Reviews by jaileer5

It started really strong, with Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day being amongst the first 5 songs. I was surprised that this album is early 80s, because it really doesn't sound like it...until song six, The Refugee. I actually stopped what I was doing and looked at my phone, surprised because I thought it was a different band. It sounds so different than the first 5 songs, I thought it was, like, Oingo Boingo or something. It sucks, is what I'm saying. After that it kinda picks up and sounds like U2 again, which means it's aggressively mediocre. I'll give this 3 stars, but it's milquetoast U2 at its absolute peak.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. Honestly, it's just a bit boring. I know New Order are supposed to be the New Wave gods that ushered in blah blah blah, but it just sounds really paint-by-numbers synth pop. Considering this album came out the same year as Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails, I just think it sounds safe and uninteresting. It gives me no pleasure to give this 2 stars, and I would potentially give it 2.5 if I could, but here we are.

It's all very Elton John. It's kind of bouncy, I guess, but good christ, it's too long. All of the songs pretty much sound the same, so an hour and 15 minutes or whatever is just too damned long. 2 stars because it's not awful, but I'll be happy to never hear any of these songs ever again.

Fantastic album if I wanna dance. Slightly less appropriate for sitting in my office. 3 stars, I think it's fine. It's not earth shattering, but it's definitely listenable.

This easy listening, banjo-pickin’, boring ass, elevator music is not for me. This is one of the biggest bands of all time? The early 70s were a cesspool of shit music. The very best thing I can say about this album is that it’s only 37 minutes.

This is so incredibly not my kind of music that I just cannot see it. You Really Got Me is a song where you can at least see the Rock & Roll bones, but then they pivoted and went to this...mess. I don't even know how to categorize it other than to tell you there are lyrics about kissing a girl under the old oak tree. That's not much of a descriptor, I know, which should really underscore the deep antipathy I feel for this album.

Country music is an abomination.

It's better than I thought, but it's not great. There are some songs that I actually like, but then there are some that sound like country and country just plain sucks.

This is delightfully weird. Musically, it's all over the damn place. There are traditional sounds - guitar, drums, shaker - but there are all kinds of pops and cracks and just a general cacophony that probably shouldn't work, but does. And speaking of things that shouldn't work but do - Waits' voice. It sounds like he smokes 5 packs a day and gargles with razor blades but there's not a single misplaced note on the album. Who Are You is a song that's sparse, stripped back musically, putting his voice in the spotlight and, goddammit, it shouldn't work but it does. Even though the instruments are in the background, there's a standard 4/4 beat but there's a guitar, or banjo or something in the background that is definitely *not* playing the same beat/time signature and the rest of the song...but it works and it isn't distracting.

I get the impression almost like I'm listening to a demo, and not in a bad way. There are always these drums and percussive sounds that sound like they're in the background; not turned down, mind you, but like Waits and co. are huddled around a single microphone and the percussion is farther away from the microphone. It has a rawness and authenticity, a lack of polish, an honesty of musicianship that is rare.

I didn't know what to expect going into this album and, to be honest, I'm not *really* sure what I'm thinking after listening. I'm not sure I'd listen to it on repeat, but I'm pretty sure it's awesome?

Ok, so, it’s not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. In fact, it’s not bad at all! Really pleasantly surprised. 3 stars.

No. Just fucking...no.

I am very fond of Dave Grohl. I am not very fond of Foo Fighters. I was a huge Nirvana fan in the 90s, but never really warmed to Foo Fighters. Listening to this album, I think the non-radio singles are more punk, and better songs, but it all sounds very 90s - which is great! But it's still only fine. *Maybe* I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could do half stars, but I'm not agonizing about giving it a 3, either.

Give it a listen. Or don't. You won't regret either decision. It's that kind of album.

pretty good, early prog.

It’s very weird, and very good. I’m struggling on how to rank it because the last couple songs get, like, avant garde noise rock weird, which is annoying, but the rest of the album is very nice. In fact, there are a couple places where you could almost convince me that it’s an early Radiohead B side.

I think the last two songs are too weird to give it 5 stars, but I think 4 is about right.

Love Otis Redding. That voice is as good as it gets.

I know Nick Cave is beloved, and I never really understood why - but I somehow kind of missed him in the 90s. Listening through this I can say that…it’s fine. Interesting voice, not a lot of new ground broken, but pretty ok. I really wish this thing had half stars, because this album is a solid 3. It feels unfair considering I’ve given worse albums 3 stars that deserved 2.5, and better albums I would have loved to give 3.5, and there’s just no way I can give this 4 stars. So it’s an accurate score that feels unfair to other albums based on the limitations of the rating system

5 stars. I know this album like the back of my hand. This was the album that got me in to HARD music. I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music as a kid (I was in a cult), so my cousin and I would go to the basement and huddle around his little tape player with the volume on one and our fingers hovering over the stop button in case his mom opened the basement door.

This was the perfect metal album. Cowboys from Hell still had tinges of their hair metal past, but by the time Vulgar dropped all traces of glam were erased and Phil’s growls, grunts and screams are pure aggression.

This is such a fun album. I’ve watched the Justin Hawkins Rides Again YouTube channel several times but this is the first time I’ve listened to The Darkness. It’s so over the top! It’s not something I’m going listen to every day, but it is unabashed in its silliness, while at the same time exhibiting some real bonafide musical talent. 3.5 stars

It's another one I wanted to like more than I did. It's just not great. It's also not terrible, it's just slightly boring. I can see how it was quite subversive in its time, but today it just sounds quaint and anachronistic. I'd give it 2.5 if I could. I'll probably end up giving it 3 stars because it's not *bad* per se.

This album is VERY Bjork. Lots of sounds packed into this, from orchestral, to strings, to weird buzzes, clicks and hums - it'll keep you on your toes. Of course Bjork's wonderfully hazy, ethereal voice is the star of the show here. Apparently this is a breakup album, and it shows. The lyrics are, at times, gut wrenching, the pain and emotion palpable.

I loved this album and would give it a 4.5 if I could.