Reviews by justcoolvinyl

Honestly, this doesn’t belong on this list. It’s as uneven a Beach Boys record as there is with one song sung by their then manager who is not a Beach Boy. Brian was only peripherally involved and it shows as the vocals are particularly thin on his tracks and on the other tracks, it is almost like it’s the Beach Boys cosplaying the Beach Boys. It’s no surprise that the songs are uneven as there are also no Carl Wilson tracks on this record. The political type lyrics also don’t help and I think made them less relevant in this era. The last 2 tracks are decent- Til I Die and Surfs Up. The overall tone of the record is darker than usual. I recognize that some critics loved this record. I get it. I’m a critic and my honest opinion is that this troubled record doesn’t belong on this list. 3/5

Interesting submission to the list because The Fall is generally impenetrable to most of the world and certainly Americans. This is pretty accessible and for the most part works pretty well ie it’s mostly melodic and structured like songs and Mark Smiths lyrics are fairly coherent. There are a couple of outliers - Light/Fireworks is kinda repetitive and dumb and the Steve Bent cover can be said to be better than the original by a wide mile is still a bit weak. But the rest is pretty good with some of Mark’s caustic wit appearing on several tracks. Overall sharp but not in the top 5 Fall records for me. 3/5

An apt title for this record. A terrific sounding early psychedelic art rock record with a couple of classics used, perhaps overused, in dozens of movies to represent the 60s. The real engaging part of the record was the quality of the other surrealist performances on tracks not as widely known but equally engaging. My Best Friend and 3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds feature terrific vocals with Grace and Marty Balin and Paul Kantner demonstrating terrific interplay. While not my style being mostly a folk record, the writing is strong and powerful and all of the songs challenge the listener pleasantly to listen to the lyrics. The classic cuts White Rabbit and Somebody to love are obvious favorites but even the outlier - Plastic Fantastic Lover, is a great romp. Rarely would I play this, but given this full listen experience, I’d try it again. 5/5

Weird, but this was the only Adam & the Ants record I enjoyed. With a little New Romantic flair, the weird pirate costume and the tribal drumming similar to Bow Wow Wow, thes made some pretty catchy Ant Music. Listening to this record 45 years on, it really is interesting as to how many songs are still memorable and fun. Starting with Dog Eat Dog right into Ant Music is a great way to kick off the record. These still hold up. The rest of the record keeps the sound pure fun with some excellent guitar work from Marco Pironi. What makes this compelling is the varied approach taken on the songs. Adam had his own approach and unique phrasing which made this pop forward punk-pop. A gem of a second record! 4/5

It’s a folk record. At the time I’m sure it was dangerous because it contained ideas. As a forum for Bob to express ideas that ran counter to conservative America it is a fine demonstration. As an example of musical expression it is certainly that. As an example of excellence- it is not. It’s Bob and it for me is unlistenable. It’s the voice. It is unmusical to me. I do not diminish the quality of the songwriting and the topical references- they are excellent for the time period. The real issue was never the musicianship - it’s creative. The problem has always been that Bob’s songs toughened up and sung by others tend to be better than the original. Too bad there are not many punk and metal versions out there. Anyway, the only think freewheelin about the record is that someone at some point should have taken the wheel. 3/5

Coldplay is for a very different crowd than I. It’s hard to enjoy and band that doesn’t use distortion as a weapon and reverb to fill the gaps so that the sound is both raw and live. Coldplay is essentially Steely Dan for millennials. The effect of sanding rough edges off every track leaves essentially a lifeless mess. This is not to say that there isn’t some good songwriting. There is. It’s hard not to deny the appeal of songs like The Scientist or Clocks because they follow the formula and Chris Martin sings them well enough so that CEOs who are cheating on their spouse will willingly attend with their girlfriend to an evening of wildly predictable piano driven soft rock. Safe. This is safe music for old people. People who will swear this is the best show they have ever seen. Safe, except for when they put your cheating CEO face on a jumbotron and put your cheating ass to the world. You become a meme. Lose your job. You know safe. This is just an average record. Live dangerously. Pass on this. 3/5

When Pavement first arrived on the scene I immediately thought that they were attempting to be the Minutemen but they didn’t have Mike Watt or D. Boon. I still feel that way. I have enjoyed Pavement’s recorded output over the years and the recent resurgence in interest with the release of the Pavement documentary makes this revisit timely. Summer Babe and Trigger Cut are still the best tracks on the record but like the Minutemen before them the mix of different time signatures, distortion and detuned guitars makes for a much varied and interesting take on what would become slacker rock. As an anti-companion to Nirvana this journey is most effective on some of the quieter tracks such as the lovely Here. Pavement were always dressed for success and this record really was a launching point for a new kind of indie rock destined to occupy college radio stations forever. Two States could have been a track off of Double Nickels on the Dime. Stockton and San Pedro - port cities and working class rock. The album still is interspersed after all these years and Pavement’s influence carries on today in bands like Parquet Courts, MJ Lendermen, Deerhunter and others. Not perfect but close. 5/5

Muted. If you are somewhat familiar with mbv then you know it’s about to get loud. Mbv is an immersive experience, not merely an observational one. As a follow up to Loveless (1991), it, in my mind, represents a continuation of that record with new avenues of exploration. The vocal presentation is not as effective as on Loveless which may be an unfair comparison because I think Kevin Shields was looking to create a more integrated vocal approach with the music. But those vocal expressions fall a bit flat. Having heard these songs live though there is an immediate sonic difference which makes them a more compelling listen. There are no outliers for songs on this record but neither are there any real standouts. Perhaps, If I Am and Ahe Found Now are the best of the bunch. Solid record overall but nothing to write your mom about. 3.5/5

I have been a fan of R.E.M since the release of Radio Free Europe on 45. I saw their first shows in Vancouver BC when Michael still had hair. I loved the mumbled indecipherable lyrics. By the time Green arrived, Michael was more confident and the band which had already begun moving towards a more pop oriented sound distinct from the more jangle rock sound coming out of Athens/North Carolina (see Don Dixon, Chris Stamey, the dB’s). For me Green is challenging. It’s easy to recognize the immediate catchiness of songs like Orange Crush, Stand, Get Up and Pop Song 89. The problem is the rest of the record and that fucking mandolin. I get that six albums in you don’t want to sound like the same band as the prior 5. However, R.E.M. had truly progressed from record to record. This sounded like a retreat. It also signaled the end of my interest in R.E.M. as a band. As the sound was no longer interesting designed to appeal to the masses it was truly disappointing to see this rather uneven album be released. It is uneven (Hairshirt) and incomplete (Untitled). In hindsight it is probably worse than I recall because R.E.M. still held my interest. Now, looking back, history bears out what should have been obvious then: R.E.M peaked at Document which for me was their last complete album. Green is half a record and the beginning of the slide into generic mediocrity. 3/5

This is where music gets tricky. Sometimes it is impossible to separate the music from the musician and as a consequence you can no longer listen to the music. There are a variety of reasons where things happening in a musician’s personal life can turn you off of there music. They don’t all have to be pedophiles, groomers, sexual abusers or all of them combined. As you read that last sentence I’m pretty sure you can name an example in each category. I’ll help you with the last category: Ian Watkins of Lostprophets. So what about Morrissey who has been a douche bag from the very beginning? Is it possible to separate his politics and behavior from the music? I could during Morrissey’s run with the Smiths. I knew he was an ass but it was tempered by Johnny Marr and the quality of the songs. On his own, the songs are just arrogance e.g I Habe Forgiven Jesus, combines with self-importance e.g. Irish Blood, English Heart. This is not to say that Morrissey can’t turn a phrase or that his singing has diminished. Neither of these skills has diminished. His singing is still interesting and engaging and the odd lyric is still catchy and poignant. The problem with most of these songs is that the arrogance and self-importance present in each of these songs diminish their quality and in short it comes off as a full length album of whining. So back to my first thought. I really cannot separate the music from the musician. And while I recognize my bias, I’m pretty sure at this point that a number of people think Morrissey is an ass, and feel the same about his music. It’s not the Smiths and it’s obvious. 2/5

I have listened to this album several hundred times. As debut records go, one of the best ever. This also was such a left field record coming out of nowhere in a period where Madchester was more of a notion than the press hype that followed. This album, coming as it did at the end of the 80’s incorporated the jangle pop of American college rock into something completely novel. Its closest cousins sonically were the House of Love and The La’s. As I think about it, The Stones Roses were a British version of Material Issue. No skips on this record. Every song still holds up after 37 years. 5/5

It’s Led Zeppelin. It has 2 outstanding songs. You all know them and can probably sing them. There are 5 mid-tier tracks. They are likable enough. They definitely sound like Led Zeppelin. Everything about these tracks screams average. They are songs designed to fill out the record. Then there are 2 songs that are just shitty. In fact, so shitty, they offset all of the good will produced by the 2 classic tracks. So, I’m transparent, the 2 shitty songs on this record are easily identifiable: The Lemon Song and Moby Dick with its interminable fucking drum fucking solo. So, it’s not a great record. It’s good and 2 tracks too long. 3/5

Interesting and unusual record that gets better near the end. As a record of experimental psychedelic music from 1968 it uses unique instrumentation including an early version of a synthesizer to create an unusual sonic palate for some weird ass leftist lyrics. Favorite track for me was Do You Follow Me which has a lovely melody and is catchy and with a great vibe. The wacky I Won’t Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar is another highlight. The mixture of psychedelic of this late 60s period combined with the jazzy electronic sounds is compelling. Truly a gem from the period. 4:5

If medieval minstrel folk music filled with flutes and whistles, handclaps and finger snaps is your thing then you are in the weirdest fucking human group. I’m sure in the 17th and 18th century this might have been a thing but there is a reason it died the fuck out. Things get better with time. This didn’t. Technology is the reason this sort of stuff no longer exists so there was absolutely no reason to do it again 2 centuries later. Since it is all the same-ish with some of the boring nonsense longer that others, there is no point in getting granular. For me, the handclaps at the first part of A Very Cellular Song was the only near highlight. Sitars and jaw harp. Holy crap. I’m out. Good night. 1/5

You gotta love the smell of Napalm Death in the morning. This really is a tale of two halves with the first side more punk adjacent and the second side more metal adjacent. I’m at a point where I can’t really distinguish the two different vocalists but definitely can pick out the increased velocity of the drumming and the drop in tuning giving side 2 a distinct sound - the sound of early grindcore heavily indebted to Deep Wound, the progenitors of the genre comprised of Lou Barlow and J Mascis. Where Napalm Debt differ is the lean into the metal with a mix of Blastbeats and noise punctuated by bass and cymbals. The distortion is interesting because it does not sound like it’s all pedal driven but rather some amp leverage into the sound. I get that this is a narrow genre and death growl vocals are not everyone’s idea of a good time. However, as a sonic experiment, it was definitely a huge step forward taking metal ideas - Think Sabbath and Motörhead and speeding them the fuck up - a lot. Speed was the idea, much like early Husker Du. It is also really limiting musically but pretty powerful if you are in the pit getting hammered by sound. 4/5

With Neil there is no middle ground. It’s like Dylan. You either have convinced yourself that what they do is awesome or that it’s just boring shit. Objectively this statement is untrue but subjectively it makes perfect sense. I like Neil’s voice better than Bob’s but make no mistake, this record is just a slightly better than usual record for Neil. I get it. Neil was unhappy and didn’t trust the listener enough to let them figure out he had the blues. Never have I felt before listening to this record so much apathy expressed as music. It is clear that Neil has never been to a nice beach. Certainly not California. Ontario perhaps at the edge of a cold lake. What is unmistakable is that this is certainly a Neil Young record. Also very fucking unhappy Neil. It is also very in-Canadian. Gone are the we’s replaced, sadly, by the I’s. Are there catchy tunes one might ask. There are: Walk On, Vampire Blues and perhaps See The Sky About To Rain although lyrically the song is savagely stupid. Ambulance Blues is just a slog to listen to even though it does have some catchy lines. Not wholly terrible but not a great record either. 3/5

I’m positive that selecting Strange Brew as the opening track was a conscious decision as a foreshadowing of what Cream believed was indeed a strange brew of blues based psychedelic music. Followed by Sunshine of Your Love demonstrated that the influence of Jimi had been carefully studied and adopted as the foundation for the record. At this point in time, listening to the track, and for that matter the entire record, I’m reminded of Spinal Tap and as World of Pain plays I imagine Ginger Baker exploding. This is a very well realized effort by the band not to be trapped in its blues roots and the recording is in itself magnificent. The recording still holds up, perhaps because it is not a Clapton solo project. This sounds like the work of a band of musicians interested in creating sounds that interest them. There are a few efforts that fall flat. Noticeable in this regard is Blue Condition. Ginger’s vocals are a little flat. Although I prefer Jack Bruce’s vocals to Ginger’s overall the three of them work best when they each take a lead with the others supporting. SWLABR is another highlight taking some of the same guitar tone as Sunshine and repurposing it for this track. Best of all are that the songs avoid the noodling - they are tight with each note having a purpose and punch that adds to the song. Baker and Bruce are remarkably tight giving Bruce, a notable bag of ass, freedom and room to play and he does turn in a remarkably restrained and nuanced performance. This is evident on We’re Going Wrong with Clayton’s nuances runs adding to the track a texture which builds as the song progresses to its logical and perfect conclusion. Not my groove but like others on this list, you have to appreciate great art. 4/5

Rod, in all of his various forms, is a sack of crap. This record was an early instance of when people bought records on the advice of critics because if they had heard this shit before they would not have bought it. Worse, those who actually purchased this record lied to people telling them this is fucking great so they would not be the only ones stupid enough to buy it. How do you know a record is not good? Shortly after it is released it fades from memory. Show me anyone today who would say this Rod Fucking Stewart is the greatest ever, and I’ll show you an idiot. This is terrible. I listened to the entire thing and it is the first time I have truly regretted that I committed to completing each record each day. Regret is a terrible feeling and this is a terrible fucking record. Maggie May is a terrible song. This is unimaginative music. Somehow Rods vocals do not make it better. At least it’s not Do Ta Think I’m Sexy bad, but it’s bad. Avoid at all costs. 1/5

Interesting. Last record was Metallica’s Master of Puppets and today this better record from the same year appears. Where Master of Puppets fails, Reign in Blood succeeds. The distinctions between the two highlight what, over time has become obvious but wasn’t immediately apparent upon release of both records: Slayer consolidated the sounds that would become thrash. No reverb, short fast songs, pure fucking energy, clean punchy and in time. I think that given the tempo changes throughout the record with sections of high tempo playing with each instrument in synch is simply amazing. Gone is the sludge of the first two Slayer records replaced by a clean recording with a great guitar tone. Also notably, unlike Metallica’s lengthy repeated riffs throughout the song, these songs minimize the repetitive passages which makes each song much more interesting and enjoyable. I still play this record fairly frequently unlike Master of Puppets which doesn’t get the same love. Lyrically, Slayer still has it’s fascination with Satan still intact ( Alter of Sacrifice ), Jesus Saves is definitely catchy and in my mind one of the best tracks on the album. Angel of Death is a fucking sledgehammer. Taken as a whole, the record still rocks. Not because they’re are thousands of bands who perform this stuff, but rather, because the production is uniformly exceptional at a time when most of the records on this genre were terribly Lo-fi. Very good record though not perfect. 4/5

Unpopular opinion. This record is actually not very good. Kill em All was a better record as the incorporation of punk influences was better realized. I get that this is recognized as the defining moment for thrash. I appreciate the political slant of the lyrics. It’s just that the songs are almost prog length and the sound is kinda thin to be honest. 1986 was a great year for punk and metal. Dead Kennedys released Bedtime For Democracy, Agnostic Front released Age of Quarrel which is a markedly better album than Master of Puppets. Agnostic Front - Cause For Alarm mines similar territory and then Big Black released Atomizer. So when I start stacking up Master of Puppets against those records it doesn’t. I know that there are several other great records that were released that year that I’ve omitted but I guess that’s the point. When the Metallica record is just part of the pack, it really is just average. I get it. This is when they started to blow up and become mainstream popular. They were loud, melodic, but not scary. And that is the secret. They were no longer scary. They played these long ass tunes and while admittedly they are enjoyable they are not earthshaking bone rattling in your face metal massacre type songs. There is even an instrumental. Nope. Just average. 3/5