Reviews by linkyboy

One of my all-time favorite albums, (and an all-time favorite for the world). Instant 5 stars, I probably didn’t even need to listen to it again—I’ve heard it so many times that I can practically hear the whole thing in my mind. Nonetheless, I relished the opportunity for another listen.

There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t been said about this remarkable album, so I’ll end with this: there is probably no greater collection of songs that exists—every track is top notch, even my least favorite. A perfect record, and the third I would give 6/5 to if I could—the others being “Songs in the Key of Life” and “Dark Side of the Moon.”

(How do I pick just one song for my playlist?)

I’m a bit on the fence with this one. I liked it, and while listening, I was impressed by a lot of the songwriting choices and guitar work. Yet when it ended, I found myself struggling to remember any of it. As soon as I hit play again, I was enjoying it though.

Having read about it, its impact and story, it definitely makes the album feel more significant than I would have initially imagined. I do like the glam-Britpop sound, and the last track was pretty epic. Also, I hate when people throw around the word “pretentious” with music. It’s a strange criticism for being ambitious.

While I don’t think this is one of Radiohead’s greatest albums, I do think it is another great one for their catalogue. Somehow, I’ve never been as drawn to it as their other classics (“The Bends” through “In Rainbows”), so it was mostly unfamiliar to me. I appreciate that it feels like a marriage between the disparate styles of “OK Computer” and “Kid A,” marrying guitar rock with electronic instrumentation. The album has some fun musical explorations and always sounds undeniably like Radiohead.

I find it amazing how “prog-y” they sound given how critically and commercially successful they’ve been. Even though I would probably consider this my least favorite of their entries on the list (maybe “Amnesiac” gets that honor), Radiohead is just really good at making music. A solid 4/5!

This album is such a mood. While I enjoy Beck’s more eclectic, lively, energetic albums (Odelay, Colors), the melancholy that pervades this album feels so distinct. Featuring some of his best songs—“Lost Cause,” “Guess I’m Doing Fine,” “Lonesome Tears”—the album is lush, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It’s one that I can have on in the background or can listen to intently and enjoy equally. Great lyrical and melodic writing throughout. If I have any criticism, it’s that the album is so consistent, the songs veer into the territory of all sounding the same. Nonetheless, I love this album and think it deserves the 5 stars.

I enjoyed this album—I liked the skits (I thought they were fun, but then again, I’m a teacher, so it was kind of up my alley), I thought her synthesis of hip hop and soul was well executed, and I liked the woman-focused perspective. Just based off of listening experience alone, I would have given it 4/5 stars.

The reason it’s getting 5/5 is that after reading about its legacy, you cannot deny the profundity of its impact. So many amazing artists have cited it as an influence, she uplifted women through rap, she introduced vulnerability to hip hop. The album earns that extra star off of its sheer importance—it really seems to have been a pioneering record.

I’m frustrated about this album. I disagree with other posters—I think there are some live albums that absolutely deserve to be on this list: Johnny Cash’s “At Folsom Prison,” or Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged” for two. I don’t think “Live at Leeds” is one of them.

I first got into The Who in seventh grade, primarily through “Tommy,” “Who’s Next,” and a greatest hits album. So for my birthday, my stepfather gave me a copy of “Live At Leeds.” I remember eagerly placing it in my boombox and being so disappointed. In fact, this album turned me off Live albums as a whole for a while.

It’s not that The Who do a bad job—they play well (Keith Moon in particular shines). But I don’t think the album captures the excitement of a live performance well, and so we just end up with worse sounding rehashes of songs that we already know. The blues covers are interesting, but not worth the price of admission.

Listening to it again, it’s not a bad album, but it just shouldn’t be on this list. I don’t really understand why it’s considered one of the greatest live albums of all time (except for the fact that The Who is one of the greatest bands of all time). And with 4 other albums on this list, it’s not like they’re poorly represented. And there are so many versions with different track lists, I have no idea which one is on this list. And the banter isn’t even particularly interesting. I’m frustrated!

A part of me wants to give it a 2, but if I’m being realistic, a 2 would be unfairly punishing this album for the anguish it caused me at 13 (also, I can’t bear to do that to The Who). But I can’t justify higher than a 3.

Some artists write good music. Some write challenging music. David Bowie is one of the rare few who can do both simultaneously.

I didn’t know this album at all, nor did I know any of the songs. But this is classic Bowie—idiosyncratic, catchy, steeped in pop tradition but experimental with melody and harmony, demanding your attention. The piano solo on the title track blew my mind. I thought this was great!

I’m not a huge fan of The Rolling Stones —it’s probably one of my greatest sins. Having said that, “Gimme Shelter” is one of the greatest rock tracks ever recorded. The rest of this album varies from good to annoying, with some stage mixing choices throughout. Mick Jagger performs like he thinks he is a good singer, and that confidence has done a lot for him. But the best vocal performance on the album comes from Merry Clayton—and then, strangely, Keith Richards on “You Got The Silver.”

The album closes with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which is another classic track, though it doesn’t transcend as well as the opening song. Not a bad album, but The Stones just aren’t my cup of tea.

I liked this better than I thought I would. Though I’m not crazy about the guttural screaming or overall ethos, there’s actually some solid songwriting behind these tracks and the more melodic vocal parts are actually quite listenable. This is never going to be something I listen to with any intention after this point, but I prefer it to Megadeth or Anthrax. Somehow, I think they avoid some of the dorky faux-machismo that tends to turn me off from metal—it just feels very dark.

Top tracks: “Vendetta,” “Psychosocial”

Okay, so I liked this better than Crocodiles, but not enough to give it a 4/5. “The Cutter” is an awesome track, but most of the rest were simply fine. I also liked the breakdown in “Heads Will Roll.”

I think what I struggle with is that I feel like there are a lot of stylistic similarities between them and Midnight Oil, a band who I think is better and unjustly omitted from this list. It’s not that Echo & The Bunnymen don’t deserve a place on this list—but I don’t think they deserve three places, especially when so many other great bands are not present.

Wow, I did not know Nina Simone well, but she is such a dynamic performer. “Four Women” captivated me and I immediately listened back to it. The way she changes her inflection and timbre throughout the song is so interesting. She knows how to shift her voice from beautiful to ugly in such an effective way. The way she sings about blackness (only 100 years after the Civil War and two years before MLK’s murder) is inspiring.

My only gripes with the album are that the choices to fade some songs in what felt like the middle seemed clumsy and the album doesn’t feel particularly cohesive. But the album was made up of “leftover” tracks, so I forgive both points. I am truly impressed by Nina Simone’s performance and writing.

This is, without a doubt, one of the few perfect albums that exist. Every track is great (even “Speak to Me,” which is just a minute of sound effects), with a few certified bangers. The lyrics are poetic but specific and meaningful. The album flows so elegantly, making it the fastest 45 minutes of music that exists. The album is actually fairly sparing in production and yet sounds so enormous and beautiful, a testament to the brilliant performances and engineering. In fact, this is likely what makes it the most beloved prog rock album—it doesn’t veer into excess or pretension.

A long time favorite, there simply is no album I would rather have to ring in the new year. One of only two albums I’ve gotten so far that deserve a ranking higher than 5/5 (the other being “Songs in the Key of Life”).

I looked at the album cover and thought, “I’m gonna hate this.” But someone once told me “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I’m a good boy. So I went in with an open mind.

I hated this. The drums were erratic, the vocals were insane, the bass was exhausting, the guitar was whiny, the mix was terrible. It sounds like someone had just shot a gun in the studio, fucking up the mics, the mood, and everyone’s hearing. This is my introduction to Nick Cave. I’m worried about his other 5 (!) albums on the list, but hopefully they benefit from being a different project.

I’ve never been crazy about Springsteen. I think this is a good era for his sound (even if I don’t find it particularly groundbreaking or exciting). Where I think he shines is in his evocative lyricism and storytelling. Yet unlike Bob Dylan, who allows his subpar singing to be front and center as a showcase of his lyricism, I feel that Springsteen’s voice often seems to hide behind the other instruments/reverb/production in a way that makes his lyrics less transparent. And at a certain point, I got sick of every song starting quieter and then moving into grandiose rock & roll. Is it a great album? Sure. But I do think it’s overrated, and perhaps unjustly, I’m punishing it for that.

I do concede that “Born to Run” is an excellent song.

This is the album that taught me that “ugly” sounds can be beautiful. At times, the album is so noisy, or David Byrne is just making weird sounds with his voice—and it’s still so excellent. There’s also the unapologetic weirdness of this album, which was so exciting and refreshing to me in high school. And all throughout, the album just moves! Talking Heads somehow manages to stay silly while being groovy and danceable.

So many classic tracks: “Cities,” “Air,” “Animals,” “Memories Can’t Wait,” and “Heaven” are all favorites of mine. “I Zimbra” is one of the greatest opening tracks of all time, and “Life During Wartime” is iconic. And this album marks an important shift in their sound that culminates in my favorite album of theirs, Remain in Light.

It simply is a 5/5 album, and it’s only my third favorite Talking Heads album. They’re just the best.

When this popped up on my home page, my first thought was “Ugh.” The ugly cover, the stupid font choice, the cringey band name. My expectations were low.

I judged the album by the cover. Shame on me.

The very beginning of the album seems to confirm my suspicions, but about halfway through track one, something shifted. Starting with the second track, I realized I liked what I was listening to.

It has a heavy sound, and the vocals are rasping and intense—but the brass and strings are an interesting element that works quite well with the overall sound they were going for. There are some really exciting backing vocals, and the album is full of clever musical ideas. It’s an album that doesn’t want to be put in a box, and it succeeds at that.

Top tracks: “Born in ‘69,” “Young Livers”

I just wasn’t really feeling excited to listen to this album—Steely Dan, like Billy Joel, is one of those artists who are undeniably excellent at what they do, and yet tend to veer into a sort of accidental self-parody that I find off-putting.

So I hit play and was surprised! “Bodhisattva” was a standout, high energy, and virtuosically performed opening track that felt like Steely Dan but seemed to avoid their worst tendencies. And then we got to track 2, “Razor Boy,” and we were in full Steely Dan mode. Which, again, isn’t bad, but is something that I struggle to get excited about for some reason. I suppose given that this was their second album and first where Donald Fagen had control, this album set their template, and that’s worth something.

Side note—I had no idea Super Furry Animal’s “The Man Don’t Give A Fuck,” sampled a line of “Show Biz Kids,” so that was a fun discovery. When a good song spawns an even better song, I see that as a win!

Such a fun album with a unique sound! Yes, it’s punk, but there’s actually some really interesting rockabilly in there too. The hooks are catchy, the lyrics are enigmatic, the guitar riffs are rocking. It’s a punk rock collection of love songs. But it’s the vague harmonizing and shout-sung vocals from Exene Cervenka and John Doe that really makes the album sparkle. I’ll definitely be coming back to this album—one of my favorite discoveries from this project!

Phil Spector is one of the most complicated artists for me in terms of “separate art from the artist.” An abusive, exploitative, murderous man who is also in some part responsible for the sound of all popular music since the 60s. An incredible innovator for sound who touched so many iconic albums. The benefit of an album like“Let it Be” is that you can kind of “forget” about his involvement. Not so with an album that has his name in its title. He haunts this album full of cheery Christmas classics! And even as the album goes on and you’ve nearly forgotten about him, he decides to show up like a dick and mansplain the record to you on the final track. Ugh.

So many of these songs are so endlessly nostalgic, and it’s easy to not realize that many of the song arrangements that are so familiar originated from this album. Some of the sound has aged poorly, but it was revolutionary stuff in its time. The Darlene love tracks are the best—and especially “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” which is one of the greatest Christmas records of all time.

A fun album full of music that makes you want to dance. To me, Chic’s power lies in Bernard Edwards’ incredibly groovy and catchy bass lines. Though I’m not apt to bump disco in my normal life, they certainly were masters of the genre.