Reviews by john

I can’t remember if this is the second Sinatra album or if we’ve had more, but I think this should be enough. It’s not bad! Sinatra was 1 of 1, his vocal presence is unmatched, etc etc. But you get the point after the first 10 songs. Silky smooth lyrical delivery, quintessential romantic backing tracks that are tightly performed.

I’ll take “Too Marvelous For Words” from the pack of songs on this album. It’s a very happy, simple, fun take on a romantic song.

Strong 3/5, if I was of an impressionable age when this album came out I’m sure it would be 5/5

The good news is that this albums sole fear of complete nuclear annihilation has yet to happen.

“Letting Go” had some really good vocal runs, it really stuck me even if it went on for a bit too long.

The album takes on a lot of different sounds and genres to get to my favorite “Nadia”. More turn of the century DnB with some atmospheric chords floating around in the background.

This project has no sonic cohesion from song to song, yet it’s also well-produced/performed. Some of my favorite subgenres, some wildly forgettable songs too. And for an album that wants to get into the exploration of the atomic bomb, it doesn’t dig that deep into ideas of mortality or consequence.

Wanted more from this, but didn’t hate it, 2/5

It’s weird looking back on all the kids that used to wear slipknot shirts also were the same kids wearing black flag shirts; which, after listening to this, feels distinctly different.

There’s a noticeable amount of cries for help and socially conscious anger here. “Damaged 2” and “Life Of Pain” left an imprint, but my pick from this record is “TV Party” for how well it captures the life of some bums just bumming it.

Soft 3/5

My baseball team just lost their lead in game 7 of the ALCS there is no way you’re telling me I have to listen to another fucking Byrds album now.

“My Back Pages” is the best song here.

I am inconsolable, 2/5 stars

A really enjoyable, serene project that I needed before game 7 of the ALCS today. Nice and soothing, very delicate at times, but still full of intent and ideas.

“In Space” has that Four Tet sound going for it, before he was even producing such a sound.

“Poor Leno” has a dancey, disco inspired groove that just goes over great. Certainly apart of the house + disco fusion of its time, but not an aged time capsule by any means.

“A Higher Place” leans a bit more Aphex Twin, with some crunchier percussion and glitchy textures. Really like this song, but the best is yet to come.

That title belongs to “Remind Me”. A super-sleek, utopian, loungey cut that is smooth as butter. Effortless and all around beautiful.

This is a 4/5 for me. Mellow and subdued, but imaginative all the same.

Of the 150+ members listed on this bands Wikipedia page, perhaps my favorite is Bo Bice, of early American idol fame. Much like that list, this albums is massively extensive, with few cohesive elements, but is sometimes impressive all the same.

Is there jazz? Yeah Is there rock? Yes. Blue-eyed-soul, yacht rock, big band, bayou, pop, gospel, prog? Sure. Pretty much anything is on this album. It feels a bit like the progenitor for Jacob Collier, who also digs his heels into whatever musical whim he finds himself on.

I was unfamiliar with these guys being the “Spinning Wheel” guys. Strangely, it didn’t change my listening experience at all.

Peculiar. 2/5 for my taste, but overall 3/5 for some good musicianship

I'm 600 albums in now, I fel qualified to say this list has no idea what it's talking about when it comes to picking electronic music. Aphex Twin, Burial, and Daft Punk (though, not Discovery) are on here only because it's idiot-proof to omit those. I try to hard to fly the flag for electronic music on this list, then my hand is forced to review this, or that wildly-out-of-nowhere Les Rythymes Digitales album, with honesty.

I could spend some time tearing this album apart in the context of it's inclusion on this list. I will instead list a handful of electronic albums that should be on this list, mostly from the onset of EDM hitting big in the states, as this list basically overlooks that entire musical phenomena:

Damage Control - Mat Zo
Clarity - Zedd
Random Album Title - deadmau5
Nurture - Porter Robinson
If It Were You, We'd Never Leave - Andrew Bayer
Welcome Reality - Nero
True - Avicii
Immunity - Jon Hopkins
The Ineffible Truth - G Jones

I accidentally booted up their 1996 album “Evergreen” because it has SUCH similar cover art and got halfway through thinking “damn they were way ahead of their time for 1980 this sounds more like well-recorded late 90’s pop-rock! Wow!”

Whoops.

A bit of a shame too, I heard a lot of maturation in Evergreen. Not that this is a total sloppy mess, this just isn’t as sticky for me.

“Villiers Terrace” is pretty fun, full of character, and a good Halloween song. To this albums credit, the band gets more comfortable experimenting and being its true self after this. “Pictures On My Wall” is even more creepy and subdued.

Let’s say 3/5 and move on from accidentally listening to two albums

Strong first half that had me hoping for something that would transcend all of psych rock’s bad tropes. Didn’t totally do that. Verbose and intelligible at least.

My pick is easily “House Is Not A Motel”

3/5

So few albums on this list that represent a sound I’d consider to be important to me past the year 2000 (non-Burial bass music or anything EDM). We may not have many of those, but we do get a second Prodigy album. While not as polished as its flawless follow-up Fat Of The Land, Music For The Jilted Generation is still very electric, albeit a bit drawn out.

This albums signature sound may not be the breakbeats, but the reverb-washed acid saw synth on “Their Law” and “Voodoo People”. What a gritty, visceral lead. “Voodoo People” in particular is masterful; I recommend Pendulum’s remix of this song, and Pendulum in general as a group that carried the torch after the Prodigy’s height of fame.

The programmed percussion choices on “Full Throttle” were so ahead of their time, I hear stuff like this on new spotify playlists to this day.

I’ve always thought of “Speedway” to be an interesting mixup in the track listing - it’s much more melodic and trancey than the rest of the album.

Last, that drum sample breakbeat on “Poison” is unreal. What a great pocket, what a great beat to build around, with that aforementioned saw lead showing back up too.

The only problem with this project is that it’s too long - some tracks stay past their welcome. Outside of that, The Prodigy locked in on this one. 4/5

This is what I get for saying Wilco never did it for me on yesterday’s album huh.

Well I can’t say much changed with this record either. Signs of ambition in a few of the instrumentals, and I liked “Forget The Flowers” a good bit, but that’s it. I don’t find much in Jeff Tweedy’s voice, it’s bland at best. 2/5

I was wildly surprised by Bragg's "Talking with the Taxman About Poetry", an album from this list that's really stuck with me. This one didn't do it for me. What I’ve heard from Wilco has never done it for me, just a personal preference thing.

What carries this album is its charm, like the line about maybe having all the fascists gone in the future in “She Came Along To Me”, or the whole idea of the song “Christ For President”.

Still, I don’t feel impacted by much of what I hear, specifically sonically and compositionally. Strong 2/5

Really cool educational-style album. I don't have too much to say as I'm sooooo out of my depth here, but it was fun comparing all the scales he talked about, how some sounded more suspenseful and some sounded more tranquil. I think in one of the scales he played there was a note that went back up in the descending part, and a note that went back down in the ascending part?? Crazy to hear in my white western ears.

I want to highlight "Bhimpalasi", this one sounded the coolest to me. The scale introduction also made me think back to George Harrisons "Within You Without You" (that's a George song, not a Beatles song". A quick search doesnt tell me anything conclusive about it being in this scale, but it still sounded most similar of all the songs on here.

Very cool concept, another happy day without classic rock. Also I ran a marathon today and this was a good mood setter for it all. 3/5 I enjoyed, woul've liked a visual accompaniment at times.

I was admittedly deflated when I saw another EBTG album for the second time in a few weeks but damn what a total facelift their sound got. Trading out sappy soft ballad instrumentation for wildly sleek jungle-inspired production. I think they did in fact get the message about the success of Todd Terry’s moody club-friendly “Missing” remix.

Man they knocked this out of the park. So many of the sounds on this album are being revisited in the pop zeitgeist today, namely by PinkPantheress. “Before Today” & “Wrong” are such firm opening songs.

“The Heart Remains A Child” was a bit of a lowlight, just a bit cheesy and out of place. But that didn’t last long, the following “Walking Wounded” was fantastic - part somber, part eerie jungle cut. This HIT, everything about this song is right up my alley. The piano that comes in halfway through?? OOOH!! Love it. I’m reminded of Goldie’s classic “Inner City Life” from a few years prior; surely a touch point for this song and album on the whole.

The same phenomena occurs again, when “Mirrorball” lulls a bit too much as another cheesy ballad, only to be followed by yet again some more stellar jungle in “Good Cop Bad Cop”.

This album really pulled me out of the doldrums I mentioned recently with rock album after rock album. Totally what I've been into this past year or so. Save a few ballad-style cuts from this project and I'd be thinking 5/5. A happy 4 stars from me.

I can’t say anything better than the person that said this was half zeppelin and half hootie. Unfortunately it was the bad half of both of them.

I have no song to highlight, as this one was a total slog and an affront to musical originality altogether. But, I must acknowledge that it wasn’t performed horribly, at points. So a very soft 2/5, but should probably be a 1/5 in the context of this list

Took a while for me to latch onto something but I ended up enjoying this one. I could be wrong but this sounds a bit older than it is, not in a bad way though.

I liked the rhythm section of “Dos Gardenias” and “Veinte Años” a lot.

Really really loved the slide guitar on “Orgullecida” quite a bit.

“Murmullo” is easily my pick from this album. Love the swaying, easy instrumental - it’s like taking a nap in the sunshine.

Because it ended on a stronger note I’ll go 3/5 on this one

Interesting album this one. It excels at creating a vibe if you can just let go of attention to lyrical detail, while simultaneously reminding you that these are some white guys performing music that definitely clearly originated in black culture.

“Rocks Off” is my pick from the album, I don’t have a particular reason for liking it, I just did.

“Sweet Virginia” was also a fun instance of slowing the pace down a bit.

“Tumbling Dice” was never my favorite Stones hit, and it doesn’t sound any better or worse in the context of this album.

After a strong effort to be an attentive listener for most of this year, it’s now October 2025 and I’m feeling a bit burnt out by one rock album after another. Maybe just a bit of a bad pocket but I want to be wowed by things I haven’t heard. Soft 3/5 for this one

Hmmmm. Hm hm hmmm. It oscillates between moments of imaginative creativity and moments of dull nothingness.

“Abstract Plain” brings up the first instance of a recurring theme that Frank is really trying for a voice that sounds a bit like Tom Petty at times.

“Sir Rockaby” was a much needed moment of more quiet instrumentation that I really enjoyed.

“Freedom Rock” might be my pick on the album for an emotive vocal performance.

“Two Reelers” flies off the handle and it’s quite a fun listen. Same can be said for “Ole Mullholland”.

Every song not mentioned was just another passing rock song though, which got a bit hard to get through after a while. Unsure if this is a 2 star or 3 star album.

I will point to this album anytime i think about what it sounds like to fall just short of a full 5 stars in the context of this list. An impressive first half that mostly loses its edge a bit in the second half.

A great opener leaves a strong first impression, and the chunky prog bass on “National Anthem” is just as sticky.

This probably isn’t a wildly popular pick, but “Treefingers” is my highlight for making a placid ambient song work perfectly well in the otherwise paranoid, anxious, sad track listing.

Lastly, the looping beat on “Idioteque” might be produced to perfection. Really well done.

I may have said this about OK Computer, but man this must’ve sounded mind-blowingly futuristic at release. A bit of a shame it putters out towards the end, but a good project through and through.

Echoing everyone’s sentiment about this being a bit of a hidden gem. I’m maybe not as crazy about it as some, but this record certainly had its share of spectacular moments; specifically "O Trem Azul" is when it got real good.

The craziness of "Um Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo" already felt like the icing on the cake.

The title track was very blissful, it felt like a little getaway all in a few minutes.

"Um Gosto De Sol" felt like it's own little Eleanor Rigby tribute in the best way possible.

I’ll put this at a 4 stars for actually having some thoughtful takes on how to spice up the rock formula of the early 70’s - lord knows I’ve suffered through many an album where that wasn’t the case.