Reviews by funny_character

There was a time when this album was chronically overrated in online music spaces, and while I never really dug into it, a part of me is kind of resistant to wanting to listen to Arcade Fire, in part because of this. The whole situation with Win Butler a couple of years ago also doesn't particularly make me want to listen to Arcade Fire. Now that this album has a couple mental shrouds for me, I'm curious if I can enjoy it. It turns out that I can, I still hold that at its critical peak this album was pretty overrated, but this is still a standout indie project. I've seen Side A called the neighborhood suite, and I think it's where this project is at its strongest. These songs have a strong conceptual throughline, some neat baroque instrumentation, and strong, varied songwriting. Tunnels builds in a really dynamic way that kicks things off very well. Laika has great melodies, and really neat jangly textures with the xylophone and the accordion. I'd also like to highlight Power Out, which has a stand out electronic pulse, and kind of makes me think of a mid-late era Modest Mouse song, which in this instance, is a good thing. Side B feels a bit more disjointed, but it still has really strong songs. The run from Wake Up to Rebellion (Lies) in particular stands out to me. Wake Up in particular is ultra catchy. This is an album that incorporates a lot of the early 2000s indie-isms really well while maintaining a super accessible sound, and I think it paid off, Arcade Fire is huge now. I think pretty much every song on here pulls its own weight, and I can see myself returning to some of these songs in the future, even if the whole album may not make it into my regular rotation.

This checks a lot of *very* specific boxes that I am looking for in indie folk. The low fidelity production, the unique vocals, the kind of esoteric woodsy vibe, the poetic lyrics. I am also a huge fan of how this album plays it musically loose, it sounds organic without feeling sloppy to me. Basically, this is one that kind of feels like it was tailored to my tastes a little. I will say that while I like every song here, I am not confident that there is anything truly amazing enough from a songwriting perspective to give this the lauded 5, but songs like The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie, Fall, Insect Eyes, and Autumn's Child really try.

This is the first Velvet Underground album without John Cale, and for better or worse (depending on who you ask) his absence is felt. Without his shrieking weaponization of the cello, The Velvet Underground's sound feels a little less "punky proto noise rock" and a little more "art pop/rock classic", and this has resulted in this album being one of The Velvet Underground's most accessible, with noteworthy results. This self-titled is kind of a perennial favorite, mostly for those who (understandably) couldn't get into White Light / White Heat. And, while they did dial it back here a little, a lot of the best songs here still show some echoes of their avant-garde roots. On What Goes On, Jesus, Some Kinda Love, and I'm Set Free, a lot of the drone-y minimalism of the band's older stuff still appears in a more tamed form. And, while I don't know if it's one of the band's more successful avant pieces, The Murder Mystery is pretty cool, if slightly long winded. But there are also moments here that very successfully capture more conventional songwriting. Pale Blue Eyes is a wildly successful, very tender love song. After Hours is vulnerable and sparse. And, say what you will about Lou Reed's personality, with its ups and downs, but Candy Says is an incredibly empathetic, very sweet song aiming to capture the experience of transness in a way that I truly appreciate. Unfortunately, there are some songs that don't fully sell me here. I think side 2 is generally the weaker one here. I don't really like Beginning To See The Light, That's The Story Of My Life's kind of country feel doesn't really fully sell me, and as interesting as it is, The Murder Mystery is an overlong mixed bag. Ultimately, there's a lot of good here, and while the second half is a little spotty, I think The Velvet Underground's first venture into more accessible music was very successful. This is justifiable as an essential, and I am glad I heard it.

It's interesting to hear the first album from a band that would become very popular. Sometimes it's the only opportunity to hear them before they are forced to contend with the weighty expectations of celebrity culture. Kings of Leon are a band that, anymore, I can only really think of as offensively inoffensive. Like it feels like they are as "just fine" as any band could be, and the big question I had going into this was if they were any more interesting on their debut. At this time, Kings of Leon kind of seem to sit in with the other kind of indie/garage rock bands of this time, but with a little more of a Southern Swamp Rock sound. Unfortunately, even here, I don't think they could really keep up with their contemporaries. They aren't as powerful and scuzzy as The White Stripes were, they didn't have the energy of something punkier like Yeah Yeah Yeahs at this time. And they didn't have the melodic sensibilities or performance of The Strokes, who they sound most similar to otherwise (they kind of both have the same "dry" sound that I wish I could put a finger on). Their sound is also just a little more "generic 2000s rock" than any of the former bands. I would like to mention the vocals here though. Caleb Followill digs in pretty hard on his delivery, and there are some standout moments, but his performances still somehow feel too restrained and never quite connect all the dots. This isn't bad per say, but like their later music, it just isn't interesting (let alone essential) in the landscape of rock they existed in.

Boston is kind of a fascinating case study to me. They are a band who was led, in part, by Tom Scholz, who was an absolute studio wizard who invented all sorts of pioneering recording techniques and home studio devices, however, what they used all this innovation for just doesn't feel like especially interesting music. Boston just kind of sounds like the cleanest, catchiest, most accessible arena rock possible, like this really feels like archetypal "dad rock" to me. And honestly, that audio engineering skill clearly went somewhere, this album does sound really good. Making an album sound this immaculately, spotlessly clean is no small feat, and even though I don't really like Boston, it's hard to argue that the work didn't pay off. Just about every song here was a hit on some level. A lot of them still get airplay on local classic rock stations across America (and beyond) to this day. And the songs are also there, like yeah, everything here kinda, sorta sounds the same, but every song does hit real arena rock highs. Depending on where you live, you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't heard More Than A Feeling, it's just unbelievably catchy. Honestly, if you're into this, more power to you, because you are probably having more fun than me, just in general.

2112 is a truly great album that I usually kind of need to be dragged into, kicking and screaming. I do like Rush, but my forebrain often forgets this fact. Also, Rush makes the kind of prog that I rarely feel the need to listen to. Despite this, I do think they make really great, incredibly intricate music. And by some metric, 2112's title track may be the greatest, most intricate song Rush ever recorded. Side B of 2112 is worth discussing, but we are really here for said title track. 2112 is one of the most important longform concept pieces in rock history. It is a 20 minute dystopian epic comprising the entirety of side A, and frankly, it has been discussed to *death* so I may try to keep this brief. 2112 tells the story of someone in a dystopian future finding a guitar, immediately mastering it, getting it destroyed by the high priest collective, then possibly dying by their own hand. I think it's a reasonably compelling narrative, but I do have complaints. Generally, I think Rush's lyrics are a little weak, usually nothing *terrible* just very, very literal, and that usually isn't a problem. However, this is a 20 minute long sci-fi narrative, and some real cheese seeps into some of it, but your mileage may vary. Also, we have quite a bit of Randian influence here, which is rarely good, but Rush manages to harness it in a way that isn't immediately distracting. Lyrics aside, the composition here could probably convey the story as an instrumental, which speaks to just how good Rush are at composing: it's very impressive, and the whole affair is consistently engaging and shockingly brisk. Let's now discuss side B. These are 5 disconnected rock songs that are all at least good. More great song writing, and very literal lyrics abound (really only distracting on A Passage To Bangkok and The Twilight Zone). A Passage To Bangkok is one of the best here (if you can overlook a *little* exoticism), but they did decide, for some reason, to interrupt the otherwise great song, not once, but twice, with the "Asian Music" sting, which kind of grinds everything to a halt and jumpscares me, as a modern listener. The Twilight Zone is another musical highlight here. But again, none of the songs are bad. Like I said, I do have some complaints with 2112, but I do still think it's great. Just the fact that they were able to execute something so ambitious and epic as well as they were deserves accolades. But more importantly, the album still has great songs, it isn't just a writing exercise, honestly this rocks pretty hard, which is kind of Rush's magic spell. Again, it's not always one I'm in the mood for, but I'm down for a spin of 2112 now and then.

Mark E Smith is a fascinating individual and one of the most difficult men to ever pick up a guitar. His contempt for his bandmates, contemporaries, and audience is pretty apparent in most everything he did, said, and made. This band has had 66 members during its lifespan for a reason. Although, people attempted to put up with him for a reason: the man was kind of, sort of a genius in his own weird way. Live At The Witch Trials is an extremely interesting debut. The Fall can be lumped in with the other post-punk bands at the time, but no one did it like this. This isn't to say that The Fall was far ahead of the rest of the scene, but they were kind of a singular, inimitable thing. For a band that really isn't *that* aesthetically extreme, there is something disproportionately alienating and caustic about The Fall's music. I think a lot of it may be that it seems like Smith had very little interest in keeping the band's energy from hurtling off the tracks, especially for how intricate some of these songs come across as. It kind of feels like everyone is pulling in a different direction, but the forces all balance out. And on top of all of it, Mark E Smith is *ranting*, it almost feels like he's trying as hard as possible to keep everyone from settling into a groove. And as a result of all this, The Fall's sound feels chaotic and nervous. I will also say that The Fall is really not for everyone, and they really don't seem to care that a not-insignificant portion of the population is left in the dust here. Despite that, I would really urge everyone to give this one a shot, it probably isn't The Fall's best, but it is *very* good, and is honestly probably one of their most accessible. It's really the kind of thing you struggle to find anywhere else.

I'm the wrong kind of gay for this, George Michael doesn't exactly have a lot for the sapphics. I'd probably be able to tag along for the ride, but the '80s are also one of my least favorite decades for mainstream pop music, and this is an album that features a lot of the production attributes that usually drive me away from this era. Everything has that sort of cheesy sheen that a lot of '80s pop music seems to. And the songs are kind of campy, but not in a way I really resonate with. The result is that these are catchy, well written songs, and George Michael is a strong presence, but I just don't really like much of what is here. The Title Track sort of grew on me, Hard Day is sorta funky, and I like Hand To Mouth. Although, I really don't see myself returning to any of the songs here. Although I would like to make a special mention of I Want Your Sex (Pts. 1 & 2), which I can't say I love, but it is genuinely fascinating. This is a 9 minute epic about, you guessed it: sex, which features a little break where we get lyrics like "sex is natural, sex is fun, sex is best when it's one on one" which sort of makes me feel like I'm in some bizarre sex education class in high school or something. I understand that this would have seemed a little more daring at the time, but now it is just sort of bizarre and quaint. It baffles me that this is a song on an album that sold 25 *Million* copies. Anyways, as much as I don't really like this album, I can't really feel any negativity towards it. It's just sort of having a good time, and who would I be to stop it. Plus, I'd like to give some bonus points to George Michael for making such an unrepentantly gay and horny album for the mainstream in 1987, I have nothing but respect, even if I can't entirely resonate here.

This is pretty interesting, but kind of inessential. Doves kind of set themselves apart from other similar indie acts by really embracing their house roots and by accentuating the late night "moodiness" that so many people reference in regards to Lost Souls. This results in a couple of really good songs: I like Sea Song, Lost Souls, The Man Who Told Everything, and some other moments dotted around quite a bit. However, sometimes this album feels a little style over substance, and the very singular atmosphere makes some of these songs run into each other. Although, this at least makes Lost Souls work well as "vibes" music. Despite this, I am not sure I can really see myself returning to this one, I kind of wish it took the "moodiness" further, we are kind of sitting in a weird middle space with Doves as they are. Sometimes they don't push their ideas dark enough, sometimes they don't have enough songwriting chops to counterbalance the darkness that is here. Although I did enjoy this while it was on, I just kind of find it vaguely pleasant most of the time. This score should be read as a low 3.

From what (admittedly little) research I did, Hugh Masekela seems deeply important to the landscape of jazz, and this is seemingly regarded to be among his best. While I can tell this is a detailed, sophisticated piece of jazz, I'm not sure I can entirely speak this music's language. I enjoy jazz quite a bit, but my comfort zone usually hovers around the hard-bop, swing and (to an extent) free jazz world. Home Is Where The Music Is has some distance from these touchstones, and while I enjoy this while it's on, I often just don't have the ear to tell you exactly what is spectacular about it. Although, this is still a pretty great album to just sort of drift through, even if I can't take it all in. Although there are some moments here that I feel I can fully appreciate. The Drumwork in the second half of Blues For Huey is really incredible. I also love the second half of Minawa. And Ingoo Pow-Pow brings in some really interesting percussive and vocal components that really set it apart. Also, I would like to note that while Hugh Masekela's name is specifically on this, it feels more like an ensemble piece than a solo exhibition at many times (although he certainly has some fantastic flugelhorn solos on here). Overall, this is pretty great and I enjoyed it quite a bit, I don't know if I see myself coming back to it anytime soon though: maybe someday.

For much of my life, I kind of thought most Reggae sort of sounded the same, although this was, as they say, a skill issue and some time last year it finally clicked with me. That being said, I didn’t really follow up on this revelation in any meaningful way. All of this to say this is the first Reggae album I have listened to from front to back and it’s *really* good. Bob Marley is an icon and with music like this he really deserves the status. The unfortunately underrated Wailers are also fantastic, elevating these fantastic songs and Marley’s performances and Melodies into an album that earns its place among the greats. Marley is a super dynamic vocalist, and he serves as a great counterpoint to the super tight, rhythmic reggae grooves across the album. It's also refreshing to hear his lyrics in a world where Bob Marley, as a pop culture figure, has been sanitized. Songs like 400 Years, and Slave Driver are angry, intelligent and deeply political. He also has compelling lyrics about romance, religion and more on here. I'm glad the generator finally twisted my arm into checking this stuff out, I had a fantastic time.

Every true music curmudgeon has one mid to late ‘60s underground rock band that they claim secretly sort of invented punk before anyone else. And as quite the curmudgeon myself, mine has been The Monks for some time now. While The Monks may have been limited by the music aesthetics of the time and the technology available to American GIs in Germany in like 1966, the punk spirit is alive and well on Black Monk Time, and frankly the sound isn’t as far as you’d think. The songs are repetitive and simple and sorta pummeling in their own sort of scuzzy garage rock way. The lyrics are blunt, angry and often politically charged. And a kind of energy rarely seen in rock at this time courses through the album. Also, this is a particularly brisk ~30 minutes, well suited to the kind of stuff here. There’s some really cool drum work here too, and I was pleasantly surprised by the organ incorporation that could have only been here in 1966. This is some really unique, exciting rock music, and I’m glad the 1001 albums list gave it some love.

This album is frustrating, because it’s almost pretty decent, but there are just a few things with U2’s sound that I kind of just can’t do. Either way, I’m not sure this has earned the classic status that it is often given. I will say that if you heard this when it came out, I can kind of get it. At the time, I could have seen the Edge’s signature tone and effects being atmospheric and kind of futuristic, but unfortunately, time has not been kind to The Joshua Tree, and this guitar sound is, to me, synonymous with advertising, which really is too bad. That being said, it is sorta U2’s fault, if your signature guitar effect is a delay pedal, then you can’t complain if it doesn’t sound all that exciting to future generations. Something I can more confidently blame on U2 is Bono’s performance here. Something about the way he sings makes me feel like a cat being pet backwards. His pitch isn’t always there, he tries ducking off into expressive little detours that just don’t feel right to me, and when he gets a little growly, it kind of sounds like he has something stuck in his throat. A lot of the songs here, on a writing level, are at least melodically decent, if melodramatic, but what often really makes or breaks an individual song for me is Bono. For example, on I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, he plays it pretty straight and let’s the melody speak for itself, and as such, it’s one of my favorites on here. Conversely, Bullet The Blue Sky is pretty good, until Bono starts doing his thing, and I’m immediately sucked out of an otherwise atmospheric song. I would also like to note the baffling Trip Through Your Wires, which stuns me with Bono yelping to no particular gain, and harmonica playing which feels as though it has no place on this album. Although, I did actually like the subdued approach of the last two tracks here: Exit and Mothers Of The Disappeared. They both tone it back and let the atmosphere speak instead of trying to coat then in obnoxious vocals and huge choruses. Overall, this was actually kind of interesting to me, I just didn’t like it that much. But I do think there’s value of some kind here.

What sticks out to me most about this is that Joan Armatrading can *sing*. She’s fantastic on here, an extremely powerful presence. Unfortunately a lot of the songwriting doesn’t stick out to me all that much, but I do like the country leaning stuff on here. Save Me is one of the best songs here, dusty and tender. I’d also like to mention Like Fire’s incredible guitar work. Join The Boys and Tall In The Saddle are also highlights here. All in all, I can put this on pretty happily, and Armatrading herself is is fantastic, but I only get so much from this as a whole.

I listen to quite a bit of extreme and bizarre music, but I must admit, this one took a couple of listens. This was Robert Wyatt's first solo album after leaving Soft Machine, and also his first after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. The process of teaching himself a new way to write, perform and record music shows here, Rock Bottom sounds nothing like any of Wyatt's prior work, and frankly, I'm not sure that I have heard another album quite like this full stop. Rock Bottom is considered part of the Canterbury Scene, just from the lineup here, but it doesn't quite fit neatly into that sound. The only other music I can think of which is enjoyed in approximately the same way is some stuff by Coil, Comus, and to a lesser extent, Kid A by Radiohead (which is often cited as being the most noteworthy album to take inspiration from Rock Bottom). What does this sound like? It has some of the attributes associated with the aforementioned Canterbury Scene, but just feels different from prog at large. These songs are ethereal and sour complex, taking more from modal/free jazz than from prog, and featuring a mix populated both with more conventional rock instruments as well as synths, drones and other alternative instrumentation. I honestly think the first two tracks here may be the most challenging, although they are both very good nonetheless. Sea Song is a particularly bizarre love song to his wife (the similarly fascinating Alfreda Benge) and Robert's understated but intentional vocals move like a fairly conventional ballad at times. However, the song as a whole sways and stretches, the chord progressions always threatening to resolve, but seemingly never quite making it there. This is executed to great effect, feeling genuinely disorienting in a way that is really interesting. A Last Straw really shows off the jazz influence, as well as the incredible talent on this album: our lineup includes Mike Oldfield, Fred Frith, Laurie Allan, Soft Machine's very own Hugh Hopper, and more. These are largely scene legends, and the chemistry here is incredible (of note is also that Pink Floyd's Nick Mason produced this). These two songs are very good, while remaining utterly subsumed into Wyatt's world. But what is really noteworthy here is that, in my eyes, the remaining four songs are effectively perfect, while *still* refusing to dial back the strangeness here. Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road and Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road seem to be sister songs. The former being devoured by a brass section and ending in a brief recitation of a poetry passage. The latter, closing out the album, doubles down on the poetry, as Wyatt allows Ivor Cutler and his beautiful harmonium playing to close the album out. Both are incredible songs. Between them, is, in my opinion, the album's greatest achievement: the suite of Alifib and Alifie, together forming the other gloriously weird love song to Wyatt's spouse on this album. For as abstract as these songs are, they resonate deeply with me. Alifib is a beautiful song, modality is heard at its most expressive, and we slowly build into the intensity of Alifie, which then ends with a passage by A;freda Benge (his wife) who puts a bow on everything and the cumulative statement is really beautiful. The most fascinating thing about these songs may be the lyrics: they are straight-up Dada poetry. Wyatt uses words and sounds non-representationally, just exploring them as ideas separate from the objects they are typically connected to, and it is done *very* well, sold with super dynamic delivery. I get if you don't like this, it is *truly* bizarre, especially if you don't really have any frame of reference for this at all. And even if you do, it is stubborn in the unfamiliarity of its content and execution, really resisting attempts to get into it. However, I would urge you to give it a shot, there is something really exciting and beautiful here. I don't know if this album is technically perfect, but what very few rough patches are here, I think I'm willing to overlook. This is rapidly growing on me, and I am willing to award bonus points for this quite possibly being the only album that feels and sounds like this ever recorded. It is a rare and beautiful beast, and I am willing to give it a 5.

It really feels like Stevie Wonder's very best is music that no one dislikes. In particular, his work from 1972 to 1976 is solid gold, and Fulfillingness' First Finale lands in the middle of this run. I will say, this has a hard time living up to its surrounding albums, but given the incredibly high quality ceiling here, that isn't exactly a damning accusation. This is still an excellent album full of really great songs, many on the same level as Wonder's best. The sound that Wonder is known for, combining soul with funk, motown, R&B and more is on full display here, and the topics discussed here are focused and consistently interesting. These songs are about love, religion, spirituality, hope and the occasional jab at Richard Nixon. There really isn't a bad song here, but highlights include Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away, which explores Wonder's relationship with religious faith, the breezy Bird Of Beauty, and the politically minded You Haven't Done Nothin, featuring The Jackson 5. I would like to make special mention of They Won't Go When I Go, which captures a tone heard nowhere else here, and carries some real gravity. It is one of Stevie Wonder's best songs ever. I will say that I don't think I connect to every song here, but I can understand that this is fantastically constructed from front to back. There is just something joyful and transcendent that Stevie Wonder's music is often steeped in, and that X-Factor is on full display here, making this a truly valuable project.

Doggystyle is an undisputed classic hip hop album by Snoop Dogg, and it is very possibly Snoop's only undisputed classic. However, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who appreciates hip hop as an artform who would deny Snoop this one. After Dr. Dre's The Chronic proved that G-Funk, and the West Coast hip hop world at large had a real chance in the mainstream, and Doggystyle followed up on the potential. Produced in full by Dre, and featuring a West Coast who's who feature list, Doggystyle saw Snoop become fully realized as one of the most endearing (and enduring) personalities in hip hop. Snoop's flow is unbelievably smooth, and he harnesses an effortless "cool" that aided a lot in acclimating a more general audience to West Coast hip hop. Also helpful are Dre's beats here, which up the fun factor present on his debut. The basslines are *fat*, the sawtooth synths are sugary and iconic, and the bounce on this project is non-stop. Regardless of if the West Coast is your thing, this is still one of the best collections of beats *ever*. Gin and Juice is a generation defining ultra-hit, The Shiznit's bassline is incredible, and on songs like Murder Was The Case and Serial Killa, Dre even conjures some sinister tones. Of note is also Lodi Dodi, one of hip hop's only real covers. Snoop pays his respects to Slick Rick, and Dre's beat sounds right at home under Rick's verses. It's also worth noting that while this album, in the eyes of many, marks the early signs of the hip hop mainstream moving away from lyricism, the lyrics here absolutely are worth discussing. Snoop paints such a vivid picture of LA at this time, and the people and places that comprise it. While talking about lyrics, I would like to mention that this album often finds itself at the center of conversations about misogyny in hip hop, and while I do not think these conversations are often started in good faith, I do think there is a real discussion that can happen here. From what I have read of other reviews of this album on this website, there seems to be a lot of pearl-clutching about hip hop, while the equally grave crimes against women committed by the music industry at large seem to frequently go unpunished. It just sort of feels like a double standard, and I don't think it really gets to the core of the systemic misogyny that does exist within hip hop culture and within the music industry at large. All that being said, some of the lines about women here are *crazy*. There is a particularly high density of shockers on Ain't No Fun. I think some of these lines may well be indicative of problematic attitudes towards women that some of the artists here may have held, and I think artists should be held accountable for this, but acting like this is a problem that starts and stops with Snoop Dogg just isn't helpful. Despite this, I think this album can still be held as a classic. As I mentioned, this album paints a picture of the world it was created in, and Snoop Dogg shows us the good, bad and ugly of this world, whether he knows it or not. It is always responsible to have a critical relationship with art, and one should be able to acknowledge the greatness of a piece while acknowledging how the good and bad of the personalities that created it shaped and the art itself, instead of holding them as wholly separate entities. Anyways, at the end of the day, I do think these lyrics detract somewhat from my enjoyment of this album. There are also a couple of other minor complaints I have, mostly that I am not huge on the skits here. Despite all of that, I do still consider this a classic and regard this very highly. This is a ton of fun, it also sounds great in the summer, and it's a real piece of hip hop culture. Great stuff!

When I say that I remain skeptical of Brit-pop, albums like this are why. (What's The Story) Morning Glory is one of the most acclaimed albums in the Brit-Pop space, one of the best selling as well, and it's an absolute hit parade too. However, I just don't really like this album. Oasis' game here seems to be simple, elegant pop song writing, with a massive chorus on every song. For me, the problem here is that by swinging for the fences every time, Oasis often misses. A lot of these songs seem engineered to be the most effective arena rock songs possible, but it feels like Oasis doesn't earn a lot of these choruses. On the other couple of Britpop albums I've heard through this project, there were always some surprising little detours to expand their sound, but there really isn't much that surprised me here at all. I'd like to note that this approach to songwriting isn't intrinsically bad for me, but there really isn't anything about Oasis that sells me on it here. There isn't anything exceptional to me about the singing here, or the playing for that matter. There isn't much of an exciting rock edge here, but Oasis also doesn't sell me on the melodicism here. There weren't really any lyrics that stand out to me, and I don't really find the Gallaghers to be compelling figures either. There just isn't anything I find really interesting about Oasis' sound to sell these huge songs. I will say, there are a couple of songs that help out quite a bit here, but first I would like to briefly acknowledge Wonderwall. Wonderwall is kind of a fine song at the end of the day, but it may be in the running for the most played out singular song on the entire list. If not for this list, I could have probably gone the rest of my life without intentionally listening to this song. With that out of the way, let's discuss some positives. Hello and Morning Glory are both songs with some fun, driving energy and end up pretty decent and help give the project some momentum. Don't Look Back In Anger is one of the only choruses here that I really buy into, it kinda hits. Also, Champagne Supernova highlights one of the merits to this songwriting style. Despite being 7 minutes long, it feels as brisk as anything else here as it builds from chorus to chorus, it helps that this song has some of the best melodies here. However these songs can only help so much, and I still feel that a 2 is appropriate here.

Well shit, this is like *really* good. I don’t have an incredible history with Britpop, I like some of the classics, but the genre at large doesn’t really do it for me, but Different Class by Pull is an extremely well written pop album with a unique aesthetic and great execution that stands head and shoulders above the genre at large in my eyes. This is full of flourishes from the rave scene, orchestral arrangements and there really isn’t a bad song here. We start off strong with Mis-Shapes, a song where Pulp’s incredible talent for chorus writing becomes immediately apparent. Before mentioning other highlights here, I would also like to mention the lyrics here, there is a fascinating combination of class consciousness and horniness in a way I’m really not sure I’ve heard anywhere else. The album as a whole paints an honest and pretty grimy portrait of England at the time, full of class conflict and ennui. I bring this up because the second song here is Pencil Skirt, which is an almost transgressive view of cheating that feels gross in a pretty interesting way. The next song is a pretty staggering highlight: Common People is about class consciousness by way of romantic flings, touching on themes of upper-class disconnect and the fetishization of the working class. This kind of romantic wistful pop song transforms in a really interesting way, with the narrator becoming increasingly angry with the class tourist woman chasing him, and the almost imperceptible build here is glorious. I Spy is another personal favorite, with the post punk vibes and whispery vocals, it’s just sonically fantastic. Other highlights include Live Bed Show, Sorted For E’s & Wizz, FEELINGCALLEDLOVE, and Monday Morning: really we have most of the album here. I stand by there not being a bad song here, but some just don’t do quite as much for me, Underwear and Something Changed in particular. Despite this, this still may be my favorite Britpop album, and if you’re skeptical of the genre you owe it to yourself to at least give this a shot. This is a pretty high 4.

Iggy and the Stooges’ legendary Raw Power is certainly aptly named. The performances, energy, and production (more on that in a minute) of Raw Power makes it both crawl towards punk, and capture rock at its most exciting and unpredictable. This is compounded by the reputation Raw Power has due to the conditions of its creation: frankly it’s a miracle this got released at all. In short, the legend goes as such: David Bowie saw fit to get Iggy Pop's next album financed and released, and a few bizarre decisions later, as Bowie tells it, he had to mix the album in a single, day long session from only three tracks (reportedly, Iggy's vocals, and the lead guitar both had their own track, and everything else was on a single track). Even with the talents of Bowie, this resulted in a mix that sounds raw and shrill, but it ended up capturing the album pretty well. It's also worth noting that in 1997, Iggy Pop was brought in to remix the album himself for a reissue, and the result is a mix wherein everything is as loud as possible, to the point of clipping, but the low end is a lot better. Consequentially, there is no definitive mix of Raw Power. Bowie's mix captures some real lightning in a bottle, but he seems to have left the bass behind, and Pop's mix fixes the bass, and has a little more impact, but it loses some of the charm of the original, and maybe more importantly, it has a dismal dynamic range, the whole album has the faders jammed as far as they'll go, and it proudly displays its digital clipping. I think there are merits to both, and I would like to go on record to say that I think there is something beautiful about the fact that after 25 years of reflection, hindsight, and experience in the professional recording industry Iggy Pop still seems to think that the best way to experience this is as loudly as physically possible, at all times, without relief. To discuss the music on here, it's sick as hell. Basically, this is just shy of 35 minutes worth of rock music threatening to fly off the handle at all times. There are two slower songs, but I wouldn't say they are filler, they're honestly pretty good, so this thing feels lean, not really a wasted minute. The rhythm section turns into a wall of noise, Pop shouts incoherently, and the guitar solos sputter inarticulately. It feels bold and chaotic, and like I said earlier, exciting. I love this thing, and while I'm not giving it a 5 yet, I think there may be room to grow.