Rated 8/10
Big Steely Dan fan. I feel like this is a very natural extension of that sound with alot of the same players. Although I love the character perspectives in Steely Dan songs it is nice to hear something a little more personal.
Rated 8/10
Big Steely Dan fan. I feel like this is a very natural extension of that sound with alot of the same players. Although I love the character perspectives in Steely Dan songs it is nice to hear something a little more personal.
Rated 8/10
I don't usually go for this sort of thing but I think it works really well. It's fun rock n roll. And Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing is ridiculous. Ice Cream Man is dumb though. I listened to it a bunch of times and it ended up growing on me. I kept wanting to hear it again. Surprised even myself.
Rated 8/10
I used to not really appreciate Led Zeppelin. Perhaps it was them being overplayed on classic rock radio that turned me off. But after some friends of mine had me focus more on the rhythm section of Bonham and Jones I developed a taste for their sound. I do think it is Bonham and Jones who are the real power behind their heaviness. Their first two albums from 69 are definitely my favorites. Amazing to hear this album was recorded essentially on the fly at various studios while on the road. Listened to the deluxe edition. Ramble On might be my favorite track for the bass line, second favorite is What Is... (Also for the bassline). I feel like the demoey sounding intro to Bring it on Home kinda makes the album lose its momentum right at the end.
Rated 6/10
Some nice production touches here and there but nothing I'd come back to.
Rated 8/10
I think this is their first great album. I prefer 90s/2000s Sonic Youth to 80s Sonic Youth.
Rated 8/10
I'm generally a fan of reggae from this era. Reggae is the most amazing genre to me: a musical form originating from such a small geographic area, which was a melting pot of influences, that then evolved into something so distinct and unique and went on to then influence others around the world in turn. I'd be curious to hear the original Jamaican mix. I went on to listen to the dub (instrumental remix) version of the album "Garvey's Ghost" as a follow up bonus listen and I almost like it better.
Rated 6/10
Big fan of The Jam and Style Council. Not listened to much of his solo stuff though. It's alright.
Rated 10/10
The apex of the Berlin Trilogy. This album is like an old friend to me. In fact I was just listening to it on vinyl yesterday coincidentally. I feel like this album and those surrounding it from this era are a high water mark in his career and for experimental pop/rock music in general.
Rated 8/10
Hadn't listened to this one in awhile and I really enjoyed listening to it again. Some great tracks but as an album I don't think it holds up as well as others in his catalog. My favorite track is probably "Time."
Rated 8/10
I'm a huge fan of his 78 album "Nite Flights" with the Walker Brothers and his more experimental output that came after but less excited by his earlier material. Can definitely hear where Bowie took some inspiration for vocal phrasing here and there. The song that I like the most on this one is "Boy Child" - it's the closest thing to the strange and suspenseful mood he creates in his later work that I love so much.
Rated 8/10
Punk clearly originated in Detroit with the MC5 & The Stooges. Not usually a huge fan of live albums but I think it works well here to capture their raw energy. Quite soulful to boot which most of the punk that came later lacked (except The Clash). Disappointed Spotify has the edited version of the song "Kick out the Jams" here on this album - go listen to the real deal with the proper intro on one of the many compilations in their discography. It's only a matter of seconds but it makes a huge difference.
Hope you ended up listening on YouTube cause the Spotify link was not the right album. I don't really have much to say other than this is obviously one the seed crystals for the eastern influence on rock music in the late 60s besides Ravi Shankar.
Rated 8/10
I had this on CD growing up and it fit nicely with my Kerouac/Beat obsession. His delivery of the spoken word parts definitely reminds me of Kerouac's readings with Steve Allen on piano - only with much more humor. Speaking of which this may be one of the best marriages of humor and music I've ever heard. Comes off as effortlessly natural and is a wonderful counterpoint to the slightly gritty and downtrodden world he presents here. And what rich imagery that just flows out if him. I always thought this was a genuine live recording, and in a way I suppose it truly is, just in a studio rather than an actual nightclub. I think the back and forth of the energy exchange with the audience actually makes this work much better than it would on its own. It adds to the atmosphere and probably the way be delivered his performance. A very interesting approach to recording an album.
Rated 4/10
Right off the bat I can tell that the vocal style isn't gonna work for me. Maybe with a different singer I could get down with this but I just can't take it seriously. In fact I find it positively annoying.
Rated 8/10
The first real rock opera and certainly one of the greatest. I have to admire the vision and bravery it took to bring this project to completion. And I love that the arrangements were such that they could essentially play the whole of it live. Not bogged down with an orchestra and the like. Can you imagine seeing this live back in the day? My stepdad did and said they played Tommy through, then took an intermission and came back and basically played a whole nother set worth of their other material. The energy and stamina each of them possessed! Some absolute anthems in here. Only thing that really threw me off was "Tommy's Holiday Camp"
Rated 4/10
I've always found Eric Clapton's solo stuff sort of boring. In proceeding with the album I'm finding this hard to listen to. Getting that impulse to skip tracks pretty frequently throughout. Did he just say "love is lovely"? That might be one of the weakest lyrics I've ever heard. At this point in his career I find him to be mostly derivative without adding anything much that is new or compelling to the mix. Bland and stale as a Subway sandwich at a random gas station on a road trip.
Rated 8/10
Used to listen to this and Chaos AD with some friends in high school. A most unique fusion of musical elements and influences. I dare say one of the most creative and adventurous metal albums of all time. An album that brings the modern and traditional together in a deep and meaningful way.
Rated 8/10
Always a fan of her unique expression. I feel like I need to listen to her more.
Rated 10/10
I discovered John Martyn a good while ago through Beck covering him on a live in studio radio appearance. Later Spotify allowed me to explore his entire catalog and I was fairly obsessed with him for a while. I like nearly all of his 70s and 80s material. This album isn't my absolute favorite of his but is sort of his breakthrough and definitely a great album. The only track that doesn't fit the "night music" mood that he captures so well is the second track "over the hill" with the folksier sound of the mandolin that turns me off a bit. If you removed that track I think this would be a perfect album for me. I'm typically not a huge folk fan but I love his unique way of blending it with jazz and other elements. He maintains such a seductively subdued mood that I find hypnotic.
Rated 4/10
Not on Spotify and had to listen on Youtube which added a little frustration to my listening experience. This album is kind of all over the place sound-wise. The Imagine cover surprised me and I did not like it. Can't say I really enjoyed the rest of the album either.