Reviews by ninexnineteen

I'm checking out at track 5. I have already listened to another Pulp album, which I rated poorly. This is worse. Awful, in fact. I can't believe there's two by this band on the list

⭐.75

I love country music from inception to about the year 2000, and this is no exception. I haven't listened to any lately, and album inspires me to listen to some of my old favorites next.

Thanks, Ray Price. Nice to meet you, and thanks for the music

⭐⭐⭐.75

Not my favorite era of the Beatles, and honestly I was anticipating a low rating here. Every track on the album was fun and enjoyable. 60s pop at its best.

My only real criticism couldn't be helped. Stereo mixes of the time were fucking awful. I'd rather listen to mono that vocals in one ear and instruments in the other. I'm so glad stereo mixing made great leaps early on because I'd hate to listen to some of my favorite classic rock tracks like this. Ugh

⭐⭐⭐⭐

So far, pretty milquetoast/boilerplate psychedelia. Sort of Beatles, sort of Doors, but not anywhere near as good. That trend remained all the way until the title track, which was 10x better than the rest of the album. This won't be fun to rate

⭐⭐ For the album
⭐⭐⭐⭐ For the song

⭐⭐⭐?

There's this musical taste phenomenon in my house: my wife or daughter would like a song/artist/album and I wouldn't. I would be questioned as to why I didn't like it, then I'd make my commentary. And these two women would be LEGITIMATELY offended, as if I was critiquing their music tastes or saying something bad about them, not the music. As if they had written and performed it themselves!

Today, ladies, I get it, and I'd like to offer my apologies. Reading these awful reviews about a pair of artists and an album I love so much just makes me sad and defensive. And that one guy saying if he wanted to listen to something repetitive that he'd just listen to his wife? Get a divorce, asshole. She's better off that way.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

While I've heard the name before, this will be my first listen of any PJ Harvey song. Seconds into the first track, I thought "well, this is different. I usually don't like different, but I think I like this."

⭐⭐⭐.75

Like most people, I'd imagine, I knew exactly two UB40 songs before this album. I was expecting more like those two songs (which I like) and was still pleasantly surprised by how much I like this album!

My previous exposure to the band was minimal, passing, superficial, and from the perspective of a younger, more naive, and less aware man. Musically and lyrically solid, socially conscious, and globally aware album. Without question, one of my favorite finds on this list so far. Immediately added to my library.

I'm halfway through listening, and they'd have to SERIOUSLY fuck up at this point to get anything less than 4 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

The first track made me want to quit listening, and while it improved quite a bit in the tracks that followed, I find myself wishing I was listening to something else. I have a feeling I'll not have enough time to finish the album this morning before work and that I'll be uninspired to finish it today.

This isn't bad, really. Maybe just bland? I don't know. Uninspiring, for sure. Also, the vocals a tolerable, but only just

⭐⭐.75

I didn't listen to anything all the way through, and still somehow these 8 tracks felt like 40. Wildly unenjoyable lyrically and musically. If this is supposed to be anti-music, it's an overwhelming success.

Boring, repetitive instrumentation and 3rd grade imitation of lyric writing. I came into this album with a lot of positivity about its possibilities, and was immediately knocked on my ass with 300 declarations about what year it was when this was recorded. Terribly disappointing

⭐.5

I haven't listened to this since the 90s, and I'm reminded why listening again. You know how you can apply the lyrics of an AC/DC song to basically any other AC/DC song? Like you'll hear a chord change and and think "Wait. Which song am I listening to again?" The Black Crowes have this same quality. For example, at one point during Could I've Been So Blind did your brain start following along to Jealous Again?

This album is admittedly fun, but it's not special in any other way. That's okay though; music can just be for fun. I just don't think an album that's JUST fun should be on a list of essential albums.

I enjoyed the nostalgia while listening. Thinking about listening to Jealous Again, Hard to Handle, and She Talks to Angels in my high school best friend's room was a nice memory, but that has been over 30 years. Those are times that are behind me, as are the times when I listen to the Black Crowes on purpose

⭐⭐⭐

I love Steely Dan, and this album is no exception. "My Old School" was the song that made me a fan. There's something about those horns providing a base layer for the guitar that I absolutely cannot resist. Fantastic arrangement.

For some reason, I haven't ever listened to this whole album before.

Reading the Wikipedia article and trying to rationalize how this could be maybe the best live album of all time when I could blurt out 10 candidates off the top of my head, slowly understanding why as I listen.

Sam Cooke has such a wonderful voice, amazing energy, and can absolutely lead a crowd wherever he wants them. I get it. I'm not sure it's MY favorite live album, but it is EXCELLENT

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I end up listening to trip hop by accident. When I'm in a relaxing kind of mood, I start a streaming station based on Nightmares on Wax or something, and Portishead will invariably sprinkled liberally through a station like that. Every time a song stands out in a "who's this?" sort of way, I check my phone to see the artist, and probably half the time it's Portishead. I think "I need to listen to them more." I don't know why, but I never have sought them out. I'm glad they showed up for me today.

⭐⭐⭐.75

Inoffensive. Not interesting.

I can sum up the entire album by talking about the final track: This person is counting off, like 1,2,3,4 like musicians do to start a song. 5. What? I waited until 25 before being sort of irritated, then looked at the name of the song. 200 Bars. There's no fucking way I'm listening to someone count to 200.

⭐⭐

I don't think I have ever been as enthusiastic about an album's opening notes, then so thoroughly disappointed upon hearing the vocals. Fucking absolutely hideous. Terrible disappointment. Like the male version of Bjork (who I also very much dislike). Boyjork.

In several of my reviews, I have mentioned that albums would have been much better as instrumentals. After 400+ albums listened to from this list, this album is the king of that category. I can't even enjoy the REALLY GOOD music for the terribly distracting singing.

Music: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Vocals: -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Total: generously, ⭐⭐

My previous knowledge of the band consists of knowing their name and most often confusing them with the 5,6,7,8s.

I expected nothing from this band, as I'm learning to do with this list. I'm frequently disappointed based on my preconceived notions and am rarely pleasantly surprised based on those preconceptions.

This album was absolutely in the pleasant surprise category and I really wish I had experienced it in 2009. I think it would have been fully integrated into the list of albums I'd run into a burning building to save. This was really good, and I'm definitely going to be adding it to my personal collection, along with exploring more of their music.

I absolutely cannot deal with spoken word "songs." I love actual country music, so when I saw the genre of this album, I was looking forward to hearing an artist that was new to me. Now I know why I haven't heard of him. This sounds like Leonard Cohen, who I also VERY MUCH dislike as a performer.

If you'll excuse me, I'll take the time I saved not trying to get through this and listen to Zach Bryan or Sturgill Simpson

⭐.5

Listening Independent Women 1. I was re-experiencing the feeling of early 2000s clubs in Germany for a minute, which was great. Then, during the same song, I was totally taken out of that moment by all the Charlie's Angels references. I haven't ever considered it, but the callback to such a mediocre movie really sullies an otherwise fun song. The second track was also quite enjoyable, but after that the downhill slide began for me.

These are some obviously incredibly-skilled women, and their voices/harmonies/arrangements are truly impressive. Actually, production in general is great too. Fun sampling and beats in general. There are a lot of ingredients of the highest quality on this album, but they seem to be out of proportion somehow. Overly repetitive song segments, strangely conflicting lyrics that raise women up on one track and put women down on the next, and generally a non-cohesive and sort of uninspiring mess. Many of this songs are 3-4 minutes long, but really wear out their welcome about 2/3 of the way through.

I guess this is like when people say something has potential, but it is yet unrealized.

I don't think this deserves 3 stars, even though there are so many positive elements within. Ultimately, I didn't end up finishing every song on the album because those elements are overshadowed by their detractors

The first handful of songs weren't very promising, but by the time I got to I'm Shakin' (which was great), I was into it.

I think Jack White is a bit overhyped, but perhaps through the course of this album, I'm understanding a bit more about why he gets so much attention. There's a lot on the album that doesn't sound like anything else, and I appreciate that.

I'll definitely be torn between 3 and 4 stars when it comes time to rate this

3.74

This was pretty painful. I'm glad they later got on the disco train and made interesting music. If they hadn't, I doubt any of us would know who the Bee Gees were

⭐.75