Reviews by keithb

Public Enemy Pure perfection. Important band with an important and yet brilliant album

Flags a little in the final 1/3 but “rebel with out a pause” is an angrier “don’t believe the hype”

5 stars only because I can not give more

Contrary opinion about the Velvet underground they are not the revolutionary band some think they are . This is gods but nothing much more than average underground rock album from the '60s. There are some interesting instrumentation and generally they offer an interesting enough mixture of rock and avant garde things, but it never gets into plane so ends up very middle of the road to me.

More meandering than experimental . I can appreciate murder mystery but 1/2 of it is shit and 1/2 interesting with out being great

Most Influential Folk Album of All Time ?
5/5

An album so good it defined an entire genre of folk rock ( uk version) .
Even the intro to a song that never starts ( Raynardine )is excellent.

“Your beauty so enticed me
I could not pass it by”

It won’t be long is less well known song but so obviously the Beatles and early Merseybeat that is can be hard to rate an album .

It’s hard to say the impact on western music they had on. this early stuff is great but played with a bit of a straight bat

The years in Hamburg honed them into a tight machine allowing them to explore variations from standard chord structures, they were innovating without leaving the audience behind.

The early albums are a little like a history lesson . So obviously the 60 s but not (always) sounding dated and possibly quaint.

Weirdly probably more important than later albums , Apart from maybe Sgt Pepper’s, but not as good.

The safe option of covers makes sense to break the US but makes this album a little slow.

90s soul ( 2 soul ). Nice to listen to ,even with the dodgy rap . Back to life is an absolute banger and keep moving is not far behind . Rest of the album is okay.

A liberating and often heartfelt album. That is always nice to listen to but never great (other than all I wanna do and possibly run baby run and leaving last Vegas )

So this is where the term Krautrock comes from . Trying to think of other band/songs that define a genre

As the review aptly puts it “not-always-related experiments” sums this up .

If you’re still actually listening after the 11 minute opening song, or should that be song opening ( it never actually goes anywhere) , then this album is for you .

I bough this on vinyl somewhat not knowing what it was . I knew it was an important album but not why. It blew me away then as it does now - and I still do not really know what this album is.

All your favorite rock bands fucking love this album.

What this experience is almost teaching me is that double albums are almost universally shit . Everyone so far is bloated and should be a single album
Great 90s indie but 2 hours come on - by song 2 I was on Thanos’ side.

A long album of long songs . Some trimming called for . It’s is good, really good even , but too long to be great

3.5 again . Now do I round up or down ?
Disc 2 drops the average down to a 3.

Would be generous with this if it wasn't two hours long.

Like sitting in the reception of a therapist or chiropractor: there are posters of chakra on the walls and New Age music is softly playing - but with a rave next door.

Somehow reminiscent of ozrix tentacles or Kuhla shaker, but 90s dance/trance

I’m flipping between I need this album on vinyl and meh it’s okay . 3.5 is where I might settle but do I round up or down

Nice! … a favourite of jazz club host Louis Balfour and possibly second technician Arnold J Rimmer BSc. SSc.

With bosa nova it can be hard to tell the difference between easy jazz easy/listening and sometimes Muzak. This is really easy to listen too but is not easy listening.

Nice! Sums it up

Not many would pick a summer in Berlin with Bowie when trying to detox but thank god he did

Each song feels well crafted - lots of thought and love in each track. Finally an album where it feels like a jam being recorded that does not dissolve into a hot mess - looking at you Big Brother & The Holding Co and Hendrix

Maybe I’m just in the wrong mood , as I love folk and goth but not thier bastard child apparently

This takes me back to the times when rap was known as electro in the UK . Thanks to the great albums electro 1-7.

This is a good record but also feels a little sparse to what rap, sampling and scratching would become - Feels almost punk in places but I'm Not sure it is required in the 1001 albums .

“It’s like that” is head and shoulders above the rest

It could be a 3 to fit with my I like that enough to buy on vinyl ( I already do )- but I think I’m being generous

It’s not a 2 as I like listening to early hip hip - check out the amazing Soul Jazz Records Presents YO! BOOMBOX - Early Independent Hip Hop, Electro And Disco Rap 1979-83.

That’s good enough for 3 double albums but this is not as great as they will turn out to be.

This is is the stereo version of watching a film in 2009 then realizing the odd camera placement and focus on shit flying toward you is because it was a 3d film, with its aimless stereo shifting - Pointless and distracting as theater switches are not as revolutionary today.

I've always found Jimi Hendrix so incredibly boring. He's got skills, yes. He's even got some hits. But this album has very little that is actually interesting on it.

Finally after 3 songs I got interested 1/2 through Spanish castle magic

Like Big Brother and the Holding Company
there is too much let’s just jam and figure it out about this … ain’t no telling for example is all over the place

Little wing is interesting , but a bit slow

If 6 was 9 could almost be a Black Sabbath song at the start but then it goes astray
But also a bit Gill Scott heron
Wait till tomorrow is kind of funky and interesting but the mix is odd

Like watching a mediocre sketch show - spotty quality and no one know how to end a song.

P.E. at there PEak. I love Chuck Ds lyrics and Flav is a great counterpoint .

A few issues with lyrics - aggressive and rightfully angry as fuck. Unfortunately It still resonates today especially. Production is tight with a ton of samples and turntablism (from the sound of it) expertly crafted.

This album just builds and builds

The segment from the mighty but unfortunate theme of "Meet the G that Killed Me" through Pollywannacracka and AntiN***erMachine before the mighty Burn Hollywood Burn is an excellent mush mash of styles and samples . Heavy on the guitars and attitude . This is maintained to the end of the album where fight the power rounds everything off on a high note. Even the almost comidic distraction of can’t do Nuttin for ya, man is excellent

While I like the songs on this album, I don’t love them or the album overall. There is a bit too much jamming for my taste that’s better saved for an actual live show.

Jackie Jormp Jomp sure could sing, but there are to many songs like Turtle blues and roadblock that just make the album feel slow and dull.

40 minutes of catchy and accessible thrash metal with interesting themes and lyrics. Not too dense, a good handful of bangers, and doesn't outstay its welcome. Good but not great.

Just like that it’s 1985 again... I can almost taste the snakebite and black or smell the patchouli

The rawness of punk, the feedback of hardcore on rock n roll at a walking pace .

With out the feedback this could be the happy bop pop of altered images .

Or the Ramones played at half speed .

The beach boys if they grew up in Govan.

Ironically in places this is more industrial than the Liaibach album I had yesterday

Great some Industrial, well almost

I was thinking that starting of an album with what sounds like a goth on Prozac covering life is life was bold but no just a homage or an overture- the full on cover comes later

Starts of slow and somewhat understated.

But Leben TOD changes all that with definite tones of Feotus or Neubauten.. I’m all in.

2 -3 songs done and I’m liking it but not loving it - they are to industrial what Ghost are to metal . For some reason I’m reminded of the Punks in Terminator… cos playing danger with no real menace.

I do like how the singer sing/talking over the music sounding a lot like Christophe Lee in his two excellent metal albums.

I just want more oomph, not to mention angle grinders …

Compare the orchestral parts of Opes Dei to Scraping Feouts off the Wheel’s Thrones of agony - where fetus soar these merely plod along .

I’m loving this but am left wanting more

Oh wait Trans national brings it … somehow industrial yet Christmassy . I’m loving it

Can I give this 5 when it just makes want to listen to Hole or wheel by fetus - or anything by JD Thirwel ? As I doubt Scraping fetus off the wheel are in this list I’ll keep listening by encourage anyone reading this to check out the fetus Oeuvre.