Reviews by j-bizzle

I love that albums and projects like this exist. It's a fascinating artistic decision to soundtrack a film that doesn't exist. It certainly feels quite cinematic in places. I’d always liked ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ from the Lost Highway soundtrack, and other tracks feel like they could appear in other films. I really like the vibraphone in the third track (I always like the vibraphone). It always gives off a sense of someone being lost, or otherwise alone in a big world.

Elsewhere there's some dark tracks and some chill, musical tracks, as well as some guest cameos by interesting artists. Some tracks are superb and are really expansive. However, it does go a bit weird in the middle for a few tracks and isn't particularly fun to listen to. A little bit inconsistent overall.

Overall though, this was a nice find. I like this guy's style!

3.5 rounded up.

I prefer the more chill tracks. She's got a beautiful voice, and it's just a real mood. I always loved loved loved the Bowie 'Wild Is The Wind', and never really delved into this one beyond one listen before. But it's still excellent. I love the elaborate keys on this one, it really works. And her voice is still imbued with emotion.

3.5 rounded down.

This is good! Generally solid throughout, maybe with a bit of a dip in the middle (?) but for the most part these are some great, upbeat rock tracks with some good melodies and hooks. I like the punky vocals and I like the guitars, and you can't deny the title track in particular is an absolute tune.

3.5 rounded up.

I do like these 50's, gentle ballad, orchestral-backed albums. Especially in winter time. The backing music is lovely, with it's occasional flutters and swells. It's just a real nice, warm kind of album.

As others say, it totally all blends into one, and it feels overlong, so loses marks as a result.

3.5 rounded down.

I'm not sold on Bob Dylan live. His voice really isn't good on this one. It's so strained and drawn-out and 'off'. It can't be overstated, it really is woeful.

And SO many of the songs feel really drawn-out and samey. It's hard to see the distinction in them when it's the same warbly vocals stretching out over the song, and with that constant harmonica shoving itself up into everyone's business.

Bob, kindly, why don't you shove your harmonica up your fucking arse instead? Then next time you're going for a shit you can experience what we all have to.

...ok, the second half is much better I'm pleased to say, and with less focus on his voice alone it's a much, much better listen. The instruments are vibrant, the tone is upbeat, and the songs themselves just come completely alive.

Still, I'll never get that 45 minutes back again from the first half.

2.5 rounded down.

I'd heard this back in the day, but don't remember really getting on with it outside of a few tracks. I'm glad to say that it's better than I remember - or more likely, this appeals to me more now than when I was younger.

I don't like dirgy, droney shoegaze, but this thankfully isn't that. There's much more about it, and I really like a lot of the actual music on here. It's really quite propulsive in places. These guys, and this album in particular had a kind of 'cool' cult around it, which may make me inclined to push against that a bit, but you can't deny it's got a real style and swagger about it.

3.5 rounded up.

This isn't good. Fair play for committing to a concept and trying something a bit unusual, but it doesn't work for me, at all. There's not many songs on here I actually get on with, and those that I do I simply find 'ok'.

Ah man I haven't listened to this album (or the Velvet Underground come to think of it) in ages. It's nice to be reunited with some of these tracks. I love 'What Goes On' in particular. What a tune, even if it does have weird, jarring moments of putting everything through the left channel. I'd say there's less stand-out tracks on this album as a whole, but it's pretty good throughout, and of course there's plenty of artsy weirdness as well, as is custom.

3.5 rounded up.

This is definitely better than I was expecting. It's pretty good, and these guys have got talent. It's all very 80's, but it's not irritating, which can't be said for a LOT of that decade. The songs are mostly just really nice, with some fun upbeat melodies, and little bits of detail. I tapped along quite a lot!

It's not one of his better ones. It's a bit generic and just not very engaging. His singing also seems a bit off. It's genuinely terrible at times. The music itself is accomplished enough.

2.5 rounded up.

The man has a voice of liquid honey, and the band are playing reeeal nice. It's just a nice warm hug of an album.

3.5 rounded up.

There is SO little to this album, honestly, and it's so fucking boring. There's nothing arresting here, just kind of listless vocals and weak backing music. The drums are so basic and nothing. It's like one big, pathetic sigh.

This is a great album. It’s almost a shame that so many people haven’t really dug into their back catalogue before, because there’s so much to connect with.

For me I think this is at its best when it’s more upbeat. It’s got real driving rhythms, and layers of sounds, synths and instruments to it. They kind of don’t sound like anyone else - It’s got a real sense of identity. I particularly love the keys whenever they crop up, which give it a real propulsive energy.

The only negative for me is that the more sombre tracks don’t land as well. While I still appreciate their vibe, it is slightly jarring going from something like “I Love You” into “Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth” (for example).

Nevertheless, this is excellent, and we should celebrate it.

4.5 rounded down.

Not bad. I like the dirty, fuzzy guitars and it's pretty rocking at times. I'm just struggling to engage with it much beyond that. I can't really make out anything he's saying.

Seeing the length of this album at the start, it's fair to say I wasn't looking forward to it at all. But what a nice surprise, this guy is a real talent!

My overall takeaway is that the whole album is really accomplished. There's lots of different types of songs and flavours. Some of them are quite catchy, pop-type numbers. Others are funky, some are super chill, and is that some drum n' bass flavour in there..? Musically it's on-point throughout. I really like the trumpets in particular, and that nice funky bass..? Yes please!

Maybe this gels more with my Western sensibilities than some other, more traditional Arabic albums, but I did really appreciate the fusion of styles here. It's refreshing to enjoy a complete unknown album that you absolutely would never have heard of otherwise, and in this instance I had a great time with it.

3.5 rounded up.

He's a great songwriter, and this remains on show here. There's some lovely melodies, nice singing, and great storytelling in his lyrics.

Ah man, it's already so shit and I haven't even hit the 20 second mark yet. It's just utter, utter bullshit. There's such little artistic merit to this. It's just a bunch of people fucking about between themselves, and, I suspect, with us the audience. Many of these people are also in 'The Mothers of Invention', another band that supremely grates on me. These guys think they're well funny. Well how's *THIS* for funny Captain Beefheart and your Tragic Band? How's *THIS* for funny!? 1 star. And you can thank me for it. Oh wait you can't, because you're dead.

As with his other album, this is skilled enough, but I'm just not into it at all. As such, almost a whole hour of this was a hard time.

Perfectly pleasant pop ballads with a country flavour. She's got a lovely voice and there's some nice melodies in there. I think there's enough variance in the songs, and enough hooks and whatnot to keep you interested. It works well as a pop package, but I'm really struggling to see how this can be elevated beyond that. There's nothing profound here. The lyrics are genuinely woeful, just so basic and surface-layer. There's nothing wrong with that for what it is, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying this as a favourite album.. but this really shouldn't be up there with the very best albums of all time in my opinion. You need to have something a BIT more.

Traditional folk isn't my bag, sorry. I guess it's nice enough, in a boring kind of way. There's a few tracks with something about them.

2.5 rounded up.