Reviews by funny_character

In a lot of ways, I'm not all the way there with Soul music. I am in a place where a lot of the genre (from the '60s especially) is music that I can intellectually appreciate, but just can't connect deeper with. Although, there are some moments I've found that break through this. Especially with some of the artists in the '70s. But Otis Redding really got me with this one. I don't really know exactly what makes this feel different, the songs just work for me here. Although the one thing I can point at as a specific draw to me is a big one; Otis Redding's singing. He is pretty much digging in as deep as possible at all times on Otis Blue. It really feels like he's conjuring the sort of fervor usually reserved for religious sermons. It makes the joy, the sadness and the spirit of Soul connect with me. He's just bringing something so visceral. And as I said, it helps that he's bringing fantastic songs here. Respect, Down In The Valley, and Shake are just a few of the really incredible performances across this thing. And the cover of Satisfaction is also excellent. This is just, to me, a nice tight package, embodying the best of what Soul can be.

Guided By Voices kind of feels like the logical conclusion to indie music. They are a band, fronted by someone who appears to be a completely average resident of Dayton, Ohio. He is credited as having written somewhere in thr ballpark of 3000 songs (per Robert Pollard's Wikipedia article). And Guided By Voices has released nearly as many albums as they've existed years (42 albums, to date). They were making music that sounded like mauled Beatles demo tapes on Alien Lanes. And they were capable of writing, essentially, perfect pop songs, so long as these songs do not exceed approximately 90 seconds. And sure enough, despite being 41 minutes long, Alien Lanes has a staggering 28 songs, the longest of which is an epic 2 minutes and 56 seconds. And somehow, miraculously, they manage to pull a damn near perfect album out of this. The cumulative effect of this one is much more than the sum of it's parts. Alien Lanes is an exercise in *brutal* efficiency. These songs manage to instantaneously establish themselves as fantastic pop song writing ideas, let you get a little comfortable, then end. And then you're immediately introduced to another idea just as immediate or arresting or fascinating. There's stuff here that functions as power pop, grunge, folk, and more. The shotgun approach to songcraft here really lets Guided By Voices cover a lot of ground and basically burn every cool idea they have without any risk of anything getting boring or stale. And it just let's then keep up the energy for the whole time without even giving the listener a chance to fall out of the album. But really, there are some *fantastic* songs on this that blur by. This is literally 28 consecutive, great songs. And the band's joyously sloppy approach fits *perfectly*. On some level I don't think there are really any skips on Alien Lanes. Guided By Voices have really happened upon a beautiful, strange, unique magic here.

I've really gotta listen to more PJ Harvey, because this was really good. This is one of the albums that I think most effectively translates the early '90s alt rock/grunge sound into the 2000's. And PJ Harvey pulls it off just by embracing an honest approach, and a sound that emphasizes both low polish muscle, and melodic sensibilities. She is gruff and convincing, and her lyrics are both to the point and really cool poetry. For the best of what this has to offer, check out Big Exit and Horses In My Dreams; two very different, very good songs. But this project ends up really tight and consistent. Mostly though, this experience told me that I just need to spend more time with PJ Harvey, this is really cool stuff.

Led Zeppelin is absolute proof that a "complicated" history is only gonna hurt you so much if you happen to be extremely good at the thing you do. But we have plenty of Led Zeppelin albums to burn through on the list, so I'm not gonna get too deep in the weeds on the band's transgressions for now. But what I will say is that this is both, objectively, an immortal classic, and subjectively, not my favorite Led Zeppelin album, featuring songs that don't fully do it for me. But, in general, I would say that Zeppelin were the single British Invasion band who were best at running off with the blues sound and incorporating it in a way that ultimately was kind of their own. And I think they were one of the only rock bands of this time that managed to capture the raw power and stomp of genuine electric blues artists. And this is a *very* solid showing that displays the incredible full picture that Zeppelin was as a band. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones all approached their instruments and performances here in individually iconic ways, and the result is one of the more solid full bands of all time. I think the best songs here are among Zeppelin's absolute best. Dazed and Confused (more or less written by Jake Holmes), Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (written by Anne Bredon), Communication Breakdown, and How Many More Times are among Zeppelin's greatest songs. The rest is also good, but I'm a little less floored. But I can't really rag on this, it's absolutely iconic, and largely lives up to the hype.

If you were to be asked what Slowcore is, you could do worse than "The saddest tendencies of indie, americana, and punk". But regardless, a certified sad sap myself, I enjoy it. And this is a rare, pre-Codeine example of the genre, when this would have probably been marketed as "College rock", if it was marketed at all. This is a particularly country flavored strain of the genre, the kind of thing that took a back seat to more indie stuff for a while, then kind of came back with late '90s Songs:Ohia albums and Bonnie Prince Billy. It's admittedly kind of a double edged sword, because it puts American Music Club in good company, but also places California in competition with several of my favorite albums *EVER*. But I am glad to say that California does easily stand out on it's own, even if it isn't necessarily operating on the genre's very highest echelon. The first couple of songs here are compelling Americana, but they don't quite capture what I was looking for with this. But from Lonely, pretty much until this ends, American Music Club *really* locks in. We basically get 8 incredibly compelling, fragile, *VERY* sad songs in a row, with a brief interruption from the album's sole punk song, which isn't as bad as it is out of place. But these 8 songs are really the heart of this thing, and there are several songs here that really reach for the heights of some of my favorite albums ever. The cumulative impression is a *touch* uneven, but incredibly fulfilling. I will definitely be coming back to this hidden gem. I really think that once you get into the meat of this album it may be one of slowcore's best kept secrets.

This really captures a time huh. There's an original Langston Hughes poem here, a bluesman supergroup, and an utterly compelling Muddy Waters leading the way. Looking into this performance, it seems like it barely happened at all. And this really does archive a kind of "let's go where the wind takes us" energy. Like a lot of live recordings from around this time, I find this more compelling as a document of an incredible performance than I do as a collection of songs, although the songs *are* good. There's a formidable collection of blues standards here, that Muddy Waters rips though with charisma and power. Although, from a listening perspective, I do prefer the other Muddy Waters album on the list. But this definitely does justify it's place.

(Quick side note: it's worth mentioning that there is a compelling argument that this is one of the most influential albums, *EVER*, this was one of the most vital bridges from blues to the next wave of rock music)

The Who Sell Out is a smart, funny (sort of) concept album. But the concept behind it does make it susceptible to flaws. The framework of this as a radio station with ads is really smart and unique, and honestly there's less reliance on this gimmick than I thought. But there are still several tracks that don't really hold up on their own. That, in combination with my preference being towards harder rocking iterations of The Who, as opposed to their psych stuff, does get in the way of The Who Sell Out in my eyes. But the result is *definitely* still a good album. I Can See For Miles is one of the band's best songs. And a lot of the more straightforward psych songs are a lot of fun; I'd like to highlight Armenia City In The Sky, Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand, and Tattoo in particular. I will also say this album is a little front-loaded. Side A is *much* better than side B, even though B is certainly not bad. The result is an album which is best appreciated for it's unique concept and creative execution, even if it occasionally gets in it's own way.

The Score by Fugees was one of my most egregious blind spots in Hip-Hop. And even on a first listen, I can tell that this is really something special. The trio of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras is electric. Everyone gets ample chances to show off clever, conscious, and dynamic raps. And they also contribute a lot to the production of the incredible, varied beats across here. And I can definitely see how this had some cross-over pop appeal; songs like Killing Me Softly smartly incorporate RnB into the sound here. I also want to say that the sound on this album has aged *incredibly* well. This doesn't sound at all dated or cheesy, and I was really struck by some of the flows on here. I don't have a lot to complain about, but I will say that this is a solid hour of dense rapping, and I haven't fully digested it. But as I said, there's definitely something special here, and I see myself coming back to this quite a bit. But what is certain is that this has earned it's legendary status.

The best of King Crimson is honestly some of the best of prog. And while I wouldn't say that Larks' Tongues is the best of King Crimson, it is pretty close. The intricacy on display here results in some very enjoyable songs, and Larks' Tongues rarely gives into the annoying things about prog. And there's ultimately a good balance between prog's more formless tendencies and some rock solid writing. The title track almost moves like free jazz, but you also have the groove on Easy Money. And the result is an album that I think is honestly pretty accessible. Everything here is unique and masterfully assembled as well. There are a few moments where King Crimson give into prog's cheesier tendencies though. For example, the sound effects on Easy Money kind of take me out of it, although it is a great song. But the resultant album is very enjoyable regardless.

On my first album by The Fall I got here, I wrote something to the effect of "Mark E Smith is one of the most difficult men to ever pick up a guitar, putting him in the company of the most difficult men to ever live", and I still pretty much entirely agree with this. I do still believe that he was kind of a genius though. He was both sort of a great songwriter, and someone who had the ability to surround himself with great songwriters. The Fall is kind of a band of paradoxes. Everyone contributes, sort of, but Mark E Smith *is* the fall. At the same time, it's the collision of something simultaneously working class and art damaged. But it's also predicated on what seems to be Mark E Smith's unqualified, possibly boundless contempt for the world, and the entities which inhabit it (with notable exception of the band Can, one of the only things which we have confirmed Mark E Smith likes, even respects). And I generally think that great art requires a little bit of humility and the ability to take criticism, or accept feedback. But The Fall's playbook was more "let Mark E Smith do whatever he wants, at any time, for any reason, and you'll get approximately 10 fascinating, irreplaceable pieces of art, and like 20 duds". This formula results in a band that is *utterly* unique. I can listen to this and kind of explain what's going on without even getting *close* to what actually make The Fall great. Which is a testament to the fact that The Fall have conjured one of the most truly baffling X-Factors in the history of recorded music. Some secret thing, which manages to make this one of the best albums of all time, is happening here at all times, and I have no fucking idea what it is. The best I can do is that there's some kind of tension, between a band that seems to know what they are doing, and a guy who doesn't, but I can't nail it down any further. This Nation's Saving Grace manages to be one of the band's best albums, just out of virtue of making every idea work. It's an album that feels like the moment before a band falls apart, stretched to ~45 minutes. The Fall never crumble, but they constantly feel like they are crumbling, and the result is exhilarating.

This starts as *approximately* a punk album, but it ends as a lot of things. Honestly, the mix here would be pretty confusing, if not for the fact that a lot of bands sort of sounded like this. I'd say the full picture ends up somewhere in the neighborhood of New Wave, in particular I'd say they are a little like Blondie. Regardless, Pretenders have been one of my blind spots for a while, and this is really good. They sell their punk influence as well as the pop stuff, rock stuff, and the odd reggae influenced track. There's plenty of charisma and attitude and clever songwriting here as well. Tattooed Love Boys might be my favorite here, but there's a lot in the running. I did get to give this a listen, but I honestly think it deserves some more time, so I'm just gonna give this a 4 right now, and call it good. I know that skews a little high for this kind of review, but like I said, my first impression here was *really* good, I'm just not sure if it's good enough to get to a 5, but it *might* be.

Dolly Parton is an absolute national treasure, and albums like Coat Of Many Colors really cement why that is. Dolly Parton is just an absolute delight across this whole thing. She is wise, charismatic, and genuinely funny at times. She also wrote much of this herself, which I am coming to learn was not really common in country music at the time. Coat Of Many Colors also has more lyrical depth than you'd perhaps think. Parton touches on religion, class, mortality, love and more. And it does so through the medium of varied and very enjoyable country songs. But I don't want to downplay the songwriting here. There's a certain efficiency here; the album runs a mere 27 minutes, but it really feels like it has the full depth and content of a longer project. This is one of the better country and western albums I've ever heard, and I can see myself sitting with these songs and letting them grow on me too.

Prior to this, my experience with The Jam started and ended with that Paul Weller solo album, which I unfortunately hated. I am pleased to report that Sound Affects is *much* better. However, I would like to rib the band a little for their listed influences on this album. They claim to be influenced by Revolver (by The Beatles), which is funny because that's like saying you are influenced by the electric guitar; it's true, but it's completely unhelpful. They also claim to be influenced by Off The Wall by Michael Jackson, which is funny because I don't hear it on this album *at all*, but I certainly do hear it on Paul Weller's *much* worse solo album. Honestly, Sound Affects sounds most like a kind of pop-grounded, polished post punk album. It wears the simplicity, and angularity, and chunky basslines well. I wouldn't say this is a radical transformation on the sound, but it is a really solid collection of songs. It's a thoroughly enjoyable listen, and it *does* make post punk work really well as pop music without sacrificing the genre's identity. A lot of these songs are really good, but Set The House Ablaze and Scrape Away are probably the best. They really lean into the slight darkness and quirkiness that can come with post punk, and it makes for a really cool palette when combined with the rest of what this has going on. Anyways, in short, this is really good. Call it a high 3.

It's time for yet another album from the CSN(Y) verse. The CSN(Y) albums themselves are all pretty good, but I have some mixed mileage with the solo stuff. Let's get the easy one out of the way, I don't really count Neil Young's stuff in this conversation, he has kind of eclipsed all of it. But the other stuff has been pretty decent, but not especially interesting. So I'm not especially enthusiastic to hear Stephen Stills' 71 minute opus. Fascinatingly enough, this album is very transparently trying to reach for a more eclectic, adventurous sound, but does not end up *much* more interesting than the other Stephen Stills album I've listened to. Although, that does imply that this *is* at least a little more interesting, and I'd agree with that. Each side of this album is very rigidly themed and titled. Side A (The Raven) is kind of slightly, vaguely inspired by Latin music. Side B (The Wilderness) is Americana. Side C W(Consider) is slightly experimental, but mostly it just has some synths and a psychedelic vibe. And Side D (Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay) is pretty straightforward, internally consistent rock music. Even if these sides aren't *radically* different, there is enough going on that it makes this a fairly engaging 71 minutes. Side C is probably my least favorite, for as much as it kind of plays itself up to be unexpected and daring, but just kind of ends up feeling whatever; it also has the weakest identity of all the sides. Side A is my second least favorite, it also wears it's identity kind of weakly, but it's songs flow well, and are generally pretty good compositions. Side D is my second favorite, featuring a rock and blues sound that Stills is comfortable in, and a couple of the best songs here, like Blues Man and The Treasure. And Side B is my favorite, Country is another setting that Stills is very comfortable with, and the songs all present a unique take on the genre. Fallen Eagle, Jesus Gave Love Away For Free, and Colarado are all very different, fantastic country songs. The real downsides to the structure here are that Manassas feels a bit bloated, and Stills doesn't really manage to pull it all together into a coherent statement. But there is enough quality here to keep me engaged, and much like the other stuff I have heard from Stills, Manassas ends up fine.

Iron Maiden is awesome, but I do think this is a bizarre pick. If the list absolutely wanted to include a Paul Di'Anno Maiden album, I don't see why it wouldn't be Killers, which I think is a better collection of songs. Although, on another hand, listening to the debut in 2026 is kind of an interesting exercise. *And* if the idea here was to capture a unique moment for Maiden, I suppose this kind of makes sense, because they got quite a bit closer to the classic Maiden sound on Killers. Although, it's also a case of a debut that feels unique less because of a series of intentional decisions, and more due to the band not quite getting the formula right. But I must admit that in the grand scheme of things, the Iron Maiden sound was closer to full realization than you'd think. But there are some glaring differences across this album, many of which admittedly arise from the differences between the lineup here and on Maiden's most iconic run. Most notably, Di'Anno's vocals aren't bad, but they *certainly* don't feel like Iron Maiden. He's a little more gravelly than Dickinson, and I think that Dickinson *is* a much better fit for the band with his incredibly distinct operatics. Every once in a while there is also a guitar line that feels really weird when compared to the more familiar Maiden, and I kind of chalk that up to the presence of Dennis Stratton, who didn't even make it to Killers. But, this album *does* still feel as representative of The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal as Maiden's best. The sound here is still very much a combination of speed metal and some distinct influence from prog. And Steve Harris is still the primary songwriter here, which is pretty clearly identifiable. There is even the seed of Maiden's more ambitious moments here on Phantom Of The Opera, which is the longest, most intricate song here. But the song does end up over-extending itself a little. Although, a lot of the simpler songs here really define the sound on *this* album, and make it worth the occasional visit. Prowler, Running Free, Iron Maiden, and even the instrumental Transylvania are a blast. Maiden still conjures up some exciting precision and energy here, and the result is a great heavy metal album, even if it doesn't translate into one of the better Iron Maiden albums. But, I would still advise fans of the band to spin this. There is a lot to love, and it kind of captures a unique moment in the band's history.

I'm starting to figure out that I like "folktronica", even if I haven't listened to a whole lot of it. And Jane Weaver scratches the itch, although my preferred take on the genre really emphasizes the folk stuff a little more. She is still playing with the collision of more organic sounding music and electronic textures, and she does get some real mileage here. H>A>K through Slow Motion really capture what is great about this album. But I think there are a couple of songs that end up in a slightly more generic "indie" place that don't blow me away the same way, in particular Loops In The Secret Society, The Architect and The Lightning Back. But Jane Weaver does manage to stick the landing. Valley is neat, but Ravenspoint is probably the best song on the album, incorporating some disorienting acoustic stuff into a sound that ends up really trippy and unique. And I Wish is another highlight, closing us out. Modern Kosmology doesn't get all the way to what I'm looking for in a folktronica album, but it does end up in the ballpark, and gives me a good time regardless.

Going into this, I was honestly afraid that it was gonna end up kind of boring, but George Michael really won me over here. I'm not gonna say this is the most interesting album on the list; but it's well performed, well written and detailed, and most importantly, it seems to have a genuinely, convincingly kind heart. Even if it comes across as a little cheesy sometimes, there is hope and empathy across these songs, and it is felt strongly and appreciated. While doing some research on this album, I found a take that framed Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 in regards to The AIDS epidemic, and it has honestly stuck with me, and strengthened my extant feelings about the tone and themes here. I would also like to say that George Michael is singing his ass off on this entire thing, and he *knows* it. If he didn't, he wouldn't have tried to pull off a Stevie Wonder cover. This cover is honestly what cemented this album for me. It is a *bold* move to cover They Won't Go When I Go. It is a well loved deep(ish) cut, and also one of Wonder's most emotionally heavy songs, in my opinion ever. There was little to gain in covering something this completely untouchable, which makes me think that George Michael really felt that *this* Stevie Wonder song had to be on this album, which I respect. And honestly, even though it's a pretty straightforward cover, he really pulls it off. Even if I can't fully love Listen Without Prejudice as a piece of music, it is clearly a labor of love, made with a kindness that shines through in earnest. And on some level, I am truly moved.

It's time for some more Rolling Stones. I have had a mixed history with The Rolling Stones, I didn't really like the debut, and I had a lot of problems with Exile On Main Street. But I really enjoyed Aftermath. And I ended up really liking Beggars Banquet. I'd even say it's (presently) my favorite Rolling Stones album. Everything they do here works. Sympathy For The Devil is one of my favorites from the band, and it's a really unique way to kick this album off that showcases the interesting lyricism, sour blues guitar, and high level of songwriting that defines this album, with the inclusion of some incredibly memorable auxiliary percussion. The only other song here I had heard prior is Street Fighting man, which has some real blues muscle, sold with sufficient grit; it's a fantastic rock song. And the rest of this album has The Stones really leaning into a classic blues sound, even covering Robert Wilkins on Prodigal Son. And while there are Stones albums where their blues mode feels hokey or distracting, the simplicity of the songs and the sound of this album go *far* to really sell them here. This is a delightfully dirty, sloppy sounding record, and the blues songs that populate it really feel at home. The collective experience is really atmospheric, and kind of puts Beggars Banquet in a world of it's own. No Expectations, Dear Doctor, Parachute Woman, Stray Cat Blues, and Factory Girl all *really* work as blues songs, and they *hit*. I'd also like to make special mention of Salt Of The Earth, which is another one of my absolute favorites here, and it seems earnest, but there is something weird about it's tone and execution that really draws me to it. This is honestly a really excellent album, and I enjoy pretty much every song here on some level. The Stones owe a lot of their success here to the blues, but I honestly think they sell the sound here, and make an album that feels powerful and gritty and pretty at times. Perhaps I am starting to get The Stones.

The The are yet another UK based pop group from the '80s that started as an underground experimental project, which then drifted closer and closer to more mainstream sounds until securing a few hits. I bring this up because it honestly seems like there was a minute where a lot of bands were doing this; Scritti Politti for example, just off the top of my head. But, regardless of where they started, by the time The The made it to their debut LP, they were basically a punk flavored synth pop project, which happened to have some artistic decisions that might make one think thatvthey may have started as a very different band. And while this isn't something that really ends up in my wheelhouse, it is definitely solid. Good pop songs are stretched in sort of a dancey way, and maintain momentum well enough to pull it off. Giant is the longest song here, and conveniently the best. It manages to scratch a similar itch to the one that This Must Be The Place by Talking Heads reaches, which is a rare compliment. But other highlights are The Sinking Feeling, This Is The Day, and The Twilight Hour, which are all great songs in their own right. But this has enough of thd aforementioned momentum, and great synthesis lines that the whole project ends up (more or less) working. As I said, The The are generally an interesting band, and the material here is solid, but a touch flawed, and a little out of my wheelhouse.

While White Light / White Heat may not be as shocking as the debut, it is certainly more upsetting. I can't even really pinpoint why, but there is something that feels viscerally off here that can't be accounted for by the guitar and cello squeals alone, though they do help. The debut's darkest, most pounding songs, the ones that feel like a heart attack, were counterbalanced by some genuine, if cold beauty. But here, that beauty only really presents itself on the still slightly uneasy Here She Comes Now. And the rest of this album is more punishing than even the most intense moments on the debut. I Heard Her Call My Name and the title track both kind of feel like watching a garage rock performance where the singer ODs on stage. It is just rock music, but it manages to feel unsafe. The Gift is an intense jam in one ear, and a recitation of a dark, if kind of funny short story in the other. I don't know, it just conjures something really off. And Lady Godiva's Operation is, to my knowledge, the first of many songs penned by Lou Reed that are explicitly and empathetically about trans women. The empathy here is a little more distant, but Lady Godiva's operation manages to so honestly capture a certain, trans specific medical anxiety that kind of hits close to home for me that I found the song to be *remarkably* upsetting. The last song here is certainly not least. Sister Ray is a 17 minute long noise rock convulsion. It actually elevates your heart rate and was quite possibly the most difficult song in all of rock music at release. And really, to get more challenging at the time in the rest of the musical world, you would have had to explore a certain kind of particularly punishing jazz record. By the way, it's worth noting that this was inspired by Ornette Coleman; it sounds like it. If you look into how this was recorded at all, you'll pretty quickly find a short list of producers who swore off recording for the band because they insisted on redlining their pedals, absolutely shredding the sound of this thing. And that makes sense, to make something this fucked up, you pretty much *have* to break something. I listen to a lot of noise rock, but there is something special here; White Light / White Heat sounds genuinely sick. There is something convincingly wrong here, and the experience of listening to it is completely unique.