Reviews by meemesker

I slightly prefer this to "Beautiful Freak," but I still don't like it. As the cover might imply, this mostly sounds like warped children's music.

I didn't get my driver's license until I was 27 years old. Because of this I had to depend on a lot of other people for rides anywhere/everywhere I went - a lot of people with a wide variety of music tastes. This was mostly when I was a teenager in the 90s, before I moved to smaller college towns where I could get around without a car. It goes without saying Dave Matthews was quite popular at that time, and I had many people giving me rides who were fans. By this point I was shuffling my way towards being a hipster, and shying away from most mainstream music on my own time. So, I never owned any Dave Matthews CDs or anything, but I ended up listening to him quite a bit. I'll tell you, most of those people who were fans, were some of the nicest, more generous people I knew at the time. I know Dave Matthews is the butt of many jokes for some reason, but I don't find his music any great pain to listen to. It's not the feel good jam band fluff the internet might have you believe. At least not on this album. In fact I'd say it's pretty out there, challenging even, for what was a multi-platinum Billboard chart topper. Just listen to "Halloween" for example - it's unhinged. Or, better yet, just to show you how much DMB I listened to back in the day, listen to the live version of "Halloween" from the "Recently" EP. Besides a handful of standout tracks, I can't say I love this, but I don't think it deserves the shit talking it gets from my hipster peers. This album certainly brings me right back to the CD era - secret tracks and all.

Electro Sparks. I'll take it. I'm a sucker for sequencers.

Good call. Another glaring omission from the book. Every song on this album is an anthem. Not an ounce of fat. It's the second coming of power pop from a nerd's POV.

I might burn in someone's version of punk hell for this, but I wish Bad Religion was on the official list instead of The Dead Kennedys.

Most of these songs sound like they would work well during the emotional climax of a Hallmark movie.

I have to respect the maximalist approach. The structures and arrangements are a rollercoaster ride.

If you were young in Boston in the 90s, I can see how this might hold some nostalgic sway for you. Otherwise, this is some pretty watered down funk.

Like an American version of XTC or Squeeze.

Is this in the Norwegian version of the book?

Like Marc Bolan fronting Black Sabbath with John Cale behind the boards.

This made #25 on the UK charts? How did it not make the list?

Even though I'm not especially enthusiastic about this album, I'd say it deserves a place on the list. It was an undeniable part of the indie landscape of the early 2000s.

From reading this band's Wikipedia page, I'm sorta surprised they aren't represented on the actual list. They seem unique and ahead of their time in many ways.

Never heard of them before, but they've instantly become one of my favorite Australian bands. They hit the spot somewhere between Nick Lowe and Joe Jackson. Cracker of an album. Cheers mate.

I didn't expect to enjoy this so much, but I was almost instantly charmed by the mood of this album. Very different from their earlier output, which I'm somewhat more familiar with. I'd say this is a mature record, and I mean that as a compliment. It's not to say it isn't fun and playful - more that it has a refined production style and compelling arrangements. A pleasant surprise that makes me reconsider this band and their talents.

This should absolutely be on the list. It is more deserving than half the selections from 2004 at the very least. Shit, even the old fogeys at Rolling Stone put this in their top 500. Get with it Dimery.

A letdown to be sure. But I wouldn't call it beautiful.

I'm not much of a folkie so this is largely lost on me.

Favorite part: drum programming

Least favorite part: vocals