Reviews by kenny-mike

Grunge? Indie? Gangsta Rap? Or how about this other sound of the 90s that builds upon the electronic and rhythmic pop of the 80s? I’m not even sure this is my style, so why do I keep listening? Why is it so good? I guess I’m a fan.

Would love to hear a pared down version of this album. I love what I’m hearing, it’s just that they keep interrupting their own songs. Nevertheless, I’m rounding up to 4 because it’s more than just a middler, and it started out strong.

“Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away” will lead me back to this album. But this is the least familiar, for me, of Stevie Wonder’s magisterial period that includes Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness, and Songs in the Key of Life. Great stretch.

Apparently it took folks about 30 years to warm up to this album. I am in a bit of a hurry so I decided to save myself the time and like it right away. It’s solid, meaningful, and pleasant. Gene Clark was originally with the Byrds, I’m told.

Bob Dylan, revisited.

The Kinks were pioneers. In 1964 they gave us early rock/punk classics “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night.” Banned from touring the US, they didn’t get to enjoy all the advantages of their fellow British Invaders but have a solid discography.

This is a good album that would be more impressive if it had been released 2 years earlier. By 1968, the Beatles were offering the white album and the Stones, Beggar’s Banquet. This may be intentionally a throwback but it’s a throwback nevertheless.

The Kinks and this album deserve more attention. Wish I could give it 5/5 but I think this is a strong 3 or a 4.

I for one love to be reminded of hip hop’s younger days before its misogynyistic and violent growth spurt.

May be hard to stick with the entire album but there are key songs to hear (quick! before you die!) - Hard Times, Rock Box, Jam Master Jay, and It’s Like That. There are other good songs as well, but I find myself surprised they are only half over when I think they are about to “rap up.”

I’ve always thought Bruce Springsteen, for me, was just OK. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that, for me, this album was just OK.

For whatever reason the song that landed for me emotionally was “Racing in the Street.”

This is one sophisticated lady. Glad to learn about this album.

1. If you can’t groove to this rhythm, I fear your groover is broken.

2. If you have only heard “Take Me to the River” you haven’t heard this album. You have heard one of the lesser tracks. It’s great, but it’s part of the tempo change that helps you cool down after all that’s come before.

3. The last song, “The Big Country,” is satire at its wittiest, catchiest, and quirkiest.

4. Jerry Harrison was in Modern Lovers before Talking Heads. I highly recommend checking out their self-titled, ahead of its time album if you want another window into early alternative/punk inspired (of course) by The Velvet Underground.

5. Each of the first five Talking Heads studio albums should be on this list, not to mention Stop Making Sense. And the film SMS - oh the joy!

Five out of five stars, fully deserving each one.

I never got around to the Ramones back in my can-I-afford-another-REM-or-Talking-Heads-album days. And it looks like this came out same year as the Clash’s first album which is more compelling to me. But, they inspired some of my favorite bands, U2 and as Sleater-Kinney to name just two… so I will round up to make sure they get the credit they deserve.

It isn’t love it isn’t hate it’s just indifference.

I enjoy ABBA’s hits so I was willing to have them pay a visit. It wasn’t long, however, before I just wanted some peace and quiet again.

I didn't expect much from the band that gave us "Our House," a catchy one hit wonder type song I remember from early 80's teen-dom. But this has an enjoyable, intelligent pop sound, and the album is very even. Too bad it's not on Spotify, I had to listen to this one via YouTube. Another reason to give the band a break and round 'em up to 4.

Please feel free to trust the critics and not me on this one. They all seem to love this.

I couldn’t get past three tracks. I’m told the lyrics to this breakup album are “devastating” but I’m met with lyrics like this:

“Show me emotional respect, oh respect, oh respect / And I have emotional needs, oh needs, oh ooh / I wish to synchronize our feelings, our feelings, oh ooh”

Not so subtle… not so artful. Neither is “I remember every single f*ck” (track three).

And I don’t like the sound at all.

So there’s a lot I apparently don’t get, and I usually don’t rate an album if I didn’t hear all (or at least most) of it. But this was a non-starter. Needle off, record back in its sleeve, and ready to move on.

From 1966, something truly impressive.

This album builds a bridge between the culture and the counter-culture of its day. It includes plenty of doo-wop sounds and sentiments, but always with satire. The message: the times they have a-changed and if you're still living in the (then, not so distant) past, that's...cute.

Other songs on the album are in-your-face cultural and political statements. That includes the opening track, "Hungry Freaks, Daddy," and also my favorite on the album "Trouble Every Day." As another review noted, that latter song is "sadly, always relevant." It truly is. That song may easily have been written yesterday, and yet this was nearly 60 years ago, the Beatles hadn't released Sgt Pepper, and (as another review mentioned) Americans hadn't landed on the moon yet.

That bridge from the culture to the counter-culture is one-way, by the way. And it lands you in a swamp of psychedelic and experimental expression as the album wraps up. (You may get impatient.)

This album forms, at least in my mind, a trilogy along with Absolutely Free and We're Only In It For the Money. That third album made fun of both the establishment (and decried its dangers) and also the (now trendy) counter-culture. Zappa was the Jon Stewart of the late 60s music scene: observant, talented, even-handed, satirical.

At first I thought, "This is just OK." And I didn't want to deal with an entire album of Liam Gallagher's voice. (One person said "Liam Gallagher makes whining work.)

So I turned it off and went on with life after "Wonderwall."

Over coffee this morning, started in again, just to be fair. "Hey Now" hooked me in. From there it was pure enjoyment. Even looping back around to the earlier songs.

Maybe it's the coffee.

Maybe it's the morning (I mean, right?).

Maybe the album is really good after all.

What can you say about an album that spent 962 weeks on the Billboard Charts, is 14x Platinum, and has one of the highest ratings I've seen yet on this 1001 site?

How about... it's kinda boring?

On the other hand, it's a philosophical work - with its message conveyed through a mixture of music and lyrics. (Every other song on the album is instrumental or ambient, till the last track breaks the pattern.)

"Time," the best song in my opinion, has excellent lyrics, perspective, and emotional range. You just have to wait 2.5 minutes for the song to kick in. I guess that's making a point, now that I think about it.

I do not disparage others for loving this album even though it doesn't do a whole lot for me. It has vision, some degree of depth...it's saying something.

But it leaves me wondering why 1000 other albums didn't stay on the charts that long??

Who knew that in 1980, Public Image Ltd and U2 had a child and named it Klling Joke?

As a result, I love the music. I appreciate the political and philosophical overtones. But, the vocal presentation has too much of something or too little of something...can't quite tell.

In any case, this is a worthy addition to anyone's collection of early post-punk.

Not a big fan of ELO and was unenthused about listening to a double album (who told them they could do that?). As it turned out… still not a big fan. BUT, if more of this album sounded like side 4 (the last four songs) I would be more interested.

Rounding up to 3 stars and a math teacher would probably tell me I should be rounding down…