Reviews by kenny-mike

The Go-Go’s came and Went Went, but their hits are enduring. Especially “We Got the Beat” and (on their premature follow-up album) “Vacation.” This album is a great pop accomplishment and brings me right back to the early 80s whether I’m ready or not.

On first listen, I didn’t walk away saying, “My, how dark this is!” Instead, I walked away saying, “Man, how much like Dylan this is.”

I had trouble shaking that thought. But with a little bit of a furrowed brow, I’m rounding this up to 4/5.

Before there was widespread use of professional counseling services, there was The Blues. Musicians like B.B. King were like therapists, but far more entertaining. They helped those suffering from the the one and only diagnosis, "the blues," name their experiences, work through their emotions, and express their feelings. It was understood that "the blues" was generally rooted in relational distress, especially one's relationship to his (as B.B. said) "wife or woman or whatever." Eventually we learned that our problems are all a result of bad parenting, and music got a little less interesting.

Just listen to those first 4 or 5 songs… each completely different, with different songwriters and even lead vocalists, yet somehow it all fits together.


“Death on Two Legs” is a riveting opening track, written to a music executive who remains nameless but… yikes.“Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” is a witty period piece, a perfect foil to what comes next with Roger Taylor’s great song “I’m In Love With My Car.” Then, a classic track written by bassist John Deacon, “You’re My Best Friend.” From there it’s Brian May’s sci-fi folksong “39” and then some more straight ahead rock with “Sweet Lady” and another period piece, “Seaside Rendezvous.”

Side one alone: Seven songs, four songwriters, and three vocalists. Quite the variety show!

Side two feels to me like an updated version of what Queen accomplished on “Queen II.” (I’m pleasantly surprised that that album, a tremendous deep cut, is on the 1001 list.) Side two of “Opera” most famously contains “Bohemian Rhapsody” and what can I say that hasn’t already been said; it’s amazing.

This album is such a great achievement. Side one in particular. 5/5 for sure.

** And now let’s note the great injustice, that after this album you don’t hear a peep further about Queen from the 1001 List. What about the incredibly viral “News of the World” and “The Game” with their iconic tracks and great deep cuts?

OK, everyone calm down. We realize that it’s hard to be objective when it comes to Taylor Swift. But let’s recognize that there’s a reason SO MANY new fans were added to her already enormous fanbase when “folklore” dropped into the middle of Our Pandemic Year. That album was one of THE albums of 2020, and “evermore” is its kid sister.

These sister releases showcased a whole new side of Taylor Swift. These albums were indie gems, driven by songwriting and storytelling, a whole new way of inhabiting her music. They were so impactful to longtime fans, new fans, and critics alike that they paved the way for Swift’s remarkable re-records and the epic Eras Tour. The years 2020-2024 will always be remembered as her magisterial period. Her output and the response was stunning.


Of course that level of success is what makes objectivity difficult no matter where you fall on the Swiftie Spectrum. The thing is though, these two albums were really, really good. “Folklore” is better imo. The 1001 List either overthought something or underthought it by choosing the kid sister album… kind of like waiting to give the Academy Award to the final film in a trilogy. Nevertheless, that’s not the album’s fault. Both “folklore” and “evermore” are beautiful, filled with tremendous songwriting, and deserve attention.

5/5 because, as I said, it’s hard to be objective when it comes to Taylor Swift.

What stood out to me THIS time:

First, the incredible energy of this album. The album starts out strong with the title track and with just a few exceptions moves urgently, vigorously forward.


Second, SO MUCH LENNON. I had to check my ears against Wikipedia and, sure enough, he’s the songwriter and lead vocal on most of the songs. Paul slows us down for "And I Love Her" and the lively "Can't Buy Me Love."

Also, I ran across this great quote on the Wiki: “The songs, conceived in a hotel room in a spare couple of weeks between up-ending the British class system and conquering America, were full of bite and speed.” Yes indeed.

The highest I can give is 5/5, but I’d like to lodge a protest because this album - understood within the history of rock’n’roll — deserves a rating much higher than that.

“Siouxie Image, Ltd.”

Strong 4/5
Favorite song: “Monitor”

This album surprised me. Based on the release date, I would not have expected this sound exactly. So it seemed ahead of its time, or at least on a cutting edge. Reading up on that, I discovered that this was considered the foundations of so-called Trip Hop. I usually don’t roam around inside that genre, but I enjoyed the music quite a bit and could definitely picture putting this on again when I need its chill groove.

Even someone without a great handle on jazz can recognize the talent here. That someone is me.

The voice is beautiful, and the music is smooth yet engaging. There was more variety than I expected. Also more stand-up bass than expected; for some reason I love that bass/piano combination.

Favorites on first blush: “Seven Years,” “Cold Cold Heart,” “Shoot the Moon,” and the one we’ve all heard “Don’t Know Why.”

What other band had 10 such smart, strong, influential albums in a row like R.E.M. had from 1983-1996? The list begins with their debut LP Murmur and ends with New Adventures in Hi-Fi, their final album with all four founding members. Automatic for the People is the eighth, and considered by many their best. As for me: I subscribe to the view that there is no such thing as a greatest R.E.M. album, only personal favorites (often influenced by what year you came of age and/or first “met” the band).

One of the great things about THIS album is how it defied expectations, following their hugely successful Out of Time (think “Losing My Religion”). When this album was released, Mike Mills said that it probably would not sell like their previous album (it did) but they still thought it was a good album. Peter Buck said that in retrospect, no other album in 1993 sounded like theirs…“and that’s a good thing.”

The sound is spacious, reflective, somber, with edges of hope. So many songs address death and mortality that a rumor circulated that Michael Stipe was dying. As it turns out, he was grieving some big losses, but he is still with us to this day.

The genius here, and the beauty, is that the band followed their own musical direction, created something authentic, and found themselves once again on the leading edge for all the right reasons.

Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but in my Top 10 .... 5/5.

I used to listen to the “Riff Album Countdown” on Sunday evenings on 101.1 WRIF in Detroit. This was a ROCK station. And this was an album countdown, much cooler than just top songs. And I remember that “War” held the #1 spot for quite a few weeks, and so WRIF - “the Riff” - would dutifully play “New Years Day” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday” during the countdown.

What I remember most was how out of place this music sounded on 1983 rock radio. It didn’t sound like ROCK. And WRIF never played this band throughout the week. Something new, something different was intruding into the territory reserved for Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and Ted Nugent. What was going on?

“New Years Day” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday” are still my two favorite U2 songs…

My entry point for Tom Waits was “Swordfishtrombones,” which is a lifetime favorite album. Forays into his earlier work were less successful, at least back then. But this album, Swordfish’s immediate predecessor, brings that same hard-to-classify fusion of blues, jazz, nightclub down and outness, heartbreak, and grit that Waits is known for.

Yes…. I like it.

Favorites: “Til the Money Runs Out,” “Mr. Siegel.” But also the opening/title track and “Downtown.”

Bonus:
Love this quote, from Wikipedia: His unique voice was described by Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."

As someone who only heard Clapton's name associated with “Cocaine” and “Layla” when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I’ve always wondered why he was placed on such a high pedestal. But in the 60’s he was at the forefront of guitar-driven rock, here in the Blues Breakers and next with Cream. He also played with The Yardbirds and Blind Faith. Seems like the 60s were his greatest era, as he invested his talents into great bands and influenced the likes of Eddie Van Halen who would use his work as an early template. So what can you do but give this album 5/5 for being on the cutting edge of the revolutionary sounds of the 60s.

(ALSO: What’s up with “What’d I Say” using the same riff as “Day Tripper”? I guess you can’t ever get too far away from The Beatles in the mid-60s!)

I’m not a huge fan of Van Halen’s lyrics or (I’m)moral vision, but I’m compelled to give this album a 5/5 due to this simple mental exercise:

Picture the last 10 albums you’ve received on this 1001 List. Then, imagine listening to this album as if you’d never heard Van Halen before: as if you just stumbled upon this album for the first time through this list.

Or, if you heard this upon release in 1978, how would you NOT be at first stunned, and then completely enraptured by Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work? The riffs, the lead work, and the fills… Meanwhile Brother Alex and Michael Anthony are providing their own tour de force. Think what you will of David Lee Roth, he’s a showman, he’s a frontman, he’s annoying, and he's tremendous. But this music takes you so high you cannot BUT end up in 5/5 territory.

Two additional thoughts:
1. What a debut album! Among the most impressive for sure. I haven’t dug into VH’s backstory but I admit, I’m really curious. Talk about a band emerging on the scene fully formed! (And I don’t think they ever topped this album IMO.)

2. “You Really Got Me” is a cover of a Kinks’ classic, and so is “Where Have All The Good Times Gone?” from their fifth album Diver Down. Again, among the most impressive cover versions in rock history. VH actually did quite a number of covers… as for the Kinks, not sure if they should be delighted or mortified.

You really got me... 5/5

This sounds very old school, even adjusting for 1969, but at its best it does have a nice groove and a spark of attitude. “Son of a Preacher Man” is certainly a highlight but several other songs deliver as well. The album either waned, or my interest did, once into Side Two territory. But overall, the experience was better than anticipated.

Wait a second, I thought the 60s happened. Then I listen to this album and it sounds like they didn’t. We can all return to our love songs and pop songs and all is well with the social order.

This just isn’t what I expected. It’s an iconic album and I expected something with greater depth and more…texture.

It’s a nice album and if these songs were playing in your ‘71 VW Beetle, I’m sure it would have a great deal of nostalgic appeal. Carole King has written some very popular songs and I’m sure this deserves a higher rating than my 3/5. But that would just feel dishonest.

“I’m The Man Who Loves You” sounds like the gifted grandchild of The Beatles’ “Revolver.” Take a nice, catchy song, then add layer upon studio layer of brilliant sounds and production until the nice song is so much More.


“Poor Places” concludes as if to reveal its identity as the offspring of “A Day in the Life” and “Revolution #9.”

In the end, the album doesn’t sound like The Beatles at all. It’s definitely of its time in the Early Oughts. But… I keep coming back to The Beatles comparison because there is a kind of creativity expressed here that doesn’t let go of a song until it’s taken to a new level. Reinvented, even. The original might have been Just Fine, but the band pushes further, and they succeed.

Round up to 5!

Terence Trent D'Arby released a very popular album back in 1987. I remember the album cover and a bit of the hype. Anyway, here it is.

Apparently he was quite the self-promoter back in the day. Now, he's changed his name. There must be an interesting, and likely tragic, story behind that.

Only a few country bands ever bought a Velvet Underground record, but each one that did started a band. Fortunately this was one of the few that did.

Steely Dan’s hits don’t generally do much for me, although sometimes on a closer listen I’ll appreciate the craftsmanship. This song only contains one hit so perhaps that’s helpful for me? The more the album moves away from that polished sound the more I can enjoy it. That would be “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” and Barrytown,” for example. I also really enjoy the groove of the title track.

I’m torn between a 3 and 4. My rounding up to 4 is in honor of my friend Blair. (You should meet him he’s a good guy.)