Reviews by gregorsmith

This feels like a Greatest Hits album, even though it's just one release. Tracks like "Movin' Out" and "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" show off serious skill on top of catchy tunes. It's got that New York romanticism with a touch of sadness, all wrapped up in a warm, polished sound that makes even the familiar songs sound fresh. And it also has killer, timeless songs like "Just the Way You Are", "She's Always a Woman", and "Only the Good Die Young". You can't deny the talent and knack for a good song.

It's easy to listen to, gets you going, and makes you think, all while tackling those relatable things like who you are, love, and loss, without any filler.

A lush, hauntingly beautiful trip through English history, all cozy and beautiful but with a bit of a trippy edge. Sandy Denny's voice is seriously amazing, so soulful and smooth. Whether she's singing about time or leading them on a crazy 11-minute jam, the band just clicks together.

They even make Bob Dylan songs their own, with a cool Celtic feel and the hippy vibe. It's not your typical music, mixing jazzy bass and wild fiddle for this dreamy, country sound. If you're into that whole cottagecore thing, medieval folk but with a Woodstock twist, this is the ticket.

There's a point about 1:30 remaining in the opening "Move With Me" song where the lyrics on Spotify just suddenly stop... A line beings "Well now I..." and you're left to wonder what? What, Tim? and you're mind races trying to decipher what he's about to say...

Well now I... love me
Oh, I love a black woman

Didn't expect that, it's that kind of album. The rest is overtly sexual... Tim fucks, and is mildly racist...

Okay, this list has definitely turned me into a bit of prog head, I gotta say this album is the gold standard for prog-rock excess. It's all these long, winding jams that either blow your mind or make you wanna scream. It's Yes at a major crossroads, ditching short songs for huge, epic tracks like "Starship Trooper". The playing is insane, Steve Howe is a guitar god, and Chris Squire's bass lines are amazing.

But if you're not already into prog rock wankery, it can be a slog. The lyrics are all over the place, and the songs feel like cool ideas that don't quite come together. Sometimes it just gets a bit boring. Some people think the vocals are awesome and the instrumentals are mind-blowing, but others will think it's just too much, self-indulgent, and sound like a bunch of dudes playing D&D. It's a classic that set the stage for Classic Yes (no Rick Wakeman here), but you gotta be down for long songs and organ solos.

This album is a totally underrated masterpiece, a perfect mix of 60s psychedelia and 70s prog rock. It's like a sonic trip, from the weird "Prelude - Nothin To Hide" to the catchy "Morning Will Come". The production is awesome, really showcasing Randy California's (if that's even his real name, he could be the fucking Lizard King for all we know) guitar and that mix of jazz, folk, and rock. It can be a bit all over the place, like a dream, but that's what makes it so good.

Sure, Spirit is known for that Led Zeppelin plagiarism lawsuit, and honestly, if fuckin Led Zeppelin are ripping you off, you must be doing something good... But this album shows they were way more than that. It's got this cool vibe, spooky but catchy, like "Nature's Way". It's the kind of find that makes this whole "1001 Albums" thing worth it, a hidden gem that still sounds fresh.

Listening to this is a total mind bender, like walking into a fucked up funhouse. On one side, it's this crazy, abrasive mess, sludgey, and awful. That makes me wonder how it even made the must listen list. Tracks like "Kuntz" with its weird Thai samples and the heavy vibe of "22 Going On 23" are pretty rough to take. But, there's this crazy, chaotic genius hidden in there. The band's wild "Gibbytronics" and turning a Black Sabbath riff into "Sweat Loaf" show they're super out there and influenced grunge and noise rock. It's a short, intense trip into psychedelic punk that doesn't give a damn about comfort. It's not for everyone.

This album is all smooth, gospel infused soul, and Al Green's vocals are just amazing. The production has this effortless cool vibe, the horns are tight, the guitar is perfect, and the whole thing has this chill, beautiful groove, perfect for a lazy Sunday. It's a lesson in keeping it simple and sounding good, feels more like listening to some good vibes than a performance.

It feels like the album hits its high point right away. "Let's Stay Together" is a killer opener, but after that, things kinda fall off a bit. I;ve said it before, never blow your load on track 1... To quote Mitch Hedberg, "dude, you have to wait!"

Being Scottish, I’ve long known the legend of The Blue Nile and their reputation for appearing on the same mysterious schedule as cicadas. I finally gave "A Walk Across The Rooftops" a listen, and yeah, it's definitely an 80s record, kinda on the edge of its own problems. It leans into that sophisti-pop thing, or even fancy smooth jazz, which can come off as a bit much or just old. There's this feel to it, all polished and held back, which some will think is boring, others will see as cool, atmospheric minimalism.

Even with those occasional slow songs, the production really gets to you. The bass on the title track and the rainy feel of "Tinseltown In The Rain" make this a unique, late-night city vibe (honestly, I'm 99% sure this inspired Deacon Blue's "Raintown" album), and "Heatwave" is the highlight of the whole album. It's one of those albums that people either hate or love, but it does capture a certain 80s feeling. Not every song is a winner, but Paul Buchanan's vocals make it worth checking out.

This album is a total game-changer, pushing the limits of rock, soul, and funk. "Maggot Brain" kicks it off with Eddie Hazel's insane, 10-minute guitar solo, the whole thing is this wild, trippy ride, going from the crazy, mind-bending title track to smooth, funky jams like "Can You Get to That."

It's a bit all over the place, going from easy listening funk-rock to the weird, out-there "Wars Of Armageddon" (seriously, fart noises and cuckoo clocks!), but the musicians are incredible. It's like a quick, awesome acid trip that you can't really put in a box, and it totally makes Funkadelic one of the best rock bands ever. It's still super influential and mind-blowing, even now.

Okay, so drum and bass isn't really my jam, and even after listening to this, I still think it was a total robbery that it won over OK Computer at the Mercury Prize in 1997. I get that Roni Size is talented and uses jazzy bass and real drums, but the "New Forms" here just end up feeling like a new kind of tired. At almost 80 minutes for just the first disc, and over two hours if you go all in to the extended version (and let's not even talk about the 4 disc, 5 hour marathon of a 20th anniversary edition), it goes from chill background music to a repetitive, anxiety-inducing slog that drags on forever.

There are some cool moments, especially on tracks like "Brown Paper Bag" or "Watching Windows", where the jungle/jazz mix actually sounds decent. But for someone who isn't super into it, the same beats and looped vocals make it sound super old and kinda niche. It's important to the greater UK music scene, for sure, and it helped the genre get popular, but unless you're a hardcore 90s raver or need a long, boring soundtrack for work, it's hard to recommend.

If heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy could collaborate on an album for the 24 Hour Party People aura farming crowd, this would undoubtedly be the result. Listening is like being at the Hacienda, capturing that wild Madchester vibe when indie and acid house got all loved up. It's awesome, crazy chaos, thanks to Paul Oakenfold's beats and Shaun Ryder's lyrics, they're deep, funny, and totally nuts, I mean he opens the album with the refrain "Son, I'm 30, I only went with your mother cause she's dirty, and I don't have a decent bone in me". From "Kinky Afro" to "Step On", it's exactly how a night out feels, including the morning after...

Some might say it's a mess, but that's the scally charm of it all, it's all nothing but pure vibes, not being super musical. It's a classic British album, people either love it or hate it. I think it's a must-listen, still gets me hyped after all these years. It's a crazy, unforgettable time capsule.

This album really messes with your head, it's this big, instrumental trip that gives me the feeling of ambling through a boring, almost deserted town and then suddenly being on another planet. I got totally lost in "Djed", with its mix of driving beats, weird electronic sounds, and jazzy vibes. It's got this balance of being somewhat easy to listen to but also weirdly interesting and atmospheric.

It's got this moody, unpredictable vibe, kinda like Krautrock but with a Western movie soundtrack feel. But then, when I was just really getting into it, the album just ends with this weird sudden stop.

In this house, we like two kinds of music... Country and Western, and this album is the real deal. It's pure Bakersfield Sound, with the kind of honesty you just don't get in the shitty pop country these days. The steel guitar is amazing, and Merle's voice? It's like a warm hug from a 1967 Ford truck AM radio.

The stories are great, too, with themes of prison, heartbreak, and life on the run. Even without the big hits, every song feels essential. It's a quick 30 minute lesson in Americana that shows why Merle Haggard is a legend. If you want some good, old-fashioned country to listen to and think about life, this is it.

Fever to Tell is this crazy, dare I say fever dream of early 2000s New York energy. The music has this raw, almost wild feeling that totally grabs you, mainly because of Karen O's vocals, she goes from super sultry whispers to totally unhinged screams at the drop of a hat. Even though the sound is a bit rough around the edges, kind of like a chaotic garage demo, the band's chemistry makes it work. It's a bit of a mess, but it feels super of the moment and still sounds good today.

"Maps" is definitely the standout track, a real gem that still hits hard. The rest of the album is more experimental, from the intense "Date With The Night" to the catchy "Rich". It's not for everyone, some tracks feel more about attitude than songwriting, but the album's bold choices make it a must-listen for any wannabe indie rock fans.

It’s easy to see why this is considered the ground zero of Prog Rock. I really dug it, especially the opener, "21st Century Schizoid Man." It's a wild ride, a crazy mix of jazz and hard rock that still sounds super fresh, even with that sample Kanye stole... The whole band is amazing, from the Mellotron to the sick drumming that keeps it all together.

But the rest is a bit hit or miss. "Epitaph" and the title track are amazing, but the middle section gets a little much. "Moonchild" is a bit too long and noodly for me. Still, it's a super cool, atmospheric album that I'll definitely listen to again.

To me, this album is the ultimate mid-80s time capsule, perfectly capturing an era of flashy showmanship, big hair, and sonic evolution. Van Halen absolutely kills it instrumentally, especially Eddie. He totally changed things up by mixing those synths with his insane guitar, creating a sound that was both commercially massive and technically brilliant.

"Jump", "Panama", and "Hot for Teacher" are still the hot shit, but even the other tracks are killer. No filler here, just 33 minutes of pure energy. Yeah, the lyrics are a bit dated rock star and teenage, but it's so much fun, you can't help but grin. It's loud, proud, pretentious, and the best of the original Van Halen line-up.

Okay, so this takes me back! I remember loving this when it dropped in 2003. It was such a cool, raw sound, all Southern garage rock with Caleb's voice. Tracks like "Red Morning Light" and "Molly's Chambers" had this awesome, scuzzy charm that stood out.

But listening to it now? It's a bit mixed. That Strokes meets Lynyrd Skynyrd thing still has some nostalgia, but it feels a bit generic. The songs blend together, and it's just a mid-2000s garage rock album. It's a snapshot of those particular days, but it's not quite as essential as I remember.

This was a strange, eclectic ride of an album that constantly kept me on my toes. With guest stars like Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave, it felt more like a bunch of movie soundtracks than a single record. They jumped all over the place, from trip hop to spoken word, which had some amazing moments like "Vermillion Kisses" which is like a weird Brothers Grimm fairy tale, but also some seriously cheesy ones.

I get that they were going for something big and cinematic, but it was a bit of a mixed bag. It's cool and unique in parts, but a bit lost in others. It's not something I'd listen to every day, but it's definitely an interesting, experimental record from the 90s British art rock scene, for sure not boring.

This album was a total trip down a rabbit hole of 70s weirdness, and not in a good way. It's like they tried to mix prog rock wankery with a medieval folk festival, and it just doesn't work. The musicians are, of course, super talented, Phil Collins' drumming and Tony Banks' keyboards are particularly killer, but the songs get lost in their own drama. It's got this weird self important vibe, long, confusing songs about mythology, and I just got tired of it. There's a little bit of cool melody, but then it's ten minutes of them just showing off. It's a bit much, unless you're super into that kinda nerdy, over the top stuff, AKA Prog Rock

Even though I'm aware Ray Davies is a songwriting genius, Something Else feels like they just stretched the songlist way too thin, it's basically "Waterloo Sunset" and 12 filler songs. It has this cool 60s British invasion vibe, but a lot of it sounds like a cheap knockoff of The Beatles or The Beach Boys. Songs like "Harry Rag" and "Tin Soldier Man" are cute, but the sound is kinda muddy, and the mixing doesn't help them.

The first and last tracks, "David Watts" and "Waterloo Sunset", are amazing, but the rest is a bit too granny pop (but not on the level of McCartney's granny music) for me. I get the storytelling and the band trying new things, but most of the songs don't have those killer riffs or go as deep as their other stuff. It's cool to hear, but if you've heard the few hits, you've heard the best of it.