs: I Went to the Mirror, Breathless, Marlene, Money (That's What I Want)

4/5

Favourite songs: Cry to Me, Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye), You're Good For Me, If You Need Me, Beautiful Brown Eyes, He'll Have to Go

Least favourite songs: Someone to Love Me

4/5

Cee-Lo Green is a modern day hip hop/R&B artist, which is fine, but Cee-Lo sounds like an Oompa Loompa with his high ass voice. His only song I'm familiar with isn't on this record, but is called "Fuck You". That song is an earworm, and I spent the whole day today humming the tune to it, and wishing it was on this album.

It's kinda funny to listen to someone who sounds like they huffed helium sing about being strapped with Glocks and doing drive by's. I feel like Cee-Lo is trying to be gangsta rap, but he is just too soft. There shouldn't be a connection between self acclaimed soul singers and gangsta rap. Those are two very different spectrums. To be honest, I enjoyed the songs that featured other artists more than any of Cee-Lo's solo stuff on this album.

Overall, not bad, but not great. It felt like it was missing something, but I can't put my finger on what that is. This album also overstayed its welcome, coming in at over an hour in length and consisting of 16 songs (plus an intro and an outro). I wouldn't race out to listen to this album again any time soon. I had a hard time getting through it once today.

Favourite songs: Scrap Metal, Childz Play, The One, I'll Be Around

Least favourite songs: Sometimes, I Am Selling Soul, Let's Stay Together

2/5

Today's Bowie album is one of his Berlin Trilogy where he went to Germany to clean the drugs out of his system and ended up making 3 records in as many years, plus helped Iggy Pop make 2 in the same timeframe. It's a solid album. The only thing I don't like is the scent of fucking Brian Eno all over this record with his off tempo spacey horseshit. I feel it takes away from an otherwise great album.

Overall, not my favourite Bowie album. I knew nothing on this one, and didn't care to. I can't see myself seeking this album out again. Bowie is great, just this album kind of sucks. I blame Eno.

Favourite songs: Sound and Vision, Be My Wife, Speed of Life

Least favourite songs: Warszawa, Weeping Wall

2/5

This is my second Elvis album reviewed on this generator. Just like my first review (Elvis is Back!) this one takes place prior to Elvis selling his soul to Las Vegas. Before he became a circus act with all the hair and hip gyrating his music was quite good. He is known as the king of rock 'n' roll for a reason.

Going into this listen I only knew a few songs on this album (Blue Suede Shoes and Tutti Frutti), both of which are excellent songs! There were a lot more fantastic songs on this album though.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed today's album. It being Elvis' debut album, there were no simplistic theatrics to his performance. It was just him and his backing band playing good ol rock 'n' roll and blues music. I would definately listen again. The only thing I am not a fan of is his moany slow songs. All of his upbeat stuff though is gold.

Favourite songs: Blue Suede Shoes, Money Honey, Tutti Frutti, One-Sided Love Affair, Just Because, I Got A Woman, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)

Least favourite songs: I Love You Because, Blue Moon - Take 9/M

4/5

Today's album is a golden one! R.E.M. are an alt rock/post punk band from the United States. In the 80's, these guys were trailblazers for the genre of alt rock. Interestingly, I reviewed a Husker Du album last week, and they were another trendsetter for the genre. R.E.M. made it big, Husker Du remained a cult favourite.

Michael Stipe's strange cryptic lyrics blend seamlessly into the folkish musical accompaniment. Apparently this album was the first to include mandolin, making this one closer to folk rock than its predecessors. Stand, Orange Crush, and Pop Song 89 were all radio favourites, and are phenomenal songs. These alone are enough to warrant a 5 star rating. There isn't a dud on this record at all.

Overall, an amazing rock record. I've listened to it many times before, and will continue to. I've had R.E.M. on shuffle all day now!

Favourite songs: Orange Crush, Stand, Pop Song 89, Turn You Inside-Out, World Leader Pretend, Untitled, You Are The Everything, I Remember California, Get Up

Least favourite songs: Hairshirt

5/5

Today's album is by The Streets, who is a British rapper. The music wasn't bad, but his lyrics were very simplistic. If you listened to someone in Grade 5 rap, that'd be the same level as this guy. Not to say that it's bad, it's just the kind of rap that someone who is just discovering rap would like, or its like... Bible camp Rap.... Super clean. At least there isn't N bombs dropped every 10 Seconds though, so that's a positive.

The whole record is a concept album. It starts with some lad misplacing $1000.... He then meets a chick, they date, they break up, he gets fucked up on pills, later on the album ends with him finding his money behind the tv. A really weird concept, but not bad. This guy is cockney as hell too, which makes him hard to understand by times.

Overall, not a bad album, just not the hard, fast Gangsta rap that I'm used to on this side of the pond. This stuff, as I said, is cleaner and softer. I'd listen again, but nothing really jumped out at me upon first listen.

Favourite songs: Fit But You Know It, Not Addicted

Least favourite songs: It Was Supposed to Be So Easy

3/5

Today's record was the third by Bruce Springsteen that I've gotten so far in this generator (the first two being Born to Run and Nebraska), so apparently we are going in some semblance of chronological order. This record came right after Nebraska, and marked a genre shift to radio friendly pop rock.

This album was a hit machine, with seven singles released out of the twelve songs on the record. Songs such as Glory Days, Born in the U.S.A, and Dancing in the Dark became classics, and are among Bruce's most well known works.

Overall, this was a fantastic album today. All killer, no filler. I enjoyed it so much, I listened to it twice. I will absolutely listen again.

Favourite songs: Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark, Born in the U.S.A., I'm Goin' Down, Cover Me, Working on the Highway, Downbound Train, Bobby Jean, Darlington County, I'm On Fire, My Hometown

Least favourite songs: No Surrender

5/5

LEMMY!!! I love me some Motorhead!! I've listened to this album many times before, and can't wait to listen again!

Motorhead are credited with influencing speed metal and thrash metal. They were on the forefront of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late 70's - early 80's, and helped breathe life into a dying genre. Lemmy's coarse, gravelly voice helped push the hard and heavy feel of their music. Motorhead were also known to play super loud at their live shows, with Lemmy's phenomenal bass guitar taking a front seat, and hitting you right in the chest with sound!

Ace of Spades takes me back to my first year of university every time I hear it. I had a dorm-mate who would start his Friday night drinking escapades every week by blasting Motorhead and shotgunning a beer! I feel like Lemmy would be proud!!

The themes sung about on this record are a bit risque, but that epidimizes Motorhead's persona. They sang about substance abuse, promiscuous sex, and good VS evil.

Overall, a phenomenal album today. An instant 5 stars. I didn't even have to listen to it again to assign it that grade! It is just such an awesome album, and is very influential to the droves of acts that came after it!

Favourite songs: Ace of Spades, (We Are) The Roadcrew, The Hammer, The Chase is Better Than the Catch, Shoot You in the Back, Live to Win, Fast and Loose, Dance, Dirty Love, Love Me Like a Reptile, Jailbait, Bite the Bullet

Least favourite songs: Fire Fire

5/5

Today's album is a 60's psychadelic rock record. The Electric Prunes sound like a shittier Sgt. Peppers era Beatles band.

The first half of this album wasn't great, but it is backloaded with a few interesting numbers on the back half of the record. There were a few songs that sounded like they belonged at a renessance fair (The King is in the Counting House, The Toonerville Trolley)

Overall, nothing spectacular about this album. Just more generic 60's psychadelica. There was nothing that set this album apart from the droves of other similar artists that sprung up at the back end of the 60's.

Favourite songs: Try Me On For Size, Get Me to the World On Time, Luvin'

Least favourite songs: Onie, Sold to the Highest Bidder

2/5

I'd never heard of Husker Du before today. They sound like an alternative rock/punk rock band, that is like a shittier REM. After doing some research, I learned that Husker Du and REM were the two post punk bands of the 80's that changed the direction of rock music. REM became a superstar band, Husker Du never broke through to become any more than a cult favourite.

The first thing that struck me when listening to this album was how everything sounds overdriven, and kind of buries the singer under layers of distortion. For most of the album, I found I had no idea what the singer was even saying, so this review is largely based on the music moreso than the lyrics.

This album is a bit front loaded. After the song She Floated Away, the album became a bit bland. Not bad, but not as good as the first half of the record.

Overall, not a bad album. Nothing to write home about, but if it was on I wouldn't rush to change it at all. I don't think it had to be a double album. It kind of overstays it's welcome in that regard.

Favourite songs: Ice Cold Ice, She Floated Away, These Important Years, Visionary, Standing in the Rain, Could You Be The One?, Too Much Spice, "Friend, You've Got To Fall",

Least favourite songs: Bed of Nails

3/5

This was my second album by Dusty Springfield in this generator. This is her debut album. Apparently, prior to this, she was a member of the band The Lana Sisters. After she left that band, she started the band The Springfields with her brother. While touring the US in the early 60's, she was exposed to soul music, and decided decided to try a solo career, where her desire to sing these styles of music wasn't so limited.

I can't hear the song Mockingbird without thinking of Dumb and Dumber now. Her first hit single from this album was I Only Want To Be With You. This song was recorded while she was still a member of The Springfields, and was released one week after their final tour.

Overall, not her best work, but a great album when you consider that it was her debut. Her voice is beautiful, and her country/folk stylings are perfect for a quiet morning listen.

Favourite songs: I Only Want To Be With You, Mama Said, Don't You Know, You Don't Own Me, Every Day I Have To Cry, Can I Get A Witness, Do Re Mi, Wishin' and Hopin'

Least favourite songs: My Colouring Book, I Wish I'd Never Loved You

4/5

Today's album is my first disco album that I've gotten on this generator. CHIC have those disco staples Good Times, and Le Freak. Good Times was actually the first song on this record, so it started on a high note!

This was a relatively average album. Nothing too spectacular, and nothing horrible either. One thing I did find was a few songs overstayed their welcome. For example, if Good Times was a few minutes shorter, I would have enjoyed it more. One super solid aspect of the record was the bassist, Bernard Edwards. He is definately putting in work on this one!! The music is super funky with just the right amount of soul. They have the recipe for making music that makes you want to move.

Overall, not bad, perfectly average. I listened twice today.

Favourite songs: Good Times, My Forbidden Lover

Least favourite songs: Can't Stand to Love You

3/5

Today's album is by Scottish new wave/post punk band Orange Juice. I hadn't heard of them before today, but given the failure of every other Scottish band on this list so far to make a good album, I wasn't holding out hope that this would be any different.

Orange Juice, however, turned out to be very different. Unlike the ungodly bleak and depressing drivel of all the other Scottish bands, these guys sound like Dollar Store David Bowie mixed with Talking Heads. There is also a few songs in which Zimbabwean drummer, Zeke Manyika, had a singing role (A Million Pleading Faces, Hokoyo). In these songs, I can hear influences from Fela Kuti.

Overall, a surprisingly good album today. One I'd never have stumbled on on my own. I enjoyed it so much, I listened to it twice. Not much made it stand out from the droves of similar music that came out around the same time though. It was perfectly average.

Favourite songs: A Million Pleading Faces, I Can't Help Myself, Flesh of My Flesh

Least favourite songs: Mud In Your Eye

3/5

I waited 52 minutes, and nothing of note happened on this record. At all. This has to be the most boring album I've listened to thus far.

Solange is apparently Beyonce's sister, and was a background dancer in Destiny's Child before she broke off and did her own thing. Solange has a beautiful voice, but the simplistic musical accompaniment (just keyboard, drum machine, and sometimes bass) just renders this album so bland. The message pushed through the interludes is powerful as hell, and should be heard, but dear Jesus, don't lull me into a trance, inject some energy into your music ffs.

This style of music is stripped down pop teetering on R&B, which could be another thing working against it for me (I don't really like R&B music).

Overall, it was such a boring record. I hope never to have to listen to it again. Time to go listen to a record with a fucking pulse.

Favourite songs: Mad... I guess??

Least favourite songs: F.U.B.U, plus all the interludes (why was this a thing with hip hop /pop records?)... And other songs, but I was so bored, I didn't catch the name of them.

2/5

Before today, the only Lorde song I knew was Royals. Lorde is a electropop/art pop singer from New Zealand. This is her second studio album.

Lorde sounds like a shittier version of Adele, with less talent, and a more synthesizers. I don't know what it was about this album, but I just found it boring. Nothing exciting happened at all, and I feel like I spent the whole time waiting for something to.

Overall, not bad, she is definately talented, it was just so bland. Not my favourite style of music. I don't understand the appeal of this new pop music.

Favourite songs: Homemade Dynamite, Supercut, Green Light, Perfect Places, Liability (Reprise)

Least favourite songs: The Louvre

3/5

This is the second studio album by Beastie Boys that I've reviewed on this album generator. Right out of the gate, Rhymin & Stealin samples Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf as well as Led Zeppelin's When the Levee Breaks. The ability to mix heavy metal with hip hop beats and lyrics shows insane talent!!

Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn are both absolute bangers! This album is so legendary!

Overall, a fantastic album today. I will absolutely listen again.

Favourite songs: Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Rhymin & Stealin, She's Crafty, Posse in Effect, Slow Ride, "Hold It Now, Hit It", Slow and Low, Time to Get Ill

Least favourite songs: The New Style, Brass Monkey

5/5