Reviews by heavymetal

This is an easy 5 stars for me!

Favourite tracks: Battle of Evermore, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks

Well this one opens strong! Probably my favourite cover of Gloria I've ever heard; she really made it her own! I hear a lot of Velvet Underground influence, which makes sense considering John Cale produced the album. Not really what I was expecting from a "punk" album, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless!

Favourite track: Gloria, Birdland, Kimberly, Land

Just over a year since Ritual De Lo Habitual was originally generated and the generator gives me another Jane’s Addiction album, Nothing’s Shocking. The whole time listening to Nothing’s Shocking I was remembering that I didn’t really enjoy Ritual De Lo Habitual all that much. I wasn’t really sure why because I was really enjoying everything I was hearing. I decided to have another listen of Ritual after finishing up with Nothing’s Shocking and I am surprised to find that I'm really enjoying it this time around. Jane’s Addiction seems to sit at a solid mid point of alternative music between metal and grunge. Plus there's a lot of interesting experimentation and bits of psychedelic music thrown in. I'm shocked that I didn't get on with this the first time around.

My original review was essentially that it good, but it just wasn’t really my thing and I couldn’t see myself listening to it in the future. Well, since then I’ve seen so much praise for this album that I found myself constantly wondering what I had missed when I listened to it. Honestly, I’m not sure why I didn’t originally enjoy this album. Thoroughly enjoyed it this time around and will be checking out more Alice in Chains in the future

Growing up my best friend's dad was really into this kind of music. Although, I don't remember if he listened to Elvis Costello specifically. I was fairly indifferent to it then, and I am fairly indifferent to it now. Is it good music? I guess, it's not bad at least.

Favourite tracks: Waiting for the End of the World, Watching the Detectives

Wow! I can't believe I haven't listened to this before now. I loved every minute! Bang a Gong (Get it On) is the only track I had heard (I'm pretty sure everyone has probably heard this song at least once) and it's not even close to the best song on the album! Definitely going to be coming back to listen to more T Rex in the future.

Favourite tracks: Mambo Sun, Cosmic Dancer, Bang a Gong (Get it On), Girl, Rip Off

I enjoyed the first few tracks quite a bit. Fairly generic rock sound with the addition of a horn section. However, the album started losing some steam for me around Sun Hits the Sky, which I feel like is when some classic britpop tropes started to reveal themselves too much for my tastes.

That being said, I am surprised Oasis was the more popular band as I enjoyed this much more than the Oasis records I've listened to.

Favourite tracks: Tonight, Late in the Day, Cheapskate, Hollow Little Reign

Every time I hear Michael Stipe sing, it immediately makes me think of Gord Downie. There absolutely needs to be some Tragically Hip on this list! That would be a hard choice between Day for Night, Road Apples, and/or Fully Completely.

Anyways, I enjoyed this R.E.M. album and have no major complaints. I'm feeling a solid 3-stars from me.

Favourite tracks: Radio Free Europe, Talk About the Passion, Moral Kiosk, 9-9

As a card carrying RHCP hater, I have been dreading this one since I started. I did enjoy it more than I expected, by which I mean I made it through the whole album, but I still never want to hear it again.

Honestly, it's just the rap singing and lyrical content/songwriting that sinks it for me. The bass, guitar, and drumming are all are pretty great, I was just sick of listening to Kiedis by the time Suck my Kiss came on and was ready to turn it off by the time Give it Away came on.

Wow, I thought Give it Away was bad, but Sir Psycho Sexy is making me physically cringe. Why is this album so long?

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a rather divisive inclusion on the list, but I absolutely loved it.

Favourite tracks: the Gift, Sister Ray

I genuinely tried to listen to this, but I only made it to Disco II Disco and just couldn’t take any more.

The fact that this album made the list over any Modest Mouse or Yo La Tengo album is depressing.

I enjoyed it, but probably not enough to listen again.

Favourite tracks: Talking About a Revolution, Fast Car, Mountains O’ Things

Great album! I'd probably give it 5-stars if it was a little shorter; I feel like they could have cut a few songs to make this absolutely outstanding. That said, Caravan and Cyprus Avenue are both phenomenal and these renditions alone are making me consider giving an it extra star!

Favourite tracks: Ain't Nothing You Can't Do, Into the Mystic, I've Been Working, Domino, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Bring It On Home to Me, Caravan, Cyprus Avenue

This album is yet more evidence that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or music based on the band name. I don’t know why but this isn’t at all what I was expecting from a band called Lambchop.

I was fairly indifferent for most of this album, but I enjoyed Up with People, the Petrified Florist, and Butcher Boy. Probably not enough to ever revisit this album though.

Favourite tracks: Up with People, the Petrified Florist, the Butcher Boy

I was expecting electronica based on the band name, the album name, and the cover art, but was immediately surprised when I started listening. I enjoyed Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, but the second track was at least a minute too long and then I genuinely disliked the third. The fourth and fifth did not get any better until the outro of the fifth song. I did enjoy the instrumental sixth song, A Touch Sensitive, but then the 7th and 8th songs were entirely forgettable. Starts getting interesting again at No Sympathy (there's the electronica I was expecting!), then we go straight off the rails (in a bad way) with Juxtapozed with U. I kind of checked out after the last one, but Run! Christian, Run! was actually pretty good. Probably my favourite on the whole album.

I want to like it, I really like the background noise and instrumentation, but I just can't stand the singing, the lyrics, or the songwriting. Overall, I think what I've learned most during this project so far is that I don't like britpop.

Also, I was surprised to see the Paul McCartney made a cameo on this album, but turns out it was just some samples of him eating carrots and celery? Yeah, that tracks.

Favourite tracks: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, A Touch Sensitive, Run! Christian, Run!

Yet another nostalgia trip inducing classic rock album. It makes me think of warm summer days in high school; getting high, jamming, going for a swim in the river close to our jam space, inevitably waking up my friend’s parents by playing drums too loud past curfew.

Favourite tracks: Born on the Bayou, Proud Mary, Keep on Chooglin'

I wish I knew of this album in high school so I could have been an even more insufferable classic rock nerd

Favourite tracks: Shape of Things, You Shook Me, Ol’ Man River, Blues Deluxe, I Ain’t Superstitious

I grew up wishing I could have experienced the 60s music scene, but I’m starting to think what I really missed out on was the 80s punk/new wave scene.

Favourite tracks: Pretty Green, Start!, That’s Entertainment, Music for the Last Couple, Scrape Away

I don’t always listen to generic hard rock, but when I do, I want to listen to the legends of generic hard rock

Favourite tracks: Highway to Hell, Beating Around the Bush, Night Prowler

This came out when I was in high school and I think I avoided listening to it because of how over played Get Free was on the radio. In fact, I might have to take a star off just because that song is stuck in my head already after only reading the track list.

Favourite track(s): Highly Evolved, Country Yard, Factory