Reviews by justcoolvinyl

Ian Hunter and Mick Ralphs were pretty formidable as the key members of Mott The Hoople. Ian’s voice is in terrific form and Ralph’s’ guitar playing is excellent. The problem for me were the songs. The two singles from the record were pretty solid with All the Way to Memphis, in my opinion, better than Honaloochie Boogie. It may because Honaloochie Boogie is Ian with Andy McKay from Roxy Music. Neither are as strong as All The Young Dudes which was the single before this album was released. A few tracks suffer from being overly long. I enjoyed Ralph’s’ guitar work and as this was his last album with Ian and Mott, I sense that there was likely some tension during recording as the songs suffer a bit from excess and lack of editing - both musically and lyrically. Ralphs soon left after this forming Bad Company where his writing influence was more pronounced. It’s a solid record but not great. 3/5

I like the idea of Neil Young better than I like Neil Young. Cinnamon Girl is a terrific song. I like cover versions better. In 1969 this was probably a good record. The playing is capable but the songs are too long by half. Noodling is for practice it shouldn’t be committed to vinyl. Same thing live. Skip the guitar solos or any solos for that matter. Be concise. Have a message. Communicate. Inspire. Unfortunately, none of these apply to this record. Sounds great though. Well produced. Just a little dull. And in a world where people can listen to Neil’s whining (and I’m Canadian and Neil is a legend) without going - whoa - that dudes got a shitty voice - this record is a tough listen precisely because his weakness is himself. Imagine these songs with an actual vocalist with a tone that doesn’t cause digs to shit themselves when they hear his voice (as my dog did when I pit this on). This would be a notch better imo. Not good, but better. Don’t forget the noodling. If you excuse the lengthy noodling, replace Neil, then you’d have a good record. 3/5 because Neil is Canadian.

I like the Jam way better. By a fucking mile. Are there moments on this record? Of course, but not to the same extent as an average record by The Jam. This is also a very English record one might say. Weller apparently moving on from the limitations of the Jam being labeled Who copyists, self destructs in stages. The Style Council then this. Brutal. The Jam were the best band in England by a wide mile when the broke up. Weller, on the other hand, was idolized as the mod father. But by all accounts, he is a bit of an entitled dick. And this record, was in my opinion the start of the decline. Records after this are weak at best. Some are just pure shit. See 66, Return to El Dorado. I get he is old now (67 at this writing) but after Stanley Road, the songs really were not there anymore. Has My Fire Really Gone Out? really was unanswered at this time. Now it is. Yup - out like a light now. At least on this album there are a few tracks which hold their own as solid songs. Not as good as The Jam. This is Weller dialing it back a bit after the Style Council, which, for a moment seemed like a good idea until that ran out of steam. This is Weller, as singer songwriter, experimenting with American sounding folk rock sung with a British accent. Mostly mid temple with, at times, spirited singing. Some clunkers such as the 2 brief instrumentals, and the catchy but weird Moon On Your Pajamas make this an uneven listen. Keep the title track and Sunflowers and skip the rest. 2/5

It is hard not to like the Monkees. For those of us old enough to grow up with the television show and the years of re-runs it is interesting to hear these tracks in remastered sound. Always catchy with a good sense of melody Nesmith’s writing is first class for the folk pop that is the centering force for these tracks. While Headquarters is a lengthy and solid effort, not all of it works. The genius of the Monkees was that they were made for small bites- not a whole pie. You can have too much of a good thing. The fact that the TV band were talented musicians was not surprising if you watched the show. The fact that they were able to carry this album off by themselves demonstrates that they were all very talented. Not my thing but well executed. 3/5

Almost as if the album generator knew it was Christmas. And it does apparently as everyone gets this album on their first Christmas. Over the years I’ve heard a ton of Christmas albums. I remember my dad in particular playing Christmas records on Christmas Eve and Day - the only time they were played. It made it seem special as a kid. As childhood turned into adulthood, Christmas albums lost their charm as the commercial aspects and corniness grew thin. Listening to this record brought back memories of those childhood Christmas songs. The vocals are of course superb with Darlene Love, The Ronettes and The Crystals taking center stage on these lovingly produced songs. Other than the Spector soliloquy at the end, this is a perfectly realized Christmas record demonstrating how the Wall of Sound could contemporarize Christmas classics. These versions still hold up well today.

Catchy chamberpop with a series of songs that make you smile. As an album essentially thrown together by a group of musicians also thrown together the songs are surprisingly lively with Murdoch’s vocals a little thin but not unpleasant. It is easy to see why this record was an indie hit. While not sonically impressive, it doesn’t really matter as the songwriting is so strong. Essentially this was Scotland’s answer to the Chills.

Think of Sterolab as the slowed down version of the Stone Roses. The bleeps bloops and genre jumping are interesting but it does get a little old by the end of the LP. At length it is a. It tiresome. In chunks it is interesting at times.

Music for the background where you won’t have to devote any mental energy as it is so mellow as to become ambient with whatever environment you are in. This is essentially music for libraries. You’re not going to crank the shit out of this. Drink your tea. Read a book. Title says it all: solid air. Take a nap. 2/5

You have to be in the mood for Wilco. When this record came out it connected with me and I found that listening to it in the car on long drives was a pretty darned enjoyable experience. And as I listened today for the first time in more than 20 years, it took me a full pass before it connected again. Certain songs are placeholders in time. They stand out immediately- Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind) (such a great fucking song), Say You Miss Me. On the second pass the genius of this record is exposed. Jeff’s voice sucks you in and the less immediate tracks now suddenly click into place. Misunderstood and Far Far Away take you to fields of tall grass as the world spins past your window. This is music for the middle of America, a simpler time, and where the pace is just a little bit slower. What’s the World Got in Store for you? Hopefully more Wilco. I spin this record all the way through 4 times today. Side 2 is the same. There are a couple of tracks that are immediate - Outta Mind (Outta Site) with its Sesame Street piano, and The Lonely 1. The rest come after a few spins. I used to listen to this record very regularly- it was always in the rotation. And, now it may be again. 4/5

This is a perfect record. When this came out Dead Kennedys and Canada’s DOA had unlocked the secret of punk rock. Yiu had to be able to sing along, laugh at the stupidity of politicians, bring your late 70s left leaning hippie tendencies into a catchy danceable punk rock. Kill The Poor, Let’s Lynch the Landlord, Stealing People’s Mail, Holiday In Cambodia are all sing-a-long favorites. Even the straight forward hardcore tracks, such as Forward To Death, Chemical Warfare, Your Emotions and Ill In The Head are just off-kilter enough to still be fun. I saw DK and DOA numerous times during this period an it was always a blast. Punk Rock was fun. It still is. This record sounds as good today as when it was first released. While the cover of Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas is probably what people remember, if you spend a little time you’ll discover that DK was just a pop band with gnarly guitars and a singer with a stage presence that made the original years so exciting. From the outside looking in this was the best live band in the land playing epic sweaty shows for numerous small crowds across North America converting everyone who saw them into converts of the Church of the Dead Kennedys. Death of the American dream my ass. DK breathed life into a million small bands. Black Flag, DOA, Husker Du, Minutemen and Replacements and DK. What a great fucking time to be young and able. 5/5

By this record Pixies were everywhere on college radio. I purchased this on CD and played it regularly for the kids at the school I was teaching science and math at. So frequent was this album in rotation that most of the kids could sing along to the deeper cuts. Surprisingly, for me anyway, was that the album opened up with Cecilia Ann, originally by the Surftones. Blew my mind as they stay remarkably true to the original. A little more aggressive perhaps but still pretty close to the original. Normally this would be buried towards the end of the record but here it works beat leads straight into Rock Music with Frank screaming repeatedly Your Mouth’s a Mile Away for most of the song. Velouria still sounds great after 35 years. Oblique lyrics which only make sense when you sing them. How does Lemur skin reflect the sea? Good question. What does that even mean? Somehow it all works. Straight forward rocker Allison has hints of the surf guitar but is just a teaser as Dig For Fire, The Happening and Hang Wire fill out the record with catchy sing-a-long songs. It’s a very good record and can be played on repeat without fear of the dreaded overplayed label that comes with some records. It’s the grit, it’s the grunge, it’s Kim who adds the nuances that make the songs so enjoyable. Top shelf this one! 4/5

This album hit me differently at 20 then it does now 45 years later. When Maiden and Def Leppard both released albums during the NWOBHM period, what stood out was the punk influences that colored the traditional metal. The songs had a different energy, an aggressiveness not found in the more popular bands of the period who were leaning into prog. Maiden, less so than Motörhead, tried to strike the balance and as Maiden’s popularity grew after this record they became less interesting to me because I was becoming more punk rock and far less metal. The guitar tone on this record also strayed into punk rock so as it sits today, there are still a couple of enjoyable tracks - Prowler, Remember Tomorrow and Iron Maiden but the other 5 tracks, except perhaps Charlotte the Harlot, are less memorable. It was a nice revisit but my memories of this record as being far more enjoyable, are misplaced. I saw this tour of Canada and met them in Vancouver, so that might be a factor. Not a horrible record in any way, but just not as exciting today.

While I generally like The Who, this is not my favorite album by a long shot. I also didn’t like the movie. Quadrophenia is a far superior concept album as is the abandoned and now reconstructed LifeHouse project. As for Tommy, it’s a pretty mellow Who record with only a few passable tracks worth playing again. Pinball Wizard is still a quality track both music and lyrics still hold up after 50 years. It is a bit of a struggle to take in the entire record in one sitting and most tracks are forgettable with one still regrettable. The regrettable track is Fiddle About which makes light of childhood molestation. I’m Free/We’re Not Going To Take It is another okay track. This is a worthwhile attempt by The Who to craft a thematicly linked album but there are just too many unanswered questions and gaps to be a complete work. A for effort C- for execution. 3/5

It’s Bob. You either like his stuff or you don’t. I don’t. If it was up to me, Bob’s music would disappear to be rediscovered in the future by an advanced society that would say: “Wot the fuck is this??? Perhaps it was a sleep aid? Bob’s whole career is a sleep aid for a generation. There is no human alive who could say Dylan’s music moved them or changed their life. This is a very Yin/Yan moment. I’m struggling to see any light. It seems unusually long for an album but that was just me wishing the whining would end. Lyrically I have more patience because several songs (not Mr Tambourine Man) are sharp observations and interesting which is why covers of these songs are so appealing- they highlight the quality of the songwriting. Mr. Tambourine man is a lowlight on an album filled with several of them. Notwithstanding Subterranean Homesick Blues, the album lurches into a mind numbing experience that makes dull look interesting. I know some professional critics have said that this album is one of the greatest albums of all time. It is not. Not by a long shot.

Strikingly a very good album of capable indie rock. In the same vein as the Strojes and Interpol this guitar heavy album has songs with hooks for days. The track that I originally fell in love with, Golden Skans, still sounds fresh and instantly recognizable. I enjoyed this record so much I played it all the way through 2x before moving on. Each play reveals a new layer to both the lyrics and the music. It doesn’t break new ground, but it is a record that 20 years on should find a place in the rotation. Solid no skip record.

No need to write a review. It has been reviewed to death. Maybe more than death. Death consistently gets a low score. This album always gets a near fucking perfect score. Is it perfect? No. Is it derivative? Certainly, they just ripped off the Beatles. Does anyone care. Not a fucking bit. Is it listenable, entertaining, and you can listen all the way through? Exactly. 4.5/5

I truly tried to give this one a chance. I liked the jangle of the Byrds, and when that sound was popular in the mid-80s, I loved the bands that incorporated that particular guitar tone and sound from The Replacements, The 3’Oclock, the Bangles and Red Kross, the DBs and Chris Stamey, Don Dixon and R.E.M. Gene is a solid songwriter and a very good vocalist. But as for this record, the songs never shift out of low gear. There is no variety and although the songs are pleasant, they don’t captivate and that certainly don’t have the spark- that certain je ne sais quo- that connects with the listener. Instead of enveloping your mind and transporting you to another place on the planet, you are left, for the entirety of the record, waiting at the station. A shame really. 3/5

Not very good is it? I wasn’t a huge Pet Shop Boys fan at all. Didn’t hate them. Just wasn’t that interesting to me. Kind of like 90s easy listening music. This album was actually boring as fuck. Not a bad thing if you like your music to operate on a level where you can nod off for a bit and when you wake up you haven’t missed anything. Muzak of a particular generation. I bet the boomers still bounce to this. 1/5.

This is the best White Stripes record but it is close. The first three - with this being the third - on Sympathy for the Record Industry, are what made White Stripes great. Here White Stripes are the embodiment of garage rock. All attitude and rock history woven through these tracks which sounds full despite their being no bass. Fell In Love With a Girl is a perfect pop song and the standout on this record. But it is close. Opener Dead Leaves and the The Dirty Ground has a great riff and Meg’s drumming is simple and perfect and is a close second to Fell In Love With a Girl for timeless performance. Hotel Yorba has endless potential as a tempo change could give the song new meaning but on this version, played as hootenanny favorite, the energy is powerful. For a record costing $4,000 to record, the production is perfect with the sounds crisp, the vocals clean and the energy between the two palpable. Sure, there are a couple of throwaway tracks but in revisiting the album, Aluminum and I Smell A Rat somehow are a bridge to the rest of the record and keep the record a little experimental- like a couple of B-sides added to fill out the experience. Some will say that Elephant is the better record, but in my not too humble opinion, this is the record that is the perfect mix of garage and pop with the rough edges on this record distinguishing it from the overproduced Elephant record. 24 years on this is the album I still play precisely because it is not all sugar. Jack and Meg together are The White Stripes and this album, recorded after their divorce, demonstrates Meg’s commitment to Jack. Listen to the Union Forever and tell me that Jack isn’t more alive with Meg a presence across the drum kit. How does Jack let his emotions run rampant with the woman he just divorced a few feet away? This record is clearly a personal record about the end of his marriage and where Jack stands in relation to Meg. In short, it’s a compelling listen. Same Boy You’ve Always Known is perhaps not quite the truth but expressive and heartfelt. We’re Going To Be Friends seems to bring resolution to the grief of a breakup to an approach to move forward. White Blood Cells is still raw after all these years and a worthy addition to a list of 1001 albums. It belongs not because it is inventive but rather because it is a masterclass in execution.

After you get used to the mono sound it hits you that this album is the work of genius. It was so fucking far out of the norm it set the standard for what psychedelic rock should sound like. A mix of fuzz and distortion fuels songs about love and loss with the sound of Texas echoing through the record. Roku was misunderstood, higher than a kite, but precise- lyrics are, at all times, fucking on point. You’re Gonna Miss Me, Rollercoaster, and Fire Engine are stone cold classics and you can trace every psych rock band’s catalog back to these three songs. Reverberation is another can’t miss track. This is idiosyncratic and it is Roky’s mental state and energy that gives this album its direction that they never achieved again. But what an impact on future generations especially today with Black Angels, New Candys, and host of other new psych rock bands finding success on Fuzz Club and Levitation records labels. 5/5