Reviews by gregorsmith

This album takes me right back to the start of 90s alternative hip-hop. It’s such a chill, fun, jazzy trip that totally skips the usual gangsta rap tropes, focusing instead on clever storytelling, like that whole saga about losing a wallet in El Segundo, and just pure, youthful energy. Q-Tip’s samples and the group's flow make the whole thing feel super smooth, even if you can tell they were still figuring out their sound.

It drags a little bit toward the end, and I definitely wish Phife had more mic time, but the creativity is undeniable. "Can I Kick It?" is still a massive classic, and it's wild to think they followed this up with The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders. It's a foundational, feel-good groove that never gets old.

I really wanted to see the genius in Skylarking, especially with its reputation as a lush, Todd Rundgren-produced masterpiece. You can definitely hear them trying to channel The Beatles and The Beach Boys with all the nature-themed, conceptual stuff. Still, I couldn’t help but feel like a lot of it just turns into generic mid-80s alt-pop. The production feels a bit too twee and polite at times, almost like a discount Tears for Fears.

There are definitely some cool moments where the band’s talent really shines through, like in "Grass" and "Earn Enough For Us." And "Dear God" is a total standout, even if it feels like a super cynical gut-punch tacked onto the end of an otherwise whimsical record.

I can appreciate what Nick Cave went on to achieve, but sitting through this album was genuinely one of the most abrasive and excruciating 42 minutes I've ever endured. It sounds exactly like its horrifying cover art, a rusty, demonic collision of screeching guitars, chaotic bass, and unhinged howling that feels like being dragged through the mud. This entire messy experience is exactly what it says on the tin: junk, absolute junk.

I definitely get why British Steel is such a big deal for heavy metal, and you can totally hear why it’s a classic. The twin-guitar riffs are iconic, and Rob Halford’s vocals are honestly insane. Songs like "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight" have that massive, high-energy stadium sound that basically defined the whole genre.

That said, this style of music just isn’t my vibe. A lot of it feels pretty dated, and the over-the-top, hyper-masculine thing kind of veers into cheesy territory for me.

To be honest, there's not a lot of standout tracks for me, but the whole thing just vibes in a way most Dylan albums don't. It’s got this rich, sprawling vibe that mixes blues, rock, and folk into one long, carnival-like trip. Instead of feeling like a random mix of tracks, the lush instrumentation, with its warm organs, sharp guitars, and crisp piano, creates this whole immersive world you just have to dive into.

Sure, you’ve still got to deal with his classic nasal, wandering vocals and a ton of harmonica that can get a bit much at times. But on this record, those quirks actually work. They tie in perfectly with his surreal, poetic lyrics and killer storytelling to capture that legendary sound. Even if I can't name a single favorite track, the sheer weight of the writing and the undeniable groove of this double album make it a total masterpiece.

I honestly can't get enough of Kind of Blue, it never gets old. Whether I've got it on as background noise while I'm working or I'm actually sitting down to focus on it, the vibe is always perfect. It’s got this super sophisticated, effortless cool that pulls you right in, even if you’re not really a jazz person. It’s like the instruments are just hanging out and having a conversation, leaving everyone enough room to breathe without getting in each other's way.

At the end of the day, it's just peak jazz from Davis with some legendary help from John Coltrane. It’s mellow, perfectly put together, and packed with emotion from start to finish. It’s a total masterpiece, and I know I’ll be spinning this one for the rest of my life.

This album is definitely an experience, though a pretty exhausting one. It’s basically “Ren Faire cottage-core” turned up to eleven, like it was made by people who dropped way too much acid and completely forgot how to stay in tune. Listening to it feels like being trapped in a room with a group of eccentric hippies who just found a pile of kazoos, sitars, and jaw harps. It’s a rambling, discordant mess of medieval sea shanties and hippie-dippie stuff that honestly just gave me a headache.

This is peak George Michael era, leather jacket, blue jeans, mirror shades, acoustic guitar, dripping with machismo. Listening to this album, I'm struck by the sheer pop perfection and George's absolutely pristine vocal talent. The front half of the record is stacked with undeniable, classic bangers that heavily channel a Prince influence, and I find it impossible not to sing along. George had that once in a generation vocal talent, and the way he delivers these tracks with such power, nuance, and soul still blows my mind.

At the same time, revisiting it now, I have to admit that the lyrics are aggressively horny, and occasionally border on creepy, especially when I really listen to the words of "Father Figure", but that said, everything I learned about sex, I learned from hearing "I Want Your Sex" at a shockingly young age... I also notice that the heavy use of 80s synths and drum machines makes the production feel a bit dated, and the back half of the album loses some of the steam generated by those massive early singles. Still, despite the sleazy undertones and the heavily synthesized retro sound, I can't deny that it’s a remarkably fun, culturally important pop masterpiece.

I used to think of the Sex Pistols as just a Malcolm McLaren manufactured punk boy band built on cheap shock value, but listening to Never Mind The Bollocks today, the sheer, unapologetic energy is still loud, it’s aggressive, and it’s basically a punch to the face that created a subculture and changed rock history forever. When you strip away all the bombast and the decades of copycats, what you're left with is the pure, absolute anarchic spirit by a band that couldn't play for shit.

Honestly, it's not even the best Destiny's Child album, and Beyoncé would move light years beyond this in the near future. It just sounds so dated, but "Independent Women, Pt. 1" still holds up as a fierce anthem, almost like it was the first part of a pair of songs finished by Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable".

Beyond the first few powerhouse singles, I found the rest of the record to be an incredibly disjointed and exhausting listen. It's genuinely jarring to hear them jump from fierce female empowerment right into the weird, mean spirited slut shaming of tracks like "Nasty Girl" and "Fancy." When you strip away the big hits, you're left with an hour long album bogged down by paper thin beats, generic R&B filler, and bizarre thematic whiplash.

I know it’s a side project, but honestly, anything Alex Turner touches just ends up sounding like an Arctic Monkeys cover band to me. I see what they were going for here, it's a super lavish, cinematic nod to 60s mod rock and old Spaghetti Western soundtracks. At its best, with all those sweeping strings and retro swagger, it’s like stepping into a vintage Bond movie or a stylish Wes Anderson flick. It’s definitely a bold departure from the usual indie rock of that era.

What a total pain to track down since it’s not on the main streaming apps, but honestly, it’s worth the hunt. There’s something so special about the way Gil Scott-Heron’s deep, gritty voice locks in with Brian Jackson’s Rhodes piano. It’s just pure chemistry. Tracks like "H2Ogate Blues" and "Your Daddy Loves You" hit hard, and you can’t talk about this one without mentioning the classic groove of "The Bottle". Sure, the production is pretty stripped-back and his vocals aren't polished in the traditional sense, but don't let that put you off. The songwriting is so sharp and socially relevant that it still feels vital today. A total masterpiece, plain and simple.

Private Dancer is pretty fascinating. On one hand, Tina Turner’s voice is just incredible, you can really hear all the grit and soul she put into her comeback. When she nails classics like "What's Love Got to Do with It" or that title track, it’s easy to see why she’s a legend, she sounds so powerful and effortless at the same time.

But man, that 80s production is rough. There’s so much cheesy synth, thin sounding drums, and those dated guitar solos that honestly hold her back. The covers of "Help!" and "1984" feel super overly produced and just don't fit. I’ve got nothing but respect for Tina and the massive success she had with this, but while her voice is totally timeless, the rest of the album sounds like a bit plastic.

I went into Bubble and Scrape not really knowing what to expect, but it turned out to be a total mixed bag. It’s basically a mashup of shoegaze, Pavement-style slacker rock, and some Sonic Youth-esque noise, all recorded like it was done on a cheap tape deck in a garage. It’s definitely raw and messy and the guitars go out of tune and things get pretty weird but that’s honestly where the charm is.

It’s a super flawed, gritty little piece of the '90s indie scene that really nails that whole DIY vibe.

Classic Stevie Wonder, building on the foundation of Innervisions while taking a more chill, introspective path. It gets overlooked compared to his biggest masterpieces, but I find it’s got a sophisticated brilliance that really grows on you. It swaps the non-stop radio hits for a bit more emotional weight, warm harmonies, and some beautiful, atmospheric soul. But hey, when he wants to turn it up, he still kills it, the Moog bass and weird rhythms on "Boogie On Reggae Woman" are pure genius, showing he can still get you moving even when he’s keeping things low-key.

This album is, in a word, bombastic. From the moment the needle drops, I found myself swept up in a lush, cinematic wall of sound that feels like a cross between a lost 1960s James Bond soundtrack and an overly dramatic Las Vegas floor show. Walker has an incredible voice, but it’s honestly wild how he pairs these lush orchestral arrangements with such bizarre lyrics. He’s singing about everything from sailors and STDs to weird loners, all delivered with the straight face of a classic crooner. It’s this strange, slightly uncomfortable mix of high-end pop and totally sleazy storytelling.

I get why people either love or hate this. Sometimes the theatricality and the dated lyrics make it feel like cheesy musical theater, but you have to respect how bold and weird he’s being.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik is a total nostalgia trip that pretty much defines the early '90s funk rock scene. The band is absolutely on fire here, Flea, Frusciante, and Smith are laying down these incredible, tight grooves that sound amazing, and even though 1991 was packed with heavy grunge, this album brought a fun, different energy that totally stands out. Classics like "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" show exactly why this record blew up.

That said, trying to get through the full 74 minutes is a bit of a marathon these days. The album definitely suffers from being a bit too long, and let's be real, Kiedis’s juvenile lyrics and awkward rapping haven't aged well at all.

The sheer cinematic quality of this project completely blew me away, it feels way more like a short film than just a collection of rap tracks. The storytelling is on another level, and the way he uses those voicemail skits from his parents really pulls the whole narrative together. The production is super dynamic too; it flips perfectly between the chilled out vibe of "Money Trees" and the aggressive, high stakes energy of the title track.

I know the heavy subject matter can be a lot, but his honesty about growing up in Compton and dealing with gang violence and the pressure to survive is incredibly powerful. It’s a dense, challenging listen that gets better every time you peel back the layers. Easily one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard.

I went into this album totally blind, and since I don't speak a word of Portuguese, I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out, I’m a big bossa nova fan and this was such a great find. The lush textures and super laid-back vocals got this infectious, sunny energy that totally makes the language barrier a non-issue.

That said, with so much "artistic cannibalism" happening, it can definitely veer into chaotic, psychedelic mess territory at times, and the raw '60s production definitely shows its age. Not every weird experiment lands, but the overall vibe is undeniably groovy. Tracks like "Soy Loco Por Ti, América" and "Alegria, Alegria" are absolute masterclasses in smashing different musical worlds together. It’s a super fascinating listen that definitely has me wanting to dive way deeper into the genre.

A Bollywood soundtrack? I was definitely skeptical when this popped up on a list so heavy on Western rock and pop, and it turned out to be a bit kitschy. The production is a pretty raw, overstuffed mess that throws everything at the wall, Spaghetti Western horns, cheap '70s disco beats, and traditional Indian instruments, and basically none of it sticks. While some people might find the frantic energy and bizarre mashup of genres charming or historically interesting, for me, it was just an exhausting wall of noise that I couldn't wait to turn off.