Reviews by meemesker

I'm amused by the oddness and looseness of this album but not much more than that. Holy Shit! Wait a minute... did they invent the template for Black Sabbath in the first 1:10 of "Ever since the world began"?!?! Other than that, somewhere between the sound of The Who, Kinks, and Stones from the same period with a touch more psychedelia. Kind of liked listening to the mono version more than the stereo.

Fun and warm. Captures that New York dance club feeling really well. Groove is in the heart is a standout in many ways. Like the heavy infusion of soulful elements throughout.

Oh man the drum machines on this! Especially the 808s! The interplay of the MCs sounds a little dated now but if you think about it that'd be hard as hell to pull off - like constantly doing alley-oops on the basketball court.

Oh man samples galore. I sometimes listen to playlists that are all sources of hip hop samples. This seems to be a treasure trove. One helluva novelty record.

Though I'm not as big of a fan of Dylan after Desire, I must say this is quite an enjoyable record where he seems to have established a sort of template/persona of sorts for his subsequent records. How Dylan got his groove back.

Their first great album. Like how Blur can sound kind of all over the place and very consistent at the same time. Oily Water is one of my favorite tracks of theirs.

Thought I liked this one but in listening to it again I think I love it. Never owned this one back in the day cause one of my roommates had it and it was so ubiquitous anyway. But this really is a masterfully crafted album of it's era. Got that "cinematic" Fugees sound steeped in soul. It's impressive that she carries the weight of this long album pretty much single handedly. Though I love Wyclef's The Carnival, this may be the best Fugees solo album. Easily my favorite female hip hop artist and one of my favorite albums by a female artist. So strong, so honest, so intense. Feels deeply personal. She gave it her all on this album. In a class of her own.

Wanna like this more than I do. Some of the beats are really eccentric and I like that but it just doesn't completely gel for me. I think it's the combination of the more r&b sung elements that throw me off. Favorite track is "Izzy Izzy ahh" where she's doing this kinda laid back ODB thing. I like it when she gets more nonsensical and playful like that.

HomeworkDaft Punk

Rated 10/10

My favorite electronic dance album of all time. Listened to alot of electronic music from this era but most of it was more IDM headphone music. This is extremely danceable while managing to keep it moving in such a way so as to keep it interesting throughout. Remember riding a bus across town to go buy this at a store in a strip mall as a lad. More memories of playing this at impromptu dance parties at college in the dorms. Holds up.

DestroyerKISS

Rated 4/10

Not my thing. Got that Bob Ezrin atmosphere but it just makes it sound even more ridiculous. Grateful this album is only 34 minutes long.

PearlJanis Joplin

Rated 8/10

So soulful and expressive. Feels deeply heartfelt. Would've been intense to see live.

Can't think of a finer example of a person who carries on in the spirit of Woody Guthrie. He does so with the appropriate modern flair so as not to sound like a retro/nostalgia act. The fact that he is very politically active and backs his words in that way is a rare and admirable quality in a modern musician.

BlueJoni Mitchell

Rated 8/10

So intimate it almost makes me uncomfortable at times. Such rich details throughout. Singing style and lyrics and even structures are so unique. Not following any formulas. Even though it's considered her masterpiece, it's not my personal favorite album of hers. Somehow this is too pure and clean for me.

EaglesEagles

Rated 4/10

I cannot abide The Eagles for some reason and I'm not sure if I can fully articulate it but here goes. It's weird cause I generally like the solo material of the individual members, but when they work together they all seem to hold each other in check in such a way that the music just sounds like a compromise. Rather than push each other to new heights they all seem to collectively agree to play it safe instead. Their massive success has often baffled me. But I guess it makes sense that in the country where Subway is the largest fast food chain and Bud Light is the most popular beer, that people would actually prefer the absolutely mediocre sounds of The Eagles.

I did not enjoy this. Don't particularly like her obviously proficient voice. The production is too crisp and clean for my taste. Ohh man I really don't like when the male vocalist comes in at all. It's funny cause the selection of material tries to come off hard edged and cynical but the execution makes it seem so inauthentic and unbelievable. I don't buy it. Most interesting track was the last; Scope J. If more of the album was like that one I'd be more interested.

Hands down my favorite Cure album. This is one of the most sonically gorgeous albums I've ever heard and is exquisite on headphones. The atmosphere is so intricate and detailed it's like your ears are on drugs. The contrast of the shimmering/stereo panning chimes and then the deep hit of the bass/synth at the beginning is like a 1-2 punch that just immediately knocks me out. The first two tracks are my favorites and pair so well together. Reverb, delay, and EQ all brilliantly balanced in such a way that they create this practically narcotic effect on me where I just want to shut everything else out and listen to this album over and over again in the dark as I go in and out of consciousness. I want to stay in it forever. The contrast of elements throughout the album from delicate to saturated and intense is so thrilling and dramatic in the best possible sense. A masterpiece.

On repeat during high school and college years. Perhaps the most accessible jazz album of all time for those more inclined towards rock music. So solid and catchy. Dictionary definition of a groove from start to finish. Might be the funkiest thing I've ever heard.

I really enjoyed this one. Quirky and all over the place and very of it's time for sure, but what a time. Particularly like the wild guitar playing on this one.