Reviews by justcoolvinyl

I honestly thought that Anthrax were Canadian when they first started. Honestly, there sound has always seemed to me to be a mix of Triumph and April Wine with a little of The Sweet thrown in to the mix. You can hear this clearly on I Am The Law which 12 albums into a career kind of revitalized metal a bit after having been crushed by Punk Rock. However, this would be short lived as Nirvana would soon wipe out metal turning it largely into a fringe movement in the nineties. I guess as one of the so-called big 4 of thrash along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, Anthrax is more of a survivor tale. If you had experienced hardcore punk during this period, then you would recognize that Anthrax and thrash metal in general was not as hard as the then current hardcore scene. It was clear that the clean vocals, conventional song structures and the dry drum sound just didn’t compare with what was going on in the pink scene during that period. By 1987, Husker Du which was the most melodic and fastest of the hardcore bands had evolved, slowed down, become poppy and signed to a major level. Thrash was clearly an outgrowth of the punk rock scene. Compare Cro-Mags, Youth of Today, Uniform Choice, BL’AST, Suicidal etc. with Ánthrax during this period and you can see that this record is the boy band version of those records. This is no shade to Scott Ian and Joey Belladonna who clearly were watching the evolution of Metallica in real time as well as the insane popularity of AC/DC and adapting to what what sell records and increase concert ticket sales. The Cro-Mags record Age of Quarrel had come out the year before and the gang vocals on that record appear on Among The Living. So, all that said, there are some good tracks on Among The Living particularly Efilnikufesin (N.F.L), I Am The Law and Caught in a Mosh. I loathe the Indians track. As an aside I’m AOK with the unusual and often comedic lyrical choices. Stephen King novel references, comic books, movies etc are actually kinda punk rock. The Misfits made a career out of that shit. So, is Among The Living groundbreaking? No. Is it life changing? No. It’s a solid thrash record and nothing more. 3/5.

This is the record where I kinda jumped off the Soundgarden wagon. Badmotorfinger was just the right mix of sounds for the garden. (See what I did there?) That album still retained a punk rawness with the mix of metal, alternative rock and grunge. On Superunknown the edges were sawed off to make it more palatable for radio and that worked - Black Hole Sun, Spponman, Fell On Black Days and My Wave were played constantly. KROQ must have played these songs 20x per day. I’m not knocking them as songs. But they felt kind of manufactured and taken as a whole the record is a bit aimless as the introduction of new sounds in my opinion took some of the liveliness from the recording. Live versions from the period bear this out as they retain the heaviness but with a punchier, more punk rock leaning, edge. Cornell, as a singer, is powerfully on display throughout the recording but I would have liked to have seen some restraint on a couple of songs, specifically My Wave. Unpopular opinion, but you can have too much Cornell on a song. I blame the producer for not reining in the band a bit, but I’m probably in the minority with this take. Hard to deny this record sold a shit ton. Some people are still playing this record so it has had some legs. 3.5/5

Paul is really good at what he does. His vocals are so smooth that the pop he creates is smothered in his vocal butter. And for the most part that is a good thing because he can really sing well and his tone is frankly perfect. The music, being the pancakes in this metaphor, sometimes suffers because of the amount of vocal butter which drowns the stack so much that all you really taste is the butter and not much pancake. And I really would probably enjoy more of the pancake taste. Aside from the cultural misappropriation, Paul sands the edges of some pretty catchy music in an effort to fit it into his sonic palate. Still, there are several songs that are so sweet and catchy as fuck, but too much of a good thing has side effects. In this case, there is a sameness that carries from track to track that interferes with overall enjoyment for me. So, this is a short stack record and not a full. 3/5

Well, here is an album I’ve listened to all the way through hundreds of times because it truly was an innovative and remarkable album that in its original mix was a defining moment in taking punk rock to the masses. And it’s not the radio hits that make this record because there really were none in Canada when this was released. Seeing them live during this period was truly life altering. They were not this unpolished gang but a true rock n roll machine. Joe Strummer was mesmerizing as a lead vocalist and live these songs jumped to life. Not that the album versions were slouches but the live shows with a set list comprised of the best moments from the Clash’s catalog at that point in time was electric. And London Calling was completely mind blowing because the melodies made you wanna sing. Try not singing along with Hateful, Spanish Bombs, Rudie Can’t Fail, List in the Supermarket and that’s not even counting London Calling and Train In Vain - perfect opener and closer. The cover versions take on new life in the hands of the Clash now becoming more well known than the originals by a long shot. Even the reggae influenced tracks, particularly Lover’s Rock and Revolution Rock, fit seamlessly in the mix as if this was born into the band taking the sounds of the neighborhood into the Clash’s working class mix of left wing politics and advocacy. This is one of the few perfect records that encapsulates a particular moment in music history at a particular turbulent period in history. More significantly the Clash on this one record created music that was greater than the sum of its parts and greater than the sounds that influenced this record. 5/5

Not my favorite PG album. Solsbury Hill is a classic but the rest is an assortment that takes a little time to connect with. The playing on this record is exceptional but the production is for my taste too busy and the songs come off a little too slick thereby diminishing their quality. Overproduction began with prog and PG was no stranger to that with Genesis, but this record would have been much better if the rough edges had been kept in and less goop heaped on them. Closer, Here Comes The Flood is a very good song but suffers simply because of its production. For me it’s a mixed bag but for a once in a blue moon listen, it’s enjoyable but certainly not in the top 1001 album class. 3/5

Never was a Beatles fan. Ever. And I found McCartney somewhat insufferable during this period of time. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and Sir Paul would often cross that line. On this album though, McCartney struck the balance just right producing a catchy, vibrant and diverse set of songs that were instantly likable and memorable. I loved Band On The Run and Jet which were two great singles from this record. But as I grew less enamored with traditional rock and the sounds and energy of punk took over my life, I moved on never too return. It was nice to revisit but not life changing. 3/5

Nope. This is a Costello to far. I believe only This Years Model and Armed Forces should be on this list. About a week ago, the generator tried to sneak Blood And Chocolate by me. Didn’t happen. And it sure as shit is not going to happen with Brutal Youth. At best, Brutal youth is a transitional record on the road to mediocrity. I’m a Costello fan, but Elvis has made some crappy records. Brutal Youth is half crappy. Probably because Elvis’ creative muse whatever that is leads him to actually believe that everything he writes is genius. That is the confidence one needs I guess to be a rock star, but as a listener becomes tiresome and a bit off putting. It also leads to this disconnect with the average fan because there are always new artists and more pleasant listening experiences. Brutal Youth doesn’t expand the Costello musical vocabulary - it uses the wonderful Attractions to masquerade fairly weak material. Truly, if you are a fan can you name any of the songs on this record? Any classics you can sing? Of course not. Because none are present on this record. The last truly interesting Costello record for me was Get Happy and probably for the majority of fans perhaps King of America. After that Elvis has spent much of his time lost in the artistic wilderness. Unfortunately, he will never be found. 2/5

Groovy man as the kids used to say. You can tell Jeff Beck’s playing at this point was so developed that you knew that he was moving on as the confines of this white blues played by Englishmen had largely run it’s course at this point. Overall it is a pretty competent approximation of psychedelic influenced blues but it does come off as rather unemotional and cold - possibly because of the composition of the band. Overall it is an interesting artifact of a certain time and place but not among the 1091 albums or more you should hear in your lifetime. 3/5

This makes 3 records this week that are challenging. The first two were absolutely horrendous piles of shit that never should have been committed to tape in the first place. This is a live show that appeals only to those who would actually attend an Allman Brothers concert. Blues based redneck rock is just not that interesting. I’m not opposed to the idea of extended jams - as these tracks certainly are, but similarly jamming for the sake of jamming without adding to the tracks emotional core, seems rather pointless. To be fair, some of these jams work and overall the technical aspects and musicianship are first rate. The real issue is the sameness of the tracks which for a live show leads to boredom. They key to any live show really is pacing and using songs to change the listener’s engagement and activity throughout the show. That doesn’t happen here. As for live shows, there are much better live recordings, for example, Thee Oh Sees - Live in San Francisco comes to mind immediately- that get how it is all connected and engage the audience throughout. When I listen to live albums I truly want to immerse myself in the album as if I was there. Live at Fillmore East doesn’t do that at all. It’s kind of meh. 2/5

Honestly, it’s a boring pile of shit. I cannot imagine what type of person can honestly say out loud that this is their favorite type of music. When I heard loud clapping on the live tracks, I thought, holy fuck, it’s a cult indoctrination ritual and they have forced all of these poor fuckets to listen to this shit and then clap as if it was enjoyable. It’s not. Now, to be fair, it’s not Steely Dan terrible. That is a level of shitty few bands can achieve. I see you too Eagles and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But this record is just a horn toot away from those depths. It is records like this one that are so discouraging that it calls into question the validity of the entire list. Yesterday’s Morrissey record started the tremors shaking the foundation of my belief that the whole list was put together by monkeys randomly as part of some study. This record is just more gasoline on the fire of those doubts. Again, this is a pile of boring shit. 0/5

It is difficult to separate the art from the artist with Morrissey. Morrissey has repeatedly demonstrated the rare ability, over a lifetime, to truly be an insufferable miserable douche bag. So, any effort to interpret his songs is a difficult task because it is obvious that he is talented as a vocalist but every song comes off as a parody because you are constantly reminded that he is an insufferable miserable douche bag. And so, while it may be possible to someday get past the hurdle that makes listening to Morrissey painful, today is not that fucking day. 0/5

Roxy’s music always was just a little too country life for me. I’d have liked it more if they had leaned a little bit into the sleazy side of glam. Sure Marc Bolan was the king and David Bowie the queen, but Bryan was just a little to princely with the artier side prevailing over the rock side. The record is certainly enjoyable and at this point in the bands catalog the Roxy sound was certainly set with Phil Manzanera’s intricate guitar work lending jazzy elements to the proceedings. What really stands out for me is that none of these songs evoke any real feeling and thus don’t really connect with me the listener. Not all Roxy records are the as well rounded as this one, but the lack of buzz makes this one miss the mark. Where are songs like Editions Of You which appeared on For Your Pleasure? That was a great freaking record. This record seemed like a step back. Oh well. 3/5

Nope. Not this one for sure. No matter how hard the critics try to sell this album as Elvis’s return to form, it is simply not. This Years Model, Armed Forces, even Get Happy, are all way better than this boring lifeless turd if an album. The songs, if we can call them that, are too long, meandering, and just shitty. You know this because these songs rarely end up in any Costello live set list. They are not good. Sure, Nick Lowe and The Attractions did their best to spice up this affair but nothing, not even Cait O’Riordan, could save these. This record sucks and I’m still a fan. Must mean that I am capable of forgiving of an artist who releases several terrible records- most of them in a row. This record should not gave made the list. It is a limp noodle of a record which time gas not redeemed. 2/5

Lost my virginity to this record in 1976. We were parked in the school parking lot of Saint John’s Ravenscourt in Winnipeg Manitoba. She was 18 and I had just turned 16. So, to say that this record was life changing is not an understatement. I’m pretty sure that we were way past More Than A Feeling and probably, I kid you not, arriving at Long Time when I had rounded 3rd and was sliding into home. I think we had Peace of Mind when I finally said Let Me Take You Home Tonight. Anyway, this record carried me through high school and got a number of spins until I graduated from high school. 4/5

The Young Rascals are a moment in time. Groovin’ is an all time great single, evoking a specific period in history - much simpler, less jaded and caustic, and definitely more innocent. I was a mere boy if 7 when this came out and remember my mom singing along to Groovin’ as well as Tony Orlando and Dawn’s Toe a Yellow Ribbon. Listening to the full album you can see hints of The Who vocally but, for a band from New Jersey, the innocence of the 50s still lingers amidst these songs. Not unpleasant and I can see how several of these songs were minor hits as singles, but again, this is a record released at a time when simple well crafted songs about love and relationships made the charts. I recognize the quality but it really isn’t in my top 1001. 3/5

If this was all you heard of Punk in 1977, we would all probably be in the same place today. It was this guitar sound that was the cornerstone of what defined punk rock. The guitar tones on this record, like The Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Slits, Stiff Little Fingers and the Adverts all have the same basic overdriven and slightly distorted tone resembling a buss saw that defined 77 punk rock. What made all these bands different were the fabulous vocalists who looked and sounded nothing like any one before them. Obviously, there are numerous bands from that era who went on to big careers, but X Ray Spex were a singles band and this album, like Buzzcocks Singles going steady was really a collection of the bands singles with a couple of new tracks to round things out. Poly Styrene’s unique vocals set the band apart from the Slits and Adverts, and the songs were catchy melodic and covered a huge range of mostly political topics. The singles had made their way to Vancouver BC where I was attending college in 1978-81 and when this record came out as an expensive import - I still bought it hoping to hear the songs I had missed. Crazy to thing almost 48 years have passed. Still a fun record. 4/5

While the hype around Prince is often greater than the reality, looking back at this record reminds you that he was a gifted songwriter and talented musician who had arrived at a distinct pop sound of his own. This record in my mind represented the peak of his craft with obviously strong writing - Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry and Purple Rain still regarded as Classics. I Would Die 4 U, while not a Classic still is a single worth revisiting. Some of this comes off as dated production wise, particularly Let’s Go Crazy. However, at the time, this album was inescapable as it was all over radio and TV. There are a couple of missteps, specifically Computer Blue and The Beautiful Ones, but these are minor nits. 4/5

It is unbelievably odd hearing John Cale’s solo work a part from his amazing work with the Velvet Underground. It is like there are two different people. This record which I bought in 1979 was such a detour as I was already deep into my punk rock conversion. And yet, this record with its conventional yet beautiful melodies was entertaining and engaging. In fact, I was truly taken back to the time when I purchased this record nearly 50 years ago. Wow. In many ways this record has aged remarkably well and I can actually hear it being released today. The only true anachronism is the word smithing of the lyrics which harken back to a time when details mattered and the quality and nature of language mattered. Still enjoyable but does it really fit on the list? I think not but only because time has introduced a new weight of worthy admittees to this list. 3/5

Similar to the Butthole Surfers (who had the album before this one in the list with Locust Dayglo Abortion) you either love or hate the former Teardrop Explodes former frontman’s solo work. Lyrically it is a bit fucking weird but musically it’s genius. At times sounding like a mix of Hugh Cornwall and Jim Morrison, the songs in Peggy Suicide are musically diverse often anticipating the Madchester scene of the early to mid 90s with some tracks close to what the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays would pick up and carry to success a year or two later. This is also a very British art rock record that likely has very few copies sold in the United States. Sad really, because I bought the CD when it came out and it still gets the odd spin more than 30 years later. Not a perfect record but better than most of the music of its time and still an interesting listen today. 4/5

You either love or hate the Butthole Surfers. They are funny and weird and provide, sometimes, inciteful social commentary. For me, this was their finest hour. The songs sneak up on you and are remarkably catchy for their angular bent and mix of punk, metal, psychedelic and everything else they could think of. Top tracks for me are Sweet Leak, 22 Going on 23, Kuntz and Hunan Cannonball. The sly references, pseudo homages, and creativity that went into this record make it a worthwhile and wonderful experience. This LP regularly makes my turntable as a break from conventional. Again, this is not for everyone and for those who enjoy this chaos forced into pseudo conventional song structures this is can’t miss. 5/5