Reviews by jlazerus

Maybe … MAYBE if it was 1967 and I was really stoned.
It's okay, definitely a relic of its time. Proto-jamband stuff. If the late 60's country-rock psych era never happened, I think we'd all be better off (except for Jefferson Airplane, who rule). I'm being facetious, of course. You will like this if you enjoy the Dead, Phish etc. Not really well executed, nothing very novel in the songwriting or instrumentation, a bit sloppy.

This is a nice, G-rated 70's R&B album.

Interesting for a lot of reasons. There are, especially on the amazing "XI-30," flashes of proto-electronica soul. Otis does the Stevie Wonder/Sly Stone/Lenny Kravitz "I played all the instruments" thing (admirably well). You can take a few days and go down the Johnny Otis (Shuggie's dad) rabbit hole, well worth the time if you like 50s and 60s R&B and early soul. A very important figure in the history and probably underrepresented on this list.

Not the worst thing I've heard this week. I suppose that's not the highest praise, though.

Great vocalist, great guitarists, interesting songwriting, tight execution, nice recording, sincere delivery, classic FM radio rock: what's not to like?

No no no is my favorite Yeah Yeah Yeahs song.

Nope I lied it’s Maps.

Enjoyable, uncomplicated synth based EDM not trying to be something it’s not; like soul or hip hop, funk, jazz or anything else. Has a sense of humor and self-awareness that was refreshing.

Transgressive avant-punk that, if you allow their trolling nature as a core philosophy, contains some innovative depth. A sonic hodge-podge comparable to something like Can, this is on the continuum of anti-establishment music from The V.U., the 13th Floor Elevators and all of that 60's garage psychedelia through Pere Ubu, Circle Jerks, Black Flag, and so on. More intelligent than you might think (or want) a band called Butthole Surfers to be.

Conscious. Great production, good variety, some surprises. Enjoyable for such a long recording. Because I'm not a hip-hop fan I can't judge this against anything else in the genre, but I really liked the Jazz through-line which brought some uniqueness to a genre that sometimes overstays its welcome.

Surprised that there are a couple songs here I'd never heard before. Not flawless, but nearly. Very much a proto Paul Simon album, especially these three on side two: "Baby Driver," "The Only Living Boy in New York," and "Why Don't You Write Me." "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" is another sleeper that doesn't get enough love.

In the right context this would have more impact. However, I was not under the influence of anything and it was a crisp fall afternoon; more conducive to Sjufan Stevens than Primal Scream. I did really like 'Don't Fight It..." and the Jah Wobble section in the reprise of "Higher Than the Sun. Pretty contrived, another one ruined by the singer.

Interesting and creative. Kept my interest the whole time. The instrumentation was unique - string quartet, oboe and trumpet, small choir... I'm going to use a word that I really hate but can't think of anything more fitting, and that word is "different." In the boring watercolors of the mid-2000s Indie Folk and singer-songwriter trends (Mumford and Sons, Rufus Wainwright, Fleet Foxes, etc.) this record really stands out for its intelligent songs and sincere emotional depth. Like d it a lot more than I thought I would considering it was Critically Acclaimed™.

Weird and interesting. Hard to understand. Probably more of a classical music piece, so maybe not a great candidate for this list. Challenging but once I got into it, I warmed up to it. YouTube without lyrics was a rough way to hear this.

Really hard to get over Howe Gelb's vocal affectations, the HARD 'R" sounds, the whispering, the little growls at the end of phrases, whatever the hell that accent is supposed to be.... SING SOME NOTES!

That in addition to the incredibly pretentious nonsensical poetic meanderings, apropos of nothing, is just a waste of time. Feels like some rich kid got a hold of expensive recording equipment and fancies himself a latter-day Tom Waits. Of course, Tom Waits is still around and producing music, so there's really no need for another (possibly worse!) version of that shit now is there?
DNF

If extreme inner turmoil - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - set to a harrowing Noise-inspired soundtrack is your cup of tea, then by all means dive head first into this pool. A masterpiece that invites you to f off in every possible way. Brutal and, ironically, unapologetic.

Too nice. Like, the children of classical musicians creating a Wes Anderson soundtrack or the writing prompt was "NPR Tiny Desk concert, Massachusetts, 2005." It's not all bad, kinda sleepy and pretentious. Great execution and interesting production for the most part. Not usually my style choice, a bit much like a Modest Mouse or Arcade Fire wannabe but with less edge. Stangely appealing though. Feeling generous, not as good as a lot of albums I gave 3 stars to, but better than most two-star listens. 🤷‍♂️

More like Lou Reed than John Lee Hooker, but that's okay. West coast post-punk from this era was starting to go to the country/blues/rockabilly direction with or without the Gun Club. I think a lot of hype about them comes from their influence in the UK, thus their inclusion on this list. Nonetheless, this album is, for the most part, a huge leap forward artistically for a genre that was essentially dead. Very creative, subtle, and dynamic; it flows from aggressive macho youth anthems to introspective country adjacent meanderings with confidence. Unexpectedly tight and skilled musical execution for punk rock. This album is a big step in the evolution of rock music.

I guess it’s October so I’m getting a cluster of spooky albums! Sisters of Mercy always seemed late to the party. Ten years prior, this would have been earth-shattering. But in the late eighties, more of a throwback. It's merely okay. Goth, yes, just evil enough to upset the parents, but not so disturbing as to make the listener question the artist's or their own sanity. And isn't that what you really want from your Goths, music that is ON THE OTHER SIDE of sanity?

The synth heavy sound and Eldritch's monotonous baritone became tiresome after about 30 minutes. Not enough hooks to keep you engaged as a first time listener. Not annoying, but not great either. Some intriguing poetic lyrics and sinister attitude keep it from being a total loser. Just kind of behind the times, and owes a LOT to all those late 70's acts it steals from like Joy Division, early Cure and the Berlin years Bowie.

It’s okay. I don’t have a taste for Alice Cooper, the schtick feels really contrived. And these tunes have a phony weirdness to them that’s off putting. Kind of dumb really.

Passionless. I'm certain Nenah Cherry spent no time in the ghetto or the street corner.

She has a relatively weak voice and limited range. But most of the songs are for 16 year old girls anyway, so it is difficult for me to relate. Simple production, monotonous and even a little cliché. Is this trying to be the English Madonna? Do we really need another Madonna? Do we even need ONE Madonna...

But then I gravitate toward stuff like De-loused in the Comatorium by Mars Volta, so what does that say about my taste?

Bowie had to make this album in order to shake off his singer-songwriter pretensions and start changing music the way the gods intended him to do. THat being said, what a great album. It flows from Introspective meanderings, to a cluster of tributes (Warhol, Dylan, The V.U.) to whatever the hell "The Bewlay Brothers" is. An album I've heard countless times that evokes something different every time I hear it. It grows with the listener. Very cogent and straightforward, for Bowie, which is in itself interesting. "Quicksand" and "Life On Mars?" bowl me over emotionally every time. Beautiful delivery and poetry, and even though Bowie hasn't QUITE found his voice, this is his launchpad.

Keep Miles Davis' name out of your fucking mouth.

{Slaps the two dozen people it took to make this record}