Reviews by forestfly2009

Hell yes, another Iron Maiden album to review today! This is the second album by them that I've gotten on this generator. This is definately not my first time hearing this album, and it won't be the last!! This is the first Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson on vocals, and marks the shift from what Maiden was to what they become, which is an unstoppable heavy metal global phenomenon!!

That fucking wail at the start of The Number of the Beast is amazing!! Our first real glimpse at the power of Bruce's voice!! I also have very strong memories of jamming out to this song while playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 on PS2.

Clive Burr's drum intro on Gangland is awesome! This would be Clive's last album with the band. He would be replaced by Nicko McBrain, who is a fucking phenomenal force behind a drum set!!

Hallowed Be Thy Name is my all time favourite Iron Maiden song! The story Bruce expertly spins through his powerful lyrics almost makes you feel like it is you on death row thinking about life, and your own mortality! The powerful harmonizing guitar solos by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are fucking epic, and bring me chills!! All of this held together by Steve Harris' expert bass playing!! Perfection in song form!!

Overall, an amazing album!! Easy 5 stars, no question!!!

Favourite songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Run to the Hills, The Number of the Beast, 22 Acacia Avenue, Children of the Damned, Gangland

Least favourite song: The Prisoner

5/5

Before today I had never heard of the Youngbloods, so I had no idea what to expect. What I wasn't expecting was late 60's psychadelic rock mixed with Neil Young-esque folk rock, and with underpinnings of jazz and blues. I figured they would be some obscure emo/goth band with a name like that. This album was fantastic!

The Youngbloods brought the hammer right from the first song (starting with the fiddle intro and turning into a folk rock number). The lead singers, Jesse Colin Young, and Jerry Corbitt have amazing chemistry, and can harmonize very well in certain numbers. Admittedly, the echoing of lyrics in the song Darkness, Darkness was a bit odd, but a little bit of creative expression never hurt anyone.

Sham is a real rockin' number, and the folk ballad On Sir Francis Drake is beautiful, and really shows the musical talent of the band as a whole.

Overall, an unexpected, and amazing listen today. This is a band that didn't really take off, but 100% had some hidden talent! Apparently, after the band broke up, Jesse went out on a more successful solo career. I may have to go explore some of his catalog now, having heard this stuff!!

Favourite songs: Sham, "Darkness, Darkness", Smug, Beautiful, Don't Let the Rain Bring You Down, Trillium, Quicksand, On Sir Francis Drake

Least favourite songs: Ride the Wind

4/5

A super quirky and weird serving of the Who is on deck for today I see. This has to be their most random record! This is my second record by the Who, the first being My Generation.

A concept album, which is full of little commercial jingles and Radio London bits. Apparently they did all of this without permission, causing them to be sued by the companies they named.

If you can see past the experimental, weirdness of this album, there are still some great songs on it. I Can See For Miles is a classic! Silas Stingy is kind of the first glimpse into what was to come with "Tommy". The song Tattoo is hilarious!

Overall, another great album by some of the godfathers of British rock and roll!

Favourite songs: Silas Stingy, Tattoo, I Can See For Miles, Mary Ann with the Shaky Hand, Odorono

Least favourite songs: Armenia City in the Sky

4/5

Before today, I'd heard of the Isley Brothers, notably their songs It's Your Thing, That Lady, Between the Sheets, and Shout. Every time I hear That Lady, I think of the Swiffer commercial where the broom falls in love with a flamingo, its hilarious.

These guys started as a Quartet with the four oldest boys: Kelly, Rudolph, Ronnie, and Vernon singing gospel in their local church. Shortly after that, Vernon got struck by a car and killed, causing them to take a step back and reassess things. Some time later, younger brothers Ernie and Marvin, along with Rudolph's brother in law, Chris Jasper were brought on, making it a sextet.

Ernie Isley is a fucking insane guitar player (notably the guitar solos in That Lady, and Summer Breeze). Turns out that Jimi Hendrix used to tour with the Isley Brothers early on, when Ernie was young, and before he joined the group. Ernie loved how Jimi played guitar, and learned a lot about how he plays from Jimi. After Jimi left, Ernie joined, and the rest is history. Marvin Isley's bass playing is so smooth and funky, especially on Sunshine (Go Away Today). Ronnie Isley's voice is so soulful and can go from gritty and raw to smooth and buttery.

A few cover songs round out this album, and the Isley Brothers did an excellent job of making them their own. A few stand outs include the Doobie Brothers song Listen to the Music, and Seals and Crofts song Summer Breeze.

Overall, a phenomenal record, and one I will definately be listening to again!! So much talent in one band, let alone in one family!!

Favourite songs: "That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2", Listen to the Music, What It Comes Down To, Sunshine (Go Away Today), "Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2"

Least favourite songs: I literally can't pick one, this album is gold!

5/5

Before today, I had heard of Fairport Convention, but had never listened to any of their stuff before. The way I had heard of them was actually through this generator. I was assigned an album by Richard & Linda Thompson after Richard had left the band. I thoroughly enjoyed that album, so I have high hopes for this one as well!

The first thing that struck me is the sheer beauty of Sandy Denny's voice! It is magnificent!! The music is a hybrid of folk and psychadelic rock. This album is known as a transitional album, where the band started to shift away from an American folk sound, to more of a traditional English folk. This was also their second album to be released in 1969. The inclusion of traditional folk instruments such as fiddle and dulcimer is great!

There are three songs that were written but never released by Bob Dylan on this album: Si Tu Dois Partir, Percy's Song, and Million Dollar Bash. If you listen to the lyrics of those songs, you can definately tell that they're Dylan's.

Overall, a phenomenal record, which, after listening to it a second time, caused me to delve deeper into their catalog of music for the remainder of the day! I will be adding this to my regular listening rotation!! Perfection!

Favourite songs: Percy's Song, Million Dollar Bash, Genesis Hall, Cajun Woman, A Sailor's Life, Si Tu Dois Partir

Least favourite songs: Autopsy

5/5

Today's helping is another electronica album, so I went in not expecting much. I have been known to hate that genre of music!

The Avalanches are apparently an important exponent of "Plunderphonics", which is a music genre in the electronica realm, in which tracks are constructed by sampling recognizable musical works. Apparently, it is estimated that this album alone has roughly 900 samples scattered throughout!

I find this album very repetitive, and one song runs into the next, so keeping track of what song I was listening to was a chore. For some reason, the whole album has a record crackling noise dubbed over the top of everything as if you were listening to this on an old hi fi, which is odd. As weird as it sounds, this was leaps and bounds better than any of the other electronica garbage that has been served up so far. Now don't get me wrong, it sure isn't something I would actively listen to on the daily, but as background music it isn't bad.

Favourite songs: Frontier Psychiatrist, Electricity, Avalanche Rock, Live at Dominoes

Least favourite songs: Two Hearts in 3/4 Time, Summer Crane

3/5

Before today I'd never heard of Bobby Womack, but I've seen people compare him to Sam Cooke (it also turns out he was backing guitarist for Sam's band for a while). I also read that the likes of Sly Stone and Janis Joplin drew a lot of influence from his work, so I knew I was in for a good funk/soul/R&B record.

Bobby is indeed kind of like Sam Cooke, but not as polished. Sam's lyrics have a flow to them, whereas I found Bobby's delivery choppy, and his lyrics simplistic and a bit repetitive. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because Bobby is still a great artist.

The musical accompaniment he had was excellent, and the bass grooves achieved on this record were flawless. I wish there wasn't 20 second fade outs to the songs, it just needlessly stretched out the track length a bit too much.

Overall, not a bad album. If it was on, I wouldn't switch it off, but I wouldn't find myself actively seeking it out either. Sam Cooke is still the GOAT.

Favourite songs: Stand Up, Secrets, Lay Your Lovin' On Me, If You Think You're Lonely Now

Least favourite songs: Games

3/5

Janet Jackson was a force to be reckoned with in the 80's and 90's. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing her stuff on the radio. If it wasn't her, it was her brother, Michael.

Admittedly, I've never really been a fan of Janet. I understand that her music was very important in shaping what pop is today, but to me, 80's - 90's pop all sounds the same. Especially the slow ballads (the last 3 songs on this record). If you played one of those for me, I would be hard pressed to tell you if it was Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, or Mariah Carey.

I was unfamiliar with anything on this record from the outset, so couldn't really judge how it was going to be. The first 3/4 of the album is pretty good, it just falls flat at the end with all of the ballads. Black Cat is a rockin' tune!!

This album is apparently a departure from Janet's regular musical works, and it is a concept album which focuses on themes of poverty, racism, love, and creating a better future for the next generation (amusingly, something Michael focused on heavily as well in his music (think of the children!! )). I think that because it isn't Janet's standard fare, it resonated better with me as a whole.

Overall, not a bad record. Not something I would put in regular rotation, but also not bad. It shows real musical talent on Janet's part with her flawless vocal range. It may be a tad overproduced, but that seems to have been a trend of that era.

Favourite songs: Black Cat, Alright, Rhythm Nation, Love Will Never Do (Without You), Miss You Much, State of the World

Least favourite songs: Lonely, Come Back to Me, Someday is Tonight, and all of the interludes. It just distracts from the rest of the album while adding nothing of its own. This 80's - 90's fad has thankfully fallen to the wayside for the most part.

3/5

My favorite RHCP album, and song!! Awesome!!! I am a big fan of the Chili Peppers, and have listened to them for years.

Californication is a bit of a departure from their regular upbeat music, for a slower, more intimate feel. I can distinctly remember seeing the music video for Californication the first time. It was so futuristic!! The whole video looked like a video game, and was visually unlike any other video of the time.

I love the funky bass driven grooves achieved by Flea. He is a hell of a bassist! RHCP have been known to be a bit weird (shooting music videos with socks on their cocks, or Flea playing a live show completely nude). This is part of their shtick, and is part of what separates them from other bands of the genre.

Overall, an amazing album. Some filler on it though. The first half of the album is stacked with hits, but the rest is good, but not of the same caliper. Not my, first listen, and I will absolutely listen again!

Favourite songs: Californication, Scar Tissue, Around the World, Otherside, Right on Time, This Velvet Glove, Purple Stain, Fat Dance, Parallel Universe, I Like Dirt, Road Trippin'

Least favourite songs: Porcelain

4/5

I have never been a Frank Sinatra fan. I find his music terribly bland. This music is sought after by thirsty housewives. Don't get me wrong, musically, this is a tight album, but Frank's crooning is annoying as hell. Antonio's injection of Bossa Nova really helped this album.

Frank was apparently a womanizer. An example of this can be heard in the song Change Partners, where Frank tries to convince a lady who appears to be in love with her boyfriend/husband to dump his ass so she can "dance" with him.... Dance in the bird region.... Settle down Frank, you're not God's gift to women.

Amy Farrah-Fowler's version of "The Girl from Ipanema" was better.

Overall, not my type of music at all. This whole Broadway scene in NY in the 40's does nothing at all to peak my interest. Probably revolutionary at the time, but it didn't age well. I won't listen again, but I get why it's on this list.

Favourite songs: The Girl from Ipanema, "Baubles, Bangles and Beads"

Least favourite songs: Dindi... And others.... It all blended together into a bland mess.

2/5

I never thought I knew who Tom Waits was until today. After some research, I realized I know the song "A Little Drop of Poison" from the movie Shrek 2. That song isn't on this record, but it is phenomenal!

This record is gold from front to back. Tom's voice is super gravelly, and rough, but it is beautiful in its own right. The best way I can describe his voice is if Louis Armstrong and Lemmy Kilmister had a baby who got really into blues rock, that would be Tom.

This album has songs that are straight blues rock, as well as some that could almost be considered lounge music, and some folky ones. This is a record that immediately had me tapping my foot and bobbing my head.

Tom is a hell of a poet! Some examples of his lyrics include:

From the song Mr. Siegal:

How do the angels get to sleep
When the devil leaves his porch light on

From the song Heartattack and Vine:

Don't you know there ain't no Devil,
That's just God when he's drunk

I never realized the song Jersey Girl was Tom's. I always assumed it was Bruce Springsteen's. Tom's original version is amazing!!

Overall, a phenomenal record!! This is why I love this generator! I never would have found this gem otherwise. I will definately be putting this album into regular rotation.

Favourite songs: Mr. Siegal, Heartattack and Vine, 'Til the Money Runs Out, Downtown, Jersey Girl, On the Nickel, Ruby's Arms, Saving All My Love For You, In Shades

Least favourite songs: None. This album is phenomenal. Not a dud in the lot.

5/5

Honestly, when I saw Depeche Mode as today's listen I immediately thought "this is going to suck", but I was proved wrong.

Depeche Mode sounds very similar to Tears for Fears or Talking Heads, except, unlike Talking Heads, the singer knows how to carry a beat, and the band knows how to play instruments. They are a synth heavy electronic/new wave band. I tend to hate new wave music, but Depeche Mode do it right, at least on this album.

There were a few duds on here, but overall not a bad listen at all. Strangelove is a great song! I feel like the instrumental orchestral epic Pimpf needs recognition as well! I like the heavier sound that they employ compared to their synth pop cousins like Talking Heads. These guys lean heavier into the Rock genre than the pop one, and maybe that's why I can tolerate them... Well that and the fact that their lyrics make sense.

Overall, a surprisingly good album today. Not something I would actively seek out often, but if this era of Depeche Mode came on, I wouldn't skip the songs either.

Favourite songs: Strangelove, The Things You Said, Sacred, Nothing, Pimpf

Least favourite songs: I Want You Now, Little 15

3/5

John Prine is one of my favourite country/folk artists. He has a way to spin song lyrics that can make you laugh or make you cry, or both. This man was a poet. One of the best lyricists in the genre.

This album deals heavily with the Vietnam war, and the troubles faced by the veterans when they came home (Sam Stone is an absolutely heartbreaking song. Prine's lyrics spin such a vibrant story. You almost feel like you knew Sam Stone personally).

My all time favourite Prine song is on this record, Spanish Pipedream. It is such a hilarious and poignant song!

"Blow up your TV
Throw away your paper
Go to the country
Build you a home
Plant a little garden
Eat a lot of peaches
Try an' find Jesus on your own"

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore is an amazing anti-war song that is still so relevant today. Angel From Montgomery is an absolutely amazing song.

I absolutely love Prine's music. I am not much of a country fan, but I always had a soft spot for this man's ability to tell a story. The man passed away a few years ago, but wrote music right up until the end. He wrote a song on his last album to be released before his death (the Tree of Forgiveness) called When I Get to Heaven which has the most beautiful lyrics:

"And then I'm gonna get a cocktail
Vodka and ginger ale
Yeah, I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long
I'm gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl
'Cause this old man is goin' to town"

Amen Mr. Prine, Amen. I believe you did do all of those things. Thanks for the amazing music. RIP.

Favourite songs: Spanish Pipedream, Angel From Montgomery, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Sam Stone, Donald and Lydia, Illegal Smile, Hello in There, Paradise, Six O'Clock News, Quiet Man, Flashback Blues, Far From Me

Least favourite songs: None.... It's all gold

5/5: perfection on record.

More artsy hipster music, great! Never heard of Tim Buckley until today. Upon a bit of research, I learned that his music is like psychadelic rock meets folk with some jazz sprinkled in. It sounds like all those genres got drunk at a renaissance fair and came up with this album.

Apparently Tim is Jeff Buckley's dad. I know that Hallelujah song that Jeff did a version of. It is a great song, but I don't know anything else he has released.

The one thing this album has going for it is Tim's voice. His range is mind blowing. He can go from sorrowful to wailing, and everywhere in between. The issues arrive when he changes time signatures like underwear, having 15 different ones in a single song. Pick 2 or 3 like a normal song, and do those for fuck sakes. You never get a chance to settle into a song because by the time you get into the groove, he's off doing something completely different, and singing about Christian's licorice clothes for some fucking reason... Whatever those are.... Are they clothes that smell of licorice?.... Are they clothes made of licorice?? Fuck off with the artsy hipster bullshit. It's one thing to be a poet, it's another to rhyme off nonsensical horseshit that makes people sitting at Starbucks get into arguments about what the song theme is.

The musical accompaniment was just as horrid, again because of the constant changes. I know this is a staple of jazz music, but leave it to jazz. It works there. It does not here.

Overall, horrid. The only reason it gets 2 stars is because of Tim's voice. I will never listen again.

Favourite songs: Once I Was, Pleasant Street

Least favourite songs: Hallucinations, I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain, Knight-Errant Goodbye and Hello, Carnival Song, No Man Can Find the War

2/5

Morrissey is the lead singer from the Smiths, who had a solo career after the band broke up. His solo music is quite similar to the works of the Smiths, and is indie pop or kind of like early emo/goth rock. This is his first solo album.

Morrissey's baritone, angst filled voice is very recognizable. His melancholic musical themes center around love, loss, divorce, depression, and teenage angst. I think Morrissey needs to cheer up a bit!

Because of the dark and depressing moods created by the jangly guitars, and almost moaned lyrical delivery, it is very hard to digest this album all at once. It is a huge downer.

Morrissey's lyrics are beautiful, but the odd way that he delivers them over weird time signatures is kind of jarring.

Overall, not a bad album, but probably not one I will ever listen to again. I am not a fan of depressing music.

Favourite songs: Everyday is Like Sunday, Angel Angel Down We Go Together, I Don't Mind if You Forget Me

Least favourite songs: Dial-a-Cliche, Margaret on the Guillotine, Suedehead

2/5

This is my third Neil Young album, and it is one that I am very familiar with. In my mind, this is a perfect album, cover to cover and it is Neil's best! This album is stacked with hits; Old Man, the Needle and the Damage Done, Alabama, and my personal favourite Neil Young song, Heart of Gold.

This album tells stories about aging, drug use, and love. This album was really a turning point for Neil. It exploded into the mainstream, and took him from a small time Canadian folk singer to a international star. This album was so successful, that it caused Neil to write his next three albums and fans would coin them the "ditch trilogy", where he wanted to get off of the highway of success a bit and spend some time slowing things down.

The inclusion of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, and James Taylor on parts of this record helped to alleviate it past anything Neil had released up to this point. Also, the big band numbers, which included strings and horns was like nothing Neil had done before!

A perfect album is a very rare thing, and this is one of them. This is an awesome way to spend a Friday! I've listened to this album many times before, and will definately listen to it many more times!!

Favourite songs: Heart of Gold, Old Man, the Needle and the Damage Done, Words (Between the Lines of Age), Alabama, Harvest, Are You Ready For the Country?

Least favourite song: if forced to pick, There's A World

5/5

Oh no... There is another Primal Scream record on this generator? Wasn't it torture enough to suffer through Screamadelica.... Apparently not.

Why is every Scottish band on this generator bland as fuck? Where is the Celtic music? Where are the bagpipes? Is it too much to ask that you inject some energy into your music?

As stated above, here is another album which has no signs of life... Just robotic boops and synthesized electronic garbage.

This album generator has taught me that electronica as a whole is an awful genre.... Everything on that spectrum is talentless trash.

I feel like Primal Scream was trying to do something that The Prodigy saw, took, and mastered. I don't mind the Prodigy's stuff, because it has a pulse. They put so much energy into what they do, whereas these idiots are dead in the water.

Apparently the band loved the movie Vanishing Point, but didn't think the soundtrack did the movie justice, so a few songs on here are dedicated to that movie, and that's how the album got its name. Like the movie, this "album" is awful, and will be forgotten quickly. No redeeming qualities at all.

Favourite songs: Medication (a perfectly good rock song. They kept the electronica horse shit out of this song. Why can't the whole album be more like this?), Motorhead (could have been a better song had they kept the electronica garbage and shouting robot sounds out of it)

Least favourite songs: Stuka (sounds like it's sung by a robot who loves theramins), Burning Wheel (it takes a minute and a half for anything to happen), Get Duffy, Kowalski, Out of the Void, Long Life

2/5.

Today's album is another gem from the heavy metal genre. Van Halen were huge in the 80's, and Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the "finger tapping" guitar technique, which, when mastered, allowed the player to absolutely shred! He features this technique in the song Eruption.

David Lee Roth was a hell of a frontman with a stellar "glam/hair metal" voice and appearance.

Every song on this record is a banger! It was so hard to pick a favorite, because they all rock in their own way. Ice Cream Man shows a deep understanding of blues, showing the diversity of the band.

Overall, a phenomenal album, and one that definitely deserves to be on this list!! I've listened to this album many times before, and I will definitely listen again!!

Favourite songs: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Runnin' With The Devil, You Really Got Me, Eruption, Atomic Punk, I'm The One, Jamie's Cryin', Feel Your Love Tonight, Ice Cream Man

Least favourite songs: If forced to pick.... Little Dreamer

5/5

Reading about today's album, I got pretty optimistic about it. Traditionally, I like Bruce Springsteen, and understand that he is very influential in the music scene. Hearing that this was a fully acoustic album (just Bruce, a guitar, and a harmonica) made this even better! I love coffee shop/singer songwriter acoustic music.

This album is pure gold! It takes everything that is awesome about Bruce, and puts it in the spotlight. His songwriting abilities shine through on this one. There are themes of heartache, love, loss, and crime. His guitar and harmonica playing skills are on point too!

So much beauty on one album. Not a dud in the bunch! I frequently listen to a Canadian East Coast artist named Adam Baldwin, and I would say he definately drew influence from this album for his style of music!!

Overall, a phenomenal album! Listened to it twice today, and will absolutely listen to it again!

Favourite songs: Highway Patrolman, Nebraska, Open All Night, My Father's House, Reason to Believe, Atlantic City, Used Cars, Johnny 99

Least favourite songs: if I have to pick, State Trooper

5/5

I've been known to be indifferent to Elvis Costello, but to tell the truth, I've never really gave him a chance, so I am looking forward to today's listen. I have my reservations, however, because upon reading up on this record, it turns out he made it in the "new wave" style which was very popular at the time. I have been known to hate new wave, so we will see how this goes.

Apparently Elvis Costello is obsessed with dismemberment, because in at least 3 songs on this album, he mentions beheadings, or chopping people up. Also, in the song Oliver's Army, Costello drops an N-Word, which caught me off guard given the fact that he is a white nerd from the UK.

Most of the lyrics, as can he said for most of New wave, were mostly nonsensical. The songs that actually had a clear message instead of incomprehensible ramblings were the ones I liked more (there weren't many). The last song on the record, (What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding, was my favourite on the album. It sounded more like classic Costello, had a clear message, and followed a normal song structure, unlike almost everything else here.

Overall, as suspected, not my favourite. I won't revisit ever again. The music wasn't bad, I just really hate new wave. Elvis gets props for the sheer magnitude of his influence on modern music though.

Favourite songs: "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" , Oliver's Army, Goon Squad, Senior Service, Party Girl

Least favourite songs: Big Boys, Green Shirt

2/5