Reviews by john

Safe and squeaky clean. Sometimes to a fault. I'm not mad at any part of this album, but I'm certainly not inspired, moved, or overly impressed. What does frustrate me is the context of this albums addition, and the omission of a whole genres worth of music. In the states, EDM and electro-pop we're absolutely running wild at the time of this albums release. Like, 2012 specifically was a generational year. Yet there's just none of that on here. It was such a distinct sound and period of time, it was so pervasive at least in the states, surely it was around the world too.

Sadly I will not remember a song from this project. They're all one homogenized safety blanket. Put it on in a department store and go next

2/5 I'd rather listen to aged, dated, cheesy music from 2012 that had some real intensity to it

Outside of the song “Good to be Back on the Road Home”, this album doesn’t care to blend its two clear influences. The first of which results in songs that sound a lot like Sublime’s “What I Got” — ESPECIALLY the opening song and “State Troopers”. The second set of influences results in some y2k Indian instrumentals or Indian-influenced trip hop. Im not complaining, but it’s kind of a Beatles situation where you can often tell which member put each song together. A “Norwegian Wood” cover to end things on this project is just so appropriate.

Now for the song “It’s Indian Tobacco My Friend”. DAMN! This is some very forward thinking production work. Radiohead wishes they could’ve made something so dreamy on their dive into electronica around this same time. Playing with the saturation on the master, the slight off beat percussion sample. I will remember this one. It’s a surrealist painting in a song.

The first few songs that were really nice, a snoozer middle part, then a strong backend of the album. Strong 3/5 I could come back and make it a 4/5 for some solid production and general good vibes

This album is a lot like golf. Absolutely boring to spectate, but kinda fun when you’re actually there doing it. Maybe more accurate, this album is like drugs. Hearing about someone’s trip is often underwhelming and hard to connect to. But doing drugs? Hooboy. This probably smacked if you were a white 20 something in the crowd, high as all hell. As a headphone listen, it is a bad test of patience at best.

I had brief moments of enjoyment with “Death Dont Have No Mercy”, but that’s it. Almost a 1/5

I think I liked “If I Should Fall From Grace With God” more than this offering, but that’s not to say this one was bad.

The best work on here is some of the more catchy, life-affirming tracks. “A Pair of Brown Eyes”, “Sally MacLennane”, “Dirty Old Town”, and “The Band That Played Waltzing Matilda” were all great. ‘Period piece’ music done well like this is so colorful!

There’s a popular review on here about how this is enjoyed by Americans who strongly claim their Irish heritage despite their lineage living here for 150 years which is probably somewhat accurate. A guy that doesn’t play about Notre Dame Football, rockstar energy drinks, and his labor Union — he probably really likes this record. He is a product of his environment which he more often than not doesn’t care to ever leave, for his views are set in stone. For better or for worse.

A good 3/5

Would’ve been perfect for whiteboy wednesday but alas it is only Tuesday.

These guys kinda sound like if you took all the huge melodic guitar passages and post sfx away from Hum. There’s moments that show a clear penchant for a good melody, but Pavement often chooses to subvert those expectations for something a bit more challenging. I think there’s a nuance to that which should be respected.

All that being said, this is a classic case of good not great for me. Some highlights are “Trigger Cut” and “In The Mouth A Desert”. Solid 3/5

If I wanted to listen to some hackish country rock fusion ballads from the 80’s, I’d just got listen tonJohn Mellencamp’s “Ain’t Even Done With The Night”.

Steve Earl just cycles through all the tropes that sadly validate the blind hate for anything remotely country that users of this list seem to ascribe to, especially on the song “Good Ol Boy”.

My favorite track was “Someday”, one of the few that did just enough to keep this from a 1/5 stars

We're hot off of completing the Underdark in Baldurs Gate 3, so "Underground" hit about as hard as it could possibly hit. Tom Waits is at his best here; jagged, grizzly, and full of passion.

Things get a little more twee and muddy from here. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. You can easily lose lucidity more and more until "In The Neighborhood" comes along many songs later in the tracklisting. He then preys on my soft spot for circus themes invading singer/songwriter music with this song and the next "Just Another Sucker On The Vine" (really, with this whole album).

Then "Frank's Wild Years" comes on and what the fuck. This album was weird already but this song was just visceral. I'm not sure if I feel more compelled to wince or giggle.

I adore what Tom Waits stands for in the national music zeitgeist. He speaks for such a specific part of the American underbelly, bringing swampy, eccentric creole aesthetics to ears of those who probably aren't otherwise seeking out its racially diverse origins. The problem is I cannot get over my otherworldly experience of listening to Tom's "Heartattack And Vine" early on in this albums list endeavor - he almost brings the listener back to that album with the closing "Rainbirds" piano ballad here. The bravado and sense of melodrama he wields on HA&V is second to none - especially with its more grand musical arrangements. Swordfishtrombones is an authentic, admirable way to take his sound right after Heartattack, but it can't escape such a massive shadow. Which is a shame, because you can't fault Tom for much more than just meandering too much here. He doesn't lack intention, commitment to his characters, or presence in his execution. Just an album that wanders off a little too often. Maybe I’m asking a little too much of this project, but imagining a more succinct, fully-formed set of songs in this style has me starry-eyed. Unfortunately, I am left to imagine.

Light 3/5

It kinda smacks! This things got some teeth. It’s nice and chunky. Probably much more representative of what grunge set out to be, before it was diminished to wearing flannels in the rain.

Some favorites were “Mudride”, “If I Think”, and “Hate The Police”. Nice little run of songs there in the middle.

Strong 3/5, elite beer drinking energy

Truly great dance music often has something for the body, mind, and soul. Fat boy Slim doesn’t lack soul or intention here, I think a lot of this material is made with heart. The prolonged guitar sample over some sweet chords on the back half of “Santa Cruz” is a good example of that.
Sometimes there’s body, though my American pallet is BEGGING for a kick a bit more often, like on the opening “Song For Lindy”.
The problem is that the mind is often missing from these songs. I don’t mean it’s mindless, I mean these often no hook. Not just verbal hook, there’s often not sticky melody for your mind to latch onto. That’s why everyone’s up in these reviews saying it’s predictable and forgettable. It’s why this comes off as a guy fooling around making beats more than it comes off as a cohesive album wanting to be anything at all.

“Give The Po Man A Break” had my favorite moments in it. Great build of energy with that vocal sample. This project needed more of that. I knew there wasn’t an 808 kick coming, but it at least felt like there was a four on the floor moment just around the corner.

Strong 2/5. Probably broke in the UK and fizzled out shortly thereafter. There’s only 8 million instances of that on this albums list. As always, I will attempt to make a more substantial 90’s electronic dance album recommendation, since this list falls so short in the category - it’s running me out of albums to give! Let’s do “Mind Fruit” by Opus III. It’s still dancey, still lightly acidic, but much better at being sticky and hypnotic all at once. “Evolution Rush” from that record is essential listening

Yes! My first reaction upon seeing this album, was No! But then I listened to the album. And now it is Yes. Somehow, I ended up liking this one a good bit, easily the most enjoyable of the three Yes albums we’ve had.

“Roundabout” goes crazy and exists as a perfect opening song. Sparks intrigue immediately, has a flare for the dramatic, gets a little tension & release.

“We Have Heaven” was a very peaceful little interlude style track. Which would normally be odd this early in an albums track sequencing, but this is Yes doing prog rock stuff, where rules are intentionally thrown out the window. “Mood For A Day” kinda mirrors the same placid feeling amidst a flurry of proggy chaos. Feels like sitting in the sunshine.

Then there’s a cover of S&G’s “America” that goes over pretty well. Nothing will beat the original, but this is a refreshing take on it.

Can’t believe I’m giving this album a light 4/5, but Yes gets rewarded for locking in a bit more on specific melodies and motifs for Fragile, finally ditching their penchant to switch up the time signature every ten seconds just for the fun of it. That being said, this can be the last Yes album. Three is plenty.

David Bowie, you are the goat. May you descend from the heavens and give the haters a copy of this album and a copy of Ziggy Stardust to show how many imitators you spawned, and how hard you gap those imitators. Apparently, you literally had a hand in the band staying together to make this album. So it all makes so much sense.

These guys aren’t even that bad, it’s just so clearly a love letter to the style of music Bowie was lighting the world on fire with (the word ‘stardust’ is dropped in the song “Whizz Kid”, and the phrase ‘you are not alone’ dropped in “Hymn For The Dudes” — it’s so obvious). I genuinely had a hard time resisting the urge to put on Bowie’s “Time” during “Hymn For The Dudes”.

Things started to meander around “Drivin Sister” for me. The novelty of sounding so familiar wore off by then. Got a little bit of juice back though during “Ballad Of Mott The Hoople” for a killer chorus. That one sounded a bit more earnest than most on this project.

Unsure how I’m supposed to rate this one. I liked what I heard on the whole, but we all know that this project lives in the shadow of a generational artist who is on this list plenty of times. Sadly brings it down to a 2/5, even if musically it’s a solid 3/5 or better at moments

Even before pop punk was a global phenomena and aesthetic choice for suburban youth in the late 1990’s, these guys were still singing about women as if they were some mysterious object over some super simple 4-chord-choruses. Some things don’t change.

“Hypnotised” has the best chorus imo, the ‘H-Y-P Hypnotised’ line is great. Interesting cover of “Under The Boardwalk” that didn’t go off too terribly. But “Boys Will Be Boys” was my least favorite, as the title isn’t the only time that dumb line is mentioned in this album.

3/5 just put it on and have some fun

The biggest compliment I can give this album is a firm 3/5 stars. Despite how painfully 90’s it is sometimes (“Susan’s House”, I’m looking at you), there’s still some substance here.
“Beautiful Freak” has its cheesy 90’s charm too.

This HAS to be the worst album cover though. Worse than that Bowie one from the 2000’s everyone dunks on

We should all be so lucky to experience a song like “Timeless”. What an opus! It’s so sharp and eerie. For Goldie to make something with such a delicate touch, something that evolves in so many intricate ways — WOW. Jungle/DnB in the mid 90’s was exploding, but with the genre’s explosion came a lot of repetition & stale sounds which quickly became dated; that’s not the case for “Timeless”. Genuinely one of the best songs I’ll hear on this entire list. The way Goldie upends the idea of music made for raving with this one song will forever floor me.

As for the rest of the album? It’s impossible to live up to the astronomical standard the opener set. But there’s still lots of quality material. Your patience will frequently be rewarded, that stays true through most of this long journey. Some of it is more intentionally disruptive, frenetic, and ravey for lack of a better term. Some of it is a bit likes to takes it’s time with the ambient passages that front most of the songs. A downtempo mixup here in “State Of Mind”, a few different more positive sounding cuts there (“Sea Of Tears” is a personal favorite for the ocean shore sounds). If you’re looking for the most traditional tripping in the warehouse song, I’d say “Kemistry” has all the markings of traditional jungle. There’s the wobbly sub-bass, lots of hi-hat tics, and some hazy synth pads to boot. “You & Me” closes the originals out with those eternal piano chord stabs that turn into a more bright companion to “Timeless”, imo. I’m a huge fan of the pulsing 4-on-the-floor take for “Inner City Life”, but wouldn’t be bothered of the final two songs on this current release iteration were left to their own remix EP.

If the genre or length of most songs is a nonstarter for you, I’m not sure I can change your mind. I agree that there’s some excess on this record, “Jah The Seventh Seal” is just a stripped down version of most every other song on here, and it’s somehow less meditative. And by the time you get to about “Still Life” in the tracklisting, you kinda know what you’re gonna get for the whole of this project.
But please go on a walk or drive at night and play the opening track as loud as you can. That’s the least you can do to experience this one at its best.

A loving 4/5 on this one.
Goldie is a fascinating guy and a great interview. I highly recommend this video on the story of “Inner City Life”. https://youtu.be/-CkRvpZijaw?si=b8optcOar-4hTz5L

Earth shattering for it's time, both instrumentally and lyrically. Messages so jarring to radio listeners that Zack de la Rocha could get away with having a subpar voice with zero vocal effects whatsoever.

So hard to judge this one because it's a statement as much as it is an album. I'm thankful for these guys being a bastion for change in the world of music. I occasionally get tired of how masculine this whole sound is, but can get past that knowing that fighting for justice is aggressive in nature.

"Wake Up" clears every other song on here, including "Killing In The Name".

Light 4/5

By god! They did it! They made the German version of Eno during his transition from rock to ambient! And it slaps!

“Oh Lord Give Us More Money” is an absolutely wild track that dips in and out of lucidity, with just about every curveball possible thrown at you — maybe even a knuckleball or two as well. This song is totally worth its 13 minute runtime. And it’s kinda cool too! I feel like a lot of these noodly songs can fall victim to being a little geeky, but this one is genuinely cool. As referenced before, I can’t help but hear that chunky Eno bassline in almost every one of these songs, especially the first two.

The halfway point of “Hollywood Symphony” gets things to a really interesting point again with all those vocals fading in and out. Then the syncopated, choppy drums + guitars at 9 minutes start going crazy.

A little active listening disclaimer should go here. As great as this album is for background music in a record store, I’d argue it’s even better if you can fully immerse your attention in every little detail that whirls by.

4/5, I’m a sucker for this little genre and time in the ‘experimental’ zeitgeist.

There have been many white boys of the year for their contributions to music: Bon Dylan, Bowie, Nirvana, Yung Lean. Quadeca had a breakout year in 2025 imo. The Flying Burrito Brothers have failed to come close to earning such a prestigious title. This album is earns the opposite of such an honor — it acts as a precious reminder that many white boys have come along and squandered their unearned opportunities to make great art.

This album is mostly frustrating with a few little gems hidden within. “My Uncle” was a fun, unique song with a clear story and memorable melody. But then songs like “Juanita” roll around and ruin the whole thing.

2/5, we didn’t need this one

Absolutely strange album, which takes a lot of me to say. Somewhere between the vivid lyricism of MF DOOM and the uninhibited ramblings if Bladee. You can’t really tell that this thing is a trip-hop album until a few songs in; “Takes More Than 41” is the first real indication of that.

Some of the rapping on this is unbearable, but some of the production is so strangely forward-thinking. “To The Moons Contractor” was probably my favorite, with its sudden dive into some jungle-oriented production.

Then “Red Eye To Jupiter” almost did enough to revert my thoughts about the rapping here, I really enjoyed this one. Last, “Wipeout On The Wave Of Armageddon” turned things in a more placid direction, which ultimately just confused me about this projects direction even more.

I’ve listened to this twice and have no clue what to give it for a score. I like that it’s completely unique in the context of this list, but sometimes not in a good way. I’ll lean 3/5 because I’ll likely remember how whacky it was

Not to be taken too seriously, despite some of the song topics. Tries to address lots of societal and interpersonal problems, but like most albums of its time, the calls to action are hollow and cheesy. Can’t fault her for her heart being in the right place though.

I thought “Buffalo Stance” would ware me down by its end, but I actually started coming around on it as it ran on. Don’t mind it at all. “The Next Generation”, however, was hilariously clunky. I had a good laugh at this one. Is it pro-life? Is it a bitter breakup song? I don’t really know.

2/5, harmless but nothing crazy good imo

Maybe the first Sonic Youth album we’ve had where a Kim Gordon vocal isn’t my favorite of the bunch. That honor goes to “Theresa’s Sound World”, but I don’t think it matters who sung on this one. Such a hectic, engaging wall-of-sound performance on that song.

“Sugar Kane” was also worth remembering, this sounded like their effort at a single, with its relatively-digestible chorus.

Good enough to get a 3/5, a stronger second half of the album was very welcome. I can see myself giving this a higher score with a few more listens. But I’d be happy to be done with Sonic Youth albums on this list for the sake of variety.