Reviews by heavymetal

I've never really gotten on with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. I always felt that they were just a bit overrated. That said, I do have to admit that this album was an enjoyable listen. Breakdown and American Girl are some excellent songs and the whole album is finely crafted with solid songwriting. Maybe overrated is the wrong choice of words. I just don't really connect with heartland or roots rock unless it comes a little closer to home. Give me some Joel Plaskett Emergency, Blue Rodeo, Matt Mays, Wintersleep, or Tragically Hip instead.

I respect the Smiths for their influence and songwriting, but they’re just not a band I really ever want to listen to. I do like this album better than the Queen is Dead, which was the last one of their albums the generator gave me.

Now here’s some weird post-punk that absolutely hits the mark for me. The Fall are probably one of the bands that has grown on me the most throughout this project. I really wasn’t a fan of Live at the Witch Trials, which was the first album the generator gave me. The Infotainment Scan was much better, but still wasn’t quite my favourite. I’m on a second listen to the Nation’s Saving Grace now and I am genuinely really enjoying this album. It’s a perfect mix of avant-garde experimentalism and post-punk with just enough pop sensibility to hold it all together.

I want to like this more than I do. Normally, I love avant-garde and post-punk music, but this one just doesn't quite hit the mark for me. I do really enjoy the dub bass and a lot of the guitar work, but John Lydon's singing just doesn't fit and some of the tracks go on a bit too long. This is another album that I respect, but just don't think I'll be returning to it.

I'm pretty burnt out on blues music in general, but this is so much more interesting than just blues music. I absolutely loved this! The use of African rhythms and instruments paired with such a unique approach to blues guitar brings this album to life. This is up near the top of my favourite discoveries from the list and is going straight into my regular listening rotation. I'm going to have to do a deep dive into Ali Farka Touré's music.

I don’t think I have much to say that hasn’t already been said about this album. In the Court of the Crimson King is an astounding debut album and 21st Century Schizoid Man is one of the strongest album openers. I was absolutely obsessed with this album in high school, but I haven’t given it a listen in some time now. It was great to revisit it today.

Objectively this is probably a 5/5 album based on its historical importance and musical impact, and it is a phenomenal album, it’s just not quite my preference any more, so I’m feeling a strong 4/5.

Sebadoh are a spinoff from Dinosaur Jr and, while they’re not quite as popular or influential as some of their indie rock contemporaries, they still made some awesome music. Bubble and Scrape is an all around solid indie rock album that draws from many influences; there’s a bit of lo-fi folk, a bit of psychedelia, and a lot of noise, punk, and grunge.

Sensational is a pretty accurate descriptor for this band; this is some of the sleaziest, most over the top, and ridiculous glam rock I've ever heard. Probably not my favourite discovery from the list, but I had a good time and am happy to have heard it.

I remember enjoying the Virgin Suicides film in high school, but I couldn’t remember a single other thing about it. I read the synopsis for a quick refresher and I’m curious how well it would hold up for me almost 2 decades later.

As far as the music on the soundtrack goes, it’s alright. It quickly faded into the background and I have no doubt the moody and melancholic vibes worked well in context of the film. That said, it doesn’t make for the most exciting album to listen to and I don’t think it deserves a place on a list of 1001 albums you need to hear before you die.

Wow, I’ve seen the name Jon Spenser Blues Explosion many times before and every time I’ve assumed they were some blues-y guitar rock band, which has led to me avoiding them. I guess that’s not entirely wrong, but this isn’t the same tired blues licks played over and over again. It’s a bit punk, a bit funk, and pretty damn noisy. That’s two days in a row that I was completely wrong anbout a band; I need to learn to not judge a book by its cover.

For some reason I’ve always thought Elastica made electronica of some sort. Not sure what gave me that idea because this is actually some pretty decent post-punk.

A few years ago I saw Pup, Pkew Pkew Pkew, and the Dirty Nil. All three bands came out for the encore together and played the Boys Are Back In Town. It was wild and somehow wasn’t a mess considering the number of guitars and basses that were on stage. That was definitely a far more memorable event than this album, but to be fair, I was actually there.

That said, I don’t dislike Thin Lizzy and I didn’t hate this album, but I don’t think I really needed to hear a double, semi-live album from them. Do they not have a studio album that would have been a better fit for the list?

I’m going to basically just copy my Soundgarden review from a few months back because I had essentially the same experience listening to Pearl Jam today.

When I saw Pearl Jam generated I initially thought, “Hell yeah, great band, this’ll be a great time!”, but as I listened I realized they’re another band I respect who I just don’t care to listen to. I’m not entirely sure why either because, on paper, they’re a band I should like. I enjoy grunge and hard rock, everyone in the band is a great musician, Eddie Vedder is a phenomenal singer, they’re even the reason I want an 8 or 12 string bass, but their music just doesn’t excite me.

I’m always surprised and apprehensive when my daily album is by a band that I have never heard of in a genre with which I am fairly familiar; I feel like the list has burned me too many times on obscure and irrelevant bands that really don’t deserve to be on the list. Well, I’ve never heard of Giant Sand, Giant Giant Sand, Giant Sandworms, or Howe Gelb, so I was prepared to be back in that position again, but I love when my preconceived notions turn out to be completely wrong. This album is right up my alley. It reminds me a bit of Bill Callahan’s dark and raw alt-country and Jeff Tweedy’s work, both the acoustic alt-country of Uncle Tupelo and his more experimental indie rock work with Wilco.

I love her singing, but I hate what she’s singing about. This is the subject matter in country music that I don’t care for; I just don’t relate to a single one of these songs.

I always kind of thought Jefferson Airplane, and the song White Rabbit specifically, were a bit gimmicky in the sense that this is music for long haired, hippy stoners. To be fair, I was a long haired, hippy stoner in high school and I did love this album. I haven’t listened to Jefferson Airplane since high school and I honestly wasn’t really expecting it to hold up for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it today. It’s just a solid psychedelic rock album.

Sure, this album feels dated, but it was incredibly influential and I genuinely enjoyed it more than a lot of the modern hip-hop that has devolved into narcissistic bragging and boasting. It was a really fun listen and I'll definitely throw this on again.

A couple days ago I had the Divine Comedy's Casanova and in my review I stated that I found myself thinking that this is going to be another just alright chamber pop album that was destined for a 3 or maybe even a 2 depending on how much it bored me. Something clicked with Casanova and I found myself really enjoying Neil Hannon's campiness and sleaziness and the production, which was beautifully arranged with just a dash of grit.

Seems that I find myself in the exact same position with Coles Corner. The major difference is that Richard Hawley plays Coles Corner a lot more straight. There's no grit, campiness, or irony, but surprisingly, I am finding that I also really enjoy this album. I thought I enjoyed Casanova because of the sleazy and gritty character Neil Hannon put on, but this is just as good, if not better. Richard Hawley manages to embody the spirit of a bygone era without it feeling overdone, ironic, or too nostalgic. Also, it has to be mentioned that the arrangements on Coles Corner are beautifully played and his singing is phenomenal.

I've listened to this album a few times in the past, but I don't think I ever full appreciated the context around it. It's a wild choice to come out of the gates swinging with a live debut album in 1969. Especially a live album that is so noisy and aggressive and clearly controversial. Kick Out the Jams may not be a display of talented musicianship, but it absolutely captures the primal energy and chaos of these shows and laid the foundation for punk to come.

The first couple songs on this album went straight in one ear and out the other. I found myself thinking that this is going to be another just alright chamber pop album that was destined for a 3 or maybe even a 2 depending on how much it bored me.

However, something clicked during the run from Middle Class Heroes to Charge and I found myself really enjoying everything to a point that I knew I needed to start over.

On second listen, I was invested right away. The production and arrangements are wonderful. The lyrics and singing are campy and a bit sleazy, but it feels like he knows exactly what he’s going for and is absolutely in on the joke. I ended up really enjoying this one.