Reviews by mkaddour2001

This is the only Rolling Stones album I've ever heard - and it's my second time hearing it. I've always found this album oddly catchy, especially with the songs 'Sway' and 'Wild Horses', the latter of which is a blatant country rock track ... not a genre I previously associated the Stones with. They pull it off quite well though and it ends up being my favorite song here - it's a very summery, vibrant, and open track, very nicely capturing this idea of a horse running free. More than anything, I respect how eclectic this album can be - with the song 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' drawing from the worlds of psychedelic, Krautrock, and jazz fusion popular at the time. 'Bitch' carries that gritty weight I was expecting out of the Rolling Stones with an absolutely killer bassline, driving riff, and horn section. 'Sister Morphine' is another one of my favorite songs here, it's a tragic, hazy tale about drug addiction that's delivered over one of the more somber acoustic and western-sounding pieces of instrumentation. The album's drug-related themes come to a head on this one track, it's quite climactic and cinematic in that sense.

I feel like this is an unconventional RS album, though I haven't heard enough of their music to make that assertion. Either way, it's a collection of some damn great early 70s songs with impeccable production value.

Unabashedly artsy and romantic in a turtle-neck (and Montreal) kinda way. The drama behind Rufus' vocals and anecdotes is only elevated by the baroque sound this album boasts and wears on its sleeve. This sound (surprisingly) doesn't wear out its welcome throughout this album's 50+ minute runtime - probably due to its ever-changing nature, still maintaining a level of potency throughout varying stages of intensity. The opener 'Agnus Del' has an almost Middle Eastern tinge, while a song like 'This Love Affair' perfectly intertwines these weighty vocals with dramatic hits of piano and string. It continues surprising 'till the very interesting switch-up on the closing track 'Old Whore's Diet'. 'Gay Messiah' goes in a more interesting conceptual direction, though it's backed by more a generic acoustic strumming piece of instrumentation - one that's still very pleasant.

Beautiful and elegant stuff and a glorious introduction to an artist I've previously never heard of. If you're a fan of shimmering love ballads that sound like they harness the weight of the cosmos to fuel their gleam, many of the songs off this album will surely click.

Metal album art is so cool man. And the highlight of any thrash metal (or any metal) album, for me at least, is those fast-picked, high-pitched guitar solos that sound like a fluctuating current running through a stray wire. I've heard Megadeth's 'Rust in Peace' before, though I can't say I remember much about it. Were the vocals also this cheesy? Lackluster vocals aside, this album's still kickass on the instrumental end - certainly more heavy and immediately punchy than most Metallica albums I've heard - with personable basslines and scratchy riffs that huff and puff these monstrous songs along. I love the little interjective role the upper-register guitar plays on 'Peace Sells', a song that throws any subtly out the window when it comes to its messaging - at moments it's even punk-esque. The band throws in the typical thrash "slower dramatic" cut here with the first half of 'Good Mourning/Black Friday', a song that also happens to be my favorite here. The fantastical imagery here works incredibly to backdrop the chaotic, wartorn playing - I think I generally prefer this writing style.

Short, punchy, and dynamic yet consistent - I by no means have a super-refined palate for thrash or anything, but to me, this is exactly what this genre should strive to sound like.

This might be the goofiest and tackiest album cover I've seen here yet. With that said, there was very little for me not to enjoy here. The hour + went by relatively quickly with these (mostly) short and sweet country-rock tracks with touches of Americana and heartland sounds, akin to Bruce Springsteen (who the album art might be referencing). The production's layered and Ryan's a good enough vocalist and writer in this area, but as I'd expected, the sound starts to wear its welcome near the 40-minute mark. The opening 'New York, New York' might be the highlight of this whole thing and I quite enjoy the escalating outro of the elongated ballad 'Nobody Girl'.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my time with this album.

Rarely has the phrase "genre-defining" been so applicable to an album. It's just that so many gothic, post-punk groups have drawn from this one singular album. Despite the incredibly upbeat sound of the intro 'Disorder', there is nothing gleeful about this album. It's all so metallic, industrial, atmospheric, and hazy, and it's all fronted by a very troubled lead vocalist in Ian Curtis - a man who puts all his feelings, or lack thereof, into each one of these songs, unveiling all the suffering and agony found in this world. At the same time, there's a level of monotony here, almost like clocking into your dead-end job 20 years into your career and realizing what's been wasted - this sudden sense of panic followed by immediate dread. A song like 'Day of the Lords' slowly trudges on as Curtis' vocals sound like a lost soul howling from the bottom of a well - begging for some sort of relief.

Peter Hook's basslines here defy what it means to be a bassist - they're impossibly catchy, sticky, and, more than anything, present. On a song like 'She's Lost Control', he's guiding this song with his high-pitched melodic picking style which paints the spine-chilling infrastructure that this song builds upon. Lyrically, it's not hard to grasp the vivid imagery related to suffering, fear, and distress Ian portrays in this song as he describes his confused state while witnessing the epileptic episode of a woman. One thing I love about this song is the subtle and muffled cries in the background (I think they're there at least - or maybe this song makes me hear things). The reverb sound of Joy Division is so perfectly captured in this one song - it's one of the greatest songs of all time.

Another highlight here is the cinematic 'New Dawn Fades', which has some of Ian's more direct lyrics relating to his deteriorating mental state, painting it as "running through fire" and "not being able to take much more". I also love how emotive his vocals are in the latter part of the song. 'Shadowplay' might be the most fiery punk track here, with Sumner's soaring guitar solos driving this song. "Shadowplay acting out your own death" is also such a kickass line. I love 'Interzone' - as it's almost a throw-back style for Joy Division - harkening back to their debut EP.

When I first heard this album it was way back in my music journey, in fact, I'd say it's one of the first punk albums I've ever heard (I heard their incredible follow-up 'Closer' before this though). So I didn't really "get it" fully, but I knew from the very start that this was special. Years and years later, revisiting this, after all the music I've heard, there is still LITERALLY nothing that sounds like this to me. 'Unknown Pleasures', to this day, managed to pioneer a genre all while still sounding so unique and instantly recognizable.

I loved this jazzy and airy album by Joni Mitchell. Production-wise, Joni once again proves that she's capable of throwing together these gorgeous and unique soundscapes - like on the distorted sampled drums on 'The Jungle Line' or the acapella and blaring synths on 'Shadows and Light'. Most of the music here sounds so feathery and soft, yielding highly enjoyable songs like 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns'.

Lyrically, it's hard to tackle and describe what I love about it exactly. I find everything here so vivid and down to earth, yet simultaneously surreal and dizzying at times, like in the stories of 'Shadows of Scarlett Conquering' and the tragic 'Harry's House/Centerpiece'. The vivid imagery is everpresent in the opening track 'In France They Kiss on Main Street' as well - it's a talent not unique to Joni but it's one she certainly excels at.

From the little I've heard, I find Joni just has this knack for beautifully rounding out and polishing her records. She manages to go above and beyond in both her songwriting and production choices without having one overpower the other.

Despite not being a fan of (most of) their self-titled quadrilogy, I still mess with Led Zeppelin's sound generally. But I think I'm more attracted to the idea of listening to LZ than I am to actually listening to them. In theory, their music should be everything I like - but a mixture of various mildly unappealing aspects (Plant's vocals, slower buzz-kill passages) end up bogging down my experiences.

This album's no different - while I messed with the first side - especially the fantastic, relentless, and pummelling 'In My Time of Dying', the softer switch in the second half didn't do much for me. I mean I like the eerie synths opening 'In the Light', the quaint acoustic track 'Bron-Yr-Aur', and the punchy organ-tinted interludes of 'The Wanton Song' - but I'd be lying if I said I found any other song here to be all that special, not even the blues and rock n' roll throwback 'Boogie with Stu'. The highlight of the album is the highly dramatic and Middle Eastern-inspired 'Kashmir', a truly mesmerizing track.

As expected, Jimmy's riffs are there and there's a lot of talent put on display, but this is another LZ album that just doesn't scratch the itch I was hoping it would.

I went into this Bon Jovi album with the same preconceived notions as the AC/DC album. The only difference is I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed this album. If there's one thing that absolutely turns me off a song, it's hearing it over and over again (especially in things like mainstream comedies, sporting events, or ADVERTISEMENTS). So when I say that upon revisiting this album, I found both 'Livin' on a Prayer' and 'You Give Love a Bad Name' to be unconditionally enjoyable, I'm saying a lot. Also oddly enough I thought Bon Jovi came out in the 70s but after listening to this thing, the late 80s glam rock era certainly makes itself known - it gives this album a lot of soul in a weird way like on the song 'I'd Die For You'. There are some other decent songs here of course, like 'Wanted Dead Or Alive', though I don't like it as much as I did as a kid (feels like a slow burn in the context of the rest of the record). As for new songs, 'Without Love' was a sweet track with some deeply layered synth-tinged production that I loved.

I'm just happy I got through this thing without getting annoyed even once - maybe I should start binning these exaggeratedly negative ideas I have of these huge old bands. Cause Bon Jovi can certainly rock.

I feel like I've heard the style of "blues-rock-pop" presented on this album so many times and in so many songs...yet I've always mapped it to the Black Keys exclusively. I tacked on the "pop" tag because if there's one thing the Black Keys were incredible at in their heyday, it was making their music attractive to almost any ear that meets it. This formula of smokey and reverb vocals singing these catchy phrases, these punchy, loud drums, and so many layers of guitar distortion were more than enough to excite anyone upon initial impact.

Unfortunately, when it comes to their albums, after the first few songs, the honeymoon phase wears off. And in this album's case, considering it's quite lengthy, it's hard to mask how repetitive it gets near the end. With that said, it never gets unenjoyable. Aside from the truck commercialism of 'Howlin For You' that I can't stand, there isn't a *bad* song here. There are certainly some great ones though like 'Tighten Up' especially. I also really love the sentiment presented in the song 'Unknown Brother'.

It's a weird album, by an even weirder band. An album that has all the pieces to be, in theory, incredible - but to me at least, the Black Keys style does not complement this longer album format. I feel like I've heard the style of "blues-rock-pop" presented on this album so many times and in so many songs...yet I've always mapped it to the Black Keys exclusively. I tacked on the "pop" tag because if there's one thing the Black Keys were incredible at in their heyday, it was making their music attractive to almost any ear that meets it. This formula of smokey and reverb vocals singing these catchy phrases, these punchy, loud drums, and so many layers of guitar distortion were more than enough to excite anyone upon initial impact.

Unfortunately, when it comes to their albums, after the first few songs, the honeymoon phase wears off. And in this album's case, considering it's quite lengthy, it's hard to mask how repetitive it gets near the end. With that said, it never gets unenjoyable. Aside from the truck commercialism of 'Howlin For You' that I can't stand, there isn't a *bad* song here. There are certainly some great ones though like 'Tighten Up' and the dramatic closer 'These Days'. I also really love the sentiment presented in the song 'Unknown Brother'.

It's a weird album, by an even weirder band. An album that has all the pieces to be, in theory, incredible - but to me at least, the Black Keys style does not complement this longer album format.

I am not super familiar with Brazilian music (though this album falls under the Tropicalia sub-genre) but I found this introduction through Caetano Veloso unsurprisingly pleasant. The main thing I noticed is that there is no distinct sound present here, the songs shift sounds constantly, like going from being psychedelic to baroque-influenced to jazz at the drop of a dime, while still maintaining a South American touch to it all. I loved the multi-phased, ominously romantic 'Clarice'. The strings that kick off 'Palsagem Util' are utterly gorgeous - this song has easily the lushest composition here. There's something so fuzzy and surreal about the mixing on this album as well that I can't quite put a finger on. As for the vocals, I couldn't understand much but Caetano proves to be a charismatic (and talented) singer as displayed on songs like 'Tropicalia' and 'Superbacana'.

Greatly enjoyed my time with this - it's quite the disorienting experience at times though I'd say it generally works in this album's favour.

Deep Purple's 'Machine Head' has always been an album I've appreciated for demonstrating a strong understanding of what it meant to be 'hard rock' - no bells and whistles attached. Borderline metal at times too, the vocals on the opening 'Highway Star' remind me of Iron Maiden, and the guitar solo rips similarly to them, with an impeccably sharp tone. The musical interludes in this record are the highlights by far. The chilling lyrics and epic guitar riff driving the track 'Picture of Home' make it easily my favorite song here. 'Smoke on the Water' is cool but unfortunately suffers from the "I've heard that dumbass riff too many times to care" effect. Looking past that iconic riff and chorus though, there's a terrifically smokey song here with an infectious organ-tinged groove. Ritchie's guitar playing all over this album rules.

Muddy, groovy, hard-hitting, dynamic, and insatiable all the way through, this album, to me, has always acted as an encapsulation of all the best ideas hard rock had to offer in its golden age. Or just "if cool was an album".

Le music man himself. While I've technically heard Zappa's seminal 1969 jazz-fusion album 'Hot Rats' before, I'm not sure if I was paying attention back then. I say "I'm not sure" because even with this listen, this album feels almost like an instantaneous blur. The first track 'Peaches En Regalia' is constantly changing - but ultimately it orbits a single leitmotif. Still, there's something undeniably adventurous about the varied set of synthesizers here - reminds me of the first level of a video game. Aside from that, you're getting some incredibly psychedelic tracks that are so fun to lay back and get lost in. I love how melodic and uplifting the song 'Son of Mr. Green Genes' is. The bass all over this record rules as well.

While maybe not as ambitious as I thought it would be, I almost feel like I enjoyed it more this way. It's an album that flaunts its talents, but also its colors and ability to write sticky melodic leads separated by tight and erratic playing. It's also just wild as all hell.

The second Beatles solo album I've heard - by one of the members at the band's lyrical forefront (alongside Yoko Ono). Comparing this to Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass', I do find this album far more tangible and direct with its statements; with Lennon coming off as bolder and more conscious in his writing. Be that the family matters tackled in a song like 'Mother', the stark criticism of capitalism in 'Working Class Hero', and the blind idolization (even relating to himself) of 'God'. Compared to Harrison's album, I did generally enjoy the music a bit less, especially when it came to the harder tracks like 'Well Well Well' which didn't do much for me. The light piano on 'God', and the tight and sunny groove on 'Hold On' were highlights. I also enjoy this album's brevity, in its songs and when it comes to the album as a whole.

I mean it's a Beatles solo album from the early 70s, it would be hard for me to not like this thing.

It's kind of daunting to tackle such a seminal Indie Folk release - an album by a troubled artist that continues to resonate with so many. Elliott Smith stood as one of the (whisper) indie folk giants before his passing, ultimately influencing many artists to come (The likes of Sufjan's newer albums draw many parallels from Elliott's minimalistic style I feel). While it is undoubtedly melancholic, there is something so sour about the melodies and instrumentation here - they're not quite as comforting (to me) as I feel like they may be intended to be. They're very grainy, and not very vivid nor tactile but they still work damn near perfectly in creating this cold atmosphere Smith sets out to capture. Elliott's writing is really why I stick around here as he grapples with many issues. Many songs are inspired by a recently ended relationship as seen in the song 'Say Yes' but also the self-blaming of a song like 'Alameda'. The melancholic and dissonant masterpiece for me here is 'Ballad of Big Nothing' - a song about meaningless freedom sung over the most upbeat instrumentation here. The level of self-loathing sarcasm Elliott presents in this song is also subtly reflected throughout the majority of the tracklist here, like on the song 'Rose Parade'

While I may not adore this thing as much as many people do after only a couple of listens, given the sheer amount of artists who have copied this style of writing and performing since 1997, 'Either/Or' works perfectly in standing its ground so many years later - still feeling wholly unique. It's an album so full of life, yet so empty at the same time.

I kinda sorta really fw this - I guess I’ve always had an affinity for fun goofy stuff like this. It’s kinda hard to gauge exactly what genre this album falls under - at times it sounds like the strange love child between electronic, hip-hop, and RNB, (especially vocally). Spacey - out of this world vibe, especially on the fuzzy sequenced synths comprising the song 'What is Love?'. Many tracks here are built off a large variety of samples, like the landmark track ‘Groove is in the Heart’ that features from Funkadelic affiliates Bootsy and Maceo, and of course Q-tip. It also has my favourite Lady Miss Kier vocal performance here alongside ‘Good Beat’. Such a fun son.

I mean overall it’s just such a chill and fun experience - providing a means to space out and breath.

Might just be my new favorite album by Southern Soul legend Aretha Franklin - granted I've only ever heard two of her other records, both great. Still, this album delivers such a deep punch instrumentally, and especially vocally that just wasn't *as* present in her other efforts. Versatility in Franklin's vocals is what rounds out this record, whether she decides to harmonize on the slower cut 'People Get Ready', or bring out this slicker drive on a song like 'Chain of Fools', her talents are continuously put on full display. One thing's for certain, no matter what direction she goes in vocally, the backing band is there to support and elevate her performances - I love the guitar and especially that bassline on 'Niki Hoeky'. And don't get me started on the orchestral backing on the masterpiece that is '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' - such a grandiose demonstration of everything that made this genre great in the late 60s.

A truly fantastic soul record - but I expected nothing less. An album that holds Aretha Franklin's best vocal chops - proving that she'll always be one of the greatest singers of all time.

Having heard their seminal release 'Violater' very recently - falling in love with its dark, moody, and almost dystopian aura (gothic synthpop?), I was very much looking forward to listening to more Depeche Mode. Honestly, 'Music for the Masses' is in the same vein as its successor, following a loveable formula composed of some of the most textured pop synths in 80s new-wave - and David Gahan's vocals that scream dissatisfaction, emptiness, and hunger. There's so much drama here when diving into the cold lyrical drive against this almost industrial and robotic bass and drum machine combination - especially seen on the songs 'Strangelove', 'Behind the Wheel', and 'Sacred'. It's also undeniably catchy at times.

This album just has this infectious combination of vocals and diverse synths, drowning the listener in its countless melodic layers. It's what made me fall in love with this band in the first place.

I mean for an album tagged with the 'Glam Punk' label - this is exactly what I'd expect it to sound like. It has a punk drive given its speed and vocal style, but it comes with all the flashy guitar solos and soaring phrases of a hair-metal band. While undeniably goofy at times with its themes, it's a pummeling experience that I'm surprised I enjoyed as much as I did - songs like 'Selfdestructo Bust', 'Prince Of The Rodeo', and 'Rock Against Ass' were genuinely such fun punk rock tracks. Its "crudeness" comes off childish, but it's just so damn catchy and dense sounding, I can't help but bob along to a song as stupidly titled as 'Rendevous With Anus'. Good stuff honestly - infectious energy all over this album.

Beck is an artist I've heard a lot about - so I was eager to jump into this album. I find that this album marinates in its eclecticism and borders parody at points, kind of like Ween, with these throwbacky melodic angles drawing from the worlds of hip-hop and alternative rock. The instrumentals are solid here, I especially love the rivetting layers on the jittery and bassy 'Hell Yes'. I also love the wall of crashing guitars driving the soothing melody on 'Broken Drum', easily my favorite song here.

My biggest issue is Beck's one-note and lowkey vocals on many of these songs. While they complement the spacious trip-hop beats on some of these songs, they consequently bog them down. As a result, I'd be lying if I said I was engaged throughout the entirety of this album's relatively modest runtime.

There's most certainly a notable charm present on this album - one that's undeniably cool, at times smokey, and very unique sounding. But by the end, I was left wishing it had something more punchy or memorable to offer. For my taste - I found this thing almost too laid-back.

Just over thirty minutes of buttery smooth southern soul music performed by one of the coolest voices in the genre. I mean just that sentence alone perfectly justifies my opinion on this album. However, if you are going into this album expecting some sort of crazy experimentation and out there genre-fusions, you're only setting yourself up for disappointment. This album thrives off the basics and can build deeply intimate, and occasionally upbeat, tracks off that typical drum, guitar, bass, horn, and organ formula. 'Let's Stay Together', 'What Is This Feeling', and 'Old Time Lovin' are just some incredible standalone soul tracks. The long string-backed 'How Can You Mend a Broke Heart' stands as one of the most beautiful soul songs of all time.

The very idea of "Soul" in one album. Yup.