Reviews by guggmo

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

Fascinatingly bizarre, to say the least. While it slows down a little too much in the second half of the album (hence the 4.5), I found myself entranced by the sort of “super abstract Bowie” vibes this album has going for it. There’s not really a bad soundscape here; based on the 2.38 on the site, I figured it would be louder & abrasive, but this is far more attuned to a sort of Brian Eno-y ambience, meddled with by throwing some avant-garde melodies at the wall to compliment it, but never hitting a point that felt truly loud or obnoxious. If anything, this is a really technically sound album, in terms of mixing the instruments to create a good sense of space between everything, volume control for his vocals (which are abstract, but never bad), and the complexity towards some of the instrumentals here. In particular, I think the brass / percussion work on this thing is super cool, & the guitar riffs that occasionally chime in add a flair to each track that makes it all work.

Lyrically, I couldn’t tell you a damn thing happening here. In the abstract, I think it’s very loosely an album where a guy in love breaks up with his girlfriend (first 3 tracks), slowly goes insane following some sort of accident (based on the nonsense lyrics on Tracks 4 & 5), with the last track acting as a proper descent into madness, but that’s just my read on things. It makes sense to be based on some sort of accident, based on Robert Wyatt becoming a paraplegic before recording this album, though he claims he wrote most of / all of it before the accident. Robert Wyatt, by the way, is the former lead drummer / vocalist for Soft Machine.

When we got “Third” as our 22nd album, I gave it a 2 because those tracks went on without any clear direction, & they lasted an ungodly amount of time. I don’t think going back to that album would raise it up any higher than a 3 for me, but I do wonder if this album feels more aligned to what they envisioned. I think this is much tighter, for sure, given the shorter (yet still long) tracks. I think the attempts to blend some jazzier tones with synth work is much more effective here. His vocals are still kinda silly in nature, but he uses them well to create a better atmosphere overall. I’m genuinely fascinated that this has an even lower rating on the site than “Third”, because I think it’s just far more enjoyable.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea; the floor really is probably a 2 if the sense of progression on this thing isn’t super strong (it has some ‘eh’ moments) or if his vocals still feel extremely weird (understandable), but I liked the weird, entrancing effect this had on me. I think it’s a coherent album, and 40 minutes that you have to buy into, but it’s worth it to my ears, and I recommend it. It's a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

I’m at a 5. I really should’ve given Queen Latifah a 3.

A bit of an irony to both her and Monie Love popping back up on this album’s monstrous posse cut, “Doin’ Our Own Dang”, featuring themselves, Q-Tip, De La Soul, and of course, the stars of the show, the Jungle Brothers. Let’s be real; these guys are basically the cousins of Tribe Called Quest. Hell, apparently, they gave them their name, which isn’t too surprising given all of the references to tribes throughout this thing. This is a super positive rap album for 1989, and yet it doesn’t feel like an outlier next to its peers. I’d honestly argue it’s the second best rap album of the 1980s we’ve gotten so far, right behind “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back”.

I found myself in a total groove state here, following along with lyrics & just going to the beat, so I really don’t have too much to say about each track, other than the overarching vibes of positivity, reclamation, & happiness (and one weird outlier track about the rapture). “Black Woman” sticks out, just in terms of lifting up women at a time when the whole genre felt like it was aiming the other, deeply misogynistic way. “Acknowledge Your Own History” probably has the best lyrics on the album, in terms of black empowerment. For a 16-track album, I think it’s a hell of a testament to their writing that nothing really overlaps too much, and their flows feel fresh every time.

Instrumentally, I think this thing shines; a solid soft balance between the future jazzier tones that A Tribe Called Quest would bring to the table by “The Low End Theory”, and the sort of cheesier ‘80s Slick Rick / Run-DMC style, whilst blending in a myriad of samples that are recognizable across the board if you’ve heard enough rap. As a result, some of these tracks feel like they’re evoking artists from years later; “Good Newz Comin’” in particular feels like a Tyler, The Creator track & “Tribe Vibes” feels like it could fit into 1994 or 1995, not 1989. KRS-One seems deeply underrated as a producer.

Overall, I think it’s an hour that easily speaks for itself; I certainly enjoyed the hell out of this, and as a progenitor of sorts to a vibe / style that De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest would later refine & make famous, this album really works, especially for 1989. It makes me feel kinda silly for bumping up yesterday’s Queen Latifah album to a 4 when it’s not even really in the same class (even though I liked it!). This is probably my second-favorite ‘80s rap album we’ve gotten so far, and to my ears, it’s a very easy 5. Strong, strong stuff.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll barely bump up to a 4, though I don’t think it deserves it.

Weirdly, I sometimes forget Queen Latifah is one of the more accomplished women in R&B / hip-hop history, mainly because she’s settled much more into an acting career for a lot of my lifetime. She’s deeply recognizable, for sure, but I always associated her as a singing actress as opposed to a trailblazer of sorts for women in the genre. She made this album when she was 19, so I was a little predisposed to give some benefit of the doubt towards the flaws here.

Honestly, I’m not sure there are truly that many flaws. As far as production goes, The 45 King (who you WILL know by the end of this album) does a great job with some really strong variety, including some jazzier stuff & a house-inspired lean on a few tracks, with lots of good samples too. KRS-One gets in an interesting beat too. As far as the rapping goes, Queen Latifah’s on point here; save for a slightly shaky start to the album where she feels a tad off-beat, she really finds a good rhythm throughout this thing, and her technical skills never come into question afterwards. She does set herself up for some really strong future success here. Overall, as far as the “flaws” go, there’s certainly not many on the technical side of things. If you’re here for the beats & the flows, you’re in for a solid 49 minutes.

There is one, very, very obvious… let’s not say “flaw”, but let’s go with annoying consistency throughout this album. Queen Latifah cannot stop introducing herself. This is an album entirely composed of raps about herself, save for maybe 2 or 3 tracks. She is fighting invisible enemies throughout this whole thing. They can’t touch her flow, she’s the baddest MC, the ladies watch her glow, while the men should all flee; she’s the best, they’re the worst, she’s the star, they’re the dirt – nobody can touch her, lest they get burnt; she can’t be beat, she’ll make you stomp your feet, & all these sucka wack men can’t rhyme on Mark’s beats. Do you see what I’m getting at here? Every song has the same general structure / topic matter (HERSELF!), and while it’s disguised pretty well for most of the album, at a certain point, it just becomes so patently obvious that it just loses its edge by the end.

The fact that she has a multitude of tracks of her bragging about her talent wouldn’t even be an issue if more tracks had something to say, like the fantastic “Ladies First” (seriously, why wasn’t Monie Love bigger?), or “Evil That Men Do”, but… damn, it really is just a whole album bragging about herself beyond very few tracks. It’s honestly enough to make me strongly consider bumping it down to a 3. However, when this album is rolling (& it rolls STRONG through “Ladies First”, slowing down a bit afterward), it’s a treat to listen to. There are moments here where her flow evokes Chuck D / Public Enemy as much as it does Run-DMC, so she’s clearly taking her inspirations and tweaking them to her own style. As I said, it’s not a technically bad album. A few flatter beats at points, but her rapping is strong, & her flows are good. Hell, the lyricism isn’t even bad despite most of the tracks being new & creative ways to praise herself – there are really good bars / wordplay here for someone who was only 19 when they recorded this.

I want to give this a 4. I don’t think it’s really earned it, and I’m certainly much closer to a 3 after laying this all out in writing. This is probably the most 3.5-y 3.5 that there’s ever been, because it’s better than a 3 on account of her talent & these beats generally coming through in a way that feels energetic for 1989, even if it’s deeply dated to the era. It’s not a 4 because the album is both too long & too repetitive for its own good, and yet I cannot shake the whole “she’s only 19” thing here. It feels like an album designed in a way where most of the tracks could be released as singles or radio if they so chose, allowing a strong introduction in a variety of styles & beats. It’s not a great album experience because of that, but it’s a technically sound set of 12 tracks that never really lets down at any point; the messaging just gets stale, even if it’s full of fun individual listens. I’m going to bump this up, but… damn, it just doesn’t feel like it’s earned it. A very, very shaky bump to a 4.

Edit: Yes, another rare use of the edit feature here for me to say "why the hell didn't I bump this down to a 3?", and rectifying that by doing so. I promise I won't do this that much more, but... this one really needs it.

It’s obviously a 5. I think it’s probably a 10.

Just a spectacular jazz album with some Latin / Cuban influence, really. They make this shit sound so easy, and it’s probably full of deeply layered big band performances & harmonies full of intricacies that I could only barely keep up with. This thing is a ball of brass-driven energy with frenetic percussion & horn stabs & melodies & counter-melodies galore. For 1957, even with a 2000 remaster, I’m stunned at just how coherent & how deep this thing feels. This is an album where the music more than speaks for itself, and you just need to go listen to it to really feel it. It’s a 33 minute fireball that never really hits a bad point, and I’m just stunned that this is as good as it is.

If I have one nitpick (and it’s a very minor one), it’s that the album could’ve probably ended on the superb climax that is “Tin Tin Deo” for a 10-track masterpiece, but even with the album going for 2 songs past that, they’re both still remarkably good. If they had come in earlier, and still let the album finish on “Tin Tin Deo”, it’d still be perfect. Hell, I think it might still be perfect regardless. I’m riding the high of this thing right now, so maybe my energy will simmer down on it in the future, but my immediate analysis is that this is about as close to a perfect jazz album as there could be, at least for my tastes. A total stunner, one of the best jazz albums we’ve had on the list so far, and an easy, easy 5. Probably a 10.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5, though I do sort of wish I could just leave it there.

It’s a good album, but it certainly takes a little bit to get going. “Born on the Bayou” is a good opener, but the solos in the track do go a little long & get a little stale which does sort of stunt the progression / momentum of the track. “Bootleg” is fun, but the last minute or so is just a little repetitive. “Graveyard Train” is… not a bad one, but it’s an 8-and-a-half minute track defined by a bassline melody that may or may not hypnotize you into enjoying it. I found some pleasure out of it by just walking around to the rhythm of it and sort of trancing my way into a groove, but for the most part, I think it’s just deathly long. The storytelling is nice & I do like what it’s going for, but it’s definitely the weakest track here, and I’d easily skip it on any future relistens.

With the first 3 tracks here all having nitpicks / issues like this, I’d be very inclined to bump this down to a 4 if not for the final 4 tracks here all knocking it out of the park. The cover of “Good Golly, Miss Molly” has an infectious energy, and they sure do Little Richard justice. “Penthouse Pauper” feels structured similarly to a Hendrix track (my brain specifically went to “Voodoo Child”), and the lyricism is strong as hell. Mix that with some strong vocals from John Fogerty (who delivers in spades on this album), and the track just works really, really well. “Proud Mary” is exactly what it is; not the most special track in terms of instrumentation, nor the most dazzling showcase here, but lyrically, it’s a wonderful slice of ‘60s Americana that must’ve just struck the right nerve at the right time.

“Keep on Chooglin” is just fucking rad. I got fully entranced in the groove / energy of it, and even though it’s a 7 minute closer, I could’ve easily sat in it for double the time. Apparently, it used to close out CCR concerts while going even longer, which makes sense to me. It’s a super strong closer track to cap off a 4-track run that just elevates the album really nicely. Is it enough to *really* bump it up to a 5? Admittedly, it feels like a bump up as more of a vote of confidence for how strongly the album closes as opposed to a fully rewarding album experience, but given that I couldn’t find any real flaws with the final 4 tracks to my ears, & the fact that I liked the first 2 tracks even with their minor issues, I feel safe with a bump up. The only real dud here is “Graveyard Train”, and even then, there’s probably a version out there that cuts down a lot of the filler time to make it more focused, which would help a lot of my issues with the track (it really is a nice bass melody if you can let yourself get into it).

So, yes, I’ll bump this up to a 5, though I’d rather let it sit at a 4.5 if I could. If nothing else, it’s told me that my smaller knowledge of CCR (“Fortunate Son”, “Up Around The Bend”, & “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”) should’ve been met with full listens to these albums years ago, as opposed to just some of the singles. I’m glad they’ve got two more on the list after this one, and I’m just glad I got to hear one that has two pretty-well known tracks on it. It’s a good album, it’s a fun listen, and at only 33 minutes (even with 3 tracks taking up 21 minutes of that run time), it’s a well-paced breeze, save for one track. Pretty nice stuff all around, and a fair bump up to a 5. The floor is probably a 3, I dunno.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

I’ve vaguely heard of Iron Butterfly before, mainly as it relates to the title track. I didn’t think I’d ever heard it before, but it hit me right as I saw the title that Weird Al threw the track’s chorus into one of his polka medleys. That’s all I knew of it though – a remarkably small taste. It’s a hell of a track once you get to it, though, and absolutely a highlight for 1960s rock, feeling like the extended solo on Light My Fire & somehow pulling even more out of it.

There are 19 minutes before that track though, and… I really liked most of them. “Most Anything You Want” is a really strong opener that sets the tone, with a fun interpolation of “Light My Fire” in there. He also sounded like Rick Astley to my ears, so that was kinda fun. For Track 2 and 3 though… there’s a cardinal sin to my ears that has me at a 4.5; both “Flowers and Beads” & “My Mirage” essentially loop halfway through. I can partially excuse it for the former, since it does at least have a fun outro & a catchy melody that stops it from being too much of a bother. The latter, however, is inexcusable, mainly since it’s a slower track that already takes about 2:30 of repetition to get through before the first loop, his vocal style feels like it’s stretching for time, and I have absolutely no idea what the lyricism means. It also doesn’t help that both tracks are back to back, so hearing the same looping trick done twice in a row after I was already bothered by it the first time did not help the pacing of the album at all. Thankfully, “Termination” has a really cool afterlife-y atmosphere that feels like a breath of fresh air, & “Are You Happy” is a very strong & very energetic entree to the main course that is “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”.

I’m not really sure I can say too much about the track, since it’s one that deserves to be heard rather than read about, but the sense of journey & progression that comes through the track, with each member getting a little showcase (most fun to my ears on both the extended drum / organ solos) is super cool. In a way, it sort of goes nowhere, but that would be doing a disservice to how complex / technically sound each solo is, especially for 1968. Of all the really long tracks we’ve gotten so far throughout the 657 albums we’ve done, this one might be the one that’s flown by the fastest. Part of that is just getting a lot more used to / appreciative of long tracks, but I got totally lost in the grooves here and before I knew it, I was 13 minutes into the track with only a light scattering of “this sounds cool” notes. It’s a track that obviously lifts this album to a 5 by itself, and honestly, it could lift up higher if there’s even more intricacies to it that my brain just didn’t catch on this first listen.

So, yeah, this certainly lived up to the acclaim for me. I can only vaguely understand the 2.93 on the site; if that repetition on tracks 2 & 3 hit that badly, or if the Doors-esque instrumentation didn’t click right, then fair enough, but it just feels like robbing yourself of enjoying a roller coaster ride because you saw a few drops of rain. This is a very good album; even with one half-flop to my tastes (the first half of “My Mirage” isn’t *that* bad), the title track alone is worth the price of admission, and the journey to get there is pretty good all the same. This is an easy bump up to a 5, and I liked it a lot.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, but I did like this a lot.

There’s only one truly bad track here to my ears, and that’s “I Couldn’t Help It If I Tried”, and it’s mostly because the track goes nowhere for its entire runtime, & because I Couldn’t Understand Him If I Tried, and believe me; I tried. That’s the biggest sin of the album; I cannot understand Kevin Rowland on a number of these tracks unless I have the lyrics in front of me, and what makes it worse / annoying is that the vast majority of these tracks have incomplete / incorrectly structured lyrics online, leaving me partially in the dark on just what the hell some of these tracks are talking about while I can’t understand his talking.

You would think that a lead vocalist being mostly incomprehensible would lead to an actively bad album, but the neat trick of Dexys Midnight Runners is that, for most of these tracks, the band themselves just have a weirdly infectious energy that somehow works in their favor. This is a ska-ish soundscape, relying on a lot of horns & percussion to do the heavy lifting. Thankfully, they pull it off, and even though a lot of this album ends up sounding the same, I can’t say it’s that big of an issue since they just generally sound that good. Their instrumentals are all strong, save for the nothingburger of “I Couldn’t Help It If I Tried”, and even then, I think it’s just poor execution of a well-intentioned vibe / atmosphere that they just don’t maintain very well.

It also helps that even with Kevin Rowland having absolutely no enunciation in his voice whatsoever, his melodic enough voice still maintains a pretty strong structure, to the point where the lines that do come clearly out of his voice paint a decent enough picture towards the intent of each track. His vocals being incomprehensible is a sin, yes, but he balances it out well by just earnestly fucking trying to keep a melody regardless, and I’d say he generally succeeded. Past that, it also helps that for the tracks that do have mostly complete lyrics to follow along to, I’d say a good chunk of them are pretty well-written. This album’s other big sin is just lingering around; I’d say there’s at least 4 or 5 tracks here that go about a minute too long.

Overall, it’s an album with flaws, and it’s one that should probably fall flat on its face because of those flaws; however, there’s something still weirdly infectious about the energy this album brings, and even after a dud track or a long outro, the intro to the next track usually lifts up the mood in a way that just feels kinda bright. I wish I had a better sense of an overarching theme / inspiration for the album, but I do feel like part of it is just picking yourself up after the tough times, and they certainly nailed that vibe from the instrumentals alone. His vocals being incomprehensible is dragging this down to a 3.5, along with the lingering tracks, but I think it’s worth a bump up to a 4 because it still ends up as a pretty fun listen despite itself. Definitely looking forward to their other two on the list now.

P.S.: If nothing else, “Geno” & “Seven Days Too Long” are rad as hell.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’m somehow having to talk my way into bumping one way or the other, though I’m leaning towards a 5.

Genuinely, I’m surprised at how varied that was for 1966 – the influences of just about everyone else in the genre is pretty apparent here, especially when it comes to the Beatles, the Beach Boys, & the Doors, but with flashes of the Rolling Stones & Johnny Cash in there. This album jumps from spot to spot, and yet the energy the band brings is pretty consistent, making this whole thing feel like a strong, cohesive record. There’s some big highlights here; “Kicks”, “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”, “Get It On”, & “Louie, Go Home” are probably my top songs after a first listen. “Get It On” in particular feels well ahead of pace for 1966, even if it’s a cover. Overall, there’s not a bad track here, and for a 29 minute album, this thing is packed pretty damn well, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Why the hell am I even considering bumping it down to a 4, then? As always, a bunch of little piling nitpicks for me that just build up. “Little Girl in the 4th Row” is probably the weakest track here, and that “Little” in the title certainly doesn’t help much. The harmony has a nice Beach Boys-y tone to it, but the track feels a little slow & it just doesn’t really go anywhere. “Ballad of a Useless Man” has a great instrumental & good lyrics, but the disconnect with the vocals having a twangier, country tone (especially frustrating with “Steppin’ Stone” right after) just nags at me a little bit. “All I Really Need Is You” is a cool track, especially with the surprise beat switch at the 2 minute mark that feels ahead of pace for the time, but the vocal structure is too loose, too Dylan-y, & loses a lot of coherence by the third verse. It’s a good track, it just probably needed a little more work to really tie it together.

Past that, I have the extreme nitpick that some of these tracks should’ve ended on an actual finish instead of a fadeout, but given that my issues boil down to 1 mediocre song, 1 that needed work & some production choices that I just disagreed with, can I really bring myself to bump down an album that I enjoyed this much? No, not really – the floor here is definitely a 3, especially if you’re not into the amalgamation of ‘60s styles present on this thing, or if you just get sort of bored for whatever reason. I’ll bump this up from a 4.5 to a 5; if there was another dud track on here, I’d probably be at a 4, but this is a quick burst of energy that just feels great to listen to for my ears. If anything, I’m still riding the intense percussion from “Get It On”, so maybe in the future this could go down, but right now, I feel inclined to bump it up. Fun stuff for 1966.

Well, that’s obviously a 5. Arguably a 10.

That’s from 1980? Fucking hell. That felt way ahead of schedule. Electronica-infused polyrhythms with a clear African inspiration (apparently from Fela Kuti, which makes a lot of sense – no pun intended), but full of little intricacies in the production work that makes Brian Eno sound like a time-traveling mad genius. Seriously, “Seen And Not Seen” immediately felt like a hip-hop beat from 1992 with that intro, and “Listening Wind” felt like a trip-hop track. Every single soundscape here, including the more ambient Joy Division-inspired “The Overload, is basically perfect. For 1980, this is one of the most impressive production jobs I can remember, and given that it holds up as fresh *45* years later, they were clearly way, way, way ahead of pace.

David Byrne has never David Byrne’d it up more than he does here – his vocal style feels more eccentric than ever, but with a much more natural, controlled rhythm that feels like he’s fully come into his own after the steady improvements on both “More Songs About Buildings And Food” & “Fear Of Music”. It’s impossible to not notice him here, and while this album was apparently designed to prove Talking Heads was more than just a “vehicle for David Byrne”, I think it failed spectacularly in that case, solely on account of the brilliant madness that is “Once in a Lifetime”. It’s utter nonsense, sounding like a pastor going through a slow mental breakdown, behind one of the catchiest beats of the 1980s, and David Byrne sells it brilliantly.

It’s also fair to say the band has never “Talking Heads”’d it up more than they do here either – yes, Brian Eno’s production work does a lot for this album, but do you hear the band on this thing? This is groovy as hell, even in its most avantgarde moments. The percussion, in particular, is a highlight, but there are some killer fucking basslines on some of these tracks, hidden deep underneath a full charcuterie board of instrumental layering that had to be complex as hell for 1980. I’m deeply, deeply impressed.

This is worthy of the acclaim & more; I’m not sure if I can definitively say it’s better than “Fear of Music” to my ears, just because I was really into the consistent theming of that album, as opposed to more of a loose, rhythmically driven theme here, but it’s just as good & certainly as enjoyable. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve had listening to a Talking Heads album, that’s for sure; it’s undeniably catchy as hell, and even a track like “The Great Curve” overcomes some deeper sense of repetition by just being effortlessly easy to move around to. It’s an album where the music speaks for itself, and I think I may find myself behind the wheel of an automobile grooving my head around to every track here in the near future. It’s an easy, easy 5.

As far as Talking Heads goes then, I think it’s a hell of a job by the randomizer to make sure we got this one last out of the 4 Talking Heads albums on the list. I gave ‘77 a 3.5 bumped down to a 3, which is a mistake I need to rectify with a re-listen, since it was the 38th album we had gotten and my ears weren’t ready for it. Everything else got a 5, so I suppose that adds up to an 18.5/20, or about a 4.62 on average. Either way, I’m very glad I’ve finally listened to these guys – they deserve their place in musical history, for sure.

You know what? Fuck it, I’m at a 4.5 that I'll bump up to a 5.

I had some thoughts going into this; I figured it would be noisy (yes), with a little bit of a punk / industrial lean (yes), but I also assumed it would be a little annoying (no), abrasive (yes), & overall, it would feel like another “same”-y 1980s punk album that could either really hit or really miss. Thankfully, what I’ve been greeted by is, oddly enough, a blend of “Double Nickels on the Dime” (in terms of the instrumental vibes / energy), & Tom Waits’ “Bone Machine” (in terms of some heavier, yet honest subject matter on a handful of tracks). This album isn’t as quickly paced as the former, nor is it as well written as the latter, but for 1985, this feels like it takes parts of the best of both, leaning more towards using the soundscape as the primary storyteller, but using the harsher tones to more of a musical advantage as opposed to Tom Waits using it for a little bit of a shock early on in his album.

Lyrically, there’s tracks about a falsified sexual abuse ring in Minnesota, the struggle for white-passing black people, crooked cops making shit up for money, small towns that are so boring they light shit on fire for fun (been there, literally done that), consensual physical touch taken to its extremes, falling back into the vices of alcohol, a slightly schizophrenic / paranoid mind, and cattle mutilation as a 9 to 5 job. Yeah. not exactly the same thing as Tom Waits’ struggle with mortality, but in terms of the brutally honest approach a lot of these tracks take, without ever going into anything truly gory or sickening (save for the first track, which is uncomfortable in that “Kim” by Eminem way where it’s a character), I think there’s some merit to that comparison. I think these are all mostly well written, even if the soundscape takes precedence, especially when it overshadows the vocals. It helps that there’s good liner notes for each track on Genius.

Musically, it’s just a heavy fucking album. The guitar, percussion, bass, the whole 9 yards is LOUD, it’s abrasive, it’s full of echo & reverb, and yet for whatever reason, I found myself engaged, brought on by the fact that there are melodies & riffs & a general normal musical structure hiding underneath the “face value” volume. Other than “Passing”, a lot of these tracks do have a good sense of progression despite some repetition, and their drops are incredibly effective when they hit. I think it’s a little bit same-y for the 37 minute runtime, but if you allow yourself to just get into it, as fully harsh as it feels, there’s something satisfying there.

I was definitely leaning towards a 4 for most of it, and yet something about the very last track showcasing that they keep the same energy live as they do in the studio really sold me on bumping it up & it sold me on them. Of course, afterward, I realized I hadn’t looked up anything about these guys, so I did a quick look at Wikipedia one more time, and… this is Steve Albini’s band. As in, prolific producer Steve Albini who passed away last year. We’ve had albums produced by him before, namely “Surfer Rosa” & “In Utero”, so it all makes a lot more sense now. I bounced off of “Surfer Rosa” very early on into this project (it was album #91!), but I feel like nowadays, I’d take much more kindly to it, so that needs a relisten.

It’s not an album for everyone; I think the floor is a 3, and I do understand the 2.72 on the site. I’m at a 5 just because I enjoyed the hell out of it after the last track clicked really nicely. This was a good one to my ears, and I’m very sold on anything else we get in the future produced by Steve Albini (including yet another PJ Harvey album down the line) since this is the only Big Black album on the list. Rest in peace, Mr. Albini, and thank you for giving the list something this batshit crazy for 1986.

I’m at a 4.5, and I think I’ll bump it up to a 5 for my tastes. I just vibed with this too much.

Here’s a scattering of genres that Spotify has applied to this thing: “psychedelic”, “space rock”, “french jazz” (?), “diner” (??), “krautrock”, “chamber psych”, & “art pop”. I have no real idea how to classify all of that into one album, but if I had to apply a genre to this thing, it would be “down my alley” – I’m a sucker for a good synth-led album with a little indie rock/pop in it, and this scratched an itch to my ears that we haven’t *really* dabbled with too much throughout the 651 albums we’ve gotten so far. The closest thing my brain has is “Vespertine” by Bjork mixed with parts of “american dream” by LCD Soundsystem, and even then, I think this album does something different. There are definitely “krautrock” elements here, assuming I have the genre right to my brain; a lot of pulsating synths, mildly repetitive beats that do a good job of slowly layering on top of each other – where a band like Can (whose former lead vocalist has a guest spot here as the narrator on "Ravenspoint") or a guy like Holger Czukay might use that as a chance to drive down a harsher tone, it’s used here as a way to enhance some of the more ethereal parts of the album.

The ethereal parts of the album worked really well for me; while listening, I wrote down that “it feels like audible Shoegaze / a comprehensible Cocteau Twins track” for the first 3-4 tracks of the album, and that vibe pulled me in really nicely. Yes, a few tracks go a little long because of it, but I never found myself actively annoyed by it. Once this album hits track 4, I think it leans far more into an electronica vibe, yet still keeping more of the pulsating rhythms of the first 3 tracks in a way that feels more natural. My brain’s immediate comparison is to Valve’s soundtrack for Portal 2, yet there’s an indie rock lean here that’s a bit understated. That vibe shifts again by Tracks 8 & 9, where the album feels like it leans far more into ambience & atmosphere as its driving tone, complimented by some of the more pulsating elements being pulled back & some lovely imagery from the lyrics on “Valley”, & the sort of spaced-out, sci-fi tone of “Ravenspoint”, with the reverb-heavy vocals fitting the tone nicely. “I Wish”, the closing track, sounded like a slower version of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, which I just really fucked with.

Vocally, there’s a lot of Bjork comparisons here, yet with a little bit more melody in her voice. Could just be the lack of an accent, I dunno. Lyrically, I didn’t have a clue half the time, but I think the general scope of the lyricism helped to enhance each track; there’s a lot of science-y / mathematical references in here, which certainly fits for an album titled “Modern Kosmology”. I don’t think the lyrics matter that much anyway; a lot of this album is about getting caught / lost in the vibes, and this album just hit on the vibes really nicely for me. It’s certainly not an album for everyone; I understand some of the 2’s & 3’s here, as you just have to have a taste for this style. It’s also not the most special album; I’m not going to complain and say “you don’t need to hear this before you die”, because I’m very glad I heard it & I would recommend it, but it does feel like a sort of token indie pick for a more recent version of the book while giving a nod to a blend of genres that hasn’t really popped up too much.

Overall though, I did fuck with this a lot; a few tracks just didn’t wow me as much & or they went a little long, but the entire 44 minute package scratched an itch for me. I don’t think there’s a bad track here, and I think it’s a super easy album to listen to, both in a focused / casual listen (since I’ve been listening to it while writing this very review & still vibing with it all the same). I’m just a sucker for the style, I think, so take my enjoyment with a grain of salt. Regardless, I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

I’m at a 4.5; I’ll bump it up to a 5 for the site as a vote of confidence, though I do think I’d rather just leave it at a 4.5.

43 tracks, 74 minutes, and the nigh-impossible challenge of making it feel entertaining the whole time. Frankly, it’s a miracle that they basically succeeded for like, 95% of the runtime. This is a fast-paced album, even with the length it has, and I can’t honestly truly say I ever felt a sense of burnout until the final 4 or 5 tracks; not their fault, they’re not bad tracks, the album just starts to get a little long. You can tell why none of the 3 band members picked them for their sides, as they do sort of blend together in more of a less satisfying way.

I really am impressed by how much this stayed entertaining; for 1984, this isn’t reinventing the wheel, it’s just showing a very refined form of it. This is post-punk with a slightly hardcore lean at times, but I would say this leans closer to a more “traditional” sense of rock & roll, taking the DNA of the faster-paced albums we’ve gotten (see: “Group Sex” or the Dead Kennedys album we got), combining them with more of a Talking Heads tone & just a touch of the Rolling Stones. All of that is to say, this is more musically thought out, and just a bit more “safe” than your traditional post-punk album. The tracks being pretty short helps a lot too.

I do think it’s hard to give any kind of track-by-track analysis here; this album does eventually slowly blur together, even with as much focus as I tried to give it. I don’t think it’s an album for everyone; I can easily see disdain for this being as long as it is, or getting bored by some level of perceived repetition. I don’t think it had to be 74 minutes; there are some tracks that could’ve probably been trimmed out, but at the same time, this album does work like a loosely crafted puzzle. It’s more fruitful to listen to this as one straight 74 minute shot; pausing this at any point will make the mind wander, and I certainly found myself wandering at a few points when I did have to pause. It’s surprisingly coherent, even with 43 tracks, usually keeping the energy up in a similar way. I think you have to buy into this to enjoy it, but even still, I think there is fatigue.

I do think this is worth listening to before you die, in the sense that it’s a musical gauntlet that’ll challenge your attention span, but it also stands on its own merits as a really fun listen, especially with how much they manage to pack into a lot of the tracks with such a short time for each. Ultimately, I’m at a 4.5; one I wish I could leave there, but as a vote of confidence for the scale of the project, and for how much they really did keep it entertaining longer than they had any real right to, I think it deserves a bump up to a 5.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

There’s only two salsa albums on the list; this one & Tito Puente’s “Dance Mania”, which we got in April of this year. There’s a 20 year gap, so it’s certainly an interesting look at the difference in production, instrumentation, & the boldness of the lyricism, all while maintaining a pretty similar core. “Dance Mania” does feel like it’s constantly pushing upwards, trying to lift its energy up with a mostly musical showcase, though it certainly hit some stagnant points, with not a lot of space given to the vocals. This album, while a little more “stagnant” in the sense of really sticking to a particular groove / beat, makes up for that with some soul / R&B-infused horn sections & vocal stylings, with some more political / “life”-driven lyrics, partially influenced by Stevie Wonder to some degree (“Siembra”, in particular, feels like it’s trying to channel a little bit of “Another Star”).

As with “Dance Mania”, most of the rating boils down to “how much can you tolerate 43 minutes of salsa music”, as it’s very easy to ignore the lyricism here; I certainly did, given the language barrier – I only skimmed them after translating to get the vibe. I do think this isn’t as energetic as “Dance Mania” is, & I do wish it had infused just a bit more into some of the instrumentals after they settle, but there’s still a total groove that a lot of these tracks hit, and even with the longer runtimes occasionally making tracks feel like they’re dragging, I never found myself actively bothered by anything. It’s a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5; it’s not as danceable & not the breeziest runtime, but it’s still damn good salsa music, and I just had a really fun time.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4.

I think I understand what this album is going for, or at least in broad strokes; it’s a view into how people confront & cope with the very concept of mortality. Some people go out screaming about the eventual destruction of the world, some people reject both heaven & hell to accept the idea of dust, & others get denied death by an ocean that refuses to let them drown, or just rot away with regret in their hometowns. When this album focuses on the morbid & cruel side of mortality, I think its writing shines at its best, and Tom Waits’ scratchier vocal tones work well as a worn down soul unable to care any more than that.

This album also focuses on the occasionally brighter-ish side of mortality, though still from a sort of cynically celebratory tone. Some people dream of being Hollywood stars (in their own fucked up way), some find a weirdly perverse pleasure in seeing the almost gladiatorial forms of destruction happening across the country, other people wait for Jesus to return not as a messiah, but as a celebrity to be worshipped, & others see him as an evil figure after they leave the confines of a religion that’s trapped them. This album’s commentary on religion & fame are pretty sharply written as well, and I do think Tom Waits carries that vocal weight in a way that works.

It’s a storytelling album, one that leans on the writing talents that were present on “Swordfishtrombones”, but with the heavier tone of a Nick Cave album. On paper, it’s a good blend, and honestly, it mostly works well in execution. I think Tom Waits does a damn good job with the writing across the board. It’s the musicality that brings the album down to a 4 for me, because for as well-written & as well-performed as a good number of these tracks are, there’s just far too many things that feel bad to the ears.

This album is a “death by 1,000 paper cuts” situation. I think there are moments where the instrumentation is severely overblown in the mix, especially the horrid tambourine on “All Stripped Down”. I think there are some tracks where a singing vocal would have a better impact than the spoken word approach that’s occasionally taken. I think Tom Waits could use a lozenge half the time. The biggest paper cut, at least for me, is that the album just doesn’t find the right balance between atmosphere & musicality until about halfway through the album. The first half here is a little slower to get going, especially on a first listen, but the second half strikes more consistently, and it feels more aligned with the previous Tom Waits albums we’ve had, save for the baffling “Let Me Get Up on It”.

Make no mistake; I did enjoy this one. Slow to start, yes, but it does come together as a really cohesive package, and an interesting set of tracks that all tackle mortality in a good way. I don’t think too many tracks overlap with their concepts, and if they do, they play a sort of devil’s advocate vibe that keeps it fresh. This is a longer album at 53 minutes, and I do think it could easily weigh down a listener, especially if the first half of the album strikes a really bad chord. For my storytelling brain, I can’t say it ever became a big issue, but there are probably tracks here that could’ve been cut to make the pacing work better.

I can honestly understand someone going as low as a 2 or as high as a 5; this is not an album for everyone, and I think if this were someone’s first Tom Waits album, it could leave a bad taste in the mouth, or act as a sign of brilliance. Since this is our third, and I’ve enjoyed the last 2 we’ve gotten, I never felt like it got to that latter point. If this album were cleaner, tighter, and perhaps not partially recorded in a literal cellar (seriously, look it up), perhaps I could look past its early flaws & bump it up to a 5, but since they just compound in a way that never really shakes away, I’m stuck bumping it down to a 4. I did like it though, and I’m glad it’s on the list.

Surprisingly enough, I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

I think this album’s biggest mistake is starting on “Are You Happy” – it’s by far the most Bob Dylan-y sounding track on the album, and while I can appreciate the logic of easing a listener in by reminding them of their comfort folk singer for the era before going into the Bluegrass-infused fantasy stuff with a psychedelic lean, I think it’s a bad tonesetter. To me, it just sounds like they weren’t confident enough in starting the album with the more “real” opening track of “Only Dreaming Now”, which immediately just feels far more striking with the instrumentation & vocal style. It certainly has a lot more to say lyrically, with at least some semblance of a story. Once that track starts, if you can allow yourself to get into the groove & atmosphere this album invites from an instrumental standpoint, then it will all just sort of melt into place the rest of the way there.

I’m really surprised this went the way it did – it’s a shorter album, thankfully, so nothing overstays its welcome too long, and the pacing is pretty strong. Lyrically, these aren’t very high concept songs, but they are well-written, evoking some solid imagery that the instrumentals just enhance. If anything, it almost feels like a fairy tale album of sorts – there’s songs about a blind painter in high demand from women, a timekeeper who loses track of time, a hammer so heavy it weighs down a train, & a wolf returning a lonely flower from a dark forest back to the sunlight via flight. It’s all a bit cheesy, sure, but they play it with a sort of earnestness that I just can’t really help but admire.

There are tracks that aren’t really in the same realm; “It Won’t Get Better” is about living life as if it’s always the best it’ll be so you’ll appreciate it more in the moment. “Triangle” is about the harmony between love, the sun, & rain as it relates to nature, and it probably works as a double entendre of sorts. “Old Kentucky Home” is just a cover of the normal track, but it’s performed very well. Ironically enough, I think “Are You Happy” could’ve ended the album, as it seems to thematically fit pretty well as an epilogue meant to evoke a sort of childlike joy after all of the fantasy stories. It would certainly stave off the Bob Dylan comparisons until the end at least.

As a whole, it’s just an album that feels more & more open the more you allow yourself to get into it, and while it starts on a wrong note, I think it built its momentum back up really well, to the point where I’ll bump it up from a 4.5 to a 5. You have to buy in, and even if that means just closing your eyes and trying to let yourself imagine some of the tracks, then by all means. I think the floor here is a 3, especially if some sort of lingering disdain for Bob Dylan really throws you off. To my ears, it’s just imaginatively written, rich in the instrumentals, and when he’s not doing a dollar store Bob Dylan, his vocals are honestly at just the right tone to really sell some of the “importance” of the tracks, no matter how goofy they might be. I liked it, and I think it’s worth giving a 5. Not bad for an initial “who the hell are these guys” reaction.

I’m at a 5.

The last time we got Fatboy Slim was 474 days ago; I gave that album a 5 and called it a masterclass in how to make repetition sound compelling. 474 days later, I feel like that is a weirdly dismissive statement that undermines just how fucking tough this style of music is & how impressively this album comes together. This is a masterclass not in repetition, but in how to mesh samples together in a coherent, exciting, and constantly entertaining way. Yes, this is occasionally a repetitive album, but to point that out while you're listening to it leaves a sort of impression that you’re a bystander to the groove as opposed to immersing yourself in it, and that makes you kind of a square. Time is supposed to fly when you’re having fun, and damn it, I had a LOT of fun here. I’m not sure if this is better than “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby”, given that it has been 474 days, but I’ll damned if I don’t feel just as good after listening to this one. When this album is rolling at its highest points, it feels like listening to a DJ having the set of their fucking life.

Of course, this album isn’t immune to criticism; this is Fatboy Slim’s first album, after all, so a lot of the tighter refinements that he’d make by that second album just aren’t here. There are points where intros go a little long in a way that tests the patience at points (specifically the first 1:20 or so of “10th & Crenshaw”), or some tracks that go a little long in a way that stalls some of the album’s momentum (namely “The Weekend Starts Here”), at least one track that’s a little too basic (“Punk to Funk”), & one track that just doesn’t have a great sense of progression (“The Sound of Milwaukee"). If I had listened to just the original UK tracklist, this would be a 4.5 that would still be bumped up to a 5.

Thank goodness then for the two extra tracks included on the U.S. version of the album; “Michael Jackson” & “Next to Nothing” really bring the energy back after the original last two tracks pull the vibes down just a bit. The punchier, techno-inspired percussion in the former really makes the track, & the vague chaos of all the synths flying around in the latter really works for me, especially as it makes for a more compelling album closer. Granted, those tracks make the album go from 57 minutes to 70 minutes, but I think the trade-off for a more satisfying ending is worth it. There’s not a track I’d cut or replace from the original UK version, even with some of its flaws.

I can acknowledge that electronica / plunderphonics stuff isn’t for everyone, so I guess I’m not that surprised by the 2.99 on the site (even if it is a little baffling to me). For my tastes, it’s just really easy to pop headphones in and fully get immersed into this sort of thing. As always, there’s some level of VGM influence that makes this easier to digest for my ears, and I guess that helps far more than I can ever realize. This album is a damn good 5, and subconsciously, it was probably always going to be a 5 the second it popped up. I highly recommend it, and I’m glad it’s on the list.

Of course it’s a 5. Hell, it could be a 10.

I know how much acclaim this album has, even if I’ve never heard it in full before today. It’s impossible to have not heard “Mr. Brightside” at any point if you’re at least 20 years old, and if you’re really into Weird Al, it’s probably nigh impossible to have not at least heard the chorus of “Somebody Told Me”, though if you only know that snippet, you’re missing out. Those two tracks are the all-timer monster hits, and the rest of the album… surprisingly enough, a bit more varied than I would’ve thought. I’m really impressed by the slight blend of the garage rock style the early 2000s made famous with this sort of updated take on Talking Heads-era new wave / post-punk, especially in the synth work that makes a lot of this album pop. It’s easy to hear the two main hits & conclude that these guys were just another 2000s indie rock band with a garage lean that rode the wave, but that severely undermines just how damn good this all is.

It is certainly one of those albums where the music speaks for itself, so I’m not sure I can add anything meaningfully new to the sea of opinions over the last 21 years that someone else hasn’t already written (or will soon write) some 1,000 words on, but I can try to add some quick, scattered opinions.

“Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” is obviously a perfect tonesetter & a great introduction to the band, but it does feel like it might set up expectations for more of a concept album, even if that thought is washed away immediately by “Mr. Brightside”. “All These Things That I’ve Done” is a little preachy, but I think it’s fine.

Brandon Flowers’ vocals are great throughout this thing, even if I do wish he had a little more of an emotional lift on a few tracks – just ever so slightly monotone at points, you know? “Believe Me Natalie” is super fun, & it feels slightly ahead of pace for 2004, feeling like a slight foreshadowing of the synth-infused pop of the late 2000s.

“Everything Will Be Alright” is just a little long for what it is, but I think the atmosphere works really well as a closing track. I think “Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll” would fit perfectly between “Andy, You’re a Star” & “On Top” if it were naturally in the album.

I do wish there was just a little more variety in the soundscape; it's a breezy 45 minutes for sure, but it does blend together just a little bit after the high of listening has worn down. That's not a bad thing to my ears, it's just a testament to how "in the moment" this album can make a listener feel.

And yeah, I think that’s all I really need to get out into the world. It’s a stellar album, and if you somehow haven’t heard it, just do it; it’s one of the most satisfying debut records of the decade, an instant rock classic, and a great 45 minutes where if you let yourself just rock the fuck out, you’ll never have a bad time. The only way you can hate this is if you have some deep-seated regret about the early 2000s & this album acts as some painful reminder of it. I would’ve been 4 when this dropped, so unless I tripped & fell in a Walmart while Mr. Brightside was playing on the speakers & forgot, I have nothing to link a bad memory to. This shit rules, man. It’s an easy 5, if not a 10. Banger after banger after banger, simple as that.

I’m at a 5.

Certainly not what I was expecting from the same band who had rather Britpop-y tones on “Everything Must Go” – this is a drearier, darker, cynical album that feels like a proper merging of the politically driven punk of the 1970s and the grunge of the early 1990s, coming to a head in a way that’s musically pleasing as hell, generally lyrically strong (save for the last track, to a degree), and overall, it just strikes me as immediately more memorable than their other album on the list. Granted, part of that is the disappearance of their lead writer / lyricist Richey Edwards, who wrote so many of the darker tracks here while he was going through deeply intense personal problems of his own. In a way, this feels almost like an autobiography of pain; less of a suicide note & more of a manifesto of frustrations about the world at large, written through a multitude of perspectives & frames that all somehow feel vivid, imagined, and all too real, even in their “worst” moments.

It’s a deeply honest album, and while I think you could maybe get away with not paying attention to the lyrics to a certain point, eventually this album’s penchant for its darker themes will catch up, and hit you over the head with some remarkably apt introductory quote, or a sonic soundscape that’s too forceful to ignore. I think the production on this thing is remarkably strong, and for 1994 in particular, it feels ahead of schedule. I listened to the original mix for this, but apparently, the US mix included in the 20th anniversary deluxe edition is the band’s preferred mix, and supposedly even better. I may need to prove that for myself.

This really does feel like nothing of the era; I guess the closest comparison, to some degree, are the two sides of the coin that were “Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury” & “3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of…”, but while those rap albums either suffered from pearl-clutching, heavy-handed “holier than thou” attitudes or outdated rhetoric in the name of an agenda, I think this album places no active judgment on the listener, instead acting as, well… a sermon. The name “Manic Street Preachers” makes a lot more sense now, given that this does feel like sitting in on one man’s crusade against the injustices of the world, framed through a lot of marginally radical, morally stretchy, and yet not wholly unjustified viewpoints. It’s food for thought to say the least, and I can’t say I find myself actively fighting back against anything here, save for the last track “P.C.P.”.

I chalk it down to the “political correctness” of 1994 being perhaps just a little too aggressive for the time; I do think the sort of push for less harmful language isn’t necessarily an equivalent to suppression of “freedom to say what you want”, but I can see how tiptoeing around it and losing sort of an edge to fight back against bullshit in light of that push could piss off people in the wrong way. However, I also just think that all the fear-mongering the song has just never came to pass – if it was a valid-ish fear back then, then I can’t really hate on it, but it’s certainly the track that’s aged the worst here. It’s still musically energetic as hell, though.

So, yes, it’s a 5, but I do think it’s an abrasive album at points; “The Intense Humming of Evil” being written from the cold, cruel, heartless perspective of a literal Nazi, for example, might be just a little too close to home, no matter how chillingly accurate that coldness probably is. The same applies for a track like “4st 7lb”, but in a different way; it’s a very open & honest perspective from the mindset of someone with anorexia, and it’s so vividly written that I can see the poor girl in that track mentally shrinking & thinning out in my head. When this album’s writing shines in that honest way, it can be a brutal mirror to the past & part of the present, but one that I think has aged in a fruitful & memorable way, even 31 years out. If the writing here feels too unsettling or the musicianship doesn’t strike the same way, I think the floor here is a 3, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for going there. I really liked it, though, and it’s certainly one of the most interesting albums we’ve gotten, even 645 in. Hence, the 5.

I’m at a 5.

It’s not as consistently dazzling as “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” (and honestly, I’m not sure there’s a track here that quite hits the highs of that album), but it’s a damn fine album regardless. Ray’s voice doesn’t quite maintain the same level of charisma, the band’s not as sharp (& the split between big band / strings for each half feels a little disconnected), and it just doesn’t feel as tightly knit as it could be. Regardless, I think the music & the vibe speak for itself here. These aren’t bombastic takes on country songs, these are dinner / nightclub vibes, with Ray Charles here to regale with his sad tales of lost love & broken hearts. Admittedly, it does start to feel a little stale/same-y by the end of it, but I found myself pretty emotionally in sync for a lot of the album.

Since it is sort of a one-note, “let the music speak for itself” kind of album, I’m just not sure I have that much to say. I wish it were as good as “Modern Sounds” was, but even if it’s not, it’s still a 5 for my ears. Ray Charles’ lyrics are good, his vocals still carry a suaveness & natural charm even if the charisma isn’t fully there (there’s certainly parts where it shines through), and when the big band is truly rolling in the first half (or the strings in the second half), I think it’s an absolutely lovely listen. I wouldn’t blame anyone for going down to a 4 (or honestly, even finding a sort of “boredom” spot if each style bounces off & going all the way down to a 3). I enjoyed it a lot, though, hence the 5.

I’m at a 4.

It’s definitely a good album, I just don’t think it’s as good as their debut. Even if I wasn’t using their debut as a benchmark, I just think this album comes across as one that’s ambitious in scope but without a consistently satisfying execution. Going solely off of the instrumental / vocal vibes here, I can’t say there’s anything inherently flawed – this is a fun album to listen to, for sure. It’s sonically strange at points, but it never strays too far to a point of being bad. I liked every single track here, genuinely. Lyrically, I found myself totally lost half the time, but I don’t know that this is an album where lyrics matter as much, given how the album feels like it’s going off of the instrumental energy for a strong percentage of the runtime.

I can’t exactly place one specific reason why I’m at a 4 here; I think it’s just a bunch of compiling issues; a few endings to tracks feel sort of abrupt (like “Beauty Queen”), I think a few tracks go a bit long (certainly “The Bogus Man”, though I did like most of the 9 minutes), I think the vocals occasionally verge on parody at times, and once again, I just think half the lyrics make no real sense. Even with all of that, I was still around a 4.5 going into the title / final track, and while I liked it, I just think it didn’t really feel like a satisfying closing track to the album, given the slightly hypnotic repetition.

If there’s anything I’ll give a deep compliment to the album on, it does a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere to each track; Brian Eno probably has something to do with that here, and it’s a small preview of his later ambient work, but with a slightly more eerie lean a lot of the time. These are sonically interesting, if nothing else, and that especially rings true on the album’s highlight track, “In Every Dream Home a Heartache”. It is pathetic in nature, given an obsession with a sex doll acts as the core anchor of the first half of the track, but it’s fully self-aware of how pathetic it is via the instrumental. Once the big solo starts halfway through, the track just shifts into another gear, and the fakeout ending makes it work even better.

So, yes, it’s a 4 due to a number of issues that pile up, but I did enjoy this album a lot. It could still get up to a 5 someday if other tracks just click a little better / more consistently, and I think the floor here is still a 3.5 at worst. This is a fun album, I’m glad it’s on the list, and while I don’t fully hear all of the critical appeal, I think I hear enough of it to understand why people gave this such high praise. It’s an experimental, ambitious album that feels like a post-punk / glam rock hybrid, & a precursor to what the Talking Heads would later truly finish & master in their own way (ironically enough with Brian Eno’s help). I just don’t think they hit on this album as effectively as they could, but it’s still a damn fine effort regardless. A strong 4.