Reviews by jlazerus

So many ways I want to describe this... it just has this dark mood, peeling back a curtain in a long abandoned theater. Even though we all know there's no such things as Ghosts, there's definitely... something... in the shadows. Exploring the vastness of its silence only reminds us of what used to be here, mysteries of the past unwilling to reveal themselves and would prefer we weren't poking around in the first place.

Bauhaus makes some really interesting rock music. Insect-like, or a cluster of bats slightly sickened by modern human existence. Possibly the remnants of a psychological experiment gone wrong. Exquisite.

A'ight this made me crack a wee smile. Good entertainment and you don’t have to overthink it.

Bob Mould, erstwhile of Hüsker Dü, gives us a college radio proto-emo batch of pop-punk that is both timeless and an exemplar of it's time.

Timeless thematically, humans always had, and always will have these feelings of loss and bitterness, despair, anxiety and self-doubt. Nothing lyrically ties the songs to its time, no pop culture references or metaphors that won't make sense later.

An exemplar of the MTV 120 Minutes modern/alternative heyday of the late 80s/early 90s. "A Good Idea" could be the Pixies. Heavy, lurching guitar rock that sits next to era-defining artists like Nirvana, Screaming Trees, maybe even someone like Urge Overkill. Or a thousand local bands grinding through their set on a Thursday night in 1992, busting their ass for $40 just hoping to get noticed by someone who might get them to the next level.

This was good, and I was surprised by that after really despising Electric Warrior. Bolan the person comes through here. Turning to heavier riffs was a smart move. It feels like that is a comfort zone for him. Hugely influential, I feel like the Strokes just said - "here, let's just do this instead of come up with something ourselves." No real criticism of The Strokes per se, just an example (one of very many). Changed my idea of T. Rex and Bolan completely. Tight and well executed rock with a confident sheen, almost "campy" in it's self-deprecating assuredness.

Like the primordial goo of modern heavy metal. Fast, loud, not quite fully formed. Phantom of the Opera and Transylvania stand out. What a relief after forcing myself to listen to Scott 2 all the way through. Like a juicy steak after starving for two days.

In the 70's on Saturday Night Live, Bil Murray did a great bit about a lounge singer who was completely non-self-aware, the cheesiness dipping off him
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like a plate of bad nachos at the ballpark 🥸
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I forced myself to listen to Scott2 all the way through, and I had Iron Maiden queued up to go afterward. Kind of forgot about that, but the contrast between Scott's "Come Next Spring" and Maiden's "Prowler" could substitute for a defibrillator.

…in which she buries him and spits on his grave

Like if you want to listen to Radiohead but don’t want the intellectual challenge.
Why Does it Always Rain on Me is a good song. Pretty mediocre otherwise.

I am a sucker for the Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs and they put two of the greatest of all time on here, Close To You and I'll Never Fall In Love Again. Some of the most likable tunes and lyrics ever made, rendered exquisitely by Karen Carpenter. I'm biased by the fact that I heard the Carpenters on the radio constantly for ten years as a child, at the age when one just becomes aware of what music is. Catchy, clever, wholesome. The swelling backgrounds, the occasional flute, tambourine, harpsichord, it's the sound of the seventies all in one place. Beautiful.

You know, I'm gonna say it. The Neil Young stuff on here outshines everything else by a mile. And everything else is still pretty groovy folk-rock/hippy blues with some of the post Age of Aquarius cynicism.

The best Rolling Stones album!!! Focused, passionate and played from the heart. So good, and I was completely unfamiliar with it. No notes as they say.

Unique art-rock. Kate Bush is an acquired taste which I really haven’t acquired. And not for lack of trying. It’s… the pitch, the whispery quality, too fragile, too twee. Some okay songs. Brings down the mood quite a lot. Well executed, better in the background and short doses. I just never really got her.

A lot different than I was expecting. Dark and weird but still listenable. Not party music. But not bad.

Unexpectedly great. This has emotional depth that I just wasn't ready for, but very welcome here in the streaming era. Sweet voice and good songwriting that hits the sweet spot between rock and country. In a sea of negativity on this list, here's a rare work of sincerity and optimism. Real.

How do you follow Thriller?

Bad has some cool and heavier elements, but this is definitely MJ just starting his downslide.

I sure hope he's okay.

Funky, conscious rhymes. There's funny stuff and not-so-funny stuff, and it all makes sense. Adding another album to my stack of early nineties hip hop favorites. I love the feminist vibe, cooling off the sometimes prevalent misogyny of the time and the genre.

I unapologetically like Steely Dan. This album is inventive and has a rock undercurrent that a lot of their stuff lacks. It's less polished than what was to come for the band. Fagan has the voice of someone who confidently sang along to every R&B and Soul record he could find, but not QUITE getting there. I just find it endearing. Becker and Fagan are both great musicians. They explore some interesting sounds and a variety of rhythms on this, it's really satisfying. Good energy and intensity. King of the World is a new favorite, I haven't heard that before.

Another Elvis Costello masterpiece. This time facing the emotional burden of Love and heartache head-on. The songs are more arty, more complex lyrically and musically, deeper, challenging and rich. Expanding into more symphonic instrumentation, a mature and sophisticated outing. I think this is the last of the early EC albums that matter, and he fully exposes himself as an artist reaching for something more mainstream.

I just agree with everyone else who gave this 4 or 5 stars - a great find, tons of fun, stands out from the rest of these albums for so many reasons. Love it.

I have mixed feelings about the Verve. Their heaviness and bombastic feel, the downtempo extravagance and over-engineered wall of guitar sound is both exhilarating and frustrating.

Exhilarating because of the sheer grandeur of the sound. That huge bass, the snare crack, guitar pyrotechnics without a respite. Unbelievably tight playing and production to match. Perfectly executed. But it's frustrating because I really don't care much about what they have to say. And if I did find even a slight bit of meaning, it's lost in a strange narcissistic haze. Style before substance, once again.

It's all a bit much, though. The interminably long ballads made me feel like a trapped animal trying to get away. The heavier, bigger songs sound phoned in, as perfectly executed as they are. I would rather listen to pretty much any other post-grunge stalwarts - Pearl Jam, Collective Soul, Bush even.

They sure do sound like Rock Stars™ though.