Reviews by forestfly2009

Before today, I'd never heard of John Cale before. He is apparently the co-founder and bassist of the Velvet Underground. This is his third solo studio album, and is apparently a departure from his usual fare for a quieter slower form of music.

This music reminded me of easy listening folk rock artists such as Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, and Nick Drake.
Turns out Cale worked on Nick's album, Brighter Later with him. Drake needed to make a more accessible album in order to sell records and make money. Perhaps Cale saw this idea, and decided to do it himself as well, which would describe why this is such an outlier if an album sonically .

Cale doesn't have a great singing voice, but the beautiful orchestration in the background more than makes up for that. Cale's Welsh accent makes him hard to understand through most of the album, but after reading the nonsensical lyrics, I guess that doesn't matter. It's not like I was going to get anything out of the utter nonsense he sang about.

Overall, a surprisingly great album. Not one I would gravitate to on my own, but I wouldn't turn it off if it was playing either.

Favorite songs: Macbeth, Child's Christmas in Wales, Andalucia, Hanky
Panky Nohow, The Endless Plain of Fortune, Graham Greene, Half Past France

Least favorite songs: Antarctica Starts Here

3/5

I had no clue what I was in for this morning when I saw Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's name come up. Not a name I had ever heard before. From what I've read, he went through many name changes over the years before ultimately landing on this one.

Firstly, this album isn't on Spotify. Not strange since the whole Joe Rogan fiasco that ended with a bunch of artists pulling their stuff off. I was able to find it on YouTube.

Upon reading reviews of this album, it became clear that it was a fairly gloomy record of the folk rock/blues genre. I do tend to enjoy those genres, so I was hopeful that this would follow suit.

This is an excellent mood rock album, which at times reminded me of Hozier's style of gloomy folk rock. There was definately some deep seated pain that was worked through with the writing of this record. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy has a style of vocal delivery in which he records himself singing the same lyrics almost as an echo, so you're left with three or four layered vocal tracks all playing at once. It kind of sounds like if you sang in a church, or large open space.

I really liked the instrumentation on this record. It was kept fairly simple with keyboard and guitar in the forefront. It was nice and soft, and kind of backed up the gloomy feel of the record. It made me think of a rainy, gray, damp spring day.

Overall, a really good album. I quite enjoyed it, but can understand that you really have to be in a certain mindset to tolerate it, just because it is such a downer. But if you allow yourself to keep an open mind, there is beauty in the shadows that this record casts. If it wasn't such a pain in the arse to find, I would definately listen again!

Favorite songs: A Minor Place, Another Day Full of Dread, Madeline-Mary, Song For the New Breed, Black

Least favorite songs: Nomadic Revery (All Around)

4/5

Todays album is a glorious rock opera by Meat Loaf! This album is stacked with hits, including: Bat Out of Hell, Paradise By The Dashboard Light, and Two Out of Three Ain't Bad.

This album is ahead of its time, and sounds like it should have been released in the 80's. These huge epic rock ballads really took off in that era. Meat Loaf puts everything he has into the delivery of Jim Steinman's beautifully intricate songs. The keyboards, the motorcycle gang-esque tough leather and chain feel of the album cover as well as the music, the phenomenal soaring guitar solos, the themes of adolescent love, and lust, the sexual innuendo, everything about this album is just perfect!! Yes it may come across as cheesy, but in the most glorious of ways!!

Overall, a phenomenal album. One I've listened to many times before, and will absolutely listen to many more times to come!! An easy 5 stars!! RIP Meat Loaf, thanks for the music!!!

Favorite songs: Paradise By the Dashboard Light, Bat Out of Hell, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night), All Revved Up With No Place to Go, For Crying Out Loud, Heaven Can Wait

Least favorite songs: none, this album is a gem!

5/5

Before today, the only song I'd ever heard by James Taylor was "Carolina in My Mind", which isn't on this record, so I knew I was in for a folk album, but was unsure how I would like it.

Well, I loved it! James Taylor is very similar in musical attributes to John Denver, with that smooth country folk/blues style. This music tells a story. You can sit back, relax, sip a coffee, and be taken on a trip by his lyrics. James has a way of painting the most vivid pictures through his songs (especially the songs Sweet Baby James, "Oh, Susannah (which I know is a cover, but he does a phenomenal job of it), and Country Roads to name a few).

I absolutely love this type of music. It instantly removes all of the stress from my life, and for half an hr, all of life's hardships melt away. I will 100% listen again! I don't know why I slept on James' music for so long! This album is going to be put in regular rotation now!!

Favourite songs: Fire and Rain, Anywhere Like Heaven, Sweet Baby James, Steamroller, Country Roads, Suite for 20 G, "Oh, Susannah", Lo and Behold

Least favorite songs: if forced to pick, Sunny Skies

5/5

5 days ago, I reviewed a PJ Harvey album called "Let England Shake". It was a chamber folk album. This IS NOT that. This is more of grunge/indie rock, but very shitilly done. It's full of thrashy guitars and drums, and really weird time signatures. The first half of the album is REALLY weird, culminating with the most fucked song on the record, Man-Size Sextet.

In this album, PJ Harvey has a tendancy to sing at almost a whisper for about 2 minutes, then for some reason, turns everything up to 11 and renders you deaf for a few minutes. For fuck sakes, how hard is it to just leave the fucking volume knob alone and sing your song?!? Although, I would take deafness over listening to this horseshit any day. Harvey's voice is angst filled, and nasally. And she seems to enjoy moaning instead of singing.

Why is this on the list? What could this have possibly influenced? Droves more garbage music apparently. The world would be better off without this trash. I will never listen again, and can't wait to rinse this shit out of my ears and forget about it. I only pray this is the last PJ Harvey album on this generator.

Favorite songs: 50ft Queenie, Dry, Rub 'Til It Bleeds, Yuri-G

Least favorite songs: Rid of Me, Legs, Man-Size Sextet

2/5

Today's listen was a breath of fresh air. Jungle Brothers are a hip hop group from NYC who got their start in the late 80's, and are still making music today, and actively touring. They got their come up alongside other groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. They are said to have greatly influenced the Wu-Tang Clan.

The reason today was a breath of fresh air is because this late 80's style of hip hop is clean, and free of the copious amounts of slander that later helpings of the popular genre "gangsta rap" would include. This "hip hop lite" speaks to the strengths of women instead of the mysogenictic views taken by later artists (ex. the song "Black Woman"). Jungle Brothers also speak about avoiding drugs, and turning down pusher men, instead of indulging in copious amounts of chronic and alcohol, like the themes of gangsta rap entail.

There is no need for a parental advisory on this record, because it's themes are clean, but it's message is intelligent and strong. They don't need to sing about gun violence and throw the 'N word' around to get their point across. This is the style of hip hop that I really enjoy. Something you can blast in your car at a red light with the windows down without fear of being called a racist or a bigot.

Overall, an excellent helping of classic 80's hip hop, and obviously a very influential album. These guys were able to take hip hop, and blend aspects of funk, jazz, and the odd time, disco to it to make a really interesting and memorable sound. I will absolutely listen again in the future. I am really glad I found these guys!

Favorite songs: Doin' Our Own Dang, Tribe Vibes, In Dayz "2" Come, Belly Dancin' Dina, "U" Make Me Sweat, Acknowledge Your Own History, What "U" Waitin' "4"?, Beyond this World, Feelin' Alright, Done By the Forces of Nature, J. Beez Comin' Through, Black Woman, Kool Accordin' "2" a Jungle Brother

Least favorite songs: Good Newz Comin'

4/5

The Allman Brothers Band are an American southern rock/blues band. They infuse their blues/rock hybrid with elements of jazz and country to make a very unique, but fantastic sound.

This album is a live double record, with a runtime of roughly 80 minutes, and only 7 songs. The Allman Brothers Band are the definition of a jam band. Every show they played had a different rendition of their songs. They don't play the music, they feel it. This led to some phenomenal guitar solos, and some amazing band cohesion.

Overall, an epic listen today. I will absolutely listen again!! This is what peak musicianship looks like.

Favourite songs: Statesboro Blues, Done Somebody Wrong, Stormy Monday, Whipping Post, You Don't Love Me, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

Least favorite song: if forced to pick, Hot 'Lanta

4/5

When I saw the cover of the album I was given today, I had no idea what I was in for. The cover art looks like something thrown together by a 4 year old, and the band name wasn't ringing any bells either.

Upon further research, I learned that this album is considered to be the first "rock opera", coming before famous works such as "The Wall", or "Tommy". It just was a bit ahead of its time, and didn't make the waves that the others did in the 70's.

The Pretty Things sound like a mix of Jethro Tull, The Who, and the Beach Boys (not in instrumentation, but in the way that they sometimes harmonize their vocals in a high register). All of that while doing the amount of drugs that Syd Barrett's era of Pink Floyd did.

This is a concept album in that it follows some dude named S.F. Sorrow right through life, with the album starting with his birth, moving into his adolescence, he gets drafted into the war, a bunch of his friends die in the war, he makes it home as a shell of a man, slowly slips into madness, falls in love, and on and on, ending with his death. As the record proceeds, it culminates with Sorrow's slip into madness with the instrumental track Well of Destiny. The way they record and play their instruments during this song really hits that fact home.

Overall, this is a phenomenal album! It is one that you really have sit down with the liner notes and just listen to. All of the metaphors that the singer uses spins this album into a truly beautiful masterpiece. It is every bit as good as Tommy or The Wall, just perhaps a little bit less refined. I will 100% listen again. This is a weird album in the most glorious of ways.

Favorite songs: Old Man Going, She Says Good Morning, S.F. Sorrow is Born, Private Sorrow, I See You, Loneliest Person

Least favorite songs: Balloon Burning

4/5

Before today I'd never heard of Pentangle before. The album cover provided no hints as to what I was in for, so I googled their name. The first thing that came up was the definition of Pentangle, which is "another word for pentagram". Given that definition, I figured I would be in for a heavy metal album perhaps? What I heard was the polar opposite!

Pentangle are a folk group from the UK. Their music includes dual guitars (one artist who is Blues trained, and one who is folk trained), amazing bass grooves, and male and female vocalists. The singers are amazing, and the harmonies created by the two of them is beautiful. This album also prominently features sitar and glockenspiel parts, which is awesome!!

These guys remind me a lot of Fairport Convention. This album combines jazz, Blues, and folk along with some psychedelica into one beautiful album. They may start a jazz number, then flawlessly switch genres half way through.

Overall, an amazing album! Another one that blindsided me! I love discovering these kinds of records! I will absolutely listen again, I listened to it twice today!

Favorite songs: House Carpenter, Hunting Song, The Cuckoo, Sally Go Round the Roses, Once I Had a Sweetheart, Springtime Promises, Lyke-Wake Dirge, Cold Mountain

Least favorite songs: Train Song

5/5

Before today, I'd never heard of PJ Harvey. From a bit of research, I learned she is a folk rock/singer songwriter.

This is her 8th studio album, and it was recorded in a church, so it is closer to chamber folk. The reverb caused by recording in such a large open space, coupled with jangly guitars and beautiful autoharp made for a very nice listen. The weak point of the record was PJ's nasally voice. I wasn't much of a fan of her upper register, but her natural singing voice was not bad.

Overall, a perfectly average record today. Not something I would actively seek out, but not something I would rush to shut off if it was on either.

Favorite songs: The Words That Maketh Murder, All And Everyone, The Colour of the Earth, The Glorious Land, In The Dark Places, Bitter Branches

Least favorite songs: England, On Battleship Hill, Hanging In The Wire

3/5

Today's record was created by a stacked group of rappers, better known as Wu-Tang Clan. So many solid solo careers spun out of this group, including: GZA, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and others.

I have already had a record on this generator by GZA/Genius (Liquid Swords), and the similarities between that record, and this record (where he got his start) are crazy. Even down to the sampling of old Kung Fu movies.

Every member of Wu-Tang Clan have their own phenomenal set of skills that they bring to the table; differing lyrical flows and beats. From GZA's intelligent rhyming style, to Method Man's machine gun rap style, this record is a staple of 90's hip hop, and can be traced back to having influenced the beginning of the hardcore hip hop genre.

Overall, this was a phenomenal record, and I really enjoyed listening to it today. I will absolutely listen again in the future. Admittedly, hip hop isn't my favourite music genre, but I can absolutely appreciate what this group of guys did on this record.

Favourite songs: Da Mystery of Chessboxin', Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit, C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me), Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber - Part II, Clan In Da Front, Bring Da Ruckus, Method Man, Protect Ya Neck, Shame on a Ni**a

Least favorite songs: Can It Be All So Simple/Intermission

4/5

Never heard of Tortoise before today. Upon further research, it became clear as to why I hadn't heard of them. They are a "post rock" band. I was unsure of what the hell that meant, so I researched it a bit. From what I can gather, it is a genre that includes rock style guitars, which are overlaid with shitty electronica music. Fuck sakes, not more obscure electronica garbage...

Yes, more electronica garbage. This stuff is perhaps one of the worst helpings of electronica that I've heard thus far. I don't hear the "rock guitar" part, what I hear is static, screeching noises, xylophones, and distorted bass notes...all mixed together in a big shitty mess...and that's just the first song. Also, the first song is....21 MINUTES LONG!!! Why?!? I spent this entire record waiting for something to happen....they had 43 minutes, and NOTHING DID....AT ALL....

Overall, a garbage record, made by a band that sounds like Walmart brand Tool meets up with a game show host. I will never listen to this trash again, and am beginning to wonder who the hell created this list? Obviously someone obsessed with electronica music and obscure British bands, because this has absolutely no reason to be on this list.

Favorite song: Along the Banks of Rivers....I guess???

Least favorite songs: Djed, and the rest of this dumpster fire of a record.

1/5

Today's album is a pop/hip hop record out of Sweden. Before today I'd never heard of Neneh Cherry. After a bit of research, I learned that this was her debut solo album. She sounds like Salt-N-Pepa mixed with Madonna.

This album is as late 80's as it can get with the heavy synth sounds and the hip hop grooves.

Overall, a perfectly average album. Not something I would actively seek out, but not something I was rushing to shut off either.

Favorite songs: Buffalo Stance, Outre Risque Locomotive, Inna City Mamma, Heart, The Next Generation, Manchild, My Bitch

Least favorite songs: Kisses on the Wind

3/5

I am very happy with today's album selection. I am a big Foo Fighters fan, and especially a Dave Grohl fan. The dude is super talented. Everything he touches is gold. He was with Nirvana before starting Foo Fighters. After Kurt Cobain committed suicide, Dave created Foo Fighters as a way of healing from the loss of a bandmate and good friend. This album was written and recorded entirely by Dave, with the help of a producer friend of his. He distributed the cassette to good friends, who spread it around, and it eventually caught the attention of a record label. Once he signed with them, he hired a band to tour with him to promote the album, and the rest is history.

A few years back, Dave decided to try his hand, first at disco, creating a band called the Dee Gees and releasing an album with them. Then he decided to make a satirical horror movie(Studio 666), and write the whole score for the movie himself. This involved creating a death metal band called Dream Widow. Both his disco record, and death metal album were phenomenal. Not many people can genre hop like that. That takes real talent to do. Not only that, but for those records, he played each instrument himself plus sang. Just an insane talent all around.

Dave is also a very humble individual. There is a famous story of him falling off stage at a concert, breaking his leg, going out back, getting it casted, then coming back out and finishing the show. He also gets fans up on stage to play music with the band quite often. After the recent death of Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, the band did a tribute concert in Taylor's memory. Dave got Taylor's son up on stage to play a song with the band in his father's honor.

Anyways, back to today's album. It is absolute gold, especially for a debut album. Not a dud in the lot. I've heard it many times before, and I will absolutely listen again. RIP Taylor Hawkins.

Favorite songs: Alone + Easy Target, Big Me, Weenie Beenie, Watershed, Good Grief, I'll Stick Around, For All The Cows, I'll Stick Around

Least favorite songs: if forced to pick, This is a Call

5/5

Before today, I'd heard of Hole, but never listened to any of her back catalog. All I was familiar with were the hits.

The lead singer of Hole is Courtney Love (Kurt Cobain's wife). So, naturally, Hole is a grunge band. I believe Kurt helped Courtney hone her voice, and you can certainly hear his influence on a couple of songs included on this album.

This was a great album, and Courtney's voice instills a sense of anger, frustration, and desperation upon the listener. This album touches on topics such as body image, abuse, and mysogeny.

For some reason, most of the songs on this album mention milk for one reason or another. It's enough to make a lactose intolerant lad like me shit myself simply by listening.

Overall, a highly influential album, especially to female rock bands of the 00's. Courtney bulldozed down a lot of walls in her career, and paved the way for women in rock.

Favorite songs: Plump, Doll Parts, Jennifer's Body, Gutless, She Walks On Me, Asking For It, Rock Star, Violet

Least favorite songs: "Softer, Softest", Credit in the Straight World, I Think That I Would Die

4/5

Before today, I'd never heard of XTC, so I had no idea what I was in for. Turns out that these guys are another obscure British rock band (this generator seems to love that genre a lot). It sounds like a shittier version of Tears for Fears.

The album cover for Skylarking, upon first glance, looks like a woman laying down with a man squatting over her, and the woman performing fellatio on him. Upon further inspection, they are both playing flutes for some reason. That was probably done on purpose to look that way, because the first few songs on the record were about banging in the wilderness.

XTC's sound was weird to nail down. They were kind of all over the place. For example: Season Cycle sounds like a Beach Boys song. The song Dying was a terribly morbid song. Dear God is an anti-religious anthem that would make anyone with a strong faith cringe.

This is one of those bands that either put out bangers, or complete garbage, with nothing in between. This record had a strong start, but dropped off and slammed into a wall on the second half of the record.

Overall, a weird one today. Not something I can ever see myself listening to again, and not really sure what this influenced, so I don't really know why it's included in this list?

Favorite songs: Grass, Summer's Cauldron, Earn Enough For Us

Least favorite songs: 1000 Umbrellas, Another Satellite, "That's Really Super, Supergirl", Mermaid Smiled, The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, Dear God

2/5

Before today, I'd never heard of Roxy Music before, so I was unsure what I was in for. Upon further research, I learned that they are somewhere between Talking Heads and David Bowie.

Upon listening to the album, that is a quite accurate description. The lyrics are largely nonsensical, which is very similar to Talking Heads, while the music is jazzy/rockin' which is very similar to Bowie.

Also, the album cover has boobs on it, so that's a plus as well! Lol

Overall, a great album. Surprised how much I liked it. There were a few odd songs on the record, but overall, a really solid album! I enjoyed it so much, I listened to it twice today.

Favorite songs: If It Takes All Night, Out of the Blue, All I Want Is You, The Thrill of it All, Three and Nine, Prairie Rose, Casanova

Least favorite songs: Bitter Sweet, Triptych

4/5

I was never a fan of Nine Inch Nails, however, my music tastes have changed since I last gave them a chance, so maybe there's hope?

Nope, I still can't stand Trent Reznor's angst ridden wailing. You hear of people talking about albums that have a "wall of sound" effect to them. This record has a "wall of distortion and noise" effect which is so bad, it washes everything else out. No idea what Trent was wailing about throughout most of the album.

The production value on this record is super low. Some parts are so low that you have to turn your stereo up to hear what's going on, then all of a sudden they kick everything into overdrive and you go deaf for 5-6 minutes (I'd take being deaf over listening to this horseshit any day). Why does Trent find it important to whisper into the microphone, and then immediately afterwards shout into it? You're a singer, so sing ffs. This whole album goes through spells of sounding like it was recorded underwater. Also, when they are finished a song, it just ends....like running into a brick wall....no fade out, no nothing, just DONE!!

I spent the 6 minute runtime of the song Hurt wishing I was listening to the Johnny Cash cover version. This version sucks ass.

Industrial Rock is basically just electronica, but heavier, which explains why I was never a fan of the genre, because I hate electronica too.

Overall, a difficult listen today. Trent needs to cheer the fuck up. Will I ever listen again? No. Does it belong on this list? Probably.

Favorite songs: Closer, Heresy, Hurt

Least favorite songs: Eraser, A Warm Place, and most of the rest of this depressing dumpster fire.

2/5

Before today, I had never heard of the Pharcyde. They are a rap/hip hop group from the west coast of the US.

The various members of this group all have excellent flow to their vocal delivery, and the beats and music achieved on this record were amazing. This is classic hip hop for sure! Some of the themes sung about on this record were hilarious, like in the song "Oh Shit" when the singer realizes he is being hit on by a transvestite. It reminded me a lot of "Funky Cold Medina" by Tone-Loc.

As I've said before, I don't know what the obsession with dumb fucking skits is in hip hop/rap groups, but they can be found on this record too. I hate them, and find that they distract from the flow of the rest of the album.

Overall, a surprisingly awesome listen today. I will definately listen again!!

Favorite songs: Oh Shit, Return of the B-Boy, Officer, Ya Mama, I'm That Type of Ni**a, Soul Flower (Remix), On the DL, Pack the Pipe

Least favorite songs: all of the dumb skits (4 Better or 4 Worse Interlude, It's Jiggaboo Time, If I Were President, Pack the Pipe Interlude, Quinton's On the Way), 4 Better or 4 Worse, Otha Fish

4/5

Today's album is the second Bob Dylan record I've gotten on this generator. The first one I reviewed came out in 1965 (Highway 61 Revisited). This one came out in 1997, 32 years later. Dylan's vocals and sound are quite different than that first album.

Dylan was 56 when he wrote this album, compared to the other album, where he was only 24. That being said, his voice aged between the two records quite a bit. On his 1965 release, his voice was a bit nasally, but on this record, it is more gravelly, and rough. It reminds me of Tom Waits style of singing.

The musical stylings on this record are also different than the other one I reviewed. In 1965, Dylan was heavy into folk. On this record, he is more into Blues. That being said, that gravelly voice suits this genre well!!

There is an up and coming east coast Canadian artist named Ryan Stanley who has absolutely been influenced heavily by Dylan, and I would say this album in particular. Especially the song Not Dark Yet.

Overall, a fantastic listen for a slow Saturday. I absolutely love the Blues, and Dylan certainly makes it his own on this album!! I'd never heard any of these songs before today, but there are definately a few that will be going on a favourite song playlist in the near future!!!

Favorite songs: Dirt Road Blues, Cold Irons Bound, Not Dark Yet, Tryin' to Get to Heaven, 'Til I Fell in Love With You, Standing in the Doorway, Million Miles, Can't Wait, Highlands

Least favorite songs: if forced to pick, Love Sick

4/5