Reviews by mkaddour2001

...More Dylan, when he's balls-deep into blues-rock territory and very far from his traditional folksy roots. And while it's never been my favourite record by him, it's still pretty damn great. It feels more tender, melodic, and easily digestible in a lot of ways when compared to some of his other albums. I mean, songs like 'I Want You', 'Fourth Time Around', or 'Just Like a Woman' are some of Dylan's most entry-level tracks, and the closest he gets to pop accessibility. Yet those songs go over exceptionally well, especially the latter, which is one of the greatest Dylan love ballads out there. I just love how quaint and soft the instrumentation feels, with that rolling organ and hooky guitar melody, super intimate mood on this one.

There is a very noticeable bluesy edge to this record that wasn't *really* as present on his previous album - songs like 'Pledging My Time' and especially the progression of a song like 'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat'. Those more standard tracks I've never been a huge fan of, to be honest. A song like 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' with its messy, clunky, drunken sway, on the other hand, is totally up my alley and is such a strange opener for Dylan; it feels like him at his loosest - lyrically, compositionally, and vocally. 'Stuck Inside of Mobile' is easily my favourite song here; I love that descending organ line in the hook, and the little monotonous stories that lead Dylan to the existential dread in the refrain are always just so fun to listen to.

I do think this would've been Dylan's best if it was just the first disc, but as it stands, the second disc is hit-or-miss for me. Nothing bad at all, just not his most memorable. Still, some great highlights, most notably the incredible closer 'Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands'. But I've always found this album ridiculously front-loaded, at least when it comes to my favourite tracks. But still, so many highlights here and such a warm and cozy listen. And, funnily enough, it's the most Dylan seems to be trying in terms of vocal melody and pop accessibility.

This was totally up my alley once upon a time. Just completely discordant, yet ultimately groovy, dark, twisted, industrial post-punk. It's been a long time since I've listened to this, and I did still enjoy it this time around, but it definitely takes its toll on you, given its hour-long length and atonal nature. The bellowing and wailing nature of Johnny Rotten's unpredictable vocals don't help either; they're frightening and sound less like punk vocals and more like the ramblings of a madman trapped in solitary confinement. The vocals add a lot to this album's nightmarish feel, and occasionally sound like a decomposing fusion of Ian Curtis and Mark E. Smith.

Just a super neat album once you get over how difficult it is by nature. For as overwhelming as the cacophony can be, a song like 'Swan Lake' manages to mesh all its twisted little elements for a pretty euphoric and tangible finish. There's a Sonic Youth element to the very subtle beauty in the cacophony - like, I don't know if my brain was fried by this point in the album, but there was something genuinely gorgeous buried in the squealing guitars of 'No Birds'. And the hypnotic and fuzzy arpeggio guitars over Rotten's spoken-word piece on 'Poptones' are about 20 years ahead of their time, an absolutely mind-blowing moment. And, just like so much of this album, it's oddly unsettling. 'Careering' and 'Graveyard' do some interesting electronic fuckery that also just sounds years ahead of its time, like twisted EDM-punk and industrial bangers from a hell dimension. And the closer, 'Radio 4', is the most sobering thing here, like a slow but necessary decompression and breath of fresh air after such a claustrophobic album, with its gorgeous blue-sky pads and synth leads.

This album is just an experimentalism warehouse; each song has some new cool thing to show off. The bass is maybe the most iconic thing on this album, given it's the only normal-sounding instrument here and is the very strong glue keeping this album from completely falling apart. It also just kicks ass; the grooves the rhythm section establishes on this album are insatiable, my favourite being the instrumental 'Socialist'.

I mean, it's easily the best thing Johnny Rotten has done; I've always connected with this group more than the Sex Pistols. But It's such a stubborn album, with it just being so difficult to understand and fully unlock; I still haven't figured it out after all these years. I guess it really does feel like an eternally sealed metal box in that sense.

While I don't understand why K.d Lang needed two entries on this list, I did quite enjoy her other entry earlier on. This one, on the other hand, felt like it lacked any sort of unique personality. It has an old-school vocal jazz feel that was pleasant, but something about it felt plain and uninspired, even though the execution itself was fine.

Obviously, K.d Lang is an incredible vocalist, and I liked a few songs here, especially 'I Wish I Didn't Love You So' with its gorgeous strings and backing harmonies, and the more upbeat vocal gymnastics of 'Once Again Around the Dance Floor'. But the album isn't doing enough interesting or unique things for me to really care beyond surface-level enjoyment. Again, her follow-up was much better.

I don't think there's a hardcore band out there whose lyrics still ring true as much as the Dead Kennedys'; they are THE defining bold statement, anti-establishment band. While I've always preferred 'Plastic Surgery Disasters', this album still kicks so much ass and is still just so sharp, blood-pumping, hilarious, absurd, and on-the-nose.

Jello Biafra is such a great vocalist; his drunken vibrato is one of this album's many defining sounds. It just sounds like the guy is taking the absolute piss out of whatever he's talking about. It's striking especially when he's singing about killing "The Poor" or "Children" on those particular songs; it's obvious to anyone that he's being satirical, but his delivery is quite literally the opposite of sensitive towards these very sensitive topics (I mean, the ending of 'Chemical Warfare' is distasteful and super cartoony for no reason - I kinda love it). The guy doesn't sugarcoat or hide his feelings behind abstractions; it's one thing I'll give him. 'Holiday In Cambodia' being maybe his most furious presentation of that, you can feel this guy's anger at privileged middle-upper-class children radiating through your speakers. And he also has no right to be able to write such incredible melodies that are genuinely this catchy, with hooks you REALLY don't want stuck in your head, like with 'Let's Lynch The Landlord' or 'California Uber Alles'. I hate to say this, because it's a statement associated with the absolute worst artists I know, but Biafra really didn't care if he offended his listeners, and he was doing it well before it was "cool" (or uncool).

In typical hardcore fashion, the playing here is super fast and raw, but it's definitely more dynamic and dare-I-say melodic, especially when compared to its contemporaries like Minor Threat. The basslines here really pop; they're super melodic and very groovy too, like the intro to 'California Uber Alles' goes disgustingly hard. And there's a screeching, haunting feel to the guitar riffs here, the extended noise-filled intro to 'Holiday in Cambodia' being the best example. The recording isn't the cleanest, but the talent of all the players isn't so obviously hidden behind heavy effects or anything; their musicianship is (rightfully) put on full display at nearly all times.

Landmark punk music that's just oddly accessible. That's not to say it's trying to appeal to the masses or anything; the lyrics certainly weed out a whole lot of potential listeners. But the playing here is surprisingly non-amateurish for punk; the hooks are oddly sing-alongable, and you'll get an out-of-place surf-inspired solo here and there. All that said, this is certainly one of the greatest places to start in the very vast and daunting genre of Punk Music.

Honestly, for a massive, pretty-samey southern country rock album drenched in a consistent sound I'm usually only partially into, I really loved this thing. There was something so down-to-earth and sincere about the lyrics and vocalists; there's a twisted, amateurish and blunt edge to them that's very similar to a group like Modest Mouse or Jason Molina, mixed with the beefy southern fuzz of the Blue Oyster Club. It's really easily digestible in that sense, despite its daunting length - a sort of record you can throw on and get lost in an emotional rollercoaster of topics, music and themes. And oddly enough, I found I enjoyed the end of this thing just as much as the beginning.

The lyrics here were especially poignant and very vivid, and feel like clever deconstructions of southern-rock clichés and ideas. 'Ronnie and Neil ' is one of many (MANY) songs that take this almost neutral stance on Lynyrd Skynyrd and their impact on the image of the South. The "image of the South" is probably the biggest theme here, from a racial edge especially, with 'The Southern Thing' and the very in-your-face but dramatic 'Three Great Alabama Icons'. Also, car accidents and young stupidity come up in pretty dark ways, like with the striking and graphic album opener 'Day of Graduation' and the tragic 'Plastic Flowers On The Highway'. It's a generally pretty melancholic album all things considered; songs like the gorgeous yet hopeless 'Zip City' and 'Women Without Whiskey' had this very dead-end feel to them. And the closer, 'Angels and Fuselage' doesn't exactly end things on a happy note; it's maybe the saddest thing here.

I mean, yeah, it's super samey when it comes to the instrumentals; I will admit that. Especially by the second disc. But I just didn't mind at all; there are so many other things to chew on here, from the themes to the melodies to the lyrics. And again, I just got so lost in this thing, especially in its many moments of beauty - the guitar tones here are super fuzzy and bright throughout - it's addicting. A massive album that I'll for sure be revisiting; really surprised by this.

While I do think this album is everything I hate about the wave of Britpop in the '90s packed into one record, at least it does those things I hate better than most. And I probably thought I hated this album more than I ultimately did, moreso the idea of it: 50 minutes of very one-note '90s alternative cuts with vocals that start taking their toll on me way too soon.

The album peaks in its first four tracks, which are admittedly all '90s staples and pretty great. The obvious highlight here is 'Wonderwall', a song that I was luckily never overexposed to, so I still quite enjoy it every time I hear it. The songs 'Hello' and 'Don't Look Back in Anger' I surprisingly really enjoyed too.

Everything after those songs is this album going on for too long for me. My favourite song down the line WOULD have been 'She's Electric', with its very bouncy and throwback-y melody, but I now associate it with some fuckass Amazon commercial. Aside from that, the closer 'Champagne Supernova' was pretty decent; I enjoyed it despite being beyond exhausted with this album by this point.

I mean, if you like fuzzy pop-rock that's moderately catchy, this is the album for you. It's consistent, I'll give it that, but it just feels so still and sort of forgettable, and I wish Gallagher's vocals clicked with me more than they do. As it stands, I just find this album, and Oasis, okay.

I mean, after Joy Division (tragically) disbanded, I doubt there was a better place to get your gothic post-punk fix than the group Bauhaus. While I remember not really digging their debut (though it's probably long overdue for a revisit), this album kicked ass.

Every single song here has such a unique take on gothic punk. The obvious highlight here is 'The Passion Of Lovers', which is surprisingly accessible for this group, given its earwormy yet still very massive chorus and sort of hooky riff. 'Dancing' was also absolutely insane, just super cacophonous, and the out-of-nowhere bursts of noise and reverb had me feeling super anxious during the whole thing. 'Hollow This' has this slow trudge and proto-Swans feel to it, while 'Kick In The Eye' is undoubtedly the grooviest thing here. And while I do think it's pretty front-loaded, late album songs like 'The Man with X-Ray Eyes' and the closing title-track were definite album highlights. Especially that closer, the cavernous reverb and feedback on this thing was great, but then these gorgeous arpeggiated keys comes out of seemingly no where in the only rempotely gorgeous moment on the album. I love the way it sounds up against the lead vocalist's wailing and those deep guitar tones, such an incredible way to close out this record. And the lyrics on this album, while super abstract a lot of the time, undoubtedly have this really twisted and troubled edge to them, especially the imagery of a song like 'Of Lillies and Remains'.

Great album and definitely very ahead of its time; I doubt early '80s gothic gets as dark and good as this.

Some honestly pretty great and colourful gothic rock and new-wave moments here, that are unfortunately tainted by some very questionable mixing choices.

I do generally enjoy the vibe of this album; it jumps between deep, ominous, with probably the album highlight of "No", and something a bit more lighthearted, albeit still with a dark undercurrent, like with 'Gloomy Sunday' and its cutesy key pattern. And the bellowing and exaggerated vocals on this record certainly help evoke that spooky feeling. It honestly reminds me of the SoTN soundtrack, especially 'Skipping' with its very lively composition.

But the record suffers from some really thin production; it's trebly, and the drums are gated beyond repair. It's surprising how much that takes away from an otherwise pretty enjoyable record like this. Most songs suffered from this, though the remix of "Party Fears Two' sounded significantly better, and was a great song at its core.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the music here; it's hazy and dizzying, and honestly felt like some distant fever dream when it was done.

Like The Clash if they happened to be a million times more annoying and unfocused. Suffice to say, this didn't do much for me at all.
It's unflattering music at almost every angle you look at it, and that seems to be at least part of the point - the record is filled with these drunken and loose harmonies that suffocate every other instrument in the mix, and songs that are so unorganized it's dizzying - and even worse, hacked-on reggae sounds than a group like The Police. Credit where credit is due though, there were some killer riffs and basslines here and there, 'Ants Invasion' especially. It's the redeeming quality here.

It might sound like I think this is the absolute worst thing on this list, but honestly it's charming in its stupidity and obnoxiousness, and at least it's unforgettable in that sense. But by no means was the music here enjoyable to me, and I do not see myself revisiting it. The definition of music to be annoyed by.

My favourite solo Wu record and one of the coldest and most cut-throat, and aesthetically satisfying hardcore hip-hop records of all time. RZA and GZA, the two spotlighted Wu members here, are at a peak few MC-producer duos reach. I've probably listened to this thing more than any other hip-hop album out there; this heat was always in my ear growing up.

GZA is just such a unique MC. The guy doesn't really have that typical bombastic and explosive delivery that you'd expect from a Wu member. He's more monotonous and nonchalant, not unlike a guy like DOOM. He's sort of nerdy, technical, and unleashes words, rhymes, punchlines, and one-liners like it's nothing. It's really the effortlessness of his flow and delivery that makes him such a satisfying MC to listen to. There's a subtle humbleness to the GZA that's admirable. I mean, he's still braggadocious on here: the title track, 'Shadowboxin', and 'Living In The World Today' are just the Genius flexing his, well, genius. But he tackles a wide array of other lyrical topics too. 'Gold' and 'Killah Hills 10304' are him dabbling in mafioso rap. And while I do think that Rae and Ghostface do this sound just a little bit better, GZA's storytelling, especially on 'Gold', is far more vivid and descriptive. This album, just in general, really takes you to some interdimensional fusion of the Staten Island projects and an anything-goes martial-arts dojo. The production helps with that, sure, but GZA does as well; he doesn't go very long on this album without bringing up swords swinging, guillotines chopping heads off, or blood spilling. The guy can also get pretty spiritually introspective with 'Swordsman', maybe the most surreal moment on this album, as GZA reflects on his past and ever-evolving beliefs in search of freedom of mind. In that sense, it ties itself to the very great Killah Priest bonus track 'B.I.B.L.E', an incredible song that comes out of seemingly nowhere. But it's nice to have a song that's a bit more hopeful at the end because 'I Gotcha Back' is an incredibly pessimistic closer otherwise. It's a super down-to-earth song after an album that's so filled with fictional imagery and explosive bangers. GZA's anger is sobering on this song, painting a tragic image that's way too real and cyclical, knowing very well that he can do very little about it.

The features here have never really been standouts or anything; I'm always here for GZA. But there are some undeniable moments still. Inspectah Deck carries his weight on this album, especially in his very graphic verse on 'Cold World', but he also fits in very well in the cutthroat lyrical exchanges of 'Duel Of The Iron Mic'. 'Shadowboxin' has Method Man shining, with a verse that sounds like it was freestyled more than anything. It's oddly laid-back, more laid-back than anything else on this otherwise very sweaty album, but it works exceptionally well. And I'll never not love RZA's verse on '4th Chamber', the best song on the album. There's something about his barked delivery, choppy flow, and how he's constantly switching from one topic to another in this respectable attempt to unveil all the world's darkest secrets and hidden meanings. He's doing way too much here, but in the absolute best way possible.

The production on this thing is probably my favourite on any East Coast hip-hop album ever; RZA absolutely kills it. The loops are so simple and repetitive on many of the songs, sometimes even simpler than on the debut, but they work so well still. The title track, for example, is just two organ notes being repeated constantly, yet it still manages to work really well, sounding like it's egging on GZA's battle rap verses. 'Duel Of The Iron Mic' is just super smooth with these very floaty piano keys, putting the listener in a dark, spacey room filled with some invisible and very agile ninjas. The strings on 'Cold World' are spine-chilling, and so perfectly work with the wintry synth loop driving the verses. It's incredible how RZA's beats can be so vivid with just a few notes from a few samples. '4th Chamber' is just so fucking hard, with overdriven guitar coming in every once in a while, and another synth melody that complements the imagery of this song so well - themes of mystery, history, conspiracy - all captured in just a few notes of that main loop. 'Shadowboxin' manages to not be annoying with its very repetitive vocal loop, and is actually just one of the most iconic beats in '90s East Coast hip-hop, with its record scratching and a sort of bright guitar loop. 'Swordsman' is sort of clunky and messy, which I love; it sounds like a '50s Big Band record that's been warped to an unrecognizable degree. And honestly, the movie snippets laced throughout this record never bother me. They never go on for too long, and they actually add to the cohesiveness of this thing; like the opening spoken-word skit, which is just super iconic after all these years. I can't imagine this album without them.

One of the greatest hip-hop albums ever. Sometimes it's hard to believe how amazing the Wu-Tang Clan were in the mid-'90s. But this is the peak, I'd say; no other album out there scratches the itch that this album does. It's about as cohesive as you'll get with a Wu solo album, which makes the experience feel very holistic, addictive, and rewarding - it's so easy to just press play on this thing and to get lost in a dark world of martial arts, street crime, and very serious battle rapping.

This has never been my favourite The Roots album or anything, and a weird choice for the only album of theirs on this list. But even at one of their lower points, the Roots are still working at a level much higher than most other rap groups out there.

There's a very weighty feel to the production, and especially the drums on this album when compared to their '90s records. It has a similar "native tongues throwback" edge as groups like Black Star, but the beats of songs like 'Rock You' and 'Though @ Work' tell a completely different story, throwing away the more traditional, smooth, jazz-based instrumentals of similar acts. It's an acquired taste, but I did really enjoy it. Plus that song, 'Thought @ Work,' has one of Black Thought's absolute best performances; he destroys this beat.

It's not unlike The Roots to dabble in genre-fusions, but this is really that exploration at its most extreme (at least up to 2002, their stuff in the 2010s would continue pushing those boundaries). 'The Seed (2.0)' is maybe the most landmark and exemplary song on this album, just ridiculously funky, and it contains a performance by Cody Chesnutt that is about as good as Black Thought's; it feels like more than just another RnB hook in a hip-hop song. And 'Water' has one of the strangest outros on any hip-hop album, bordering on a psychadelic ambient jam from a Can album, and it seems to come out of nowhere. Don't know how I feel about it exactly, but I do appreciate its boldness. And of all the love songs here, 'Complexity' was maybe my favourite, another smooth delivery from BT, and a super warm and psychadelic beat.

Great rap album, just super fat beats over some superb rapping, and some solid genre-fusions here and there. Again, The Roots have far better records, but this one was still very enjoyable.

The first Yes record I listened to and probably still my favourite after all these years, and a genuinely incredible prog-rock album that fires on all cylinders for its entire 38-minute runtime; there is no filler here.

Maybe the best thing about Yes, and this album, is its insane ability to balance that typical early '70s prog jerk-offery with genuinely earwormy vocal hooks and digestible harmonies, licks, riffs, and basslines. Something a band like Rush also managed to do quite well. The monster opener title track, for example, has a twisted, more traditional free-jazz proggy piece opening it up, then a large, cascading, ambient, and always (reliably) gorgeous but ominous organ and string part near the middle, with some summery, warm harmonies. But those more "out-there" sections are broken up by this really catchy and sort of poppy chorus and verse segment, with an outro that brings it all back for one unforgettable finale. It mirrors a lot of the rock opera and glam rock of its time in some ways. I remember I would, many times, just skip to that coda part, the "I get uuuup, I get dooowwwn" part specifically...super nostalgic and an absolute tear-jerking finale. And that final groove with the organ soloing is just so tight. What an incredible journey this title track always is; it's been a while since I've listened to it all the way through, but god it's still as good as ever.

While the album peaks at that coda of the title track, in my opinion, the other two songs here are nothing short of incredible. 'And You And I' is another undeniably catchy track, with a sort of Celtic feel to it near the beginning. It's a plucky guitar love ballad at its core that goes through all these dramatic shifts. And, just like the opener, it showcases Jon Anderson's really passionate and expressive leads very well. And while I do think the vocals are the star of this album in a lot of ways, it's really that string melody and iconic crunchy Yes bass tone that make the song 'Siberian Khatru' - I'm talking about the bit bookending the track. I hate to use the word, but it's the definition of epic, just absolutely driving, and oddly danceable, and I love that they bring it back one final time before the album ends. And the string of solos starting at the 3-minute mark of this song are also just back-to-back album highlights.

Just some more essential early prog-rock, much easier to throw on when compared to a lot of its contemporaries. And it just throws so much at you in such a short amount of time, definitely getting the bang for your auditory buck here. And it all sounds incredible.

Pretty neat early Radiohead record that certainly feels like it's ushering in the new era of alternative rock. I guess the incorporation of more dense electronics and ethereal and reverb-filled guitar effects in '90s alt-rock was cool to hear, especially on the explosive opener "Planet Telex. And it's a pretty moody and grand-sounding record all things considered, really marking that shift I mentioned earlier. But I still just cannot get behind Thom Yorke's vocals here, and while it is a significant improvement on "Pablo Honey', it's not like this album is entirely devoid of '90s alt rock cliches, including some of that angst that was carried over from then, especially on 'Just' and the title track, an otherwise pretty great track.

'Fake Plastic Trees' was maybe my favourite song here, just such a gorgeous and gradual growth to this song, and a very spacey feel to it overall, and it showcases Yorke's first real knack for the writing that would dub him sad white boy of the decade. Also, I'm not sure if it's just the version I listened to, but the mix on this record was super thin and trebly; I feel like the grander moments from this would've sounded much better if the full sonic range was more present - the heavier non-acoustic moments didn't sound as great as a result, especially on "My Iron Lung'•

Maybe the most predictive song here was 'High and Dry', Coldplay would practically build their entire career around this one single song. Either way, while this isn't as enjoyable as their landmark records later down the line, it was solid-enough alternative rock that I don't have many complaints on my end.

I don't know if this is an insane coincidence or entirely purposeful, but I got this album the night of Dolly Parton's passing. Either way, I'm not complaining; a good-as-any tribute to one of America's most iconic country singer-songwriters. And while this isn't my go-to Dolly record, it was nothing short of an enjoyable listen.

About as traditional as '80s country gets, no country-rock or other fusions, just shiny, catchy, and melodic songs about life, love, and heartbreak. And obviously this isn't a Parton solo record, more of a supergroup with some other iconic country singers from the time. I do think Parton's vocals are the standout here, though the song 'Telling Me Lies' turned out to be one of my favorites here, with its subtle and melancholic string arrangements. I guess this vocalist, Linda Ronstadt, with her deeper vocals, takes on these
larger and darker tracks, while Dolly handles the more pleasant and lighter traditional country tracks. Though it's always a treat when they harmonize, especially on 'Making Plans', or when they trade off vocals like on the closer
'Farther Along' .

Great album and super easy listening. R.I.P to this legend.

Wrote a lengthy review for this that ended up getting wiped…Short of it is I really enjoyed how dynamic of a jazz experience this was. Just super dynamic take on spiritual jazz that reminded me a lot of Pharoah Sanders and other adjacent legends. Favorite song was the second ‘Minawa’, with its gorgeous piano and incredible build with the trumpet near the end.

I hate to say something I feared would be obvious, but 'American Pie' is defined by its best song: the title track. A long, catchy, and forever memorable tribute to McLean's hero with Buddy Holly after his passing, and the state of music in general. It really is one of the greatest American rock songs and an absolute blast to get through every time. And I have a lot of nostalgia for this thing from the Phantom Menace parody by Weird Al from when I was a kid.

And while everything else here is surprisingly solid and tasteful, especially the following 'Till Tomorrow' and 'Vincent', which are gorgeous come-downs after the adrenaline-filled opener, and 'The Grave' later down the line was pretty intense, nothing really lives up to the level of the title track. I was shocked at the general direction of the record, an intimate baroque folk and singer-songwriter record that really spotlights McLean's delicate vocals. It's an odd choice to start the whole thing off with such an in-your-face banger. But he is talented in this cozy avenue with a serious knack for melody and composition. Good stuff overall, much better than I expected.

A pretty interesting take on this style of jangle pop. It feels larger than usual, with heavier instrumentation and notable sweeping string sections. But the genre's sweetness and catchiness are still very much present.

'Bury Me Deep In Love' was an early nocturnal highlight, just super grandiose with a very deep and majestic delivery on the vocals here.
'Hometown Farewell Kiss' is a pretty neat take on country rock through this jangly lens. 'Holy Water' was the most traditionally jangle pop thing on the album; as a result, it was honestly one of the less interesting songs. And despite it reeking of '80s clunk, the following 'Blinder By The Hour', with its strings, heavy piano keys, and wailing guitar, was great. And 'Jerdacuttup Man' was pretty cool; it had this Celtic rock feel to it.

It feels like every song off this album could be a lead single for its own album, for better or worse. The music can feel a bit overproduced, clean, and directionless at times, but it is mostly held together by the glue that is the lead vocals and the harmonies - which were generally great. Enjoyable record at the end of the day.

I believe my only previous reference for what "kraut rock" is was Can. And to me, this felt vastly different than that band. It felt less jammy and psychadelic (though those elements are still here), and more atmospheric, something closer to ambient music or proto-post-rock.

I was taken aback initially by just how gorgeous that core piano melody and light strumming combination was on the opener 'ISI'. The song feels like the sun rising after an awful storm and was the highlight of the album for me. 'Seeland' gave me the strongest post-rock vibes with those massive guitar waves, and 'Leb' wohl' gave me the strongest ambient vibe; it's like something that would appear on the early Eno ambient series if you removed the vocals.

'Hero' and the closer 'After Eight' were far closer to the kraut rock sounds I was expecting going into this. The former is just such a fiery track that manages to not burn out despite its 7-minute length. And the vocals are absolutely infectious, just raw, gross, and over-the-top in all the best ways. And that closer also had a sort of distorted punk energy, much rawer direction, especially when you compare it to where the album started.

Good listening, been meaning to listen to this band for a while now and they didn't disappoint, a really infectious record.

Definitely one of the better Britpop offerings from this list - even compared to the other Supergrass record here, which I had mostly forgotten about. And while I don't have the most to say about this record, I did thoroughly enjoy my time with it. There is a lot of personality here; it has an old mod and punk rock feel, but it's blended well with the emerging catchiness of alternative rock and pop-punk of the mid '90s.

'Caught by the Fuzz' was an early winner for me, and the most punk rock thing here, with an incredible bassline and catchy vocal harmonization on that bridge. 'Alright' is a pretty huge song from here, and while I've never heard it (I don't think so at least), I can see the appeal. It's a very bright and feel-good song, with the fast piano playing and a very bouncy bassline. 'Strange Ones' was another incredible highlight, just so much energy, and I love how everything slows down early on to make way for these heavy guitars that just pierce through the mix. 'Sitting up Straight' captures everything I love about the popiness of this record, just super catchy and easy to hum along to. 'Sofa' is just another incredible left-turn for the album, breaking out of nowhere into this ethereal psychadelic jam that's about as '60s throwbacky as you can get.

This album was just so much fun. It manages to feel like everything that Britpop wasn't around this time: fun, creative, adventurous, and equally enjoyable and catchy.

I can comfortably say this is my favorite album of all time. The only album I've probably listened to hundreds of times. The only album where I felt compelled to learn all forty or so basslines (whether I was successful or not is besides the point; I believe last time I tried I got through disc one at least!). And the only album where its mythos and story are about as interesting as the music itself. This album is my life, man.

I think I've always liked the idea of The Minutemen about as much as I enjoy their music, and there is a lot to enjoy. I loved the idea that these were just three average working-class shmoes forming a band and jamming for fun, as a hobby and a way to express themselves. Obviously they'd go on to see incredible success (at least "incredible" for an indie punk band), but their roots of "jamming econo" and recording their early '80s EPs in under an hour while still holding day jobs is just a very relatable position for the average-joe musician. The music I make personally barely sees the light of day, and has made me exactly zero dollars, but the joy I feel making it and sharing it with others is what matters to me. And that's clearly what mattered the most to the Minutemen - doing what they love with the people they love. Because under all the political ramblings and the self-referential abstract tangents of this album is a story about two incredible friends, D. Boon and Mike Watt, doing something they love in the face of general disinterest and apathy. Because these guys were not traditional hardcore punk, yet that was the very scene they were trying to break into. Mike Watt wore old-school flannels, and the band covered "uncool" groups like Creedence and polished soft rock groups like Steely Dan. But they didn't care; they loved each other and the music they were making. There's a live performance video of these guys that predates their debut album where they're quite literally getting spat on and heckled while on stage, all while the smiles on their faces just never cease. Anyways, that's my Minutemen tangent, and I feel it is very important as to why this band and this album are such a huge part of my life.

Now, the music. The funny thing is, this album is very far from perfect. The band quite literally admits, pretty blatantly, that Side D of this thing is filled with throwaways. You also get a weird scat and free jazz interlude with 'You Need the Glory' that I want to skip every single time it comes on. But that's part of the fun, isn't it? With 43 songs (even more on the vinyl release) that are **mostly* less than 2 minutes each, you're bound to get hit with something completely off-the-wall and stupid. But a majority of this thing absolutely kills, and the playing here is uncontested by any rock band, let alone punk-rock band, of the '80s. It's really a funny thought though, the way these guys break into solos and jams that last literal seconds before immediately jumping to the next idea. The instrumental interludes on these tracks are like mini "blink-and-you'll-miss-them" bursts of energy that still end up feeling fully realized. For example, in just the one minute and twenty seconds of the opener 'Anxious Mo-Fo', Mike Watt throws out four distinct basslines, D Boon has two verses and two of his iconic trebly, scratchy, angular funk-kissed riffs and then a mini-solo closing it out...all in less than one and a half minutes. It's ridiculous and quite literally the low-attention-span music this generation yearns for.

Anyways, it's time to list as many of the incredible moments here as I can. 'Theatre Is The Life Of You' is maybe the most disgustingly funky thing here. Mike's melodic and garbled bassline on this thing is bordering nonsensical in the verses, but the drum-pockets here are insatiable, and again, this song can't stay in one place for more than a few seconds; it's ridiculous. 'Viet Nam' by contrast, is far more organized, effectively making a clearing for D Boon's very straightforward criticisms of American imperialism, a topic he tackles a lot on this album. And the song itself just slaps; it's no wonder it's one of their most well-known; anyone can get down with this. '#1 Hit Song' is meant to be ironic in many ways, but it UN-ironically has one of the catchiest guitar riffs and basslines here despite a very non-melodic vocal delivery from D Boon. It feels like a casual stroll in the park typa thing. 'Two Beads at The End' has an insane instrumental climb to that first drop, just spontaneous tension building and then release. Kind of graphic lyrics on this one; I've never fully understood what it's on about - maybe it's one of those Minutemen inside jokes I'll never fully get. 'Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want The Truth', again, seems like an ironic change in pace, like sitting in a hot spring in some high mountain with some pseudo-intellectual monks spewing their unsolicited wisdom at you. Jokes aside, the lyrics are eye-opening in a lot of ways, and speak to The Minutemen's very "tell it how it is" style of lyricism. I also love the way the bass and guitar lock on this one; it's one of the many gorgeous moments on this album that sprout out of seemingly nothing. 'One Reporter's Opinion' has such an ominous introduction; it's unsettling and bone-chilling, but again, that tension is relieved in less than forty seconds (even though it feels like that intro is crawling around you for minutes at least) to one of Watt's best basslines. He's driving this thing completely with a bassline that jumps across the fretboard like it's nothing as D. Boon sings about him being a "stop sign" and a "dart board" ... ?. 'Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing' is classic D. Boon political humor, and 'Maybe Partying Will Help' has some of my favorite lyrics by him. The existential spiraling in this song, followed by the "maybe partying will help," before that insane mini guitar, drum, and bass jam is both comedic and too on-the-nose when it comes to the idea of impulsively choosing easy-ticket escapism as opposed to addressing one's own fundamental issues. And when I say this band locks into one another's instruments like it's nothing, I'm referring to parts like the outro of this song. 'Retreat' also has a sort of unsettling feeling to it, especially with the bursts of untamable noise-guitar that jump at you after these very liminal and quiet introspective stream-of-consciousness verses by Boon. 'Corona' is maybe the most digestible song here. D Boon is melodic for one, and he sounds super passionate as he tackles themes of poverty and American greed running rampant in Mexico, using a first-hand anecdote to drive home the image of it. And it has one of the absolute best bass and guitar melodies in punk. 'The Glory Of Man' is another incredible song. The band feels like they're playing at breakneck speed, with no structure, no direction, and constantly jumping between verse, chorus, riff, interlude, and solo like it's nothing. It's one of the longer songs on the album, but, for once, it feels much shorter, like the band is playing under some insane pressure to hit a very hard deadline. I'll mention the interlude 'Take 5, D.' because it again has just an out-of-nowhere guitar melody that's absolutely gorgeous over this random voice snippet of Watt reading a letter from his landlords about not using the shower. I'm so happy these random ass moments exist in this album; they give it so much colour. And then there's 'History Lesson Pt 2', the song that defines The Minutemen, and for me, music. Love, friendship, purpose are maybe the three best words to describe the lyrics of this one. The song is recited in this spoken-word manner by Boon over the most pleasant and cute instrumental here, which has such an encompassing nostalgic warmth to it with twinkling guitar arpeggios and a welcoming bassline. It brings a tear to my eye; I truly believe it's a song that defines the purpose of life, to do what you love with the people you love. That's it. You might be corn dogs in the eyes of the world, but does it really matter?

I'll try to race through the second disc here since this review is becoming stupidly long. The first REAL song of Side C (or "Hurley" after the drummer), 'The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts' is without a doubt one of the band's most fiery performances, like an atomic bomb that's been boiling for centuries finally going off in an explosion of adrenaline and energy. I love the walking bassline and disoriented playing of 'The Politics of Time', and the spoken word parts here by Watt and Boon are great. With 'There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight,' I always imagine D. Boon sitting on his couch in front of a small TV after a long day at work, talking to himself. The music quite literally sounds like that: nocturnal, subdued, but not entirely dark or foreboding, like an aura of mystery hovering over the whole thing. And Boon's introspection here is as poignant as ever, as he questions his role in the changing political tides and asks himself what he's capable of doing as just one man. Those feelings of powerlessness come back up in another all-timer punk song with 'This Ain't No Picnic,' where D Boon rages over his racist manager at work, but feels unable to quit his job because of the bills he needs to pay. When people say The Minutemen aren't hardcore or punk, show them this song. 'Spillage' has such a great melodic bassline, and the line "The idea of my life seems like a symbol" is quotable to the max. Side "Chaff", the throwaway side, feels like the comedown after such an insane album, but it still has some incredible moments laced throughout. 'Jesus and Tequila' is super catchy and has a sort of country-punk feel to it, and I love how "over it" Boon sounds on this thing (lyrically that is, vocally he's as out-there as ever). 'Dr. Wu' is actually a pretty great cover of the Steely Dan song of the same name, and 'The World According to Nouns' again has that foreboding build like many other songs on this album. And the album ends off on another incredible mini-jam with 'Love Dance'.

Honestly, I'm exhausted writing this thing, but I just felt like I had to share all the things I love about this album. The thing is, that's not even all of it; I skipped past way too many incredible songs. But oh well. It's hard to really express how much this album means to me, my outlook on life and the world, and my relationship to music and punk rock. This album is everything to me, honestly, and I feel like it's one of those magical pieces of art that won't ever be replicated. R.I.P D. Boon, and long live Watt and Hurley - you've made this random dude's life so much better.