Reviews by mwatts1494

Not sure if this is even in my top 5 Bowie albums but I’m completely biased. When it’s good it’s transcendent, but it’s always interesting and engaging.

Sons of the Silent Age is mental.

Love the production on this: energetic, inventive, fun. The rhymes suit it perfectly. Can hear the influence on my favourite hip-hop from the following decades like Wu Tang, MF Doom…

Just too much skit-ery for a full score 🥲

Nice chill country album. Would happily drink cheap beer and play pool to this

Surprised myself how much I liked this. Really inventive and varied

Really well produced. It’s minimal but still has atmosphere. Just didn’t really grab me

It’s a fun vibe at the beginning, but it all sounds the same after a while to my untrained ears

Refreshing how raw and immediate this is compared to other Beatles solo works we’ve had. Stripped down and quite dark.

I liked this better than Night at the Opera. It’s refreshing to not had the weight of their big hits. Liked the epic fantasy elements, but it lost me towards the end.

Really strange album, from the cover/title juxtaposition to the musical styles being all over the place.

The great tracks are great and the oddities are odd enough to be fun.

Great at what they do and I appreciate it. But ends up being a bit too silly for me.

Some really good songs here and quite nostalgic for me. The production is a bit clean and samey so it kind of washed over me but maybe I’ve heard these songs in the background too many times.

I think this deserves its place for its towering trip hop influence but sounds dated compared to what came after - a more muscular Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky’s debut.

Lyrics and delivery are a bit trite and earnest.

Some great songs though and enjoyed hearing a young, less paranoid Tricky

Nice beats but I find his lyrics a bit dull despite the odd great line so it really drags for the second half. Some hooks are good (In Da Club) some are annoying (PIMP).

They sound comfortable jumping on the britpop train but it’s bland. I don’t like this even as much as sneered-at landfill britpop like Shed Seven’s Maximum High.

Indie disco standout is One To Another

Very well produced. But it sounds like it was made for the dance floor. There’s not enough development in the individual tracks so the second half drags until Alive. I liked the waves on Fresh

I’ve got a big soft spot for these guys. It’s not a 5 because of a few throwaway tracks and Silent Night is a bit of a misfire

Why does the Best Album of All Time (TM) sound so tired

I remember when this came out. I was a big fan of Dry and (especially) Rid of Me, and I thought this was a bit commercial, bland and 'tasteful' by comparison. I think I appreciate it a bit more now, but I'm not sure if it's just because we've had a crappy run of albums on this project recently.

6.9

Fav track: This Mess We're In

Least fav: This is Love (sounds like a toothless version of her earlier stuff)

This sounds quite ahead of its time for 1991, maybe an influence on the later trip hop and downtempo scenes? But the production sounds bland and dated now, and the vocals and lyrics don't stand out. Doesn't compare well with other releases from the same era by the likes of Massive Attack or Cocteau Twins.

5.2

Fav track: Spring

Least fav: She's the One

At least it's different. I found the dissonant parts made the digestible parts hit harder.

5.9

Fav track: Feet Music