Reviews by jf01

Bulleted list of thoughts on an album I’ve owned for 26 years:

-You’re 16. You’re leaving school. You pop this cd in the cd player you had installed at circuit city. Allowing for some time to exit the parking lot, “gasoline dreams” hits just as you turn onto the street, tires squealing. Could there be a better feeling in this life?

-Most days I can’t remember where I left my keys, but I will apparently remember every word of BOB until I die. Still got it.

-I dislike the first 1:30 of Humble Mumble, so I don’t usually stick with it, but today I committed to the whole album and was rewarded with the second half of that song.

-I understand that the “good hair” interlude is basically an intro to “we luv deez hoez.” I understand that the “Kim & Cookie” interlude is an intro to “I’ll call before I cum.” I do not understand the purpose of “I’m Cool.” It seems to have nothing to do with “so fresh, so clean.”

-What is certainly a 5-star album through 14-15 tracks bogs down in the latter third and overstays its welcome just a bit. I’d for sure cut Red Velvet and Slum Beautiful. I respect Toilet Tisha but it feels out of place on this album.

-I think I’m still going 5 stars out of respect to gasoline dreams, BOB, and ms Jackson. It’s a soft 5.

I think I’ve given every U2 album a 2, and rightly so. But Sunday Bloody Sunday is the one song of theirs I truly like, so this one can get a 3.

This is a tough one. Love the first and last songs. Liked “you got the silver” well enough. Everything else, meh, except for pure hatred in my heart for “midnight rambler.” Felt like a 3/4 borderline case.

I like this artist but maybe not 67 minutes’ worth

I don’t return to this album because I love Lemonade so much, but I had a good time with it today. My main complaint, which is not about the music itself, is that a lot of the songs feel to me like they should be two three-minute songs instead of one six-minute song — not a big deal when you’re committed to listening to the whole album (who cares about the number of tracks), but I’d casually listen to a lot of the superior halves more often if they were separated out from their lesser halves.

Rounding up

I’ve listened to this many times and each time I wish I could love it the way so many people do. The title track and “mercy mercy me” reach those heights, and I think everything else is good.

Ugh

Pre: I was obsessed with this when it came out, but I also remember that obsession quickly fading to just a few songs (sittin here, I luv u, fix up look sharp, and jezebel), so it’ll be interesting to see how the whole thing holds up today.

Post: I liked some of the other songs more than I remembered (especially jus a rascal, which is grating initially but improves), but it’s still just a 4.

First time through, I thought it was a 4. But it was good enough I wanted to listen again, and I liked the second time as much or more, so that’s reason enough to award a 5.

I’ve listened to this before, especially when it was everywhere in 2000. I’ve generally liked Sparks and Yellow, and that remains the case. I bought the album after this on the strength of The Scientist, which I still think is their best song. Then I think they fell off hard.

Multiple times, I thought to myself, “well at least this has to be over soon,” only to check the track list and learn I still had an alarming amount left to experience.

Principal: [Deep Purple], what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent [album] were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

I liked the beats, but it’s tough to go much higher when I didn’t understand anything

Pre-listening thoughts: God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.

I kinda liked Cowboy, and I briefly thought, oh no, am I going to give this a 2? I needn’t have worried.

I can’t hear “foxey lady” without thinking of Dana Carvey in Wayne’s World.

I gave this 8/10 in Summer of Bjork just a few weeks ago. So it should be 4/5, right? That’s called reducing the fraction.

Not so fast. It hit just right today and I’m going to give it a 5. Do I contradict myself? Very well then.

Starlings has long been a favorite song, but I was less familiar with the album.

I’m sure I heard “dirty work” and “reelin in the years” plenty of times as a child without knowing who sang them (and “do it again,” but I don’t like that one as much). At some point in my musical education, I became aware of Steely Dan as the jazz-pop guys. So when those two ideas came together it was a little mind-blowing. Sorry to say it, Danheads, but I prefer the straightforward pop stuff.

A great debut. Feels like a 4.5 and I couldn’t quite get to 5. Shadowboxer, Criminal, First Taste, and Carrion all amazing.