Reviews by korb

While there are moments and glimpses of something special, the album ultimately fell flat for me. The track "Get Behind Me" is exactly what I'm talking about.

This easy-listening crooner album, packed with its dense lyrics and layered arrangements feels like it's trying really hard to be something. Ultimately though the authenticity just doesn't carry through.

The bits I skimmed through sounded flawless. I just don't find it very interesting.

Of course, I'd heard of the Beach Boys, and yeah, I'd also heard some of their songs, but I guess I never sat down and listened to one of their albums. Well, I sort of regret having done that, because I really did not enjoy it. The tracks are repetitive, the production quality is all over the map, and the lyrics sound like they were written by a 70s TV sitcom writer attempting to channel the ethos of a 1950's teenager. Only in radio-hit sized doses I guess...

One radio hit does not a profound album maketh. I'd swap in the Decemberists if we're looking for a bohemian rock ensemble vibe.

A technological breakthrough in musical history, but kind of boring to listen to.

I get it, but still... I don't get it.

The album opens up with a track about "five years", jumping right into the middle of a narrative story that climbs and climbs to an explosive crecendo. I doubt it is a coincidence that this is the opening song and this is Bowie's 5th album, each of which was released 1 year apart. The overall sound of the album is "big". The tracks are layered, and spatial thanks to various chorus effects and their use of the left/right/center channels. 'Star' and 'Suffragette City' are good example of what I mean. It will take a few more albums to be sure, but I think this might mark the point where Bowie fully realizes his initial musical vision and where he is really comfortable in his form.

While I appreciate what these guys did to represent an unseen subculture, what they did to popularize rap music, and the musical ingenuity that went into this album, I can only get so excited about the content of gansta-rap.

I got a nicotine buzz just listening to Marianne's vocals. Turns out the qualities of her voice were the bi-product of turbulent life circumstances, this album marking the artist's reemergence from a downward spiral, and marking a stark transition from her past musical persona. Kudos to her for pulling it together for this album (and beyond).

The songs are lovely, but I can't handle the throaty vibrato inflicted on every single lyric that hangs for more than a moment.

When you see the phrase, "considered to be their most accessible album", you know you're in for a wild ride.

The first seconds of 'Assassins' reeled me in and there I remained, riveted, as the distorted explosions pulsed over me for the remainder of the album. Each song is chaos, with moments of clarity, stretched thin over the scaffolds of familiar song structures and lots of repetition.

Despite the fact that there isn't anything especially high-minded going on here, this connects with and satisfies a cognitive itch for me. Not sure why, but this is what I needed to hear today.

I think Kid Rock puts it well when he says, "I'm a contradiction, I'm a twist of fate" in 'Roving Gangster (Rollin').' This three-way mash-up of rock, country and rap was bound to happen. There were a lot of ways this could have happened, but as luck would have it, Kid managed to find the most 'I don't give a fuck' characteristics of all three and slammed them together into one electrified redneck gangster vibe. It is unapologetic and unfortunately popular.

I'll give it one bonus star for being novel, but honestly I think this album, and the whole "damn right, I'm proud of being a shithead" narrative that continues to swell in the US is not worth giving a platform. Even if it is wrapped up in an interesting musical combination that was a commercial success.

As albums go, it's fairly one-note. It's more like one song played 10 times. I guess if you like 'The Girl From Ipanema', then you're really going to enjoy this.

Interesting and satirically relevant to its time as it may be, it's not something I can casually experience, so it's difficult to truly enjoy. I've heard it, so it met its purpose on the list. Don't think I'd ever chose to go back to it.

First off, if this album is ever remastered, please for the love of God, show some respect to the band and drop the vocals further back into the tracks.

The album was mediocre but interesting at points, but completely fell off a cliff around 'The Loved Ones' and never really came back. Clearly there is a broader positive sentiment that I'm not connecting with, but I really can't get into Costello's country-rock-cosmopolitan discography.

Every song is an elaborate composition of brilliant artistry. Bowie's lyrics are dense narratives, performed in manic sways between haunted and explosive, and loosely collected around a vaguely alluded to central character (the Thin White Duke perhaps). The arrangements are fantastically detailed, meticulously performed, and merit multiple close listening to fully hear and appreciate.

Although it may be the most well-known track from the album, I found 'Golden Years' to be the least interesting of the bunch. I found myself coming back to 'Word on a Wing' and 'TVC15' repeatedly before I could really collect my thoughts.

A fascinatingly eclectic collection of songs. The Spanish language ballad 'Si No Estas Tu', the new-age punk rock of 'Jump into the Fire', the reggae-inspired 'Coconut', the blues/R&B/rock vibes 'Down', and whatever 'Lamaze' would be considered. It's a regular Golden Corral of musical tastes, all prepared with a surprising level of excellence.

A beautiful amalgam of musical styles and influences that converge together naturally, and yet create something entirely novel. I personally also can't think of this album without thinking of the music videos that came out on MTV, specifically for the track 'Sledgehammer'. The culminating and synergizing effect of the musical and artistic directions was sublime.

All of the pieces of Stevie's wonder (see what I did there) are in place, and it all falls perfectly into place on the track 'Higher Ground'. The infectious energy, spatial mixing, and lip biting funk is just about as near perfection as a song gets. The subdued tone of the remainder of the album, is a stark contrast. The closing tracks of 'Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing' and (to a lesser extent) 'He's Misstra Know-It-All', work to reprieve that energy with their steadily building structures.

A good album to be sure, but more one I'd pick songs from, then appreciate for its entirety.

First listening fell short for me, to be honest. The album sounded two-dimensional, which is super odd given the arrangements seemed pretty elaborate, and the lyrics landed as either rambling or senselessly disjointed (I'm looking at you 'Thorn of Crowns').

And yet, while I listened to the album, I couldn't hear it and not think of Frightened Rabbit; I had to give it another chance.

Yeah, nope. Still not into it. At least I'm listening to 'The Midnight Organ Fight' now, so I've got that going for me.