Reviews by forestfly2009

Michael Kiwanuka is a British singer songwriter from London, with Ugandan roots. Some of this, he showcases in his music (notably the inclusion of African drums in the opening song, You Ain't The Problem).

This album deals with feelings of inferiority/not fitting in and racism. Right out of the gate there is a stellar song that touches on how he didn't feel like he was "good enough" compared to other bands/artists at music festivals.

This album is one that should be listened to cover to cover. Each song blends into the next beautifully, kind of like a compilation record.

I don't really know what genre Michael fits into. Often he genre hops between songs. There is some soul/blues/indie rock and folk sensibilities for sure. For having never heard of Michael before, I thoroughly enjoyed this record!! This is what this album generator experience is all about! Discovering someone new who you've never heard of before, and probably never would have listened to on your own. I enjoyed his stuff so much, I explored his back catalog further after finishing this album today! I will definately listen again!!

Favourite songs: Hero (Intro & Song), Rolling, Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)(Intro & song), I've Been Dazed

Least favourite songs: Another Human Being

4/5

Fugees are a hip hip trio from the 90's that was made up of: Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and his cousin, Pras.

This is Fugees second studio album, and is also their last album before breaking up to persue solo careers.

I've reviewed a Lauryn Hill record on here before, and her flow is fantastic! It reminds me of Missy Elliott. I am also familiar with some of Wyclef Jean's stuff, and really enjoy it!

The one complaint I have, with almost all hip hop records I've reviewed, is with the skits they include on the album. I always find it distracting and feel that it takes a bit from the record. Aside from the skits, the album has a really cohesive flow to it.

The cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" is awesome. They did a really good job of making it their own, but not straying too far from the original.

Overall, an excellent listen today! Definately something I will listen to again in the future!

Favourite songs: Ready or Not, The Beast, "No Woman, No Cry", How Many Mics, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Fu-Gee-La

Least favourite songs: Cowboys, The Mask, Mista Mista

4/5

Ray Price is a 50's - 60's country artist. His backing band is called the Cherokee Cowboys, and has featured the likes of: Johnny Paycheck, Roger Miller, and singing backing vocals and playing bass on this record, Willie Nelson.

At the start of this album, specifically on the song "Night Life", Ray sounded like a cross between Frank Sinatra and George Jones, which I didn't really care for. After that, though, he settled into the traditional old country western, with themes of drinking, heartbreak, and chasing women. Notably: the songs "Lonely Street" and "The Twenty-Fourth Hour" are very strong to the old country genre with the fiddle/steel guitar and sad theme.

I didn't think I knew any of Ray's stuff. I had heard of him before, but turns out I knew "The Wild Side of Life", and it is a great song.

Now I must say, country isn't my favorite genre of music, but it is moreso the shitty pop country they are making today. The old classic country still had talented artists and really good songwriting. Today, anybody can be a country star, as long as they sing a song about a dog or a truck, or a beer.

Overall, not a bad album. I don't think I would gravitate to it often, but can see how it definately influenced a lot of country artists that came later on.

Favourite songs: The Wild Side of Life, Pride, Sittin' and Thinkin', The Twenty-Fourth Hour

Least favourite songs: Night Life, Lonely Street, There's No Fool Like a Young Fool

3/5

Note: the album cover is kinda creepy. A lad leering at a couple who is just trying to have a drink. Greasy.

Keith Jarrett is a jazz pianist from the USA. This is a live album, recorded at the Koln (Opera House) in Cologne in 1975.

Before heading out on his own, Keith played with the likes of Art Blakely and Miles Davis.

The story behind this album is a fantastic one. Before the show, Keith requested a concert grand piano be supplied for him to play the concert on. There was a misunderstanding with the venue, and a baby grand piano is all that was provided. Not only that, it was the baby grand that the venue had as a strictly "rehearsal instrument". The piano was worse for wear, being slightly out of tune, and having pedals that didn't always work as they should. Keith was also having severe back pain (he had to play the concert in a back brace) so much that he couldn't sleep, and was severely overtired, and before the concert, the restaurant he went to screwed his order up, leaving Keith only enough time for a few bites before having to leave to play the show. So tired, hungry, and with the wrong instrument, he went out, and now unable to play the setlist he wanted due to the smaller, subpar instrument he was provided, improvised 66 minutes of flawless music on the spot!! I am not necessarily the biggest jazz fan, but this story of perseverance in the face of hardship is what music is all about. This album wholeheartedly belongs on this list, simply because of that story!

Even the music he managed to play was amazing, though! Not something I would gravitate to every day, but absolutely stellar work. Keith was a master of his instrument!! I really enjoyed today's listen, and the story that went along with it!

Favourite songs: Koln Pt. II C

Least favourite songs: Koln Pt. I (just because he spent the first 10 minutes noodling about on the piano, I'm assuming trying to figure out what worked and what didn't on it)

4/5

The Who are a rock band (part of the British Invasion) from the UK. This is their debut album. These guys epidomized the rock and roll lifestyle (destroying instruments on stage at concerts, trashing hotel rooms, and Keith Moon's adoration of blowing up toilets)

They were also the predecessors of punk rock. In their search for more volume, Pete Townsend and John Entwistle were key players in the development of the Marshall Stack, which became a staple of rock acts later on. Keith Moon was a hell of a drummer! Pete's use of distortion and feedback revolutionized rock music as we know it today. The speed and intensity of their live shows was legendary.

Overall, a great record. Very influential to so many bands that came after them, and trendsetters of their genre.

Favourite songs: My Generation, The Kids are Alright, La-La-La-Lies, Much too Much, Please Please Please, I'm A Man

Least favourite song: The Good's Gone

4/5

I became familiar with not so much this album, but it's namesake song, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1, in 2010 after Rock Band 3 came out, which featured this song. Before that, I hadn't heard of the Flaming Lips before.

I can remember playing this song, thinking how weird, but in a good way, it was, but I never took the time to explore The Flaming Lips any further. I had since forgotten about that song until I saw this album cover this morning. It was a nice shot of nostalgia. That song is an earworm. I will be humming it now for days!

This whole album is as gloriously strange as Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1 is. I don't know what genre of music this belongs to, perhaps psychadelic indie rock/dream pop? The lyrics, although odd, are sung beautifully, and have a way of pulling you into this strange world they are painting a picture of through their music (almost feels like an anime film). The layers of spacey sounds overlapping the synth /acoustic guitar bits, and then the addition by times of orchestral pieces is beautiful. It all blends together into this wonderful tepestry of sound.

It's weird, by all accounts, I should hate this music, with its odd psychadelic aspects and indie rock undertones, but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I listened to the album twice.

Favourite songs: "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1", Fight Test, Do You Realize??, In the Morning of the Magicians

Least favourite song: One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21

4/5

Before today, I had never heard of Sebadoh. They are a 90's lo-fi indie rock band. Their co-founder and one of their vocalists, Lou Barlow, also co-founded the band Dinosaur Jr, which explains why those two bands sound similar.

By times, Sebadoh sounds like a shittier Nirvana. In other songs, their sludgy guitars and slow beat makes them sound like Smashing Pumpkins. And still other times, their high energy songs have them sounding like the Vines or Primus.

In certain songs, the instruments are horribly out of tune. Perhaps this is by design, but I personally find it painful to listen to.

The lyrics are largely nonsensical, especially in their weird psychadelic songs included on this album such as Elixir is Zog.

Overall, a standard indie rock record from the 90's. It blends in with the mass amount of other music from this genre and time period though. Nothing really jumped out at me. It wasn't bad, just not spectacular.

Favourite songs: Flood, Soul and Fire, Two Years Two Days, Sacred Attention, Homemade (I think this song is about beating off, idk?)

Least favourite songs: Elixir is Zog, Fantastic Disaster, Telescopic Alchemy, No Way Out (the last minute of the song sounds like someone channel surfing through random noise.... Why?!?)

2/5

Today's album is by alternative rock artist Beck. I am familiar with Beck's singles such as Loser, and Novacane, but have never delved into his stuff too much.

Beck is an artist who is great at exploring several genres of music, blending them together, and making it his own. For example, on this one record, there are hints of country, folk, hip hop, rock, and psychadelica.

I thouroughly enjoyed the genre exploration, because each song could sound vastly different than the last, and it made it exciting to keep listening to the record. It didn't get stale.

I really enjoyed the heavy sludgy guitars in the song Minus, as well as the bluesy folk blended with hip hop sound of Hotwax. By times, the music sounds like the Beastie Boys.

Beck's lyrics are hilariously nonsensical, and may only make sense when one is stoned. A few examples of some noteworthy lyrics include:

From Hotwax:

Sawdust songs of the plaid bartenders,
Western unions of the country westerns,
Silver foxes looking for romance,
In their chainsmoke Kansas flashdance ass-pants

Or a few examples from Minus:

It's a sensation,
A bankrupt corpse,
In the garbage glasses,
With the crutches of frogs...

And...

Radiation,
Feeling the force,
Karaoke,
Vomiting morons.....

Overall, a great listen today, and one I will definately revisit in the future!

Favourite songs: Hotwax, Where It's At, Devils Haircut, Novacane, Minus, Jack-Ass, Sissyneck, Ramshackle, High 5 (Rock the Catskills)

Least favourite songs: Derelict, The New Pollution, Diskobox

4/5

Before today, I'd never heard of the Crusaders. They had a long history, spanning several band name changes before settling on the Crusaders (used to be the Jazz Crusaders, but they didn't want to be tied down to one genre, so they dropped the "jazz"). Once the smoke cleared, what was left was a jazz fusion band, which took aspects of jazz, funk, and R&B, and layered them into their unique blend of music.

This music sounds like a cross between elevator music, a porno groove, and upbeat, jazzy 80's sitcom theme songs. It is great stuff if you keep an open mind to it. I can see how people would find it bland, but I quite enjoyed it. Maybe it's because the band displays actual talent, unlike yesterday's dumpster fire.

There is a lot of great soloing by all involved on this record, and each song doesn't overstay its welcome. Even the opening song, Street Life, which is 11 minutes long. It certainly didn't feel that long. Maybe it was the inclusion of lyrics by Randy Crawford on that track, but it was a great song all around.

Overall, I enjoyed this album. Nothing really jumped out at me, but it was a perfectly acceptable jazz fusion record (unlike most of the others of this genre I've reviewed so far).

Favourite songs: Street Life, My Lady, Rodeo Drive (High Steppin'), Carnival of the Night

Least favourite song: Night Faces

3/5

Why is this garbage considered music. Someone standing behind a computer pushing buttons while the crowd trips on Ecstasy.

Never heard of Roni Size or Reprazent, and wish I never had. More worthless electronica shit that has no place on a list like this. What did this influence? This is the music aliens listen to while they probe your arse. Fuck electronica, and drum'n'bass. 9-10 minute songs with looped shitty lyrics, and wind chimes as a musical instrument. And why would someone turn Morse code (the most irritating sound on earth) into a song?

Favourite song: Beatbox because it's only 1 minute long. It features someone trying to beatbox, but they're so bad at it that they just record a small clip and looped it to make it sound impressive, but it is actually shit.

Least favourite songs: the whole fucking album.

1/5. There's an hour and 20 minutes I'll never get back.

Today's album is the self titled debut album from the UK rock group Dire Straits. The band was started by brothers Mark and David Knopfler.

Mark's guitar playing is very recognizable, as is his singing style. He is largely slept upon when it comes to his guitar talent. He is absolutely one of the greats! His lyrical style is similar to Bob Dylan.

Dire Straits music draws influence from country, blues, funk, folk, and jazz, and blends it all together into a beautiful mix.

I've listened to quite a bit of Dire Straits stuff, as well as Mark's solo stuff as well, and love it all. My favourite Dire Straits album is Brothers in Arms, and I'm sure it's on this list, so I can't wait to give that one a spin again.

They were still discovering their style on this album, what with it being their first album, but for a debut album, it is insanely tight and polished.

Thoroughly enjoyed today's listen, and will definately listen again!

Favourite songs: Sultans of Swing, Southbound Again, Down to the Waterline, In the Gallery, Setting Me Up

Least favourite song: Six Blade Knife

4/5

Slipknot is a heavy metal band from Iowa. Fronted by Corey Taylor, who has also had some solo stuff and sang with the band Stone Sour as well. He also has had acting gigs, and has turned his hand to writing as well. Helluva talented guy!

I can distinctly remember when their self titled debut album came out in 1999. I recall seeing the music video for Wait and Bleed, as well as interviews with a few of the lads on Much Music and thinking, "what the fuck am I looking at". 1999 was the time when nu metal was huge, and acts like Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Linkin Park were getting started. Slipknot exploded on the scene with a much heavier, faster, more raw sound, and all the dudes in the band wore spooky masks, which they switched out for each album release. These guys took their chance and ran with it, and were, and continue to be insanely popular, headlining their own yearly festival of hard rock/metal (Knotfest) and putting on the craziest live shows ever! It is a sonic experience to say the least.

This was the last album for original drummer Joey Jordison before he had to leave the band because of a form of MS that he was battling which prevented him from playing his instrument any more. In his heyday he was one hell of a drummer, with his machine gun kick drum, and insanely technical drum beats. RIP Joey, you are truly missed.

Overall, a great listen today! I recall the first time I heard the song Snuff, it blew my mind. That was the first time I heard Corey's more intimate singing voice. It is so beautiful alongside his raw, gutteral screaming voice. This is a hell of a talented band, and a great bunch of guys!

Favourite songs : Snuff, Psychosocial, This Cold Black, Sulfur, Gematria (the Killing Name), Dead Memories, All Hope Is Gone

Least favourite song: Vermilion Pt. 2 - Bloodstone Mix, Gehenna, Butcher's Hook

4/5

Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal. Their sound reminds me somewhat of Radiohead or alt-J.

There is quite a bit going on musically in this album. There are certain songs that lean harder to the rock side of the spectrum, then other songs that are more indie pop, like the song Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) which sounds like it could be a Depeche Mode song. I enjoy the harmonies reached by the male and female vocalists.

I am not a fan of indie music as a knee jerk reaction, however, there were a few enjoyable songs on this record. I doubt I will ever listen again, as it took literally all day to listen to a 1hr album because I kept losing interest , but I can appreciate what they're doing here, and how they influenced so many other new artists who have came since. I just really don't like this new age indie rock artsy hipster garbage much.

Favourite songs: Month of May, Ready to Start, Modern Man, Wasted Hours, Empty Room, City With No Children

Least favourite songs: Rococo

3/5

Peter Tosh was one of the founding members of the Wailers (Bob Marley's backing band) before branching off on his own. This is his debut solo album, and covers topics such as the legalization of marijuana, poverty, and religion.

This was some great reggae, not as polished as Bob Marley's stuff, but still very good all around. There were some tight guitar solos, and phenomenal beats throughout.

Overall, I really liked this album. Very easy listening. I will definately revisit again!

Favourite songs: Burial, Why Must I Cry, Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised), Whatcha Gonna Do, Ketchy Shuby, Till Your Well Runs Dry

Least favourite song: Legalize It

4/5

Ella Fitzgerald is recognized the world over as "The First Lady of Song". She is a jazz vocalist with a phenomenal and powerful voice. Her scatting ability is awesome!

This is a monolithic album (the longest on this 1001 album generator, I believe) coming in at 3 hours, 14 minutes, and consisting of 59 songs. The Spotify link in the album generator links to the "Best of the Gershwin Song Book", which is a slimmed down 12 song, 45 minute listen. I, however, opted to listen to the full album, because that is what the 1001 albums book is referring to.

Even though this is a huge undertaking of a listen, I enjoyed it all the same. I listened in sections throughout the day, instead of cover to cover, all at once. I think this made it better, because 3 hrs straight of jazz is a lot to digest. This is perfect coffee house jazz, and reminds me a lot of "Fallout" music, which is the best part of that game series.

The last 6 songs are just instrumental numbers by Nelson Riddle, and they aren't as good as the music that contains Ella's voice. Not bad, they sound a lot like Disney movie or Looney Tunes instrumental numbers, just not as powerful as the rest or the album.

Bernard Buffet created the artwork for the 5 original LP's that made up the original release. Based on the piece of artwork I saw, Bernard did poor Ella dirty. What a homely painting.

Overall, a great listen. I suggest giving the full record a try, and breaking it up like I did. There are a lot of gems contained on the full record, that didn't make it to the "best of" compilation.

Favourite songs: The Real American Folk Song, Things Are Looking Up, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Let's Call The Whole Thing Off, 'S Wonderful, My Cousin in Milwaukee, The Half of It Dearie Blues, Boy What Love Has Done to Me, Lorelei, I Got Rhythm

Least favourite songs: A Foggy Day, Somebody from Somewhere, Just Another Rhumba, Sam and Delilah, Embraceable You

3/5

What a festive album to get on Christmas Day. I am familiar with a few of these renditions of some Christmas classics, but not all of them.

Phil Spector was known for his production style known as the "wall of sound" which was an "unusually dense orchestral aesthetic that came across well through radios and jukeboxes of the era." Later, in the 2000's, he would become well known as a murderer too, so there's that.

All said and done though, this is a great compilation of classic 60's artists (The Ronettes, The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, and Darlene Love). Darlene Love, Mariah Carey, and many others have been in a constant feud every year over who Queen of Christmas is, and in my mind, it's no comparison, Darlene Love is amazing, I hate Mariah Carey's poppy Christmas garbage. I especially love Darlene's original Christmas classic: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) which reminds me of the movie The Night Before now every time I hear it.

Overall, a warm, festive listen today! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Favourite song: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Least favourite songs: The Bells of St. Mary, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

3/5

This album is a masterpiece! It is a double album psychadelic rock opera about a rockstar named Pink, and his issues with the childhood loss of a parent, being brought up during the Blitz by an overprotective mother, dealing with bullying on the playground, becoming a rockstar, getting married, infedelity, substance abuse, and depression (yeah, a real rollercoaster of emotions). The whole time, the protagonist is using these hardships in his life to build a proverbial wall around himself, blocking him from the outside world. At the end of the album, after a slight descent into madness, he is put "on trial" by his own psyche, and found guilty of displaying human emotion. The fine for this is the destruction of his "wall". After he demolishes his wall, and experiences life on the "outside", the album ends with the words "Isn't this where -". This ties in with the very first words of the phrase the begins this album which were "- we came in?" which also continues the melody of the last song, making a full circle, hinting at the constant cyclical battles of people who fight with depression and mental illness every day.

This album hits hard, deals with some heavy material, and does so phenomenally with the help of various sound effects, and genre shifts throughout. The only way to truly appreciate this album is to listen to it cover to cover. Taking it in snippets at a time causes it to lose a lot of its meaning. As stand alone tracks, a lot of these songs wouldn't hold up, but as part the greater "whole" these songs are powerful!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this album listening experience this morning. I had heard the hits from this album before, but never really sat down and listened to it before. You certainly have to be in the right headspace to fully enjoy the record, but when you are, if you can keep an open mind, man does it ever take you on a rollercoaster ride!

Favourite song: Comfortably Numb

Least favourite songs: I can't really pick one. They all have their place in the grand scheme of the album.

5/5

Gorillaz are an English "virtual band" that blends rock, hip hop, and electronica together to make a unique mashup of sound. It was created by Damon Albarn (singer of the band Blur) and comic book creator Jamie Hewlett. The band has their own "lore" which includes their own universe, back stories etc. The "virtual band" consists of singer/keyboardist, 2-D (singing voiced by Damon Albarn), bass guitarist, Murdoc (voiced by Phil Cornwell), guitar/keyboard/vocalist, Noodle (singing voiced by Miho Hatori), and drummer Russel (voiced by Remi Kabaka Jr.). Gorillaz have collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Elton John, Jean-Michel Jarre, and more.

I can distinctly remember when the music video for Clint Eastwood hit Much Music. I was a young teenager at the time, and the music was like nothing I'd ever heard before. Aside from their hits, though, I've never delved into their stuff too much before.

I enjoyed relistening to some old hits I had forgotten about, and Clint Eastwood is an "earworm" that I'm sure to be humming for the next bit for sure. Every time I hear that song now, I immediately think of the movie Trolls. Aside from the hits though, most everything else on this album kind of fell flat with me. It is super quirky, as is most things Damon Albarn is involved with, with mostly nonsensical lyrics, and usually is heavy to the electronica side of things. The heavier rock/hip hop songs resonated more with me than the Primal Scream-esque electronic stuff.

All things considered, there were about an even number of hits and misses on this album. I may revisit the hits, but can't see myself listening to the whole record cover to cover again.

Favourite songs: Clint Eastwood, 19-2000, Rock the House, Punk, Double Bass, Re-Hash

Least favourite songs: Man Research (Clapper), New Genius (Brother), Sound Check (Gravity), Starshine, M1 A1

3/5

I only just recently heard of Kate Bush after she became famous again for her song Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) being used in the Netflix series Stranger Things. That song is a weird 80's pop song, so I assumed this album would be similar. I was correct.

Kate Bush is like if Madonna was a much less sexual, artsy hipster who wrote shitty poetry that requires an engineering degree to comprehend and has no discernable rhyming scheme, then paired it up to very bland, 80's pop music that it doesn't mesh with.

There are so many layers of sound and shit going on on this album, that for the whole album, I had to read her lyrics because I could barely hear and discern them behind the noise of the backing music. For example, I mostly heard moaning in the song The Sensual World until she started talking about her breasts for some reason.

Since her lyrics are so confusing, here's what I gathered from some of the songs on this album:

In the song Heads We're Dancing, Hitler told her he was flipping a coin, and if it landed on heads, they were dancing...

In the song Deeper Understanding she became obsessed with her computer because it showed her the "love and deeper understanding" which she wasn't getting from people. It became so bad, people had to intervene...

I think in the song Rocket's Tail, she dresses up like a rocket, jumps off of a bridge, and kills herself?!?.... Fucked if I know....here are some of the lyrics from that song:

I put on my cloudiest suit
Size 5 lightning boots, too
'cause I am a rocket
On fire
Look at me go, with my tail on fire

This Woman's Work is actually a heartbreaking song about watching a loved one die, the first song on this album to actually have a clear direction and theme.

She took to making bird calls in the song Walk Straight Down The Middle for some fucking reason.

Overall, a very weird album. Not something I will ever listen to again, but points for her voice, it is actually beautiful. And the music, even though it didn't jive with the lyrics at all, was decent as well.

Favourite song: Rocket's Tail, This Woman's Work

Least favourite songs: The Sensual World, Love and Anger, Reaching Out, Never Be Mine, Walk Straight Down the Middle

2/5

What the actual fuck did I just listen to? Robert Wyatt was the drummer of the band Soft Machine before branching off on his own. This is his second studio album, and this one was produced by Pink Floyd's drummer, Nick Mason. Need I say more? This album is super out there. Psychadelic folk maybe? I don't know what to call it.

An unfortunate accident befell Wyatt in the middle of recording this record, leaving him paralyzed, which sucks, but my fuck this album still blows.

Most of the album has no discernable beat to it at all. Someone just sat behind a piano and played random notes shittily while the bass player fell asleep and waves of God awful theramin screeching and synth garbage are layered overtop. Wyatt couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and the lyrics are mostly nonsensical (especially in the song Alifib and Alife which isn't English, or any discernable language. It seems like he is singing backwards while brass instruments are abused in the background). The flute playing on Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road was terrible. The violin in Little Red Robin Hood Hits the Road sounds like something an unskilled 6 year old would play if given free range to wail on the instrument with no instruction. This album was garbage from start to finish. Painful to listen to really. Why the fuck is this on this list?

Favourite song: Sea Song (if I had to pick one. In reality the whole album is trash)

Least favourite songs: Alifib, Alife, A Last Straw, Little Red Riding Hood Hits The Road, Little Red Robin Hood Hits The Road

1/5