Reviews by meemesker

James Hetfield is a singer who plays guitar. Dave Mustaine is a guitarist who sings.

This would be my nomination for greatest hip hop album of all time. The one I can always come back to and it still hits me just as hard as it did the first time I listened to it as a teenager. The group dynamics are simply jaw dropping with so many distinct personalities and vocal styles. Despite the rough demeanor, there is a melodic sense that underlies the wordplay. Sometimes the phrasing is just as memorable as the lyrics themselves. And RZA's beats are, to me, THE definitive hip hop sound. He broke away from the cliches to dig deep and create something truly atmospheric and cinematic. Everything flows together perfectly. The album has such a powerful momentum you actually need the skits just so you can catch your breath. I feel like you really get to know them by the end of the album despite the layers of mystique they build around themselves. The Kung Fu movie samples were the icing on the cake for me, especially back then as a teen who was just starting to get high and rent obscure martial arts movies from the video store myself.

The influence this has had is incalculable. Gotta pay my respects.

There's a nasty streak to EC that endlessly delights me. He's such an eloquent, overeducated, cynical little punk - and I love him for it. So much venom flowing through these tight little songs. He brings an angry, almost punk energy to sophisticated pop song craft (rather than the other way around). The band has a furious precision to their playing and they seem to hold nothing back. Full force from start to finish, even on the slower numbers. It's like a perfectly balanced pint of beer: full bodied and rich without being too heavy, a hint of sweetness, and just the right amount of bitterness to make it interesting.

Heartfelt covers and all, but the most promising thing here is the Jagger/Richards original "Tell Me." Almost sounds like it could be an outtake from "Aftermath" or "Between The Buttons."

Might not be their most groundbreaking, or even their best album, but it could be their strongest. "Who's Next" is in the same weight class as the best Stones and Zeppelin albums. It's chock full of kick-ass anthems played with passion and intensity. It also contains one of the greatest opening/closing combinations in all of rock history with "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." If you want to see one of the most pure reactions to the power of rock music, watch the episode "Joe Pera Reads You The Church Announcements" from "Joe Pera Talks With You," where the title character hears The Who for the first time. It really captures that thrill you feel when a song completely blows you away, and it's no coincidence that they used "Baba O'Riley" to convey that feeling. I also love that Keith Moon seems to be openly mocking Roger Daltry's dramatic posture on the cover.

Though Tangerine Dream may have preceded this, and even pioneered instrumental electronic music as a viable commercial genre, their sound tends to wander more - perhaps because they are a band rather than a single person. "Oxygene" is largely a soundscape, but it is more focused, more carefully constructed, and more rhythmic. You as a listener might get lost in it, but you are being guided through a smoothly crafted sonic journey. Exquisite nighttime headphone music.

"Alison" is one of the greatest pop songs of all time with its wicked double entendre, and it's what initially drew me to him as a teenager. But "Alison" is only one of the many brilliantly crafted songs on this album. EC is able to balance his cerebral wit with a surprising amount of soul, in a way so few other songwriters can. He is, by FAR, my favorite Elvis.

Sounds like she was picking up where Kate Bush was leaving off in the early 90s.

Listening to this transported me back to the 90s when all my problems seemed to be internal, rather than external. It's all over the place in that eclectic 90s, try everything and see what sticks, kind of way. Had only listened to her singles before, never a full album, so there were a lot of surprises for me.

All kinds of manic energy but I'm not feeling it.

Spotify doesn't have the Neil and Joni penned songs of course, but no matter, I have this one on vinyl. Neil's songs aren't the best thing here anyway. His guitar certainly adds some nice flavor, but I feel like he was saving his best material for his solo records at this point. Stills, Nash, and even Crosby are in top form though, cranking out some tunes that were very of their times, but which sound timeless.

Easily one of the best Wu Tang solo albums. Got the whole Clan on it with "9 Milli Bros," and the producer lineup is like The Avengers of beatmakers from this era. Despite being focused on hardcore street storytelling, it manages to have a nice variety of moods and tones.

Had not heard this one before, but glad I have now. All smooth grooves until you get to "Ragga Jam" where it suddenly slams on the accelerator, slaps you in the face, and forces you to chug an energy drink.

I want to give 5 stars for "Someone Like You" alone, but there are some spots in the middle of the album that wear thin with me. She undoubtedly knows how to open and close strongly though. This is my kind of pop; soulful and heartfelt. She has it all: depth, range, skill, talent, everything. "Someone Like You" is such a standout song, not just on this record, but in all of music for the past 20 some years. It's like a more honest and complex version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." It's incredibly emotionally powerful, and one of the few songs that has ever stopped me dead in my tracks upon first hearing it. If you can't relate to it, I feel sorry for you.

When I was a kid, I had a friend whose dad had a record player in his bedroom. If his dad would pop out to run an errand or whatever, me and my friend would go to his bedroom and queue up "Immigrant Song" over and over again, and get genuinely freaked out by it. Listening to it now, it no longer has the same effect on me, but I'd imagine, back in 1970, that song gave plenty of people the shivers. Beyond "Immigrant Song" and "Out On The Tiles" though, this album leans into a more folky and/or blues sound that doesn't do all that much for me. I want my Zeppelin ripping heavy.

George was artistically constipated and he was finally able to let it out here. Must've felt fantastic. The Wall of Sound is gorgeous, both enormous and intricately crafted. Despite its length, I think this may be a perfect album (excluding the Apple Jam disc that is - not really sure why that was included honestly). At the very least it's the most consistently solid album from song to song by any ex-Beatle (again excluding the Apple Jams). This had its first major reissue when I was in college, and we listened to it on repeat.

Love the dualing guitars and percussion.

The one thing this album does really well is showcase Kurt Cobain's songwriting ability by stripping things down. Practically Beatlesque when you take away the distortion. There is an interesting and eclectic selection of covers peppered in there, but it is Cobain's tunes that shine through (besides maybe that Leadbelly cover at the end).

I love Nirvana and all, but I'm simply not a big fan of live albums, especially ones recorded so crisply and cleanly, with all the crowd noise and banter included. Secondly, although it is novel to hear their songs in this format, I have no great romantic feelings or aesthetic preferences towards acoustic instruments vs electric ones. In fact, I'd say it's just the opposite. When it comes down to it, I far prefer the original studio recorded versions of every single one of these songs.

Love the laid back vibes and percussion.