Reviews by gregorsmith

This debut album always hits me in the feels. I was hooked back in 1995, and it still holds up. It's awesome watching Dave Grohl find himself, coming out of the shadow of Nirvana's drum kit. As a long time fan, I think this is the Foo Fighters at their most real. It's got this raw vulnerability that's kinda missing in their bigger or more recent hits.

Some people say it's basic, but I think that's what makes it so good. It's super cathartic, a solo thing that blends the grunge of the 90s with the catchy power pop that followed. Songs like "This Is A Call" and "I'll Stick Around" still get me, and even the weird tracks like "For All The Cows" and "Exhausted" show off Grohl's talent. This album isn't just good, it's a legend finding his voice. It's a classic for sure.

To be honest, I completely forgot I’d even listened to this until I saw it staring back at me in my Spotify history. It’s the kind of record that feels like sitting in a stiff wooden church pew, meticulously hand crafted and technically "perfect," but so polite and understated that it frequently bleeds into the background. I get that people love the arrangements and songwriting, but for me, it felt more like a fancy lullaby than some mind-blowing experience.

The good songs, like "Two Weeks," are catchy, but they're surrounded by a bunch of quiet, dull stuff. It's definitely an album for a specific mood, but that mood is so dreamy and calm that if you're not paying attention, it's gone. I can see the cool production and everything, but it was too chill and didn't really stick with me.

Okay, so I used to have this weird thing against this album and band as a whole, mostly because Courtney Love is such a complicated figure. So I wasn't a Hole fan, but hearing Celebrity Skin made me rethink things. Live Through This came out so soon after Kurt Cobain died, it was impossible to separate the music from all the tabloid garbage. For a long time, I let all those dumb rumors about ghostwriters and copying Nirvana keep me from even listening. Big mistake. This is a wild record that's both a creepy time capsule and still sounds amazing. It proves Love's music is totally her own.

From the super angry "Violet" to the super vulnerable "Doll Parts", the album captures how complicated it is to be a woman, with a loud-quiet-loud thing that still slaps hard. The band is tight, especially Kristen Pfaff's bass and Patty Schemel's drums, it's melodic and rough at the same time. It's a must have grunge record from the 90s that's still holding up... It's a feminist rock masterpiece that perfectly nails a certain kind of anger.

This album totally hits as a high point for the Golden Age of hip hop. It's like a trip through the D.A.I.S.Y. Age, all positivity, laughs, and super cool sampling. They throw in everything from Steely Dan to yodeling, the production is a genius mix of everything. It's chill and fun, proof that three friends having a blast can make magic.

Some might say the skits are a bit much, but tracks like "Me Myself and I" and "Eye Know" make up for it. It's a bummer it was stuck off streaming for so long, but it still sounds amazing. It's more than just an album; it's a warm, funky, and brilliant piece of music history that you absolutely HAVE to hear.

I’ll admit, my first reaction was that this sounded like a lifeless, budget-brand version of Pavement. The vocals are flat, the instrumentation is skeletal, and at times the whole experience feels utterly wearisome and dull. However, after sitting with it, I started to realize that the boring quality is actually a deliberate, minimalist country-tinged atmosphere meant to frame David Berman’s songwriting. It’s pretty sad music at its core, but there’s a uniquely poetic wit hidden within.

As for whether it has aged well or is a must listen to album, the general sentiment is a resounding "meh", though it's clearly an acquired taste.

Listening to Isn't Anything is like walking onto a raw, beautiful, but sometimes brutal construction site for shoegaze. I dig the one-take vibe, it's grittier and more spectral rock than their polished, later stuff. Tracks like "Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)" and "Feed Me With Your Kiss" are super powerful, but sometimes it feels like a blurry mess of a soundscape where the vocals get lost in the guitar noise. It's definitely important and innovative, but it can veer into noise for noise's sake that's a bit much.

I really like the album and think the glide guitar is cool, but it doesn't quite hit the heights of Loveless. Loveless feels like a solid wall of sound, while this one's more of a disorientating masterpiece that's still finding its feet. It's a great record that I'll come back to when I'm in the mood, but it's missing that extra magnum opus spark.

First things first... I owe The Thrills a massive, public apology.

A few weeks back I said they were one of the weakest "The" band from this early 200s era, but then I had to listen to The Coral again, and wow... The Thrills were just kinda boring with their california band vibes and incessant location name dropping, but The Coral? It's a mess, a total disaster. They apparently have to have every instrument imaginable, but it doesn't make them good. They only have one decent song, "Dreaming Of You," and even that feels weird next to everything else.

Listening to this album is like having a bad dream. Someone tried to mix polka, ska, and some weird folk stuff, and it's just... awful. It hasn't just not aged well, it's gone bad.

Listening to Justified now is a real trip down memory lane, but also a bit cringe-worthy. The Neptunes and Timbaland still make some killer beats from that early 2000s era, but the whole album feels like he was trying to be the next Michael Jackson, you know? It did a good job breaking away from the boy band image, but it relied a lot on stuff that already existed. The singles are still bangers, but the lyrics and the whole vibe is kind of embarrassing now, such as the call and response part in "Senorita" and the beatboxing in "Rock Your Body" not to mention the connotations of the whole "get you naked by the end of this song" line and his appearance at the SuperBowl with Janet Jackson...

Overall, the album hasn't aged well. It's got a bunch of filler and feels a bit empty, even though it's super polished. It was a big deal back then, but now it just feels stuck in 2002. It's more of a time capsule of radio friendly pop than something that's really special. It just feels like a product.

It was kind of a mixed bag really, a little bit ok-ish and a lot of meh. I had higher hopes for it, especially coming from Cale with his Velvet Underground pedigree, but it felt a bit too baroque pop and inconsistent. The arrangements are all over the place, but they just don't have any spark. The production is nice, but a lot of the songs sound like they belong in a fancy lounge. Cale's voice is...unique, and the lyrics are a bit too arty for my liking. There are a couple of good moments, like the title track and the opener, but overall, it's pretty forgettable.

U2 really became something with War. It's where they went from a post-punk band to a huge, politically charged rock group. Forget the moody stuff from before, this album feels like a major movement, ditching the edgy stuff for epic anthems. The beginning with "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Seconds", and "New Year's Day" is insane. Larry Mullen Jr.'s drums and The Edge's guitar make it so powerful and raw. They had this youthful energy that even they couldn't recreate later on.

Things get a bit weaker after those famous songs. "40" is cool, but some other tracks don't quite hit the mark. Bono's vocals are passionate, which can be amazing or a bit much. Overall, a super energetic turning point that showed U2 was ready to take on the world, even if it was a little rough around the edges.

I get what they were going for with this Garage Rap Opera thing, trying to make everyday stuff sound super dramatic, like losing cash or a breakup. But, honestly, it's a mess. Skinner's rapping is all over the place, like he's tripping over his own feet. It's more like someone reading a story than actually rapping.

The whole album feels like a bit of a flat. Some people might dig the real feel, but to me, it's just annoying vocals. I can't get past how bad the flow is, no matter how good the story is. It's a piece of history, sure, but as music? Ugh, tough listen.

I’ll be honest: I used to be one of those people who dismissed ABBA as nothing more than bubblegum or cheesy Eurovision Pop, but listening to Arrival in full has completely flipped my perspective. It is, quite simply, pure pop perfection. From the iconic opening of "Dancing Queen" (the rare kind of song that opens to the back half of the chorus) to the surprisingly deep layers of "Knowing Me, Knowing You", every track feels meticulously crafted. The production is masterful, blending infectious disco rhythms with lush harmonies and even touches of Swedish folk. It’s the kind of music that fills a hole in your soul and makes it impossible not to move; even the deeper cuts like "Tiger" and the atmospheric title track "Arrival" showcase a level of songwriting sophistication that most modern artists can only dream of.

For me, it’s a solid 5-star classic.

Harvest is a total classic, no doubt. It's got this nostalgic, down home vibe that just hits the spot. The pedal steel and harmonica are awesome, giving it that cozy, campfire feel, especially on "Heart Of Gold" and "Old Man". The production is fantastic, mixing that stripped down folk sound with some big, orchestral moments... But, and this is a big but, it's *still* a Neil Young album. While the songs are amazing, his voice… it's a bit of a mixed bag. It can be cool, but sometimes it's just a little much. It's a shame, because the instruments and lyrics are so good, but his vocals are a bit of a hurdle for some folks. Still, it's a must-have record. I just wish someone else was singing these songs sometimes.

Kala is a wild ride, all over the place with South Asian beats, Bollywood vibes, grimy electronica, and grime. It's trying to be super edgy and talk about some serious stuff, but it's a bit much sometimes. I get the DIY, raw energy, but a lot of the tracks are just too much or get repetitive. It's 47 minutes that feels like a chore, not a trip.

It's alright, but "Paper Planes" is the only real winner, a perfect moment in history. Everything else is just kinda there, even the cool stuff like "Jimmy" struggles to remotely reach that same level of brilliance, leaving me mostly just waiting for the cash register and gunshots to kick in.

This is a real mixed bag. It's like walking through a beautiful but kinda creepy, sound. Dion's voice and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound make this album sound super unique and a little haunting. Tracks like the title song and "Only You Know" have this ghostly, orchestral vibe that feels timeless, even though it came out in 75.

But, on the flip side, it can be a real drag. I get why some people call it boring or sleepy. The production is so thick and the songs are slow, it feels like the music is drowning. Dion even called it funeral music and after hearing all that reverb it's hard to disagree. It's a piece of history for Spector fans, but for most people, it's more background music than anything else.

This debut from The Black Crowes is a solid, if highly derivative, slice of Southern rock that feels like a time capsule from 1973 despite dropping in 1990. While some call it generic, there’s no denying the tight musicianship and Chris Robinson’s charismatic vocals. It’s a polished, energetic homage to the Rolling Stones and The Faces, perfect for a summer drive with the windows down, even if it doesn't always break new ground.

The clear standout is the cover of Otis Redding’s "Hard To Handle", which arguably outshines the original with its infectious groove. Along with hits like "She Talks To Angels" and "Twice As Hard," the album balances gritty blues-rock with soulful ballads. It’s a safe classic that might not give you goosebumps, but it’s an undeniably fun listen that proved pure, unadulterated rock-and-roll still had a place in the pre-grunge era.

Ugh, I get zero vibes from this. It sounds like some cheesy, overproduced 80s dance trash that just doesn't hold up. Seriously, without being in a warehouse back in the day, throwing shapes, it's just bland, repetitive, and robotic. It's basically annoying background noise, not music I'd want to listen to.

People say it's groundbreaking, but it sounds like something you'd hear in a bad movie. It's got no soul, and it's just... bad. If this is the best the genre has to offer, I'm gonna find something with some actual character.

This album is a brilliantly chaotic missing link between 70s punk and 80s glam, and I’m honestly surprised it took me this long to find it. It’s got that raw, street wise energy of the New York Dolls mixed with catchy, melodic hooks that clearly paved the way for bands like Guns N' Roses. Tracks like "Malibu Beach Nightmare" and "Tooting Bec Wreck" are pure fun, unapologetically dumb in the best way possible, featuring some surprisingly killer saxophone and piano work that gives the whole thing a unique, eclectic edge.

Fuck yeah, Peacemaker!

This was a truly wild experience, and I honestly wasn't prepared for how delightfully weird it turned out to be. I'd heard all the stories about Captain Beefheart's weird stuff later on, but Safe As Milk is actually pretty easy to get into, even though it's super off the wall. It's a wild, crazy ride that's like a fever dream, a mix of a nightmare and a playground, but it never goes totally crazy. It's got that gritty blues and soulful R&B at its core, but then it gets all warped with psychedelic stuff and Ry Cooder's amazing guitar playing.

The best parts are the songs that shouldn't go together but somehow work, like the smooth "I'm Glad" next to the creepy "Electricity". Beefheart's voice is insane, this intense, rumbling thing, like a stoned Wolfman Jack leading a band that's super tight despite all the weird time signatures. It's this unique blend of blues that feels like the link between old roots music and when punk started. Whether it's the catchy "Abba Zaba" or the rocking "Dropout Boogie", this album is a masterpiece of experimental 60s rock that left me totally confused and hooked.

Listening to A Date With The Everly Brothers is like stepping into a 1960s time machine, full of harmonies that totally influenced the Beatles and the Beach Boys. I was kinda surprised the only Everly Brothers album on this list didn't have hits like "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have To Do Is Dream", or "Bye Bye Love", I mean, what are we even doing here? Though. It does have their big hit "Cathy's Clown" and the original, sad version of "Love Hurts", but it's more about deep cuts and cool covers like "Lucille".

At only 27 minutes, it's a fast experience that captures the style of the era, even if some of the lyrics about all the girls, girls, girls in "Made For Love" feel pretty dated by today's standards. It's got this sweet sound, but the amount of sappy love stories that keeps it from being anything but bubblegum pop. Those harmonies are amazing, totally timeless, and you can tell they really influenced a lot of other singers. It's not the greatest album, but it's a fun listen and brings back memories of old diners and stuff.