Reviews by justcoolvinyl

Dentists of the world rejoiced when this album was released. Finally, a record they could play in their offices all day. A form of Muzak that is inoffensive with Tracey Thorn’s lovely vocals overlaying synths and a drum machine. I actually cannot imagine how anyone thought this was worth acclaim, let alone critical acclaim. I love the tone of Tracy’s vocals but really this is soppy drivel that would inflict pain after repeated listens. It is definitely a record for the times with its low energy appeal only for those currently residing on death row and in nursing homes. 2/5

Thankfully the songs (except 1) are short. Sure, I can see this recording for what it is - a precursor to a sound The Byrds would adopt and turn into success. The musicians are clearly competent and the vocals are pleasant enough but with a sound that could best be described as arty-folk with a bit of jangle, it’s not at the point where it is either sonically innovative or required listening. Sure, they sound British, largely because of the Canterbury folk aspects of their music but they minimize the psychedelic haze of their hometown San Francisco. Too bad really because jangle psychedelic music might have revolutionized that sound. Serviceable record but really not the level required to break through into anyone’s musical consciousness. 2/5

Well he has a terrific vocal tone. He can carry a tune. But are the tunes interesting? Not a fucking chance. Okay, Me & Julio is pretty catchy and I can somewhat relate as me and Julio did hang by the school yard when I was a kid. But where the fuck is Julio now? I replaced him with Oscar and now we hang at the gym. It’s cool but it’s not Julio, you know what I mean? So, folk records are the equivalent of classical music. Old people generally relate but they long ago stopped caring about music. And I don’t care about Paul Simon. 2/5

I hesitate to put this out in the universe, but, admittedly I never was a fan of the Beatles. Sure, I recognize that they were incredibly talented musicians but the Beatles were for me one note. That is, on this record they were at the peak of their powers and they thought Yelliw Submarine was what they wanted to say? So, I will admit that I enjoyed every band that ripped off the Beatles and used those melodies to great effect elsewhere. Except for the excellent And Your Bird Can Sing, this is a rather average pop record. 3/5

Interesting coincidence that this record follows Holger Czukay’s Movies, in this list. Lightening Bolt incorporates Can elements and Holger’s collage ideas in a novel way by using bursts of noise to breakup the intense drumming best illustrated on Assassins. I’m not sure I could listen to this mix of frenetic drumming, feedback and sonic squall every day but as a palate cleanser of sorts it does open up your mind to the appeal of quiet in its wake. Yet, it is still appealing and worth returning to every once in a while. 3/5

4 interesting pieces with surprisingly interesting movie collages with dialogue bits thematically linked in the pieces. I would suspect that the first piece completed was Persian Love as it captures the theme perfectly. As a founder of Can, the perfectionist tendencies still appear on this record, his first solo album, and that is what makes this a difficult listening experience for me. The notes are perfect- every single one of them. This leaves the pieces, particularly Hollywood Symphony, a bit cold and lifeless. This is particularly true where these works are intended to be sound collages I.e. you expect some dissonance, some rough edges that are necessary to show that this is music with emotion designed to be listened to by humans and not robots. I think the two longer pieces, Oh Lord, Give Us More Money and the Aforementioned Hollywood Symphony may have played better with some editing and additional vocal elements. It is these same vocal elements that uplift Persian Love - they bring warmth to the rather precise instrumentation. So is the album good? That’s a tough question. In my mind, it’s above average but given the fact that there is much more interesting experimental music out there now, it would be kind of tame by comparison. A long way to say 3/5.

I’m going to admit that it is very tough to listen to this album in one sitting. For the first 20 or so songs it was interesting but after that it was no longer a pleasant or compelling experience. This is no shade to the prolific Stephen Merritt who definitely has a gift for melody and songwriting. I can’t imagine them having performed all 69 songs in order at one show. Creative and clever but all the same, I tapped out for interest at about the 20 song mark. I did listen to the entire album in one sitting and there are a couple of tracks that would pique my interest every now and again but not enough for me to note what they were called. Book of Love I was familiar with and Oapa Was A Rodeo. I actually own the box set but I’ve never broken it open and given the vinyl a spin. I might in the future.. or I might not. Which is where I stand on this record - somewhere in the middle. 3/5

I can say that MGMT sounds unlike other bands mining this territory. The songs are well constructed and the singles, Kids, Time To Pretend, and Electric Feel are bangers. What many will miss is that the rest of the album is also good with carefully crafted catchy songs. The 2nd half of the record is better than the first in my mind as these pop songs are given more space. Sure it’s goofy at times but it is so fun that you forgive some missteps because enthusiasm and energy can cover up lots of minor faults. Catchy enjoyable bedroom headphone pop. Spectacular. Oracular as well. 4/5

Well, I’m not going to belabor this with an extensive review because it would shock me if there is a single person participating in this endeavor who is not familiar with this record, the hits from it, and the Gallagher brothers/Kinks like sideshow. It is a good record, but certainly not perfect. Some of it does not even try to hide their influences - The Beatles and T.Rex. And there are a couple of tracks that are frankly just cornball crap. Anyway, it’s good enough to be on this list and yet only 4/5

Well, I actually had to think about this record as I listened I tried to think about where this record fits in this particular 90s period. Sure it is far less psychedelic thsn the Verve’s debut, it does evoke at various points Oasis lite, it certainly is not The Stone Roses. It is a rock record that, given the lyrics of Richard Ashcroft who does a particularly excellent job of letting emotion bleed through, is at its core a messy breakup record. Here you have two dynamics at play - Ashcroft’s breakup with his long term girlfriend and the band breaking a part as 3/4 of them are drug addicted. Sonically rich and effective the album is enjoyable and interesting but I’m not sure that it rises above average. When compared to records put out the same year - Smashing Pumpkins released Melon Collie, Radiohead released the Bends and the Stone Roses released Second Coming - The Verve record is definitely 2nd tier. Solid but ultimately average. 3/5

Honestly, this record is a bit fucking boring. I’d never really listened two it in one sitting before but now having done so, it was a bit of a struggle. What does standout in my mind is that the vocals on this record are kind of middling- they don’t carry the record. Similarly, the guitar tone from Jerry on this record which appears on every track is annoying and pitched at a level that irritates. This is likely the fault of Dave Jerden who produced this record and uses an annoying blended amp approach which makes things pitchy. It is also a dark and gloomy record. Really. This adds up to a rather dark, gloomy boring record with an unpleasant guitar tone sung by a half interested Layne. Look, I get that some people are going to say that this is the best AIC record but what does that really mean? They had a definitive sound for sure and Layne can sing, but really, to me, the Hype regarding the record where every single song sounds similar is a little misplaced. Rooster, Down A Hole and Would? are first rate songs but make it an EP. It would have been less boring. 2/5

My mom loved this record when I was a child. I have nothing to criticize because at the time this album was loved by millions of moms and as mentioned in the prior sentence- my mom loved this record. And if my mom loved it, then it must be awesome. Also, my mom was awesome. 5/5

As a gateway into a particularly appealing form of electronic pop with terrific vocal performances, you’d be hard pressed to argue that the xx doesn’t belong on the short list. Olive Sim and Romy Madley Croft’s vocal melodies highlight Jamie Smith’s danceable soundscapes making this record thoroughly enjoyable. Not all songs work perfectly but they all have something to say. Say Something Loving, On Hold and I Dare You are the standouts for me. 4/5

While I generally enjoy Nick’s albums which are engaging, often interesting lyrically, there is a point where you have to reflect on whether you are really evaluating Nick’s work against his entire discography or are you evaluating his work against the universe of interesting records. Such is the case with Abattoir Blues. And in re-listening to this record it becomes clear that while this is one of the better records in his discography and certainly better than most of his work in the 90’s and early 2000’s, this record really doesn’t measure up well against the massive amount of equally interesting, important and memorable records that are out there. The proliferation of quality music and musicians, particularly in this particular post-punk subgenre, makes it difficult to rate this record as just average. Did you like Idles, Fontaine’s DC, the latest Cure record or any of a host of bands working in the same creative space? So, while I enjoy this record and recognize that a couple of tracks are truly memorable and bear repeated listening, the same can’t be said of the entire record. Which seems a shame but the competition is fierce. 3/5

SFA are a vibe. I need to be in a certain mood in order to enjoy their records. Fortunately today was one of those days. I recall Rings Around The World coming out and enjoying the distinct diversity of the record. It really is a hodgepodge of ideas with some working better than others. Rings Around the World is a terrific alternative-pop Jesus And Mary Chain inspired track, Sidewalk Serfer Girl is catchy as well with a touch of Lincoln era They Might Be Giants song structure and sound. And that I think is the point - SFA albums all sound like the good parts have been lifted from somewhere else. Juxtaposed With U could have been lifted from a Spanish disco record although I’m reminded of Yvonne Ellinan’s track on Saturday Night Fever. As I said it’s a weird ass record because no two songs fit a the same genre and the subject matter is all over the place. It’s a good album but truly you have to be ready to listen in the moment leaving your preconceived notions about what a record is meant to be in the hands of super furry animals masquerading as SFA. 3.5/5

Honestly, enough with the Neil. My comments to the 4 prior records stand. Neil is Canadian so he get’s some passes but the music is not that interesting and his vocals, like Dylan’s, try your patience. This record is no different. It doesn’t belong on this list or frankly any list of greatest records. It just doesn’t and you can’t convince me otherwise. So, let’s stop fucking around with this and it get’s a 3 and hopefully this is the last of the Neils, but I somehow doubt it. 3/5

Well this is an odd pick for this list. It is a very good jangle pop record with an excellent vocalist it is better considered as an exemplar of many other similar bands from the same period. The Cribs, The Futureheads, The Rifles and Maximo Park all come to mind. James Skelly’s vocals carry the record. The diversity of the record is compelling and the obvious gems are found in the 60’s psychedelic stylings of Goodbye with its beautiful harmonies. However, the star of this record is Dreaming of You which is a catchy slice of pop goodness. What does stand out for me is just how high the musicianship is for a debut record. The record works and undoubtedly the reviews it received when it came out recognized the quality of songwriting which is top notch. Waiting For the Heartaches to Come is such a 60’s throwback and honestly if they were just busking, they would stop crowds particularly with the keyboards adding that Doors feeling to that track. The theft from the past likely reflects the band members interests in those records as they learned to play. The hidden track - Time Travel - buried in Calendars and Clocks with it’s Specials “Ghost Town” feel is a gem. Good album and enjoyable. 4/5

Great week - 3 awesome records in a row - Sugar - Copper Blue, The Birthday Party - Junkyard and now this. Motörhead’s debut is a timeless classic and Ace of Spades a timeless song. This album has never gotten old. Lemmy’s songwriting remained remarkably consistent over the years with this record serving as the sonic blueprint for every thing that came after. Live these songs hit even harder as they were clearly meant to be experienced live rather than just listened too on the turntable. But funny enough the songs bring joy regardless of where they are experienced. The record is not perfect because a few tracks come off as similar and it really is hard to claim perfection when a few tracks are clearly a cut above the rest. But, fuck, in a land full of competitors and imitators, there was no one quite like Motörhead. 5/5

Great fucking record. A perfect blend of garage rock The Cramps and post punk with Nick Caves screaming, howling and wailing actually creating a cohesiveness that orients the listener for the entire record. Release The Bats is a timeless song. Nick Cave is not for everyone but this record can’t be ignored. Live this was even better. Instantly and forever memorable. 5/5

Stone cold classic mix of punk and melody. I’m glad Bob is back. I loved Husker Du and was saddened when they broke up. I actually still blame Bob for the breakup but I digress. I thought this was Bob’s attempt at the brass ring of alt-rock popularity. He transmogrified the Husker’s sound palate into something a bit more pop friendly and therefore radio friendly when he formed Sugar. This was a logical progression for Bob at this time. More melodic but still soaked in sheets of squall. The fist 7 tracks - From the Act We Act to If I Can’t Change Your Kind are all really singles. This record is really a later version of The Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady. The song structure mimics much of Pete Shelley’s earlier efforts with the difference being the distortion Bob overlays on these pop songs. The last 3 songs, while solid, are not the same caliber as those first seven. That is, Fortune Teller, Slick and Man On The Moon are not nearly as catchy as the first seven. I’ve listened to this record hundreds of times and as recently as a week ago. It still resonates as these records that you first enjoyed as a young adult ( I was 32 when this was released) tend to do when you frequently revisit them as you age. Not nostalgia really as each decade of experience colors the way you interact with the music. 4.5/5