kenny-mike

It is said that this album influenced the Beatles. I think the best way to think about that is this. Imagine The Beach Boys and the Beatles running around the same track, but the Beatles just keep passing them by as they are running faster and stronger. Each time the Beatles pass by The Beach Boys, they smile and wave.

A few months after this album came out, The Beatles released Revolver. Compare and contrast.

3/5 but out of courtesy for rock historians I’ll go to 4/5.

Here’s the reason for rating this album, the first I’ve ever heard by St. Vincent, a 4/5. I went in curious, liked what I heard, and came away STILL curious. A reviewer pointed me to her 2009 cover of “I Dig A Pony” - thanks! Now I’m now listening to her full length debut from 2007 (“Marry Me”) and it’s a keeper. She evidenced so much promise, versatility, and artistry. I dig it.

BUT ALAS. This list has become like U.S. Politics, with those holding seats in the 1001 Chamber of Greatness changing seats now every few years. “Must Hears” from the last edition have been voted out, and a new batch of albums sworn in for the next term.… with a good chance of being voted out again next time. Does this 2024 release deserve this distinction, and will it still be here in a few years? Who knows. Do fans of St. Vincent, who know her music well, think this is THE album of hers to hear (it’s the only one on the list)? I doubt it. I mean, heck, even I’m more impressed by her album from 20 years ago.

So I’m giving St. Vincent 4/5, and I’d like to leave ambiguous whether that’s for “Marry Me” or “All Born Screaming.”

So, how many Bowie albums have YOU received so far?

"Heroes" isn't a bad album, and I don't blame you if it's a favorite. It has a good sound and a great collaborator involved (Brian Eno), even if the change from art rock to ambient synth is a bit abrupt. I admit I even enjoyed the first of the ambient tracks before I got to the "lemme outta here!" phase. The closing song was cool.

Lotsa, lotsa, lotsa Bowie on this list. And from me, lotsa 3/5.

There is a song on this album called "Rock Steady," and I think that sums it up. This album sounds like a band that's working really hard to hold it together, to get it just right. The end result is about as exciting as you'd expect something that careful and dutiful to be.

There is something about Johnny Cash that transcends “country,” my otherwise least favorite genre. The strongest clues are embedded in his live albums at Folsom Prison and here at San Quentin. How many artists can create this kind of bond with the residents of a high security prison? How many can walk into San Quentin and sing about tearing it down brick by brick, and being misunderstood?

This album is all about credibility.