Reviews by meemesker

Nice traditional folk. She has an undeniably beautiful voice.

A real turning point for music. Although the stereo mix sounds a bit lopsided on headphones now, this is a huge evolutionary step in using the studio as an instrument. I'd say Sgt Pepper's is a bit more polished and has a more unified concept to thread it all together, but Revolver is an amazingly impressive trial run. The ultimate balance of experimentation and catchy accessibility.

Brings me back to my childhood. "Love Song" with Prince was a pleasant surprise. Only knew the radio/MTV hits before, and of course those are the ones that resonate with me most due to nostalgia. Feel like the album loses steam halfway through. Nothing could really hold my attention after "Cherish."

Grew up on this and Angel Dust in junior high/high school. I may not like some of the things that spawned in its wake, but this is some seriously original genre bending metal, especially for its time. One thing that I don't love is that some of the synth tones are so dated/out of the box, but in a way it's charming because it brings you back to that very particular time period. Mike Patton's voice is definitely their greatest instrument. He convinces you he is completely unhinged at times, yet what he is doing technically assures you he is in absolute control. Though I prefer Patton's more experimental work with Mr Bungle, etc., this still will always work for me due to nostalgia.

Big part of the soundtrack to my college years. I couldn't listen to this at night because it would be too intense. Instead, I opted to listen in the day to take the edge off. I don't always want to wade in melancholy, but when I do, Elliott Smith really hits the spot.

One of the most ambitious and heartfelt artistic statements ever recorded. It covers so much emotional ground it's staggering. After 17 studio albums, this is Stevie's creative supernova before he became a neutron star.

Thelonius Monk has the oddest sense of melody and timing. So mysteriously compelling. A sweet spot for progressive jazz.

It's fine at first but the schtick wears thin halfway through. The murder ballad was a bit too much for me.

The best Prog sandwich I ever had.

Serenely washes over me. I don't really have any strong feelings for it one way or the other. It's generally pleasant, and I do like the drum programming and sequencing, but it's just kind of "there."

The Minutemen are a very special and unique band. There is nobody quite like them. Doesn't sound much like your stereotypical punk rock by any means, but embodies the DIY spirit of punk more than almost anyone in the sense that they are doing whatever the fuck they want, and doing it lean and mean - jamming econo. One thing that sets them apart, almost in a category of their own, is their sheer range, and of course the musical abilities it takes to pull it off - incorporating all those wide reaching influences. Even their covers are completely unexpected and they make them completely their own. This album was a big creative step for them and I admire the almost oxymoronic chutzpah of them making a huge double album filled with short, stripped down songs. But the thing I love most about them above all is their ability to be so sincere and heartfelt one minute, and then turn around and be such fucking corn dogs! Always appreciate when bands can be so confident with the full range of their emotions. What really makes this music so special comes down to the deep bond D Boon and Mike Watt had with each other. Such mutual respect, love, and trust. Theirs is perhaps the greatest bromance in all of rock music - certainly more pure than the likes of Mick and Keef, John and Paul, etc. D Boon's early death is so tragic. I can only imagine all the unexpected ways that they'd have evolved over the years had he lived on. True iconoclasts.

I generally like the approach to percussion throughout the record, as well as all the chanting. It's charm wears off a bit by the end, particularly on "Jolly Roger," but I'll forgive that one since he developed a fairly unique sort of hybrid sound. At times reminds me of Brian Eno's early solo albums. Also, I loved the era when shooting album cover photos off of TV screens was en vogue. Particularly when they paired it with a bright red font.

Missy and Timbaland are a creative match made in heaven. They balance subtle experimentation with catchy hooks. The thing I like most about them is just how playful they both are. Missy will have these more serious interludes throughout the album that seem very heartfelt, rather than contrived, but she usually follows it up with humor to temper it, and I appreciate both. Some real interesting recycling/reusing samples of very identifiable beats and clips from older iconic hip hop albums such as Public Enemy and Beastie Boys. Even the Method Man song is more or less a remix/reimagining of his older version.

Arguably their best album cover but by no means their best album.

The thing that always struck me about Syd Barrett was his odd sense of timing. It's so wonky it makes you feel like you just stepped off a carnival ride and you don't quite have your bearings.

I got really into jangle pop for awhile when my friend's band got slapped with the label in a review. I was curious about the term and found the music to be super melodic and catchy - including The La's. There She Goes is a brilliant pop song but I always liked the closer Looking Glass most of all.

Begs the question whether this is an album or an EP. Without the spoken word pieces I don't think you could call this an album. Despite it's relatively short length I was growing impatient with its pacing. The deluxe edition might be more of a proper album but I'm not gonna to be listening to it. The things that Spotify auto-played after this was over; Solange, Lauryn Hill, I love, 5 star level. This, not so much.

This was the first Sabbath album I ever listened to and where metal really clicked for me for the first time. I may prefer "Master of Reality" by a smidge, but this is definitely their most iconic album, and a major breakthrough in the creation of heavy metal as a genre. I absolutely love how derpy the album cover is too.

Don't love the dual-lead, double vocal thing. Generally pleasant I guess, but nothing that really excited me. Just makes me wish I was listening to Squeeze.

Bjork was always my main music crush, but the more I listen to PJ Harvey, the more I'm starting to fall for her.