Reviews by mkaddour2001

Some excellent punk music from a band I've been meaning to check out for the longest time. I don't know much about Siouxsie and the Banshee's later works, but I'd assume they only continue fleshing out the darker post-punk sounds subtly presented on this album. For this debut though, as many future post-punk acts would start, the band sticks to more traditional punk sounds - while still keeping it much slower and more melodic than other bands in the punk genre. Many moments here reminded me of the band 'Wire'. Siouxsie is an incredibly dynamic yet simultaneously consistent vocalist, and lyrically speaking, the unsettling imagery of songs like 'Suburban Relapse', 'Switch', and 'Carcass' further push that gothic post-punk aesthetic. Sonically, the jagged guitar playing and fast-picked basslines you'd expect out of this genre make themselves apparent on most of these songs - which makes for a consistent yet, at times, repetitive 40 minutes. Still songs like 'Mirage' and 'Nicotine Stain' are absolute bangers despite not straying from that very simple formula. The final track switches it up with a shimmering and ominous guitar tone driving the track - it's the most gothic and ahead-of-its-time moment on this entire record.

For a debut record, this is honestly quite incredible. Hoping I get more S&B on here, I'd like to check out what their sound evolves to on their more critically acclaimed records. Or, y'know, I can just check them out myself.

Hearing 'Turn to Stone' after so long made me very happy. It was one of the defining songs of my younger years, yet I mostly forgot it existed. And it's a genuinely incredible song too, especially when those strings come in on that oh-so nostalgic chorus.

And then there's the rest of the album too. This group certainly lives up to its name, with the symphonic elements at the forefront backed by sweet theatric elements, not unlike a group like Queen. The first three songs are incredible - 'It's Over' again gives me heavy Queen vibes and 'Sweet Talkin' Woman' is as close to perfect as a pop-rock song of the late 70s can get.

After that initial run though, the sound gets repetitive fast, but the highlights are still there. 'Mr. Blue Sky', as overplayed as it is, is an enjoyable and shockingly dynamic song at its core. Also that subtle, shimmering build-up on 'Big Wheels' was mesmerizing, to say the least.

I was inclined to give this a lower score but by the end of the album I just felt really happy. It sort of brought out a childish joy within me, like being a kid out in a large city at night. Despite many songs not doing it for me (the last three songs I could've gone without, especially 'Birmingham Blues') it's an album so beaming with innocence and joy that I'd be a miserable loser if I said it wasn't incredible at what it does. It's those damn strings...they can't make me hate you.

Does Metallica sound good backed by a full orchestra? Shockingly enough, after two hours of this thing, I still don't know the answer. Putting the kind of cheesy opening of 'Ecstasy of Gold' aside, I'd say more times than not, the combination comes off equally as tacky as it does epic. And that terrible word 'epic' is, unfortunately, the best way to put a majority of those moments when the orchestra sweeps in. It all feels very cinematic. I love the strings on this rendition of 'One', it's one of the moments where this orchestral rendition almost TOPS the original for me. In contrast, the following 'Enter Sandman' sounds awful and messy.

I was excited to see a Metallica live album, as I've been impartial toward most of their discography, and was hoping a live take on their music would win me over. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if that's the case yet after this album alone given how gimmicky it is. Nevertheless, I applaud Metallica for doing something this ambitious and "over-the-top" - I can only imagine how much work it took to pull it off. And the crowd seemed to love it.

I truly believe that the apex of modern-day alternative rnb comes in the form of FKA Twigs' music. While she would go on to polish and round out her sound on future records, especially on her impeccable 2019 release 'MAGDALENE', this "rudimentary" release in her discography remains a stunning demonstration of pop, electronic, and rnb fusions 'till this day. With hints of some of The Weeknd's 'Trilogy' EPs and a mildly unsettling, yet ultimately troubled-romantic aesthetic not unlike some of Portishead's works, twigs manages to curate this hauntingly gorgeous piece that's parts experimental, yet undoubtedly still mass-appealing. You'll get stuttering electronic instrumentation and drums, gentle and breathy vocals, falsetto harmonies, ear-candy melodies, and intimate writing here - characteristics that may seem oversaturated now but this album proves that Twigs was (way) ahead of the curve when it came to refining some of these sounds.

I'd say this record is best absorbed as a whole, with 40 minutes of consistently lulling music, but individual tracks like 'Two Weeks', 'Video Girl', and the closer 'Kicks' stand their ground as defiant ballad-bops within the genre.

Honestly revisiting this thing, I forgot just how great of a debut album it is. I'd also argue that this record is one of the most influential in the genre - there really was no one doing it quite like FKA twigs nearing the mid-2010s. Also, this album cover rules.

When it comes to jazz music, my adventure, like many others, started with this seminal '63 Mingus record. And if anyone were to ask me where they should start with jazz music, I'd probably recommend this record, with the other obvious pick being Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue'. Honestly, I'm no jazz expert, but to my ears, 'The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady' presents some of the genre's hookiest, most direct, versatile, and diverse-sounding music. I mean listen to the flute and piano-driven motif that's established early on in 'Group Dancers' and then bought back several times throughout the following medley. Or the flamenco-inspired guitar that comes in a couple of times backed by nothing but deafening silence or this lone saxophone that patiently croons along to it. And when the horn section comes in, it sounds so brisk and heavy, so full-sounding - it's difficult to describe exactly but it's undeniably evocative nevertheless. It feels like a cold winter day out in the city - as cliche as that might sound.

Mingus, while being the bassist and pianist here, is also the genius composer behind this album. And it *does* feel composed, something jazz purists were probably relishing at the advent of the free jazz movement. It has its classical sensibilities but also easily slides into these chaotic pockets before seamlessly transforming back into its more structured and melodic form. I'd say this is best demonstrated near the ~11-minute mark of the closing medley.

As for what I think this album is about - well honestly I don't know. This album does create a strong mood, though it's one steeped in abstraction and mystery. As the liner notes and names of the songs indicate, it's an album that often relates itself to movement or dancing with a song like 'Duete Solo Dancers' cooling up the tempo and the following 'Group Dancers' slowly boiling it up again before it bursts in the closing medley.

Hearing this record for the first time years back as a kid who wanted nothing to do with jazz and its enigmatic compositions, this album really opened my ears to this kind of music. Obviously, with those floodgates open, I'd go on to not only listen to more jazz but also to more daunting projects in general. It takes a really special (and incredible) album to change the way you think about music.

The funny thing about the Arctic Monkeys is that they released this absolute banger of an indie rock album (one of the best of the entire decade) and then went on to release music that does absolutely nothing for me. The dirty garage rock instrumentation, dance sensibilities, and Turner's rapid-fire yet melodic delivery are all dialed up to the max here - it makes for a consistently enjoyable and addictive listening experience. It's not even "fake" dirty either like they're trying to water down the sounds of alt-rock greats like 'The Stooges' and 'The Velvet Underground' for the mainstream - it's genuinely quite "authentic" sounding and it managed to amass such levels of popularity doing it this way. The two opening tracks are my favorites here and are on constant repea and I love the slower switch-up of 'Riot Van'. The opening grooves and riffs are incredible on songs like 'Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured' and 'Mardy Bum - everything sounds so tight and crisp with such defined basslines.

One of the best in this stream of post-punk, indie, and garage rock of the 2000s. Such a fun listen.

My first dive into some of Cohen's earlier catalog was a very introspective experience. This album is soothing and comforting, yet brooding like a lone candle at the corner of the room. Immediately the finger-plucked hypnotism of the guitar backed by the chamber instrumentation of the opener 'Avalanche' puts me in a trace, one that I'm in up until the very end of the album. There's not a cumbersome or aggressive moment on this album - it's all so chilled. Even when the strings or backing vocals come in, they make sure not to topple over the precariously constructed sonic foundation that this album is built on.

Cohen's writing can be quite daunting, given how dense and layered it can be. There's no way I can pick up on the meanings behind all these songs upon first listening without flat-out looking them up. Still, the images and portrayals of isolation and yearning are beautifully captured in songs like 'Avalanche' and 'Famous Blue Raincoat'.

This album really showcases Cohen's talents - and in the large sea of folk writers from his time, he manages to come through on this album with such a uniquely dark sound.

There are some decent moments here, but overall, I don't have much to say about this album. 'Boxcars' is by far and away the best song here - with this twisted guitar scraping the mix and an incredible accordion passage driving the instrumental interlude. It contains an edge I was hoping this album carried more of - especially in Ely's gloomy lyrics. This song's honestly incredible and I'm really happy I discovered it here. 'Fingernails' was a fun and catchy classic Rock N' Roll throwback type song that's pretty cool - if a bit cliche sounding. I don't have much to say about Ely's writing on most of this album - it's pretty standard in this vein of country music.

There are some other good songs, like 'West Texas Waltz' and 'Because Of The Wind', but most of the music here doesn't stand out as all that unique or anything. It is still, however, well done all the way through.

Come to think of it, the British Folk scene of the '60s is one that I'm not familiar with at all. From what I've heard, Fairport Convention are quite influential in this domain so if there's a place to start, it'd be here. And holy is there a lot of great music to dig into on this album. Every song is brimming with texture and color, be that the psychedelic-progressive leanings of 'A Sailor's Life' or what sounds like electric dulcimer crumbs on 'Percy's Song'. It's all so fun to listen to.

And Sandy Denny's performances here are utterly angelic - with my personal highlights being the fluttery and light singing on 'Autopsy', 'A Sailor's Life', and especially 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes?'. The latter showcases her simplistically pleasant yet verdant songwriting angle better than any other song here. I also really enjoyed the group vocals on the Dylan covers of 'Percy's Song' and the language-swapped 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now'.

Just a really great listen overall, and has frankly aged like fine wine in almost every aspect.

Another groundbreaking release in Dylan's discography, though one that took me longer to fall in love with when compared to his earlier releases. Dylan in the 70s isn't the most consistent and his ditching of the "harsher" folk-rock noises that his seminal 60s releases were composed of for 'Blood On the Tracks' didn't go over well with me upon first listen.

But ultimately, the decision to "regress" to his more traditional folk style amplifies this album's beauty, warmth, and melancholic ethos. It's no secret that this album is, in large part, about the turmoil surrounding his marriage with Sara at the time. The opening songs 'Tangled up in Blue' and 'Simple Twist of Fate' play into these nostalgic memories and fond moments spent with several ambiguous characters. 'If You See Her, Say Hello' may be the most directly heartbreaking song here related to Dylan's personal life, while 'Shelter from the Storm' offers a level of comfort on the album's most soothing moment. 'Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts' is the standard labyrinthian tale on these Dylan albums, though in theme with this album, it's largely related to false charades and convoluted love paradigms. My favorite song has to be 'Idiot Wind', not only is it the most catchy and visceral song here, but Dylan's criticism of his own supposed ego here comes off as poignant and undeniably aggressive - it reminds me a lot of 'Like a Rolling Stone' in that sense.

This is not an album that's as politically charged as his previous efforts, but in my opinion, it boasts some of Dylan's strongest and most vivid writing. There's a looming sadness here that can't be shaken off on even the most optimistic of songs.

Honestly, I enjoyed this record more than many of the late 50s albums that have appeared here thus far. That's not to say it doesn't suffer from many of the same flaws, the glaring one being repetitious patterns and formulae that get quite tired near the halfway mark. That aside though, the music was pleasant and a good introduction to Mamba as a whole - especially with those 50s big-band fusions and clave-driven grooves with my favorite being the way the horns barge in and make way for the vibraphone solo on the instrumental 'Hong Kong Mambo'.

Given the album title, this feels like a dance album - though one I'd rather throw on in the background at a party or something. Still enjoyable.

For a band that's widely considered to have birthed alternative rock in its most contemporary form, R.E.M. has never quite appealed to me in the traditional sense.

This debut album especially is unabashedly sleepy, hypnotic, and lulling. I understand that's likely the appeal of an album like this, with Michael Stripe's performances coming off as almost dream-like - vocally and especially lyrically, but sometimes I'm left hoping for something a bit more sticky or vibrant. This mood works particularly well in a song like 'Perfect Circle', a song very predictive of the melancholic-sounding direction the genre would branch into many years later.

I quite enjoy listening to this album merely as a way of pinpointing certain influences. Influential sounds, song structures, and patterns are rarely this in-your-face - it's to the point where I'm left fascinated but the rudimentary nature of these roots still leaves me wanting something more. This is one of those albums that I just don't get *yet*. It's not without its highlights though, 'We Walk', 'Shaking Through', and 'Radio Free Europe' I find very enjoyable.

I love 'Breaking the Law' and, from what I've heard, I love Judas Priest! But this earlier release in their discography is steeped in some of the more irritating hard-rock sounds of the time that I'm not so much a fan of. It's also missing those iconic Rob Halford theatric yelps and vocals that make the JP records iconic—I mean, they're still there, just to a lesser degree.

'The Rage' has hints of those incredible Rob Halford vocal cries and chops I love so much from JP's later albums - including a kickass solo to send the track off, it might be my favorite song on here. 'Steeler' follows suit and is equally as effective with its closing blazing guitar passages. 'Red White and Blue' is a unique change-up, though I'm not entirely sure how to feel about it upon first listen.

Not the best crop of Judas Priest songs I've heard, but then again it's an earlier release in their discog.

Alright little early 2000s indie rock record with a uniquely futuristic and sci-fi aesthetic. The subtle futurism the production is coupled with is the main thing this album has going for it, it's what makes it stand out among the many Indietronic albums of its time. Otherwise, I don't have much to say about it - it's relatively run-of-the-mill in this ally of somewhat laid-back indie rock. I really liked 'Lion Thief' and 'Easy' is also incredibly catchy and funky, I love the little high-pitched synth interlude. 'Liquid Bird' has the most electrifying instrumentation with the arpeggiated electric guitar and sporadic volume levels dominating the majority of the track.

Again not much to say about this guy, was mostly enjoyable - but also pretty dull at times.

Like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young is one of those OG critically acclaimed singer-songwriter folk artists that I just hadn't gotten around to checking out until this list.

The best thing by far about this album is how uniquely bleak it is. Even the album cover here, depicts a beach, something you typically associate with joy, in the most empty and void way. Obviously, this parallels the title track in meaning more than anything, a song about Neil's sense of isolation alongside his fame (something he may consider typically joyful as it ties to his art I assume?). Musically though, a song like 'See the Sky About to Rain' sounds like a happy day on the beach - but this day is mildly gloomy and tinted with uncertainty and sadness. Three songs here reference "blues" which sorta adds to the lethargic and apathetic feel to everything here. The songs are slow and sort of trudge on. The 8-minute closer 'Ambulance Blues' perfectly captures this. This song slowly marches on, with this melancholic harmonica interluding the various opaque verses.

While on the surface level, it may seem like there's nothing unique about this folk record, experiencing it as a whole I came to find that Neil Young was capable of drawing out a very strong emotion from me through both his writing and through the simplistically dim sonic direction this album goes in.

In typical early 2000s fashion, this album is way too fucking long. But that aside, it's honestly pretty good thanks in large part to the superstar producers manning the drum machines and samplers on here. With The Neptunes and Timbaland on production (reminds me: Clipse better be on this 1001 list...), the highlights speak for themselves. The beat on '(Oh No) What You Got' is so damn good, and while I wish it had a rap feature on it, Timberlake coasts on it better than he does on most songs here.
When Pusha T and Malice rap over the 'Like I Love You' beat, I was kinda hoping the entire song was just them, canning Timberlake.

I was just hoping for some variety from Timberlake on these deep cuts, that's it. Emotionally, lyrically, melodically, SOMETHING. It never got unbearable but at a certain point, like c'mon dude, CHANGE IT UP. The lyrics are sexy, but there is no dirt or edge in a majority of the songs on the tail-end of this thing - they're too safe. I like 'Cry Me a River' - for such a petty song about Spears, I find it quite shocking that it got so high in the charts. 'Rock Your Body' is really sick as well.

Still a pleasant listen overall, just in a throw-it-on-in-the-background kind of way. I know Timberlake's later works are quite a bit more acclaimed so maybe I'll check those out.

Catchy and easily accessible post-punk music without ever really coming off as a "watered-down" version of the genre's sounds. I mean yeah, you have a song like 'Success' which sounds like a go-lucky 60s pop song that would've absolutely dominated the charts re-invented for the post-punk era. But you also have experimental cuts like the drug-addled rambling-driven 'Turn Blue'.

With the exception of the poorly aged (and gross at the time) 'Sixteen', I enjoyed pretty much every song here. I generally enjoy Iggy's deeper vocal style here, like on 'Tonight' and the masterpiece that is 'The Passenger'. The latter sounds like a mix of David Bowie (who had many ties to this album, especially given the fact that 'Station to Station', which I always found had many similarities to this album musically and thematically, was released around the time of this album) and Jim Morrison-styled vocals. Well, that's probably because Bowie does backup vocals here and the lyrics were inspired by a Morrison poem.

Again, easily accessible, fun, and "poppy" post-punk is sort of what draws me to this album. Authenticity is not sacrificed though - I mean it's Iggy Pop, one of the genre's pioneers, he couldn't be inauthentic even if he tried.

You can't go wrong with Stevie Wonder, you just can't. While it's certainly more consistent than 'Talking Book', I still think its predecessor has those higher highs when it comes to individual songs. Thematically speaking, songs like 'Jesus Children of America' and Living For the City' push the envelope in terms of Stevie's poignant social observations. Musically, you're getting that unique fusion of funk, like on the incredible 'Higher Ground', and slower soulful piano-driven cuts, like on my personal favorite closer 'He's Misstra Know-It-All'.

On this album, Stevie once again demonstrates that he's more than capable of making soul music that captures everything the genre's history has led up to while simultaneously polishing and propelling the sound forward and closer to its full potential - filling this record to the brim with ambitious song structures and effective genre fusions.

As someone who is quite unfamiliar with the genres of Bossa Nova and Samba (and Brazillian music in general), I found this sort of "Westernized" sounding take on the genre very easy to get sucked into. Though it's in a different way than say an artist like Caetano Veloso, where this album leans heavily into the poppier sounds of its time.

Astrud's vocals here are so warm and airy which complements this kind of middling, yet simultaneously luscious sound of the '60s production. Unfortunately with this style of album, once you've heard a single song, you've pretty much heard them all - it's just a matter of wanting to (justifiably) seek out more of it to get lulled into. 'You Didn't Have To Be So Nice' is maybe one of the most wholesome songs I've ever heard - to the point where I almost shed a tear. Something about the instrumental melody, the duet between Astrud and her son, the grainy sound of it all, it's so inviting. The following closer 'Nao Bate O Corocao' has a more defined syncopated drum pattern, giving a punchier and jazzier vibe that I quite enjoyed.

A quaint little record. Despite not being anything special, it was a lovely way to kick off the day.

Insanely tight and crisp-sounding new-wavey era pop-rock music. Peter Gabriel, alongside legendary bassist Tony Levin, construct such a well-rounded album here that varies so greatly in sound between each track. You have these upbeat love songs like 'That Voice Again', progressively funky tracks like 'Sledgehammer', some darker and somber tracks with 'Don't Give Up', and the cryptic yet intriguing and poetic 'Mercy Street'. There's one thing all these songs have in common though and it's that they all showcase Peter's undeniable knack for catchy hooks and evocative writing. His deep, and at times raspy, vocals fit so snuggly into the busy mixes here. The background vocals that occasionally crop up only give his voice more weight and definition. And again, it all sounds so crisp and fluttery, thanks in part to Tony's bass style, which, as demonstrated by those 80s King Crimson records, so perfectly complements new-wave grooves - giving them a unique flare that wouldn't be there otherwise.

This is scientifically well-constructed pop music from the 80s - really good stuff and undeniably easy to digest.