Reviews by heavymetal

I’ve never really been a fan of Queen and have never listened to anything beyond their hits, but damn, this is a lot heavier than I was expecting! I thought they were all super theatrical rock music, but there’s some really heavy riffing on this album.

Ok, so the second half / Black Side of this album brings the Queen sound I was expecting. It looks like the White side was mostly written by Brian May, whereas the Black side was written by Freddie Mercury, so it makes sense there’s a bit of a tonal shift there. I prefer the first half of the album.

I’ve never heard of the Soft Boys before, but this is excellent! It’s a bit punk, a bit new wave, and a bit psychedelic. I’m surprised this album was released in 1980; they clearly had an influence on several bands to come later.

Honestly, I’m surprised I enjoyed this one as much as I did. 1980s pop/soul group from the UK is not something I expected to like, but there were some good songs on here

This is pretty much exactly what I was expecting; a dramatic, maximalist, theatrical album. Honestly, while it’s not my style at all, I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. That said, I won’t be adding it to my regular listening rotation.

The Sensual World reaches for the same places as Hounds of Love, but it just doesn’t quite get a full grasp.

Another one I don't really have a lot to say about. This is some decent 80s post-punk, but it doesn't really stand out compared to the other post-punk acts of the time other than maybe a few experimental attempts on this album. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, I still enjoyed this album, but I don't think I'll be adding it to the regular listening rotation.

This is one of the artists I knew I’d have to face eventually when I started the generator; I’ve always had an irrational dislike of Aerosmith and rather than figure out what it was I disliked, I’ve just ignored their existence for years.

I did try to get into Aerosmith back when all I would listen to was classic rock. At the time, Led Zeppelin was my favourite band and Aerosmith kind of felt like a cheap knock off of them. Listening now, I realize they’re not so much a knock off Led Zeppelin, they’re more so classic rock’s next step towards hair metal.

With that in mind, they kind of make more sense to me and I have the same thoughts as with any hair metal. Is it quality music? No, not really. Is it kind of fun? Yes, absolutely.

Ironically, this is not what I want to be listening to on a Monday morning. At times it reminds me of earlier Beatles, other times it reminds me of the Beach Boys, but the harmonies are a bit too saccharine for my taste and a lot of it feels like bubblegum pop.

Coincidentally, yesterday's album from the generator was another album from 1966, the Mothers of Invention's Freak Out, which is essentially the exact opposite of this album and it's one I much prefer. I feel like it's albums like If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears that lead to Frank Zappa's satire and parody on Freak Out.

Freak Out starts off pretty psychedelic, then hits on some strange doo-wop, and then ends in pure insanity. It really has everything I want in a Zappa record; it’s weird, it’s satirical, and it’s full of his wit and humour.

I’m definitely into the innovative, fuzzed out, experimental guitar playing, so I dig the instrumental side of this album. I can also appreciate My Bloody Valentine’s influence on music especially because a few bands I’ve been listening to lately like Deafheaven and Agriculture have drawn direct influenced from shoegaze. That said, I just don’t really care for the dreamy, washed out vocals and the album kind of drags a bit through the middle. Overall, I did enjoy it though.

Funny story, the Rolling Stones were my mom's favourite band and when they were trying to think of music for their wedding my mom originally wanted to walk down the aisle to the opening choral section to You Can't Always Get What You Want because it sounded like nice church music. My dad clearly veto'd that idea and they're still happily married today.

Anyways, I'm surprised to already be reaching my final Rolling Stones album on day 364. I started this journey having barely listened to the Stones in the past decade, but after listening to the six albums from the generator, I've clearly formed an opinion of the band because I feel like I'm just parroting all my other Stones reviews.

I think Let It Bleed might be my favourite Rolling Stones album from the generator. It has probably the strongest opening song in Gimme Shelter and the greatest closer in You Can't Always Get What You Want. Let it Bleed, Midnight Rambler, and Monkey Man are also excellent tracks, but other than the hits, I just don't really care all that much for the rest of the album. Not that the rest of the album is bad, it just doesn't quite reach the same heights.

My third and final Doors album from the generator and I think it might actually be my favourite of the three. The other two albums, their self-titled and L.A. Woman, definitely have more of the well-known hits on them, but that might actually be why I enjoy this one more; I just haven't heard these songs dozens and dozens of times over the years.

I am nothing if not a sucker for proto-punk and avant-garde music of any type and this is absolutely fantastic! It's wild to think that these guys were making such experimental music at the same time as the Velvet Underground, but completely isolated from each other on different continents.

If I don't think too hard about a Scottish man born in Edinburgh affecting a Jamaican accent to make some reggae music, then this is some alright reggae music.

I'm ashamed to say that, while I had a huge Nirvana phase when I was a teenager, for some reason I only ever saw Courtney Love as Kurt Cobain's wife. Not that I was trying to be sexist or dismissive of her, I was a dumb teenager and I literally don't think I even realized she had a band of her own at the time.

Anyways, this fucking rocks and it's up there with any other grunge record I've ever heard. Seriously, I've been missing out because this is great! I even think I would have enjoyed this back when I was a dumb teenager.

Slow, subtle, and soulful, but still pretty funky and groovy. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Another new discovery for me. High energy, fun pop punk through and through. Sounds like their live shows were ridiculous. No real complaints, but probably not something I’ll listen to frequently.

Strangely, I've always had an appreciation for Stewart Copeland, but I could never get into the Police. Admittedly, I've never reached past the well known singles to try listening to any of their other work. I don't think I've fully been converted to a fan while listening to Reggatta de Blanc, but there's definitely something to their mix of reggae, new-wave, and punk. There are a couple deeper cuts here that I liked a lot like Contact, Deathwish, and No Time This Time. I'll have to give this a couple more listens.

I do also have to acknowledge the rest of the band. Like I said, I've always had an appreciation for Stewart Copeland, but Sting's bass playing and Andy Summers' guitar are both excellent on this album as well. It's impressive how tight, but complex these guys can get as a trio.

This was fine. Take Me Out was absolutely everywhere when it came out and I've heard it countless times. I'm kind of surprised I hadn't heard a single other song on the album. These guys definitely found a formula and stuck to it though, so I honestly think I could have lived not hearing the rest.

This is a tragic, bleak, and unsettling record. The emotions drawn up by Reed's storytelling are vulnerable, real, and human. It's definitely not an easy album to listen to, but I am happy to have experienced it. That said, I'm adding it to the list of great albums that I'll probably never listen to again.