Reviews by kitch82

I’d never really listened to Skunk Anansie before today and, if I’m being fair, I’d never particularly felt the need or desire to. So I went into Post Orgasmic Chill without many expectations. Let’s see what it’s all about!

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It’s unmistakably late 90s, but there’s plenty going on musically, with elements of alternative rock, hard rock and more melodic moments all thrown together. It has far more variety than I was expecting.

The lyrics were probably the most interesting part for me. There’s loads of pain, anger and frustration running through the album, which is right up my street, and Skin’s vocals are powerful enough to really sell it. At its best, there’s a real intensity to the music and you can feel the emotion behind it.

That said, there were moments where the anger felt a little teenage and the whole thing started to sound quite dated. Some of the slower tracks also began to blend into one another towards the end. It’s very much an album of its era, and I’m not sure everything has aged brilliantly.

Overall though, this was a pleasant surprise. I went in expecting very little and came away enjoying quite a lot of it. I’m not suddenly going to become a massive Skunk Anansie fan, but there’s enough here to make me understand their appeal and I’d certainly be more interested in hearing more from them than I was before.

Favourite tracks: “Tracy’s Flaw” and “Lately” were both really good tracks.

Least favourite tracks: Some of the slower songs, particularly “Secretly”, started to blend together and became a little samey.

Album artwork: Dark and moody. It suits the sound and atmosphere of the album really well.

The Mamas & the Papas, what an odd group of people! Some of the stories about what went on within this band are pretty wild, to say the least. They were incredibly prolific though during there three or four years together.

Their sound is all about harmony and melody. Those vocal harmonies are obviously what made them distinctive, and If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, their debut album, is probably the best example of what they did well. The problem for me is that once you get beyond the big songs, there isn’t actually that much going on.

Of course, it contains two absolutely impeccable songs that pretty much everyone knows. “California Dreamin’” is a masterpiece and still sounds fantastic 60 years later, while “Monday, Monday” is another beautifully written pop song. Throw in a handful of covers and there are some other nice moments, but quite a lot of the album is instantly forgettable once it finishes.

In some ways, this could almost be their greatest-hits album. So much of what they’re remembered for is already here on their debut, and for me they never really bettered it afterwards. It’s certainly a pleasant listen and there’s nothing particularly bad about it, but outside of “California Dreamin’”, I wouldn’t be too bothered if I never heard the album again.

Favourite tracks: “California Dreamin’” is the obvious one, an iconic song and an absolute masterpiece. I also enjoyed “The ‘In’ Crowd” and “Monday, Monday”.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing was horrible, but too much of the album felt like melody and harmony for the sake of it without enough underneath to make the songs memorable.

Album artwork: Interesting! Certainly memorable, although probably not one I’d want hanging on the wall.

I was dreading more Genesis-inspired music! I’ve never really been able to get on with Genesis, Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel, and today’s listen is Peter Gabriel’s 1977 debut solo album.

Progressive rock has never really been my thing, and this album probably demonstrates exactly why. It’s completely all over the place, jumping between different styles and sounds from one song to the next. There’s clearly plenty of creativity and ambition here, but that doesn’t necessarily make it enjoyable for me.

It doesn’t exactly get off to a promising start either. “Moribund the Burgermeister” is precisely the sort of over-the-top progressive rock nonsense I struggle with. But then immediately afterwards comes “Solsbury Hill”, which is a brilliant pop song and one I’ve always had a massive soft spot for. Great melody, great guitar and a genuinely lovely song. The fact that those two tracks sit next to each other pretty much sums up how wildly inconsistent this album feels to me.

There are interesting moments throughout, and I certainly can’t accuse Gabriel of playing it safe. But there’s so much going on stylistically that I never really settled into the album. One minute it’s prog, the next pop, then something theatrical or completely bizarre. There are glimpses of music I really enjoy, but they’re surrounded by too much that just isn’t for me.

Ultimately, this hasn’t converted me to Peter Gabriel or progressive rock. I can appreciate the musicianship and the willingness to experiment, and there are a few genuinely good songs here, but as a complete album I found it more frustrating than enjoyable.

Favourite tracks: “Solsbury Hill” by an absolute mile. A genuinely great song. I also enjoyed “Here Comes the Flood” and “Down the Dolce Vita”.

Least favourite track: “Moribund the Burgermeister”. Absolute nonsense and exactly the sort of prog rock I hate.

Album artwork: I like it. Strange, distinctive and definitely memorable.

This was a very welcome surprise this morning. I’d never heard of Blue Cheer or Vincebus Eruptum before, but I really enjoyed this.

Considering it was released in 1968, it’s incredible how heavy and modern it still sounds. There was something instantly familiar about it, even though I’d never heard the album before. It’s difficult to categorise exactly what it is — somewhere between Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Cream, with a bit of psychedelic rock thrown in. You can certainly hear how this sort of sound helped pave the way for the heavier rock and metal that followed.

The guitar playing is brilliant throughout. It’s loud, distorted and pretty filthy in places, but there are also some great riffs and plenty of melody underneath all the noise. The whole album has a raw energy that I really liked.

“Summertime Blues” is a fantastic opener and a great version of the song, while “Rock Me Baby” and “Out of Focus” were other highlights. At only six tracks, the album is short, sharp and gets straight to the point. No filler and no chance for it to outstay its welcome.

A great discovery and exactly the sort of album I love finding through this challenge. More than 50 years old and it still sounds exciting. Love it!

Favourite tracks: “Summertime Blues”, “Rock Me Baby” and “Out of Focus”.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing. Everything was good, short, sharp and to the point.

Album artwork: Cool and simple. Very much of its time, but I like it.

My Generation by The Who was just what I needed to listen to today. I was looking forward to this one so much that I even went for the deluxe version! I love the Who.

Early Who is great. It’s raw, loud and full of energy, with brilliant bass playing from John Entwistle, great guitar work from Pete Townshend and some fantastic songwriting. You can hear the beginnings of what The Who would go on to become, but there’s also something exciting about hearing them when they were still young, aggressive and knocking out short, punchy songs.

There are some absolute belters on here. “My Generation” is obviously a classic and still sounds incredibly powerful, but “The Kids Are Alright” is the real highlight for me. It’s probably my favourite Who song of all time, a near-perfect 60s pop-rock song with a brilliant melody. “The Ox” is also a great piece of music and really shows off just how good the musicianship in this band was.

It’s not my favourite Who album. I don’t think anything can really compete with Who’s Next or Quadrophenia for me, and there are moments here where you can tell this is a band still developing their sound. But that doesn’t stop My Generation from being a really fun listen.

Favourite tracks: “The Kids Are Alright” is my favourite Who song, while “My Generation” is an absolute classic. I also really enjoyed “The Ox”.

Least favourite tracks: Everything is worth a listen.

Album artwork: A classic mid-60s band cover. Nothing spectacular, but very much of its time.

Fulfillingness’ First Finale is another album with that unmistakable Stevie Wonder sound. It’s warm, soulful, beautifully produced and full of great musicianship. I enjoyed listening to it, although of the Stevie Wonder albums I’ve heard during this challenge, I think this is probably the weakest.

One of the great things this challenge has done is properly introduce me to the absolute brilliance of Stevie Wonder. Before starting it, I knew the obvious hits, but listening to the albums has made me appreciate just how fantastic a songwriter and musician he is.

There are some excellent songs here. “Boogie On Reggae Woman” is wonderfully funky and was probably the highlight for me, while “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” has a bit of that brilliant “Superstition” feel to it. “Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away” is another standout and shows the more thoughtful side of his songwriting.

The slower tracks don’t always have the same immediacy, and there are moments where the album drifts a little. But even when it does, the quality of the musicianship means there’s always something worth listening to. It’s a good album rather than a great Stevie Wonder album.

Again, I like Fulfillingness’ First Finale, and there’s nothing here I particularly disliked, but it’s never going to be my Stevie Wonder album of choice. When you’ve made albums as good as Songs in the Key of Life, the competition is pretty tough!

Favourite tracks: I really enjoyed “Boogie On Reggae Woman”, “Too Shy to Say” and “Please Don’t Go”.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing really. Everything on the album is worth a listen.

Album artwork: Classic Stevie Wonder album cover. Simple, colourful and instantly memorable.

Fulfillingness’ First Finale is another album with that unmistakable Stevie Wonder sound. It’s warm, soulful, beautifully produced and full of great musicianship. I enjoyed listening to it, although of the Stevie Wonder albums I’ve heard during this challenge, I think this is probably the weakest.

One of the great things this challenge has done is properly introduce me to the absolute brilliance of Stevie Wonder. Before starting it, I knew the obvious hits, but listening to the albums has made me appreciate just how fantastic a songwriter and musician he is.

There are some excellent songs here. “Boogie On Reggae Woman” is wonderfully funky and was probably the highlight for me, while “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” has a bit of that brilliant “Superstition” feel to it. “Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away” is another standout and shows the more thoughtful side of his songwriting.

The slower tracks don’t always have the same immediacy, and there are moments where the album drifts a little. But even when it does, the quality of the musicianship means there’s always something worth listening to. It’s a good album rather than a great Stevie Wonder album.

Again, I like Fulfillingness’ First Finale, and there’s nothing here I particularly disliked, but it’s never going to be my Stevie Wonder album of choice. When you’ve made albums as good as Songs in the Key of Life, the competition is pretty tough!

Favourite tracks: I really enjoyed “Boogie On Reggae Woman”, “Too Shy to Say” and “Please Don’t Go”.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing really. Everything on the album is worth a listen.

Album artwork: Classic Stevie Wonder album cover. Simple, colourful and instantly memorable.

The Boatman’s Call by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is one of my top six pinned albums on Apple Music, which probably says everything about how I feel about it. I’ve loved this album for more than 20 years, and somehow it just seems to get better and mean more to me with every listen.

“Into My Arms” is about as close to a perfect song as you can get. Beautifully simple, incredibly moving and with some of the most powerful lyrics ever written about love. It has always been a special song to me, but even more so now as the lyrics were used as a reading at my wedding just a couple of weeks ago. I genuinely can’t think of a better love song.

But this album is so much more than that one song. Every track is beautiful. It’s incredibly intimate and stripped back, with Cave’s voice, piano and lyrics doing most of the work. Songs like “People Ain’t No Good”, “Brompton Oratory” and “(Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For?” are stunning. There’s sadness and heartbreak throughout, but also love, humour and moments of real tenderness.

Sometimes the best music comes out of heartbreak, and The Boatman’s Call is a perfect example. Cave was writing in the aftermath of failed relationships, and you can feel that vulnerability throughout the record. It also marked a real change of direction for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, moving away from some of the darker, louder and more theatrical music of their earlier albums towards something much more personal and exposed.

There’s nowhere for the songs to hide, and they don’t need to. The melodies are beautiful, the lyrics are extraordinary and Cave’s delivery makes every word feel important. It’s an album that demands to be listened to properly.

I adore this record. After more than 20 years of listening to it, I’m still finding things in it, and if anything I love it more now than I did when I first heard it. An absolute masterpiece and easily one of my favourite albums of all time.

Favourite track: “Into My Arms”. Perfection. One of my favourite songs ever written and now one that will always remind me of my wedding.

Least favourite track: Nothing. Every song deserves its place and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Album artwork: Iconic. Simple, dark and perfectly suited to the intimacy of the album.

Franz Ferdinand is an album I absolutely loved when it came out. It felt exciting, fresh and ridiculously good fun, and listening to it again today reminded me just how much I enjoyed Franz Ferdinand at the time. They were a band that never seemed to take themselves too seriously and just knew how to make brilliant, energetic indie rock.

Of course, this is the album that gave us “Take Me Out”, one of the biggest indie anthems of the 2000s, and it still sounds fantastic today. What I'd forgotten, though, is just how much strength in depth there is beyond that one huge song. This album is absolutely packed with great tunes.

There's so much energy running through the whole record. Great guitar riffs, catchy melodies, clever lyrics and songs that just make you want to get up and move. It rarely misses a beat from start to finish and is a great reminder of just how exciting British indie music was in the early 2000s. More than 20 years later, it has barely aged at all.

I've always had a soft spot for Franz Ferdinand because they're simply a fun band. An honourable mention also has to go to their collaboration with Sparks as FFS. I went to see them on that tour and they were absolutely superb. Two brilliantly eccentric bands coming together shouldn't necessarily have worked as well as it did, but it was fantastic.

Listening to this again has been a real nostalgia trip. It's every bit as enjoyable as I remember and easily one of the standout indie albums of its era.

Favourite tracks: “Take Me Out” and “This Fire” are brilliant. “Michael” is another great tune, but there are plenty to choose from on here.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing. Everything on this album is worth a listen and there really isn't a weak track.

Album artwork: Love it. Simple, bold and effective, and instantly recognisable.

Going into this, I’d never heard LP1 by FKA twigs before, so I was interested to see what one of the more recent entries on the challenge had to offer.

My first thought was that this sounded very different, but as the album went on I started getting hints of Madonna, particularly her Ray of Light and “Frozen” era. It’s quite difficult music to categorise, with elements of electronic, pop and R&B all mixed together. Apparently it’s often described as alternative R&B, although FKA twigs herself isn’t particularly keen on that description.

There are definitely some interesting ideas here. The production is atmospheric and unusual, and her voice works well with the sparse electronic music. I can appreciate what she’s trying to do and why this album received so much praise when it came out.

The problem is that it’s just not really my genre of music. As the album progressed, a lot of the tracks started to sound very similar and I found myself losing interest. There’s nothing particularly bad about it, and I certainly didn’t hate listening to it, but there also wasn’t enough melody or variation to pull me back for another listen.

Overall, LP1 is OK. It’s clearly creative and different, but appreciating what an album is doing and actually wanting to listen to it again are two different things. I can’t see myself returning to this one.

Favourite track: “Hours” was probably the track I enjoyed most, although nothing really jumped out as a major highlight.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing was terrible, but too much of the album blended together and became quite dull.

Album artwork: Cool and very different album cover. Definitely one of the more memorable things about the record.

This is my third Creedence Clearwater Revival album on the challenge, and I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard from them so far. They have such a distinctive American sound, mixing rock and roll with country, blues and a bit of rockabilly. It’s simple, uncomplicated music, but they do it incredibly well.

So I was looking forward to Green River today. Based on the two CCR albums I’ve already heard, expectations were pretty high, and thankfully it didn’t disappoint.

Green River is a classic album. It’s very much in the same mould as their other records, with great guitars, catchy melodies and that instantly recognisable CCR sound. But this one also has one hell of a belter in “Bad Moon Rising”. What a great song! That opening guitar is brilliant, and it’s one of those tracks that still sounds fantastic more than 50 years later.

There’s plenty more to enjoy as well. “Green River” is a great way to open the album, while “Cross-Tie Walker” and “Lodi” were other highlights for me. The whole record is short, consistent and doesn’t waste any time. There’s very little filler, and it just flies by.

Of the three CCR albums I’ve listened to during this challenge, I think Green River might be my favourite. It’s great, straightforward rock and roll packed with memorable songs, and I’ll certainly be listening to it again.

What’s also incredible is that CCR released three albums in 1969, with Green River being the second. Three albums in one year, and still producing music of this quality. What a productive year for the boys!

Favourite tracks: “Bad Moon Rising” is the obvious standout, but I also really enjoyed “Cross-Tie Walker”, “Lodi” and “Green River”.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing really. Everything on the album is worth a listen.

Album artwork: A classic late-60s cover. Simple but effective.

Repeater by Fugazi was a really enjoyable punk album. Nothing completely blew me away, but equally there wasn't anything I disliked. It's just a solid, energetic record that was very easy to listen to.

What probably says the most is that I ended up putting it on two or three times throughout the day. The guitars are great, there's plenty of energy, and the album has that raw punk sound without becoming too noisy or aggressive. It manages to have an edge while still being quite accessible.

There aren't necessarily loads of individual songs that jumped out at me, but Repeater works really well as a complete album. It flows nicely, doesn't outstay its welcome and maintains a consistent quality throughout.

Overall, a good punk record and one I'd happily listen to again. Sometimes an album doesn't need to completely blow you away to be enjoyable, and this is a good example of that.

Favourite tracks: "Repeater" and "Shut the Door" were the standouts for me.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing really. There isn't a bad track on the album.

Album artwork: I like the cover. Simple, distinctive and suits the music well.

Album artwork:

I've never really been a fan of Tracy Chapman, so I wasn't expecting too much from today's listen. Her self-titled debut album turned out to be a really pleasant surprise though, and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.

I've never particularly liked "Fast Car" either. It's actually a song I've tended to skip whenever I've heard it in the past, but something clicked today listening to it as part of the album. The storytelling is superb, and hearing it in context made me appreciate the song in a completely different way.

That's probably what impressed me most about the album overall. It's stripped back and relatively simple musically, but the strength comes from Chapman's voice and storytelling. There's real emotion in the songs without them ever feeling overdone, and the album has a warmth and honesty that makes it incredibly easy to listen to.

I also had absolutely no idea that "Baby Can I Hold You" was originally her song! I loved her version, and it was another highlight of an album that has definitely changed my opinion of Tracy Chapman.

Favourite tracks: The opening two tracks, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" and "Fast Car", are both excellent. I also really enjoyed "Baby Can I Hold You".

Least favourite track: "Behind the Wall" was the one track that didn't really work for me musically, although I can appreciate the seriousness and power of the story being told.

Album artwork: A classic album cover. Simple, understated and instantly recognisable.

I do like The Triffids, and I really enjoyed listening to Calenture today.

Although it’s a little long, this album is packed with melody, great pop songs and is really well produced. There’s plenty of variation throughout, and it never feels like you’re listening to the same song over and over again.

I’m surprised this has received such poor reviews from others doing this challenge. There is a lot worse on this list. In places, it has a slightly Pogues-like sound, and overall it’s incredibly catchy and easy to enjoy.

“Bury Me Deep in Love” is such a lovely song and was probably the highlight of the album.

There are no weak tracks here. Everything is enjoyable, there’s plenty of variety, and I’ll definitely be listening to this album again.

Favourite track: “Bury Me Deep in Love”
Least favourite track: Nothing, everything is worth a listen.
Album artwork: Cool album cover.

Another shocking album. ΚΕAH (Psalm 69) by Ministry is absolutely dreadful.

American industrial metal is clearly not for me. It’s too shouty, too aggressive and, frankly, too shit. I struggled to find anything to enjoy here. The music is relentless without being interesting, and lyrically it’s awful.

Every song felt like a chore, and even the album cover is horrible. I genuinely can’t find many positives.

If I had to pick one track, “Scarecrow” was probably the best of a very bad bunch. There’s something in the music that gives me a slight hint of The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?”, which at least made it a little more interesting.

Favourite track: “Scarecrow” if I have to choose one.

Least favourite track: Pretty much everything else.

Album artwork: Awful.

One of the worst albums I’ve had in the challenge for a while.

Second Toughest in the Infants by Underworld only has eight tracks, but somehow it seemed to take me forever to get through this listen today.

I went into this fully expecting to hate it, and I absolutely did not. That said, it’s definitely not an easy listen.

It’s repetitive, but then a lot of techno is. In small doses, though, this is really good. The music is complex, layered and incredibly well produced, and I can imagine it working perfectly as background music. As a full album, however, it’s just a little too long and started to drag towards the end.

I could definitely see myself listening to this again; I just can’t quite work out what situation I’d choose to put it on in.

Favourite track: “Pearl’s Girl” is easily the highlight for me.

Least favourite track: “Rowla” is the weakest track on the album.

Album artwork: Cool album cover.

I hate the Foo Fighters. Awful American rock nonsense. I was dreading this listen from the start today, and unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing to change my mind.

There is genuinely nothing I like about this album. There’s no variety, no interesting harmonies, no storytelling and nothing musically that grabs me. It all just blends into the same generic sound and leaves absolutely no impression on me.

I know the Foo Fighters are hugely popular, but I just don’t get it. This literally does nothing for me at all.

I have absolutely no idea how this made it into the challenge.

A Wizard, A True Star by Todd Rundgren was an album I’d never heard of before, so I had no idea what to expect going in. I was looking forward to discovering something completely new.

This is a strange album. Considering it was released in 1973, it still feels remarkably modern and ahead of its time, although it definitely gets weird in places.

That said, I really enjoyed it and will definitely listen to it again. It’s all over the place musically, jumping between different sounds and ideas, but somehow remains coherent enough to work as an album. In places, it really reminded me of The Four Seasons, particularly in some of the vocal harmonies and melodies.

There wasn’t anything I thought was poor. Even at its strangest, everything felt worth hearing.

Favourite tracks: “Zen Archer,” “Onionhead/Da Da Dali,” and I’m so proud.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing, everything was worth a listen.

Album artwork: Cool album cover

Queen of Denmark by John Grant is a really good album. I enjoyed this listen today.

I wasn’t particularly excited going into it, mainly because I’d never heard of John Grant and it’s quite a long album with a lot of tracks. Those concerns disappeared pretty quickly, though, as the album opens really strongly.

There’s a lot of variety here. It moves effortlessly between rock, electronic sounds and slower ballads, while still feeling like a cohesive album.

I really enjoyed the opening three tracks, as well as “Supernatural Defibrillator” and the title track, “Queen of Denmark”, which is probably my highlight. This is definitely an album I’ll listen to again.

The one track I really didn’t enjoy was “That’s the Good News”. It has a strangely German sound to it, and I’m not sure why the vocals needed to be sung in that style. It just didn’t work for me.

Favourite tracks: “Queen of Denmark”, “TC and Honeybear”, “Marz”, “Where Dreams Go to Die”, “Supernatural Defibrillator”

Least favourite track: “That’s the Good News”

Album artwork: Pretty standard.

This is my second Van Morrison album of the week. What a treat.

Astral Weeks is probably my favourite of all the Van Morrison albums I’ve listened to. It’s incredibly soulful, and unlike a lot of people, I really enjoy his voice. Considering this album is nearly 60 years old, it still sounds remarkably fresh and modern.

The music throughout is beautiful, and the lyrics can occasionally be really sweet and moving. “Madame George” and “Astral Weeks” are both brilliant songs and easily the highlights for me.

The only real miss is “Slim Slow Slider,” which feels a little like an afterthought following the seven brilliant songs that come before it. It’s a slightly disappointing ending to an otherwise superb album.

Overall, Astral Weeks is fantastic. Beautiful music, soulful vocals and some wonderful songwriting. Definitely my favourite Van Morrison album.

Favourite tracks: “Madame George,” “Astral Weeks”

Least favourite track: “Slim Slow Slider”

Album artwork: Cool cover. Simple, distinctive and very much of its era.