Reviews by meemesker

I have a soft spot for synth pop. The dynamics on this album give my eardrums a workout. Nothing really tops "Take On Me" but the whole thing brings me back to the sound of my childhood. I had no idea they were Norwegian.

If someone came out with an album that sounded just like this today, with slightly more contemporary lyrics, people would flip out over it and say it was amazing. We need a synth pop revival on par with the garage rock revival of the early 2000s.

I think I just fell in love. One of the most soulful records I've ever heard.

I love that Randy Newman largely eschews rock and roll for a more timeless sound. I consider him one of the most sophisticated and intelligent songwriters in all of music. He is able to examine and reflect on US history (as well as contemporary life) in a way that makes it seem so natural and compelling as a subject. He can also write these incredibly intimate songs about human relationships, or even just particular mindsets, that touch these uncomfortable places in a way that is painful but honest (and often funny). His details are so fleshed out and human - flaws and all. He is able to embody the complexity of so many characters so convincingly that it's uncanny. I think his folksy vocal style is his secret weapon. It's so effortlessly expressive that I find it relatable even if he's playing some asshole character (as he often is). This album is a remarkable achievement in creating a portrait of a place and the people in it. I can listen to it over and over.

Certainly an important step in the evolution of alternative music but I found this to be a little too unfocused. The vocals don't bother me too much but I can see why they could turn people off. Some individual tracks are okay but I can't take it for a while album. Grew inpatient towards the end.

Even though I was unfamiliar with this album, just looking at the cover I knew two things: 1) this was British, and 2) I wasn't going to like it (not that those 2 things are related). I like some of the arrangements, but not necessarily the way they are recorded/mixed. And the vocals really don't work for me. He seems incapable of pulling off what he's trying to achieve. I'd actually like to hear Mike Patton have a go at some of these songs. I think Mike could get across that tongue in cheek ironic quality they're going for, while evoking a more genuine range of emotions and reverence for the influences. Heck, even Jarvis Cocker could do wonders with this material. I think Jarvis could play the part much more convincingly. This album comes across sounding like they're trying too hard to write Scott Walker a love letter and it's just awkward. But I'll tell you, the thing that really irks me the most is anytime he breaks into a spoken word segment. They each made me cringe, but the affected accent one on "Charge" actually made me shudder.

I could swear that we'd done this one already, but maybe it was just me listening to the album on my own that I'm remembering... That pretty much tells you how I feel about Air right there. I love getting lost in their lush soundscapes. They have this vaguely nostalgic retro vibe to them, and yet the way it is all layered together so smoothly and cleanly, using more modern production techniques, it ends up sounding somewhat outside of time. This album and "Premiers Symptomes" are my favorites. Nothing else ever seemed to quite match the seductive qualities of this early material. They went on in subsequent albums to get a bit goofier in a way that sort of breaks the spell for me. But this early stuff man, I think it might possibly be the best make-out music in existence.

This is light years ahead of "Music for the Jilted Generation" in terms of sequencing/pacing, song structures, and having a more consistent tone/identity - but still not my thing.

When I was 15 or 16 I went to an older guy's apartment to get some weed and I remember this album was playing as we made chit chat. Not the typical classic rock I had come to expect in the situation but a great soundtrack for a stoned mind to get lost in with all the loops and layers and mellow vibes. He was probably a real cool dude but I had to be on my way.

The thing I like most about Pavement is that they are both intelligent and lighthearted at once. They make music that is mostly fun and carefree without being simplistic. They don't take themselves too seriously but they don't come across as a joke or a comedy act. I think it's because Stephen Malkmus uses a really down to earth form of stream of consciousness that is as conversational as it is surreal. I find their music completely relatable. Comfortable like a well worn pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

I much prefer the raw intensity of "Live Through This." I feel like the move towards a more polished, poppier sound was a mistake, even if it was partially done ironically.

This and "Beggar's Banquet" used to be my go to drinking albums and honestly I can't think of a better backdrop to a rousing night. Practically makes me feel like I'm in a Martin Scorsese movie. Merry Clayton's voice cracking on "Gimme Shelter" is one of my favorite moments in all of recorded music. Sends a shiver down my spine nearly every time. This album is completely solid from start to finish. And goddamn if I don't know a stronger opening/closing song combination than "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Absolutely iconic.

The production is lauded as being cutting edge and innovative, but this is from 2017 so I don't really understand why. If this was from 2007 I might be slightly more impressed. Perfect for mid-range clothing retailers who want music to make them appear hip while blending smoothly into the background.

This album should be called "Mediocre Megalomaniac." Even his band mates hardly wanted to go near it. I can't even imagine what it must be like trying to work with Kevin Shields in any capacity. It's no wonder Billy Corgan admires this album so much. It's his fantasy: a musical autocrat seizing total control while holding his label hostage. And for what? Perhaps the biggest fuss ever made over something so utterly boring. I've tried to listen to this in the past and never understood it. Still don't. It just leaves me feeling numb. I strongly believe that the best music is made by collaboration, despite differences, rather than fetishizing these stories of lone geniuses forcing their inarticulate visions on everyone else. Learn to fucking communicate rather than judge and belittle everyone around you. This album is not the hard won labors of a misunderstood genius, it's the creative death throes of an insufferable prick.

Listened to this quite a bit back in the day, along with most of the other big NYC bands of the era. Karen O's vocals are definitely the best part. She keeps it fun, even exhilarating, throughout - even on the slower songs towards the end of the album. She's like a hyperactive Chrissie Hynde. This remains their best album. There are alot of great tracks here but "Pin" was always my favorite and still is.

Though I slightly prefer their debut "Exit Planet Dust," this is still a great sonic landscape to get lost in. Always love the way their albums fluidly transition from song to song.

I could maybe appreciate this in a weird ironic/nostalgic way after a few beers? Not that I was into this when it came out - not in the least. But it is very much of its time, and it brings me back in a way that more timeless music of the same era somehow doesn't. The main thing that would get in the way of actually enjoying it on some level are the laughably bad lyrics. Even if I was totally shit faced, I'd still cringe.

Obviously this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, and honestly I can see why this is hardly anyone's cup of tea, but goddamn I have to stick up for Robert Wyatt. First of all, the fact that he became paralyzed while in the middle of making this record, and that he then carried on to complete it and continue his music career, is nothing short of miraculous. I have always found his music both haunting and comforting, particularly his voice, but if you listen to this album through the lens of what he was going through at the time, this album takes on a whole new depth and dimension. Yes, this album is challenging, but to be the cathartic, soul searching record that it is, it has to be challenging. If you have an immediate negative reaction to this album, I get it, feel free to move on. But if you find yourself not quite sure how to feel about it, give it another spin. I promise you it becomes more rewarding with repeated listens (particularly on a good pair of headphones at night).

This is my favorite OutKast album. I listened to this so much back in the day that it almost sounds like a greatest hits compilation to me now. Especially those first 3 songs! It's like a three punch combo ending on an uppercut. Though I love the bursting-at-the-seams creativity of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, this album is the absolute peak of Big Boi and Andre 3000 working together fluidly. Two things I love about OutKast: 1) their uncanny ability to cover such an incredibly wide range of emotions/subjects (and somehow blend it all together in a way that feels natural and smooth), and 2) their fearlessness in simply being themselves. Perhaps it is being outside of the East Coast/West Coast scenes that allowed them/forced them to sort of go all out in terms of forging their own unique identity? Whatever the reason, I am thankful they put it out there.

Probably my favorite Smiths album but I'm so burnt out on them from Morrissey's overrepresentation on the list that I'm not sure I can muster anything more than a 3.

The crown jewel of Pink Floyd's discography and perhaps the greatest headphone album ever made. Incredible how far studio wizardry had come in such a relatively short time. I can listen to this over and over again. I find it every bit as thrilling as the first time I heard it. The fact that something as experimental and adventurous as this, is also one of the best selling albums of all time, will never cease to amaze me.