Reviews by gregorsmith

54 years later and "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" still rings true...

Prog Rock probably peaked here (sorry Rush fans), the into was cool since they used it in The Exorcist and anyone born in the UK from the 1970s onward heard that musical motif at least 100,000 times in their life without realising it. Ended with a sea chanty style variation of the Sailor's Hornpipe, wasn't expecting that, but over 45 minutes this album took me to a lot of unexpected places.

Based on album covers and aesthetics and the success from the days of "Come On Eileen" to this alone, they went from rags to riches, outhouse to the penthouse, and still produced a steaming pile of shit so bad the band imploded for the best part of 25 years... and absolutely nothing of value was lost.

I'm of the age where I could appreciate The Charlatans when they broke out, they're a tidy band, neither too flashy or underperforming, but there's no world where this album is in a list of albums you must listen too. You could give me the entire paper content of an office supply store and I still wouldn't get to this album on that list. Theres enjoyable stuff on here but its not even cracking any "best of 1997" top 10, it's not even their best album (that would be the following Us And Us Only album), it's not even their best "classic Rob Collins era" album (that would be the preceding eponymous The Charlatans album)... I can only assume it's here because it was their most commercially successful album (300,000 sold in the UK vs. their usual 100,000) and, honestly, a lot of that was attributed to the passing of Rob Collins the year prior and a hot set at Oasis' Knebworth shows. Can't blame them for riding that wave.

Long way to say I do enjoy this album, its just not an all time album...

Stevie got the funky soul here, electric pianos and clavinets in full effect, "Too High" is a deceptively upbeat groove about drug usage, and the whiplash of the *HARD* R N word during the interlude of the hard "Living For The City" compared to the almost joyous infection in "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing".

"Higher Ground" remains the highlight, a worthy addition to his greatest hits collection.

A good album that's absolutely front loaded with memorable songs, starting with "La Femme D'argent", "Sexy Boy", "All I Need", and "Kelly Watch The Stars" is definitely a way to hook any unsuspecting listener. Then it just settles in for a breezy yet cozy back half.

Argh, Madness, as a child in the UK in the 80s, this name is enough to elicit a primal reaction. It wasn't cool then, it's not cool now, and "Our House" is a poor cover of the CSNY classic, doesn't even use the same words or tempo...

I feel that one day in the early 90s a couple of french DJs stumbled upon this album and decided to crib its entire aesthetic and thus Daft Punk were born. Proto-roborock never sounded so good or so human.

Would Sir care for a starter of some garlic bread perhaps?

No, thank you. I will proceed directly to the intravenous injection of hard drugs, please.

"Sunday Morning" is a light opening bop before you hit the harshness of "Venus In Furs" and "Heroin"

Never heard of this band before and 3 songs in I'm just not feeling it, its like it wants to be punk, with a hint of new wave... But doesn't really succeed at either.

Not the best The Who have ever done, close to the worst to be honest, but "I Can See For Miles" remains a tune...

Starts out interesting, different, but after the first 4 or 5 songs it becomes fairly repetitive, theres only so many times you can reuse that afrobeat bassline...

Beatles at their best? No. Beatles at their most industrious? Maybe... 14 songs, 6 covers, 2 LPs in under a year as was the typical fare of early 60s music. The covers are tights, especially the cover of the Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman", the original songs are serviceable with "All My Loving" being the obvious peak but it's obvious when that and that alone tends to appear on any greatest hit compilation album...

Glam Metal/Hair Metal, whatever you want to call it, it started here, 100% 80s excess and power chords and the word rock really means fuck...

Is every album from the 60s in here or something? Terminally dull with no redeeming qualities

Never thought I'd see a Robbie Williams album here, especially this one, it's just so painfully dull outside of 1 to 2 ok songs ("Angels" (which doesn't seem as good some 18 years later) and "Let Me Entertain You" which is probably and alright party starter)... Everything else is bottom of the barrel musically and lyrically (outside of his dated line about being clean with Charlie Sheen)

Would he get better? Debatable....

It starts with one thing... Nu Metal hasn't aged well, Linkin Park (2000–2017) moved beyond it with every subsequent release, so how does one accurately review this? 21 year old me LOVED THE SHIT out of this back in the day, but 21 year old me LOVED THE SHIT out of Limp Bizkit too, 46 year old me tried to listen to this through that modern day prism and found myself almost angry at myself for doing so. I was reminded of all the derogatory "nu metal boy band" reviews this album got on release, and apparently still get on this site, when people should be celebrating the band no one thought would amount to shit overcoming record label odds and selling 16M copies of their debut album... No one does that anymore, and it was only 25 years ago.

But in the end, it doesn't really matter... The band we know died with Chester Bennington, and the greatness they deserved was only really bestowed posthumously. This isn't their best work, but this is a great album.

The whiplash of going from Public Enemy ending Fear Of A Black Planet with "Fight The Power" to The Byrds opening this with a jangly "Mr. Tambourine Man" was jarring. Anyway, The Byrds do a lot of Dylan for their first album, is it that great? good? passable?

Meh...

It's only saving grace is its punchy play time, 18 songs in 44 minutes, a lot of bang for your buck.

Funny fact, "The Bells Of Rhymney" came up as "Hey Jealousy" by The Gin Blossoms on my phones ambient "now playing" display

1989 the number, another summer, sound of the funky drummer... Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me.

Chuck D and crew deliver a mad album, a ratcheting, seemingly endless series of bangers that builds towards to absolute peak with the final track, "Fight The Power"

Welcome to the Terrordome, bitch!

By and By Lord, By and By...