Reviews by heavymetal

Elvis Costello has been growing on me; I feel like the generator is actively trying to make me a fan. I first had his debut, My Aim is True, generated early on before joining a group and I was indifferent to it; I didn't like it, but I didn't dislike it. Almost a year later, the generator decided I should hear it again and I absolutely loved it this time around. Since then, I've put it on a few times, but I've yet to explore the rest of his catalogue.

Now, the generator is giving me his second album, This Years Model, and it has a lot of the same elements that I really enjoyed in My Aim is True. It's rock and roll with a lot of pop sensibility, but this time around it feels like there's more of a rough edge, he's really spitting more of his lyrics, and there are more influences pulled in throughout the album. (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea and Lipstick Vogue are all around great songs and I've actually heard Pump It Up so many times, but I don't know why.

I am curious to see if I feel the same about Elvis Costello after 4 more of his albums are generated. While I have loved both this and My Aim Is True, I fail to see how he could possibly deserve 6 albums on the list.

I enjoyed the more upbeat, funky songs, but felt some of the slower, soulful songs dragged on a bit and at times it was just a bit too disco for me. Overall, it was enjoyable enough, but it’s just not really for me and I can't see myself returning to this album as a whole.

Ok, I think I actually have come around now that Dookie has been generated; I enjoyed this so much more than American Idiot. It’s still pop punk, they have a ton of pop sensibilities, but there’s still some edge here and a lot of creative approaches to these songs. In particular, I really enjoyed the bass playing throughout; a lot of simple, but hooky bass lines.

My dad has decided that Frank Sinatra and the rest of the rat pack are the perfect dinner music. Honestly, I don’t disagree; it does make for a pleasant dining experience.

As an album though, this started to get a bit tedious by the end. It’s not bad and Frank is incredibly cool, but it just all starts to sound the same.

My wife just mentioned that she keeps expecting each song to be a Christmas song.

I don’t think I really have anything new to say about this album. It’s a classic for a reason! What Is and What Should Never Be and Ramble On are two of my all time favourite Zeppelin tracks and Bring It On Home is definitely underrated.

This album doesn't quite hit for me the same way some of her earlier albums do. I still enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll be returning to it; if I'm ever in the mood for some PJ Harvey, I'd be reaching for Rid of Me or To Bring You My Love.

Honestly, do we really need 4 PJ Harvey albums in the list?

Just another solid, fuzzy, noisy album from the pioneers that really defined this genre. I enjoy You're Living All Over Me more than I do Bug and I am much more familiar with it. Honestly, I don't really have anything else to add.

I don't know if I fully realized how much I like Radiohead going into this project. I knew I enjoyed their music, I've previously listened to their full discography and have gone through phases where they were essentially all I listened to, but I don't think I've listened to them in years. Other than Kid A, which is one of my all time favourite albums, I wasn't expecting to like any of these albums as much as I have and Amnesiac is no exception. I absolutely love this album, but I guess that's not surprising since it was recorded at the same time as Kid A.

This album feels like some weird midpoint between Frank Zappa, the Who, Queen, and David Bowie. It’s psychedelic and experimental, but there’s some very 70s pop forward moments and it somehow seamlessly flows into soul music without missing a beat before it returns to proggy hard rock. Seriously eclectic mix of influences on this album and yet it somehow all works.

I’d never heard of the Beta Band before, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. It’s a bit psychedelic and experimental with some electronic flair, but the production still felt minimalist and not over the top. Overall, it comes together in a really good way.

The nostalgia hits hard on this one as it was one of the first albums that got me to take off my classic rock blinders. It's not something I really revisit often now, but North American Scum, All My Friends, and New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down are still some of my all time favourite tracks.

Also, I have to acknowledge the generator calling me out on my hypocrisy. I literally said in my review of Nightmares on Wax yesterday that it probably says something about me that I like the laid back dub based electronica and can't stand dance based electronica. Well, I admit, Sound of Silver is fully rooted in dance based electronica, but in my defense, it's a lot less "unc-unc-unc, let's get the party started" and a lot more in line with what you get from dub. There are clear influences of krautrock and even Bowie and I am much more likely to throw this on and sit back to listen to it on a pair of nice headphones in a hypnotic trance than I am to hear it in a club.

I think it probably says something about me that I enjoy laid back, repetitive, dub based electronica like this and can't stand repetitive, 4-on-the-floor, dance based electronica.

I’ve tried to get into Lana Del Rey in the past and I just don’t get it. Not that it’s bad, she’s clearly a good songwriter and singer, but listening to her music does absolutely nothing for me.

There was like 20 seconds in the second half of Dance Till We Die where drums come in and I started thinking there could be something here, but they quickly disappear again and the song returns to the same boring, melancholic drone.

This is an incredibly eclectic mix of genres that mostly comes together really well. A bit hard rock and alt metal, a nod towards psychedelic rock in the intro, and some electronica influenced beats throughout. The only thing I don’t really get on with is her singing; I just don’t really like the dramatic, poppy style of singing with long held notes and vocalizations. It works in a few places, and I like it on the more aggressive songs, but some of the slower and softer moments just sound like corny 90s soft rock. Overall, I am happy to have heard this, but I doubt I’ll return.

Exciting performance of some upbeat and fun R&B songs, but honestly it was starting to sound like the same song over and over again by the end. I do appreciate the music and the performance, but I don't think I'll be seeking this one out again.

I first read about the Butthole Surfers in the book Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad. I was immediately intrigued because everything about them in the book sounded somewhat insane. I wish I could have experienced the chaos of their live shows with the costumes, stripping, props, fake blood, lighter fluid filled cymbals, strobe lights, smoke machines, and naked dancers. Unsurprisingly, the music is a similarly chaotic and psychedelic mix of noise and punk rock.

This album in particular is another that I absolutely love, but likely wouldn’t recommend to anyone unless I knew they had a similarly strange taste in music.

I’m kind of surprised I’ve never listened to Traffic before because I would have absolutely loved this when I was a teenager when all I listened to was psychedelic and/or bluesy classic rock. It doesn’t quite do the same thing for me now, but I still really enjoyed this album.

I’m honestly not sure why, but I have never listened to the Smashing Pumpkins. I have heard a few of these songs over the years, and I’ve had a few people recommend them to me, but for some reason, I never found them intriguing enough to seek out.

Having finally sat down and listened to Siamese Dream, it didn’t exactly blow me away. It's not bad, I don't dislike it, it’s a solid alternative album, and the guitar playing in particular was phenomenal, but Billy Corgan’s singing did start to get to me by the end. Again, it's not bad, it's just not something I really want to spend an entire album with and I don't foresee myself returning to this in the future.

This is the album that started me down the path towards industrial and more abrasive music in general. It manages to be aggressive, depressing, and ugly, yet still remains beautiful at the same time.

I relate to some of their later anti-government themes, like on Year Zero, more than I do the themes of self-destruction on this album, but I still absolutely love it.

I feel like the ideal listening experience for this album is on vinyl, sat back in an old, leather armchair while sipping neat, Japanese whiskey.

To be fair, I think that would improve the listening experience for most albums.