Reviews by kitch82

Ten is the first Pearl Jam album I've come across as part of this challenge, which surprises me given their enormous fan base and reputation. Despite being one of the biggest bands to emerge from the grunge scene, I've never really listened to them. Perhaps after hearing this album I'll finally understand what all the fuss is about.

Unfortunately, I don't think I do!

For me, Ten takes some of the least interesting elements of alternative rock and combines them with the worst excesses of traditional hard rock. The result is an album that feels far too polished, predictable and, quite frankly, a bit naff.

What I love about Nirvana is how they took guitar music and gave it a raw punk edge. There was something exciting, rebellious and genuinely different about their sound. Pearl Jam seem to have gone in the opposite direction, taking the energy of grunge and turning it into something much closer to conventional stadium rock.

The guitars are big, the solos go on forever, and everything feels designed to sound enormous. But where's the attitude? Where's the excitement? For all the noise, I found very little that grabbed me. It feels like alternative rock with all the rough edges sanded off.

And then there's Eddie Vedder's voice. I know he's regarded as a fantastic singer, but I really struggled with his deep, exaggerated vocal style. It dominates everything, and after a while I found it quite irritating.

Overall, Ten was a real disappointment. I went into it curious to discover why Pearl Jam have such a huge following, but I came away wondering what I'm missing. Give me Nirvana any day. I certainly won't be rushing to listen to this again.

Favourite track: Nothing really stood out enough for me to pick a favourite.

Least favourite track: Rather than one particular song, it was the overall sound of the album that I struggled with.

Album artwork: A decent enough cover, although nothing particularly special.

Murder Ballads is the ninth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and probably my favourite of theirs, although it's incredibly difficult to choose. The Boatman's Call is also a masterpiece, and I could easily make a case for either being their best work. What an incredible band.
This album is dark, moody, violent and angry, but it's also absolutely brilliant. There's a fantastic mixture of Cave's original murder ballads and traditional songs, all brought together by his extraordinary songwriting and storytelling.

What I love most is the level of detail in the lyrics. Listening to these songs is almost like watching a film. Cave paints such vivid pictures that you can imagine every character, every setting and every gruesome detail of what's happening. "Stagger Lee" is a perfect example. What a superb song! It's outrageous, darkly funny, incredibly graphic and absolutely gripping from start to finish.

The storytelling throughout is exceptional. Every song tells a different tale, yet somehow they all work beautifully together. There's so much variation in the music, from the quieter, haunting moments to the more aggressive and disturbing tracks. It never becomes repetitive, and despite the subject matter, it's an incredibly enjoyable album to listen to.
There are also some fantastic guest appearances. Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan all bring something different to the album. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with Kylie is simply beautiful, while "Henry Lee" with PJ Harvey is another stunning piece of music. Who would have thought an album about murder could produce such lovely songs?

And then there's the ending. The cover of Bob Dylan's "Death Is Not the End" is one of my favourite covers of all time. After an album full of death, violence and misery, it's such a wonderful way to finish. The different voices coming together make it feel almost like a final curtain call for all the characters we've encountered along the way. Absolutely brilliant.
For me, Murder Ballads is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at their very best. The songwriting, musicianship, atmosphere and storytelling are all exceptional. It's dark, disturbing, occasionally funny and often strangely beautiful. An album that demands your attention and rewards you for giving it. I absolutely love it.

Favourite tracks: Where do I start? "Stagger Lee", "Henry Lee" and "Where the Wild Roses Grow" are all superb. I also have a real soft spot for "Lovely Creature" and "Death Is Not the End". So many brilliant songs.

Least favourite track: Nothing. Every song has its place, and I wouldn't change a thing.

Album artwork: Brilliant album cover. Dark, striking and perfectly suited to the music.

Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi is exactly the sort of album I normally struggle with. I've always thought Bon Jovi make music for people who don't really like music, particularly those over 60 who enjoy a bit of cheesy stadium rock! That said, I listened to this today while out for a run, and I think that was probably a much better way to experience it than sitting at home giving it my full attention.

Unfortunately, this really isn't a great album for me. So much of it sounds like a poor man's Bruce Springsteen, without the brilliant songwriting, storytelling or emotion that makes the Boss so good. Songs like "Wild in the Streets", "Raise Your Hands" and "Without Love" feel like second-rate Springsteen. There's plenty of energy and big choruses, but very little that I find particularly interesting.

Everything is so polished and over the top. The guitars are huge, the choruses are designed for stadiums, and there's no shortage of attitude, but it all feels a bit naff. I can understand why this sort of music was so popular in the 80s, but it's never really been my thing.

However, this album does have "Livin' on a Prayer", and what a song that is! It's an absolute classic and one of those iconic records that everyone knows. You can almost guarantee you'll hear it on a night out, and when that chorus kicks in, it's impossible not to sing along. A genuinely brilliant pop-rock song on an otherwise very average album.

Favourite track: "Livin' on a Prayer". An absolute belter and a genuinely iconic song. Easily the best thing on the album.

Least favourite track: Take your pick. So much of this felt naff, with "Wild in the Streets", "Raise Your Hands" and "Without Love" all sounding like poor Springsteen imitations.

Album artwork: Standard 80s rock album cover. Nothing particularly exciting or memorable.

Real Life by Magazine took two or three listens today before I could really form an opinion on it. I've always loved the Buzzcocks, so I was looking forward to hearing what Howard Devoto did after leaving the band. Post-punk is also very much my thing, so I had high hopes for this album.
I have to admit, I struggled a little on the first listen. Nothing particularly grabbed me, and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. However, by the second listen, something clicked, and the more I played it, the more I liked it.

What I really enjoy about Real Life is the variety. It takes the raw energy of punk and pushes it in a completely different direction. There's much more going on musically, with interesting arrangements, great guitar work and a darker, more atmospheric sound. The production is excellent, and the lyrics are clever, unusual and full of character.

You can hear the connection to the Buzzcocks, but Magazine are clearly doing something different. This feels like punk growing up and becoming more adventurous, without losing the attitude and energy that made it exciting in the first place. There's plenty of melody here too, which really started to stand out after a couple of listens.

The only real disappointment for me was their cover of "Goldfinger". I thought it was terrible and completely out of place compared with the quality of the rest of the album. Thankfully, there's more than enough good music elsewhere to make up for it.

Overall, Real Life is a really good album and one that definitely rewards repeated listens. I went from being fairly underwhelmed to thoroughly enjoying it, and by the end of the day I was hooked. A great example of how post-punk took the foundations of punk and turned them into something much more interesting. I'll definitely be listening to this again.

Favourite track: "The Light Pours Out of Me". What a great tune. Dark, atmospheric and full of energy. Easily the standout for me.

Least favourite track: "Goldfinger". A terrible cover and the one track I could happily do without.

Album artwork: Cool, artistic and very much of its time. A great cover that suits the music perfectly.

Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear is almost the definition of average indie music for me. I didn't hate it, the time passed by easily enough, and there were some pleasant moments, but nothing really grabbed me or made me think, wow, this is brilliant!

I don't think 2009 was a particularly great period for music, and I do wonder whether that helped this album find its way onto the list. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but equally, I struggle to understand what makes it so special. It's all very gentle, melodic and nicely put together, but much of it just drifts along without leaving much of an impression.

That said, I did give it a second listen, and I have to admit I enjoyed it more the second time around. Songs like "Fine for Now" started to grow on me, and I picked up on some of the melodies and arrangements that must have passed me by the first time. There's clearly some good musicianship here, and the layered harmonies are lovely in places.

"Southern Point" and "Two Weeks" are both good songs, full of those delicate melodies and slightly twee indie sounds. I can imagine the hipsters absolutely loving this album back in 2009! Unfortunately, for me, there just aren't enough moments that really stand out.

Ultimately, Veckatimest is a pleasant enough listen, and it certainly improved with a second play. However, pleasant doesn't necessarily mean memorable. It's beautifully produced and has some interesting moments, but too much of it feels rather dull and forgettable. I'm glad I gave it another chance, but I can't imagine rushing back to it.

Favourite tracks: "Southern Point" and "Two Weeks" are both good tunes, if a little twee. "Fine for Now" also grew on me after a second listen.

Least favourite track: Nothing is particularly awful, but there's an awful lot of dull music on here. Too many songs just pass by without leaving much of an impression.

Album artwork: I really like this cover. The colours work beautifully together, and it's probably one of the most memorable things about the album.

Hypnotised by The Undertones is such a nothing album. It's easy enough to listen to, but that's about the best thing I can say about it. Nothing particularly happens, nothing stands out, and by the time it's finished, I was struggling to remember much of what I'd just heard.

For me, The Undertones are a bit of a one-hit wonder. "Teenage Kicks" is an absolutely brilliant punk song, full of energy, attitude and a fantastic melody. Unfortunately, it's not even on this album, and nothing here comes remotely close to matching it.

The biggest problem with Hypnotised is just how average it all sounds. It's very standard, run-of-the-mill punk rock, with the same sort of guitars, vocals and melodies running through most of the songs. There's nothing particularly offensive about it, but there's also nothing exciting, original or interesting enough to make me want to listen again.

I generally enjoy punk when it's full of energy, catchy hooks and a bit of attitude, but this just feels flat. The songs come and go without leaving much of an impression, and the whole album becomes rather forgettable. Even the short running time couldn't save it from feeling a bit dull.

I know The Undertones have their fans, but I really don't understand what makes this album special enough to deserve a place on the list. It's not terrible, just incredibly average. Give me "Teenage Kicks" any day, but I won't be rushing back to Hypnotised.

Favourite track: "Under the Boardwalk". I actually really enjoyed their cover of this classic. Easily the highlight for me.

Least favourite track: Take your pick, really. Nothing was particularly awful, but almost everything else was very meh. Just a collection of forgettable punk songs.

Album artwork: Cool album cover. Probably more memorable than most of the music.

I can’t believe it’s taken this long for my first Steve Winwood solo album to appear in this challenge. That said, Traffic have already made an appearance, and I think they’re superb. I’ve always loved Steve Winwood, so I was really looking forward to listening to Arc of a Diver today, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
What a great album this is. Every song is strong, and there’s a real consistency to the quality throughout. Winwood is such a talented musician and songwriter, and you can hear that in every track. The combination of his brilliant voice, keyboards and catchy melodies makes this a really enjoyable listen.

I wonder whether bringing in different songwriting partners helped give Arc of a Diver such a strong collection of songs. Whatever the reason, it works brilliantly. This is top-quality pop music, full of great lyrics, memorable melodies and catchy hooks. There’s also a lovely mix of pop, rock and soul, with that unmistakable Steve Winwood sound running through everything.

“While You See a Chance” is a fantastic opener and a brilliant pop song. The title track is another highlight, and I really enjoyed “Second-Hand Woman”. What I particularly like is that the quality never really drops. There’s no unnecessary filler, and every song earns its place.

This is exactly the sort of album I love discovering through this challenge. Great songwriting, superb musicianship and plenty of melody. I went in with high expectations and came away loving it. I'll definitely be listening to this again, and it has reminded me just how good Steve Winwood is.

Favourite tracks: “While You See a Chance”, “Arc of a Diver” and “Second-Hand Woman”. Three superb songs.

Least favourite track: Nothing really. I enjoyed every track, and there isn't a weak song on the album.

Album artwork: Cool album cover. Simple, colourful and very much of its time.

I’ve always really enjoyed Youssou N’Dour’s “7 Seconds” with Neneh Cherry. It’s a brilliant song, so I was looking forward to giving Immigrés a listen today and discovering more of his music.

I really enjoyed this. It’s not the sort of music I would normally choose to listen to, and I do sometimes struggle with albums where I can’t understand the lyrics. However, that didn’t stop me appreciating just how good the music is on this record.

The production is excellent. The drums and percussion sound fantastic, the guitar playing is lovely, and Youssou N’Dour has a beautiful voice. There’s so much rhythm and energy throughout, and even without understanding the words, you can hear the emotion and passion in his singing.

What also works in the album’s favour is its length. With just four tracks, it never outstays its welcome. There is some repetition in the rhythms and melodies, but the album is short enough that it never becomes boring or starts to feel too familiar.

This is exactly the sort of discovery I enjoy about this challenge. An album I probably would never have listened to otherwise, but one that I genuinely enjoyed. It’s beautifully performed, full of interesting sounds and well worth a listen.

Favourite track: “Pitche Mi”. A really enjoyable track with some lovely guitar playing and great music throughout.

Least favourite track: Nothing really. Everything was worth a listen.

Album artwork: Not exactly the sort of album cover I’d want hanging on the walls at home!

Going into today’s listen, I had never heard of either Spiderland or the band Slint, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

This is a really difficult album to review. My first listen flew by, but when it finished, I genuinely couldn’t decide whether I liked it or not. It’s a strange record, dark, sombre and almost unsettling at times. The songs develop slowly, creating this deep, haunting atmosphere, yet somehow it often feels like the music isn't really going anywhere. It’s a very unusual listening experience.

There’s something about the sound that reminds me of Joy Division. It has that same bleak, brooding atmosphere and sense of unease. I can understand why this album developed such a following, particularly in the UK, where this darker, more experimental style of music has always had an audience.

What I do like is the darkness of the lyrics and how stripped back everything sounds. Nothing feels overproduced or unnecessary. There’s a constant tension running through the album, as though something is about to happen, but it rarely quite arrives. The music builds and builds, and just when you think it’s finally going to explode into something, it pulls back again. By the time the album reaches its conclusion, you're almost left wanting more.

And perhaps that’s what makes Spiderland so interesting. It’s not particularly catchy, there aren't any obvious big songs, and I’m still not entirely sure how much I enjoyed it. Yet there’s something strangely compelling about the whole thing.

I’ll definitely listen to this album again, although I’m not entirely sure why! Maybe that’s the best compliment I can give it. It’s an album that leaves you feeling like there’s something you haven’t quite understood and makes you want to go back and work it out.

Favourite track: Probably “Washer”. It’s difficult to pick one, but this stood out for its haunting atmosphere and slow build.

Least favourite track: Nothing on here is particularly bad. It’s more an album that needs to be experienced as a whole.

Album artwork: Strange yet somehow familiar. A really unusual cover that suits the unsettling atmosphere of the music perfectly.

I’ve always had a mixed relationship with U2, but when they get it right I think they’re superb. I love the raw power and meaning of War and think Achtung Baby is a masterpiece, whereas their later, more polished pop sound on All That You Can’t Leave Behind does very little for me. I knew going into The Joshua Tree that I was going to love it, and unsurprisingly, I do. It’s a fantastic album.

I’m not a huge U2 fan, but this is a brilliant record. It’s the sort of album that can pick you up when you’re down. It’s full of energy, huge melodies and poignant storytelling, and listening to it today made me realise I should play it a lot more often.

The whole band sounds incredible. The Edge’s guitar work is fantastic throughout, Bono’s voice is at its best, and the bass and drums are so tight. Everything comes together perfectly, and for me this is U2’s best work.

And what an opening three tracks. “Where the Streets Have No Name”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “With or Without You”. It really doesn’t get much stronger than that. Three absolutely brilliant songs back to back, and thankfully the quality doesn’t suddenly disappear afterwards. This is an album rather than just a collection of huge singles.
I may never call myself a massive U2 fan, but The Joshua Tree is an exceptional album. Powerful, uplifting, emotional and packed with great songs. This is U2 at their absolute best.

Favourite track: “Where the Streets Have No Name”. That opening build is incredible and when the song kicks in it’s absolutely huge. “With or Without You” runs it very close.

Least favourite track: Nothing really. There isn’t a song here I’d particularly want to skip.

Album artwork: Iconic U2 cover. It’s the image I immediately think of when I think of the band. Simple, atmospheric and completely tied to the album.

Shaka Zulu by Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a stunning record. Like most English speakers listening to this, I can’t understand the majority of the lyrics, but it really doesn’t matter. The voices and harmonies are so beautiful that the music completely wins you over anyway.

The a cappella singing is incredible. The way the different voices come together is probably the highlight of the whole album for me. At times it’s lively and uplifting, and then suddenly it becomes hauntingly beautiful. You don’t need to understand the words to feel the emotion in the music.

There is naturally some repetition to the sound and it can become almost hypnotic at times. My attention wandered slightly towards the end, which is probably what stops this being a 5-star album for me. Thankfully, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, and the running time means the repetition never becomes a major problem.

This is exactly the sort of album I’m glad this challenge introduces me to. It’s completely different from most of the music I would normally choose to listen to, but it’s beautifully performed and absolutely deserves its place on the list.

Favourite track: Difficult to pick one. Every track is beautifully put together and the harmonies are stunning throughout.

Least favourite track: I couldn’t pick one. Nothing on the album is bad.

Album artwork: Stunning album cover. Simple but really striking.

Manassas by Stephen Stills is a long album and, at times, not an easy listen. I’ve always thought double albums are rarely improved by being double albums, and this is another one that could have benefited from a lot of the filler being taken out.

There’s nothing particularly terrible about it, but so much of the album is just really generic and boring. The musicianship is obviously good, but too many songs drift by without anything grabbing my attention. At over an hour, that makes it feel like a real slog in places.

There’s also quite a lot of religious imagery and references to God running through parts of the album, which did very little for me. Combined with the country, folk and blues influences, there were long stretches where I simply lost interest.

There are some good moments though. “So Begins the Task” is a really nice song, while “Don’t Look at My Shadow” and “It Doesn’t Matter” were also highlights. There’s probably a decent single album hiding somewhere inside Manassas, but as a double album there’s just far too much here that I wouldn’t bother listening to again.

Favourite tracks: “So Begins the Task”, “Don’t Look at My Shadow” and “It Doesn’t Matter”.

Least favourite track: Nothing was particularly awful, there was just far too much forgettable filler.

Album artwork: Pretty standard album cover. Stephen Stills with all of his friends.

I Am a Bird Now by Antony and the Johnsons is a difficult one for me. There’s no doubting how deeply personal this album is, and the lyrics are incredibly powerful at times, but I just really struggle with the vocals. The voice is so distinctive and dramatic, but unfortunately it does absolutely nothing for me.

I can remember this album coming out and how much the music press loved it. I didn’t really understand the fuss then and, more than 20 years later, I’m afraid not much has changed. For long periods I simply found it boring.

That sounds harsh, because there are definitely things I can appreciate. It’s completely original, full of emotion and drama, and the bare arrangements work really well in places. There’s a vulnerability to the whole album that makes it feel different from almost anything else.

I can understand why this means so much to some people, but enjoying an album and appreciating what it’s trying to do are two different things. I can appreciate I Am a Bird Now, but I don’t particularly want to listen to it again.

Favourite track: “My Lady Story” was quite nice and probably the track I enjoyed most.

Least favourite track: Nothing was particularly horrible, but too much of the album was just too slow and dull for me.

Album artwork: Cool album cover. Simple, striking and memorable.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is an outstanding album. I genuinely wish I’d listened to the whole thing years ago because there is so much more here than the handful of massive singles everyone knows.

What really struck me is the anger and attitude running through it. Songs like “Two Tribes” and “Relax” have an incredible amount of energy, and there’s a real sense of a country and world that felt broken. The politics, Cold War anxiety and frustration of the time are all over the album, but it never forgets to be great pop music at the same time.

I loved pretty much everything about this. Even the covers work. On another album they might feel like filler, but here they seem to have a place in the tracklisting and add to the whole journey of the record. I particularly enjoyed their version of “Born to Run”, which I really wasn’t expecting.

And then there are the hits. “The Power of Love”, “Two Tribes” and “Relax” are just brilliant. Three completely different songs that show how much more there was to Frankie Goes to Hollywood than I probably gave them credit for. “Relax” and “Two Tribes” in particular are absolute 80s pop gold and still sound fantastic today.

This album is enjoyable for so many reasons. It’s ambitious, angry, fun, political, completely over the top in places and packed with brilliant music. What a great album.

Favourite tracks: “Relax” and “Two Tribes”. Absolute 80s pop gold. “The Power of Love” isn’t far behind.

Least favourite track: Nothing. Everything is worth a listen and even the covers earn their place.

Album artwork: Brilliant album cover. Bold, strange and completely fitting for the album.

Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and João Gilberto is today’s listen, and I went into this expecting a struggle. Brazilian jazz is really not my thing at all.
That said, I was interested to give it a go because I know how legendary this album is. Also, for a jazz album, eight tracks in around half an hour felt very manageable!

My first thought was just how smooth and sexy it sounds. It has such a relaxed feel to it and moves along nicely without ever becoming hard work. “The Girl from Ipanema” is obviously the song I recognised, and hearing it as part of the album made me appreciate just how good it is.
I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The sound can become a little repetitive, but nothing bored me and the short running time really works in its favour. It’s calm, melodic and incredibly easy to listen to.

This isn’t an album I can imagine waking up one morning and thinking, “I really fancy some Brazilian jazz today”, but I’m glad this challenge made me listen to it. A really pleasant surprise and a genuinely good album.

Favourite tracks: “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Corcovado”. Both lovely songs.

Least favourite track: Nothing was horrible at all. The sound does become a little repetitive, but it never outstays its welcome.

Album artwork: I like it. Simple, distinctive and very much of its time.

I’d never heard of Alexander “Skip” Spence or Oar before today. After a little research, I discovered that he had been a member of Jefferson Airplane, a band this challenge introduced me to and that I’ve really enjoyed, so that gave me some hope going into this.

Unfortunately, it never really happened for me. There were moments where I thought the album was finally going to kick into gear and become something interesting, but it never quite got there. Overall, I found it long, boring and at times different simply for the sake of being different.

I saw Oar described as “one of the most harrowing documents of pain and confusion ever made.” I’m guessing they meant for the listener!
There are ideas in here that feel like they could turn into decent songs, but too often they just drift along without really going anywhere. I appreciate that the album is very personal and clearly comes from a difficult place, but that doesn’t necessarily make it enjoyable to listen to. For me, it was more exhausting than interesting.

Favourite track: I guess “Little Hands” was quite a nice song and probably the highlight.

Least favourite tracks: There’s some real crap on here. “Grey/Afro” and “Keep Everything Under Your Hat” were particularly hard work.

Album artwork: Odd album cover. Not entirely sure what to make of it, which probably sums up the album quite well.

Follow the Leader by Korn is today’s listen and, unfortunately, this is exactly the type of metal that makes me think I don’t like metal.

It’s long, loud and incredibly boring. There’s plenty of aggression and noise, but very little underneath it that I could connect with. I kept waiting for a melody, a great riff or just something interesting to happen, but most of the album seemed to blur into the same unpleasant sound.

At over an hour long, this became a real endurance test. I know Korn and this album in particular were hugely influential on the nu metal sound, but it’s clearly not a sound for me. By the end, I was just relieved it was over.

An hour plus of my life I’m never getting back.

Favourite track: Couldn’t pick one.

Least favourite track: Take your pick. I struggled with every track.

Album artwork: Easily the best part of the album. Cool cover, shame about the music.

Today I learned that “Everybody’s Talkin’” was not written by The Beautiful South! It was actually written by some dude called Fred Neil and originally appeared on his self-titled album in 1966. Every day is a school day with this challenge.

Fred Neil is described as one of the pioneers of folk, which instantly made me think I was going to hate this album. Surprisingly, I didn’t. In fact, it starts really well. I enjoyed pretty much everything up to and including “Sweet Cocaine”. Neil has a great deep voice and there’s a relaxed simplicity to the music that I quite enjoyed.
Unfortunately, the second half completely lost me. It becomes incredibly slow and dull, and songs like “Look Over Yonder” and “Merry Go Round” seemed to go absolutely nowhere. By the end I was more than ready for it to finish.

So a real album of two halves. The first half was a pleasant surprise and much better than I expected, but the second half was a slog.

Favourite track: I quite enjoyed “Sweet Cocaine”. “Everybody’s Talkin’” is obviously a great song too.

Least favourite tracks: Most of the second half. “Look Over Yonder” and “Merry Go Round” were particularly dull.

Album artwork: Creepy album cover. Fred looks like he’s watching you through the window.

Aftermath by The Rolling Stones isn’t their best album, but there are still some absolute belters on here.

The opening run is brilliant. “Paint It Black” is a masterpiece and still sounds incredible today. “Under My Thumb” is such a good song, while I also really enjoyed “Stupid Girl” and “Lady Jane”. When this album is good, it’s The Stones at their best, with great melodies, brilliant guitar and that unmistakable swagger.

The problem is that the album peaks very early. After the first four tracks, the quality drops off quite dramatically for me. From “High and Dry” onwards, there’s far too much bluesy material that doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s not terrible, but compared with the opening songs it feels pretty dull.

Of the Stones albums I’ve listened to as part of this challenge, this is definitely the weakest. There are some fantastic songs here, but the album as a whole is really held up by its opening section and particularly by the brilliance of “Paint It Black”.

Favourite track: “Paint It Black”. What a song. An absolute masterpiece.

Least favourite tracks: The second half of the album is pretty weak for me. From “High and Dry” onwards, too much of it is bluesy, dull and doesn’t really go anywhere. Far from The Stones at their best.

Album artwork: Cool album cover. Simple, classic Stones.

Elephant by The White Stripes is garage rock at its best. It’s raw, simple and absolutely packed with great guitar riffs. Jack White’s guitar playing is superb throughout, the lyrics are great, and I really enjoy the moments when Meg takes over on vocals. There’s something about the simplicity of The White Stripes that just works.

The album starts ridiculously well. “Seven Nation Army” has one of the most recognisable riffs ever written and still sounds brilliant, while “Black Math” and “There’s No Home for You Here” keep that energy going. Their version of “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself” is also fantastic and genuinely one of my favourite cover versions of any song.
There’s plenty of variation as the album goes on, but it never loses that rough garage rock sound that makes The White Stripes so distinctive. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Great riffs, great songs and loads of energy. This is a really good album.

Favourite tracks: “Seven Nation Army” is obviously iconic, but “Black Math” and “There’s No Home for You Here” are also great. Honourable mention to “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself”, one of my favourite covers.

Least favourite track: Nothing. Everything on the album is worth a listen.
Album artwork: Classic White Stripes. Simple, strange and instantly recognisable.

Album artwork: Iconic album cover. Instantly recognisable.