Reviews by gmuzza

Facing 38 tracks on this project is never a positive experIence. I am however a sucker for Banjo, so ‘Grand Ole Opey Song’ raises my optimism around how much of a slog this will be.this is somewhat dashed by the unnecessary chatter at thr start of track 2, but again once it gets going its quite pleasant.

I enjoyed the sudden handbrake turn in Lonesome Fiddle Blues where it feels like it’s suddenly become a country sea shanty of a tune.
I’m also a good 5 tracks into disc two, before i realise vocals are long gone. Unfortunately this exacerbates the increasingly ‘samey’ feel to the music.
Suddenly we hit Lost Highway and the vocalist is back from his break.

Whilst i appreciate the talky bits are supposed to the whole record as live ethos on such a long album they are unnecessary and annoying.

If this album had been shorter and certainly confined to a single disc it would have probably been 4.5/5 but as it is it the duration drags the overall enjoyment down.

It’s been a long time since I have listened to HMS Fable, but going ing this my recollection of the album was a positive one. This is immediately reinforced by ‘Natalies Party’ and the album generally flows along this line.
Unfortunately the album never really raises above just being pleasant and therefore whilst good background for a sunny summers day (currently overcast late winter) it lacks anything to hook you in and stand out.

This isn’t what i want from the Beach Boys. Student Demonstration Time is a good old rock n roll stomper, but this sort of thing is done far better than others. The whole thing comes across as a contract obligation filler.
I quite like Feel Flows, but spent most of the time trying to think what song it reminded me of….turns out it was just I knew the song from the Almost Famous soundtrack.
‘A Day in the Life of a Tree’ is just abysmal.

Kendrick is such a consistently great artist, who blends his lyrics perfectly with the beats. As with a lot of Kendrick’s output there is an element of jazz to his music, which makes him stand out that bit more from a lot of his contemporaries, as does keeping skit type breaks to a minimum (to the extent i’m not sure i’d even label them that)

Tracks like Alright cut deep and a Rapsody feature is always welcome, as she should be much bigger (in the UK at least, i have no idea how she is received elsewhere)

Pretty unenjoyable from start to end. Cope’s vocals are whiny and the music does little but serve are backing to this. The nearest there is to a highlight is ‘If You Loved Me At All’

Western front 1992 just sums this overlong experience up, when you’re album is already an hour long there is no need for crap like that (or the one immediately after it).

Possibly the greatest album ever recorded.

Not for me. I like quite a little of punk but this too much hardcore punk for my liking. The only redeeming feature was my minds attempts to convince me they were singing Judy Love in Room 13

I love Elbow and consider this to be one of the truly great albums of all time. Their albums before TSSK were good, but this represented a step up to a new level which manages to produce beautiful intimate songs with sweeping arrangements that sound at home in arenas and festivals.

There is no weak point on this album. From the get go Starlings throws down the gauntlet with great lyrics “i guess i’m asking you to back a horse thats good for glue and nothing else” and explosive brass. The Bones Of You snd Mirrorball ensure there’s no let up before the pounding bass and Guy Garvey’s smoky vocals introduces you to the seldom seen kid and the undeniably catchy Grounds for Divorce.
The addition of Sheffield laureate, Richard Hawley add yet another level with The Fix.
Whilst Starlings is my favourite track you have to acknowledge that One Day Like This is the star that shines brightest in an album of stars.

Whilst i would say this is Elbow’s best work they make damn fine albums both before and after this and their consistency is incredible.

I enjoyed elements of this, but it was just too old school country for my liking. Pleasant enough, but not really something i would ever revisit

It’s strange for its nonsensical lyrics this album felt like a coming of age album for the Chilli Peppers. Yes they’d had tracks like Under the Bridge long before tjis, but across a whole album it just felt more sustained. Obviously that view is undermined to some degree by the ding, donging of Around the World but if nothing else the instrumentation feels tighter, led by Flea’s bass. Parallel Universe feels like you’re in a speeding car hurtling toward the age of a cliff, which i’m not sure i enjoy as much as a 48 year old as i did when the album originally came out.

Scar tissue is however still a great song. The guitar sound is just so chilled and chimes like a sweet bell. It shows that RHCP had the ability to deliver great songs when they slowed the high energy impulses down a tad. Otherside maintains this momentum and feeling of slight nostalgia of sunny days.
Get on top is more traditional RHCP fare but you cant knock Frusciante’s guitarmanship.
Californication is another ageless, beautiful track with its chilled instrumentation and more laid back Kleidas vocals building to “Dream of Californication”.
After this there is a definite dip with songs like I Like Dirt and Purple Paint just unnecessary filler.
Road Trippin makes for a good close, but overall not as good as I remember.

This sounds like posh arts school kids trying to do punk. It lacks energy and the vocals are terrible.
I wanted to like this, but i dont

Her vocals just irritated me, the lyrics were generally repetitive and the music just a bit safe to lift this from the doldrums.
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan at least adds some interest and storytelling, but the music doesn’t match this, so still falls flat for me. The least said of the cover of working class hero the better.

Janelle Monae never disappoints in her approach to albums. They always feel as much a work of art as just an album.
The tracks manage to quite varied (see the step change from Sir Greendown to Cold War) but also cohesive.
Tightrope adds in a dose of hip-hop royalty in the form of Big-Boi and is an infectious clap along feel good track mixing jazz club vibes with Big Boi’s smooth delivery.
Oh maker starts like a classic singer songwriter tune from the 70s and throws up elements of Everybody’s Talking. Before the deep beat kicks in and Janelle lets their vocals fly to a sound more akin to Beyonce.

Come Alive see a rockier approach whilst retaining the jazz like vibe that runs through the entirety of the album. Only for another handbrake turn with Mushrooms & Roses providing a far more ethereal listen.

Suite iii ushers in a more sweeping orchestral feel, whilst retaining that core spirit that runs through the album.

This is just a brilliant listen

The leap that took place from yhe previous album Good Feeling to this is remarkable. Good Feeling was just that upbeat songs of youthfulness, whereas The Man Who is the sound of a band that has matured and found their groove.

In my view this is one of the great albums of the nineties. Yes the singles are highlights (especially Writing to Reach You), but that should not detract from the other tracks that hold their own. I love how Slide Sliw cites other great travks of the time. And hidden tracks dont get much better than Blue Flashing Lights.

They subsequently suffered from the Coldplay comparisons, but Travis and in particular this and The Invisible Band deserve far more recognition.

Korn emerged at a time I generally listened to the heavier end of music, but never managed to land with me. I had the debut album and promptly gave it away. Listening to this I’m fairly sure my issue is Jonathan Davis’s vocals.
Songs like Children of the Korn feel like they are crying out for someone like Mike Patton to get hold of it.
The least said of the Fred Durst song the better.

Coldplay are a great band who frankly make great albums. Yes they might not be for everyone, but that’s fine. If you don’t like them just dont listen.

The quality of the first five tracks on this album is ridiculous. Despite fairly simplistic instrumentation in the main they are so layered and packed with emotion.
I dont think there is a bad track on this album

I wanted this album to be better than it is. His vocals are so great and some of this perfectly showcases it, but some feels let down by the arrangements. I was also surprised by the fact some of the staples i just prefer other singers versions.

Too many silly voices on songs like ‘There Goes A Tenner’ and ‘ The Dreaming’. I just dont get Kate Bush, like pop meets prog rock

The opening of Visitors filled me with Dread, as an ABBA sceptic it sounded like an even more eighties version to the more popular ABBA sound. Once passed the initial intro i was quite surprised to find an unexpected enjoyable track with more depth than i’d associate with ABBA . Unfortunately this was not continued and the next couple of tracks just feeling like the band’s normal yhrow away pop.
Let the music speak sounds like it was written more for a musical than this album and doesn’t work for me.
I had thought i didn’t know any of the tracks on this album, but i did recognise One of Us, which was enjoyable enough even if you can already hear the beginnings of I Knew Him So Well.
The remaining songs are frankly dull

I enjoyed the funk of Happy Feelin and Yearnin Learnin but elsewhere it just felt flat and insipid schmalz. All About Love (First Impression) is just abysmal.