Reviews by forestfly2009

This will be my second album review that features Brian Wilson, the first being his solo album, "Smile" . That album was apparently supposed to be released by The Beach Boys, and build on what they started with Pet Sounds. That didn't end up happening, however, becuase Brian took ~30 years off to get his mental health in check.

This album marks a departure from the "surfer rock" style of music that The Beach Boys popularized. The musical themes went from girls, cars, and surfing in prior albums, to the alienation and loneliness that Brian was feeling while writing this album (he had already stopped touring with the band because of the stresses of being on the road).

This is considered by many to be one of the first concept albums, having a similar theme, and dialog through the whole album. This was also the first album in which the Beach Boys didn't play instruments. The instrumentals were provided by session musicians The Wrecking Crew. Brian also included the super psychadelic aspects of "found sound" such as using pet noises (dogs barking), soda cans rattling, horns, theramins, bells, etc.

The rest of the band didn't really agree with the direction that Brian was taking the band, but allowed him to create this album anyways, which didn't do as well as the rest of their stuff up to this point (probably because the public wanted more of the same surfer rock they came to love). The only real similarity that this album shares to any of their prior works is the harmonizing vocals.

Overall, a weird album, but I can see how it was influential at the time. I am just not a Beach Boys fan. I thought my favourite song was going to be the well known "Wouldn't It Be Nice", but "Sloop John B" is a great song that I hadn't heard before. I probably won't seek this out in the future, but understand it's inclusion on the list.

Favourite songs: Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Here Today

Least favourite songs: "Caroline, No", You Still Believe In Me, Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder), I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

3/5

This is the second album I've reviewed by Arcade Fire in this generator. The first one was The Suburbs. Of the two, this one is my favorite. Arcade Fire are a Canadian indie rock band from Quebec.

Overall, not a bad album. I'm not a huge fan of indie music, so I wouldn't rush out to buy this, but I didn't immediately want to shut it off either. A fairly average album.

Favourite songs: Rebellion (Lies), Wake Up, Neighborhood #3 (Power Out), Une Annee Sans Lumiere

Least favourite songs: In the Backseat, Crown of Love

3/5

Jesus, who thought it was a good idea to include this horseshit on a list of 1001 essential albums? This is truly awful.

This sounds like Dollar Store brand Stone Roses. One good song does not, a good album make. There She Goes is a classic song, but the rest of this album is awful. Generic alternative/pop rock from the 90's. The one good thing about it is most songs are only 2-3 minutes long.

This generator seems to be weighted heavily to shit British bands. Overall, a horrible album that I can't wait to forget. No redeeming qualities.

Favourite songs: There She Goes, Doledrum, I.O.U.

Least favourite songs: Looking Glass, All By Myself, Failure, Freedom Song, Feelin'

1/5 (1 point for the only song worth talking about, There She Goes).

Today I get to listen to another record with a song that I know from playing Guitar Hero 3, this time Knights of Cydonia. I am vaguely familiar with some more of Muse's music, but haven't really delved into much of their stuff before.

Muse are a chamber rock/space rock/alternative rock band from Britain. Really, my first time hearing any of their stuff may have been while playing Guitar Hero 3. After that, with the release of their album The Resistance, I got to hear, and really enjoyed Uprising.

Their sound is full of fuzzy, sludgy guitars, a hell of a lot of feedback, heavy bass, and soaring vocals courtesy of Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme. The fact that they could make this kind of sound as a three piece band is epic, and the harmonizing of the two singers is otherworldly. There are themes of political corruption, revolution, and alien invasion on this record. Revolution seems to be a hot topic with these guys.

Overall, a fairly good modern rock album. I'm glad I listened to more Muse today, there were definately some bangers in here that haven't got a lot of airplay (Assassin/Take a Bow). I will definately listen more in the future.

Favourite songs: Knights of Cydonia, Assassin, Exo-Politics, Take a Bow, Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight, Map of the Problematique

Least favourite songs: Soldier's Poem, Hoodoo

4/5

Before today, I'd heard of Kraftwerk, but never listened to any of their stuff before. I despise electronica music, so I never had a reason to listen before today. We will see how this goes.

These guys were pioneers of electronica as well as industrial (you can hear their influence when you listen to bands like Rammstein). This is weird, but impressive given what they did with the lack of technology in 1974.

Electronica today is just some talentless moron standing behind a Macbook pushing buttons. These guys fooled around with synthesizers and other electronics to get the noises they wanted, then cut and spliced tape to make it flow so fluidly. That's a fuck ton of work. Props to them for that.

Overall, I still hate electronica, but can recognize the talent on this record. I will probably never listen again, but it is interesting to hear the beginnings of a new genre.

Favourite songs: Autobahn (even though it was 22 minutes long, it was a song. The rest of the record was just noise)

Least favourite song: Kometenmelodie 1

3/5

This is my second album by Courtney Love's band, Hole. This is their third, and last studio album before breaking up in 2002. This was the only album to feature bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. Even though Patty Schemel played drums in the demos, she was replaced by session drummer, Deen Castronovo, for the recording sessions. This was the first appearances of a creative rift forming between members of the band. Record producer, Michael Beinhorn convinced Courtney to drop the heavy, gloomy grunge sound for a more upbeat, pop rock sound. Grunge was dying, and Michael felt that appealing to the larger, and hugely popular pop rock audience would help the band gain notoriety. Many of Hole's fans saw this as a sell out, however, and this ended up hurting the band in the long run.

Of the two albums that I reviewed by this band, this is my least favorite. I am not particularly a Hole fan, but I am familiar with their hits. Celebrity Skin is the clear star on this album. I remember hearing it on the video game Rock Band). I think my issue with this album is indeed the feeling of selling out that I got while listening to it, and comparing it to the older "Live Through This".

Overall, not a terrible album, just kind of disappointing in the grand scheme of things. I don't think I would necessarily shut this record off if it was playing, but I wouldn't seek it out either.

Favourite songs: Celebrity Skin, Use Once & Destroy, Malibu, Northern Star, Awful

Least favourite songs: Dying

3/5

I'd never heard of Bill Callahan before today. The genre is classed as country, but that isn't the genre I heard upon listening to the album. Wikipedia has it classed more as apocalyptic folk, or doom country... Sounds like they are making up genres, but it does fit better in these categories than just straight "country". This type of music reminds me a lot of Nick Cave's more folk oriented albums.

Bill's deep, slow vocal delivery brings with it feelings of gloom and despair. His phenomenal, poetic lyrics really drive these feelings home. He has a philosophical quality to his music. A few examples of deep lyrics include:

1) From the song Eid Ma Clack Shaw (about the death of someone close to him) :

Love is the king of the beasts,
And when it gets hungry it must kill to eat

2) From the song All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast (The eagle is depression and anxiety, and when he shows up all the smaller birds (good thoughts) fly off):

The leafless tree looked like a brain,
The birds within were all the thoughts and desires within me,
Hoppin' around from branch to branch,
Or snug in their nests listenin' in,
An eagle came over the horizon,
And shook the branches with its sight,
The softer thoughts: Starlings, finches and wrens,
The softer thoughts, they all took flight

Overall, this was an amazingly deep album which was a lot to digest. Thankfully, none of the songs overstay their welcome. I listened to it twice today: once for the lyrics, and the second time for the musical accompaniment. An absolute classic of a record. I will definately listen again. I will say, you have to be in a gold head space in order to enjoy this record. It is very heavy and dark, but if you are open to it, it is absolutely beautiful.

Favourite songs: My Friend, Rococo Zephyr, Too Many Birds, Jim Cain, All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast, Eid Ma Clack Shaw

Least favourite songs: Invocation of Ratiocination

5/5

This is my second Beck album in this generator (the first being his album Odelay, which was released 6 years prior to this one). This album has a much more intimate feel to it, with it being mostly acoustic with the addition of some keys and strings here and there. The reason this one is so stripped down is because Beck had recently broken up with his long time girlfriend, and this was his way of healing from that heartache.

The pain and suffering of heartbreak, and depression can be heard all through this album, and made this record really surprising to me (I was expecting the hip hop/alternative rock stylings that I heard in Odelay). The one similarity was Beck's ability to take largely nonsensical lyrics and make them paint a beautiful tapestry for the listener.

Overall, another excellent Beck record. This is another side of him that I didn't know about, but I'm glad I discovered.

Favourite songs: The Golden Age, Sunday Sun, Lost Cause, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Already Dead

Least favourite songs: Round the Bend

4/5

I knew I had heard of Pretenders before today, but none of the songs on this album looked familiar. Upon listening, the song I knew was Brass in Pocket. Pretenders are a new wave band from UK/America. I have a history of not particularly enjoying new wave, so signs aren't looking good for this record.

Sure enough, I wasn't particularly a fan of the pop style guitar playing, weird time signatures, and nonsensical lyrics (and also that washed out 80's pop sound that was done to death by so many other one hit wonder bands of the era).

Overall, kind of bland. Not bad, but not my favourite. I wouldn't rush out and buy this record. I can't see myself wanting to listen again. Walmart brand 80's pop punk.

Favourite songs: Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement, Tattooed Love Boys, Lovers of Today, Precious

Least favourite songs: Private Life, The Wait, Stop Your Sobbing

3/5

This is John Lennon's debut solo album after the break-up of the Beatles. At the time, he had been going through some primal scream therapy with his psychiatrist to help work through some childhood trauma. You can really hear it through the lyrics on this record (especially the song Well Well Well where he is almost sacrificing his vocal chords for his screams). The themes of this record include childhood abandonment (Mother), and psychological pain. The song God is almost a farewell letter to the John Lennon everyone knew from the Beatles, and hello to a new John Lennon.

This album was mostly performed in a 3 piece band format, featuring Lennon on guitar and vocals, Ringo Starr on drums, and Klaus Voormann on bass (this is apparently the artist who drew the cover art for the Beatles record, Revolver). The song Love features Phil Spector on piano. Phil also had a hand in producing the record along with John and Yoko.

Upon seeing the title of the record, I was scared that it was going to feature the awful moaning of Yoko Ono, but thankfully, it did not. Apparently John and Yoko both released a record in 1970 named Plastic Ono Band; how cute. I'd rather listen to pigeons fuck than listen to Yoko Ono. I also had a preconceived notion that I would hate this record because it was John Lennon (the only Lennon solo songs I knew are Happy Xmas (War is Over) and Imagine, and I don't care for either one) but this was so much more than that. There was a lot going on with this record, and I really enjoyed it.

Overall, I was very surprised with today's album. It is beautiful. Lennon laid his heart out on tape, and it really comes through. I will definately listen again.

Favourite songs: Well Well Well, I Found Out, Hold On, Mother, Working Class Hero

Least favourite songs: Isolation, Remember, Love

4/5

Before today, I'd only knew Common through his acting career (Elam in Hell on Wheels, and Cassian in John Wick). I was aware that he had a rap career, just never took the time to delve into it before.

This is his 6th studio album, and was produced largely by Kanye West, who was featured in a few songs along with appearances by Lost Prophets, and John Legend. This style of rap more closely resembles John Legend's R&B/jazz style of music than it does traditional rap/hip hop. It is as if an R&B singer decided to rap their lyrics instead of sing them. It makes the music much more digestable, especially to someone who isn't deeply invested in the whole rap game. Common's lyrics are intelligent, and he doesn't rely heavily on throwing N-Bombs around to make his point, he does it through his vibrant story telling.

Overall, a really refreshing rap album that you wouldn't be opposed to playing in mixed company. I will definately add it to my regular rotation. I enjoyed it so much, I listened to it twice today.

Favourite songs: Be (Intro), The Corner, Testify, They Say, The Food, Chi-City, Real People, Faithful, It's Your World (Parts 1 & 2), GO!

Least favourite songs: Love Is...

4/5

I first heard of Blue Cheer in a documentary titled Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. They were identified as the first "heavy metal" band. Their music was the beginnings of a tangent away from psychadelic rock and blues rock of the 60's, and the start of a heavier, fuzzier, overdriven heavy metal style. Apparently, they also played their music super, super loud, which is metal AF.

This is the first time I've ever listened to anything of theirs with the exception of Summertime Blues. The vocals were yelled more than sang, the instruments were thrashed upon, and there wasn't a hell of a lot of talent aside from knowing blues scales, but this was a hell of a record all the same.

Overall, this was revolutionary. These guys were way ahead of their time! Shortly after this came out, Black Sabbath started doing their thing, and the rest is history. Although this wasn't my favourite album, it is a piece of history, so points for that!

Favourite songs: Summertime Blues, Rock Me Baby, Parchment Farm, Out of Focus, Doctor Please

Least favourite songs: Second Time Around

3/5

The Slits are listed as post punk/reggae.... Oh no. 3 guesses as to why an all female band would be called The Slits....

This was really just noise. Uninspired, jangly horseshit. I don't know what the singer is doing with her voice when she does that warbly twittering, but she sounds like that gangly Russian dick from Vitas when he's singing that song The 7th Element.

I think they glued a speaker to the fucking hi-hat for the song Spend, Spend, Spend, because the crashing drum noises in that song in particular were deafening.

I'm quickly realizing that I hate post punk. All of it is just noise. Nothing was influenced by this garbage. The only song that was listenable on this piece of shit was a cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. I even listened to the album twice trying to see the appeal, and all I found was a headache. Can't wait to forget this trash.

Favourite songs: I Heard It Through The Grapevine.... I guess

Least favourite songs: "Spend, Spend, Spend", So Tough, Newtown, Love Und Romance, Liebe and Romanze

1/5

My God, Limp Bizkit. This takes me back to middle school. I can remember being a rebellious youth, and thinking the song Hot Dog was great because Fred Durst says the word "fuck" 48 times in the song's 3:30 runtime.

This rap rock/Nu Metal movement that occurred in the late 90's - early 00's was crazy. You can see a bunch of these bands if you watch reruns of Woodstock '99. Fred Durst was actually blamed for instigating a riot during that festival by singing their song "Break Stuff" to an audience of pissed off young people.

I can distinctly remember listening to Limp Bizkit's previous album, Significant Other more than this one, however, this album had its share of hits: Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle), My Way, My Generation, and Take a Look Around to name a few.

Fred Durst's lyrics are corny as hell, but the energy conveyed through his angry lyrics and heavy instrumentation made for one hell of a "pump up" album.

This is another one of those albums that is deep rooted in nostalgia for me, so it is hard for me to give an objective opinion on this record. I always felt that liking Limp Bizkit was a guilty pleasure. I get that they are cheesy, and dated, but I still can't deny that the music got my head bobbing a few times.

I listened to the record twice today to try and separate nostalgia from fact, but couldn't do it. If nothing else, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Will probably listen again.

Favourite songs: Take a Look Around, Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle), My Generation, My Way, Full Nelson, Get Your Groove On (Dirt Road Mix), Rollin' (Urban Assult Vehicle), Hot Dog

Least favourite songs: The One, Hold On, Outro (I don't need to listen to a looped track of someone laughing for 4 minutes)

4/5

This is my second Black Sabbath album reviewed on this generator, and I am quite looking forward to it. I immediately recognized the album cover, but am only really familiar with the song Snowblind (which I didn't realize until today is about cocaine). This was also supposed to be the title of this album, but publishers didn't like it because of the link to drugs, so Volume 4 was the next choice (as this is their 4th album).

It was with this album that the effects of excessive drug use begin to appear. There are aspects of doom rock, psychadelic rock, and heavy blues rock throughout this album.

Some amusing stories from the recording sessions include:

Apparently, while they were in the studio recording this record, they would get SPEAKER BOXES FULL OF COCAINE delivered to them. Picture that. How small is the smallest speaker, like 12" x 12" starter amps? That's a lot of blow!

Also, apparently during the recording of this record, the band went to the theatre to watch The French Connection, and Ozzy had to leave because he was strung out on coke and thought Gene Hackman was after him.

Furthermore, their cocaine was laced with baby laxitives, which probably doesn't do much when you inhale it, however, there was a Doberman that lived at the recording studio. It ate a bunch of cocaine and took the shits. So they just had a coked up dog with the shits roaming around tripping balls.

Final story: Bill Ward was worried that he was going to be fired because he was having trouble getting the time changes in the song Cornucopia right, so he is just sitting in a room dabbling on drums high as shit and drunk. He ends up passing out, and the band spray paints his entire body gold, and Bill almost dies.

What a wild time to be alive the 70's were. Black Sabbath epitomized the rock and roll mantra: sex, drugs, and Rock and roll!

Overall, a phenomenal, and largely slept on album. Supernaut is a fucking epic song. There is no doubt that this album belongs on this list. It helped pave the way for heavy metal bands that came later. My first time listening to this album in its entirety today. I enjoyed it so much, I listened to it twice. I will absolutely listen again!

Favourite songs: Supernaut, Snowblind, Changes, St. Vitus Dance, Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener, Tomorrow's Dream

Least favourite song: FX

5/5

Before today, I'd never heard of Love. They are a psychadelic folk rock band from the 60's. They sound similar to Sgt. Pepper era Beatles or the Doors.

I must admit that at the first of my listening session today I didn't really get what I was listening to. By the fourth song, however, I was starting to warm up to the sound. Apparently this album was made at the first of the bands experimentation with heroin and LSD. Sometimes when an artist is too strung out, I find the musical direction difficult to follow. The album art is really cool and trippy.

Overall, a fairly good record. Nothing really jumped out at me, and I don't feel compelled to relisten any time soon. I wouldn't be opposed to listening again however. Perfectly average.

Favourite songs: Live and Let Live, Alone Again Or, A House is Not a Motel, Bummer in the Summer, The Daily Planet, Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale

Least favourite songs: The Red Telephone, Old Man

3/5

This is the second Van Halen album that I've gotten in this exercise. The first one I reviewed was their self titled debut. This album is their sixth, and was released, as the album title suggests, in 1984 (6 years after their debut album). This is the band's last record with singer David Lee Roth, and it is the first to heavily feature synthesizers. It may be a product of the 80's, or their attempt to appeal to a wider audience, but this album felt softer than their debut.

A similarity to their debut album is their cheesy lyrics that are about mysogeny, alcohol, partying, and teenage angst. As corny as it is, it still slaps! The drum solo at the beginning of Hot for Teacher is absolutely flawless, coming in at 256bpm. Alex Van Halen was on fire!! He is a super underrated drummer!

Overall, a great album today. Definately front loaded with Jump and Panama back to back, but not as strong a record as their debut album. That won't stop me from listening again, however.

Favourite songs: Hot for Teacher, Panama, Jump, I'll Wait

Least favourite song: Top Jimmy

4/5

This was a 5 star album before I even listened to a song this morning. I am very familiar with Johnny Cash's music, and this album in particular.

The story around how this live performance came to be is a great one. Johnny had finally dealt with his drug and alcohol abuse problems, and was cleaning up his act. He settled down, and married June Carter, and finally started taking control of his music career again. In 1965 he decided that he wanted to finally play a live show at a prison (this idea had been floating around in his head since he released Folsom Prison Blues in 1955). His record label at the time wouldn't hear of it, but in 1967, his manager changed, and Bob Johnston was all for putting a show on for the inmates of Folsom Prison. Johnny rounded up June Carter, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three and proceeded to put on two shows for the inmates (most of what is featured on this record is from the first show, except for 2 songs which are from the second show).

I love how they left in Johnny's jokes and banter along with the cheers of the crowd, and even announcements from the sheriff. All of these "flaws" really maintain that intimate feel for the listener.

The show featured a new, unreleased single which was actually written by one of the inmates of Folsom Prison, Glen Sherley. The song was titled Greystone Chapel, and Johnny surprised Glen by performing it live.

Overall, this is a phenomenal record, and may be one of my favorite live albums. I've listened to it many times before, and love the "outlaw country" genre that he helped create.

Favourite songs: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Orange Blossom Special, I Got Stripes, Jackson, Dark as the Dungeon, Give My Love to Rose, Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog, "Green, Green Grass of Home", Send a Picture of Mother, The Long Black Veil, The Wall, Greystone Chapel

Least favourite songs: 25 Minutes to Go

5/5

Today's album was a headache inducer. I've never heard of The Icarus Line before today, and from what I read, they are a post hardcore/aggro punk group. From that description I deduce that this album is going to be loud and angry.

That is exactly what it is. It is mostly distortion and noise. At some points, even the vocalist is singing through a distortion filter for some ungodly reason, as if what this music needed was more feedback. It reminds me quite a bit of Nine Inch Nails, which is ironic because one of the guitarists from this band (Aaron North) left and joined NIN. Is a full minute of feedback distortion necessary at the end of Sea Sick? I think not. This is not music, and has influenced nothing. This is just noise with the sole purpose of being loud and annoying. To be on a list like this, you need to either be able to play instruments, have been highly influential, or have a huge, dedicated fan base. These tools have none of this from what I can tell. Spotify says average monthly listeners is only around 1,000 and their most "popular" song only has 50,000 listens (most of which were probably poor bastards trying to do this generator).

Overall, this album is complete garbage. I've already forgot most of it, and have recovered most of my hearing. I will never subject myself to this trash ever again and I wonder what the fuck the list creator was smoking when he thought that shit like this was deserving of this list.

Favourite songs: Virgin Velcro, Spike Island, Up Against the Wall Motherfucker

Least favourite songs: Spit On It, On the Lash, Meatmaker, Sea Sick

2/5

I've never heard of DJ Shadow before today, so I was unsure what I was in for. My research tells me that it is hip hop/electronica.

That is exactly what this is. Hip hop which is extensively mixed with samples of random shit, and a heavy dance beat. The only "lyrics" you get are snippets of people talking. I didn't hate it as much as normal electronica, but it still wasn't my favorite. As background music, this may be tolerable, but to sit and listen to it cover to cover, it grows old quickly. By the time the song The Number Song finished, I was over it. I've already forgotten much of this record. This album also features a staple of 90's hip hop, skits (or at least samples that are organized into 1 min snippets of randomness that has no bearing on the rest of the record).

Overall, underwhelming record today. Forgettable, and boring. I won't be listening again.

Favourite songs: The Number Song

Least favourite songs: Stem/Long Stem

2/5