Reviews by ninexnineteen

It's fucking annoying I wrote a track by track review and it disappeared. This was fucking great, but we'll never know how I really felt in the moment

4.5

For me, this is less an album, and more a collection of songs. That's not a bad thing; it just doesn't feel like a cohesive "one thing" is all. That said, it's one of my favorite albums.

"Something" is a tender, beautiful description of love that chokes me up every time I hear it

"Oh! Darling" has the neatest "variations on a theme" drum fills

"Here comes the sun" also chokes me up every time I hear it. Any time I hear it when I'm by myself, I song along as loud as I can. I love this song.

The medley, even though Lennon (the worst Beatle) hated it was a great inclusion on the album. Obviously, there are great bits to songs every artist has that they just can't make a whole thing out of. This, to me, was a great way to record some of those really cool pieces and share some really great bits of music with the world. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight is wonderful, and who knew McCartney had pipes like that? Admittedly, I favor Joe Cocker's version of She Came Into the Bathroom Window, but this is still wonderful. And a fucking Ringo drum solo?!?

There are a couple of songs I'm not crazy about on this album, but they have merit and I'm glad they're on it.

4.5

1. That would have been a lot better if Björk didn't sing

2. Somehow worse singing than the previous track

3. So far, this is my favorite Björk song. I'll never listen to it again because it also sucked, but it's the best offering I've heard from her

4. "It's not meant to be a struggle" is often repeated in this song. This is very much a struggle

5. This would maybe be an ok song if it was someone else singing

6. Wonderful! Note to reader: did not have Björk's voice. New favorite Björk song!

7. Ugh. Skipped 2 minutes in. More of the same

8. Skipped 3 minutes in. Not objectionable, but pretty meh

9. Skipped 2 minutes in. There is nothing for me here

10. Björk talks about losing her voice here. That's the dream, ain't it?

11. OMG, Björk is Yoko Ono! (See her perform with Chuck Berry for evidence)

12. This wasn't objectionable, but not did I find it enjoyable

Björk is like a joke the world plays on me that I'm too stupid to understand. How does she have at least two albums on this list? Out of 1001 possible artists, they fucking picked her TWICE? TWO TIMES? And Stevie Ray Vaughan isn't on the list? That's just one example of hundreds

Normally, I read the album's Wikipedia article while I listen. It's impossible to read while Johnny is telling stories through song; he just commands my complete attention.

4.0

Probably would have enjoyed this more if I spoke French

I like Fiona Apple, so I know I'd like this, but I'm in a terrible mood and really can't appreciate this for what it is. I can definitely say the barking dogs would suck no matter what kind of mood I was in

3.75

I remember when this came out. Dookie was definitely in my top 5 albums at the time, and I very much remember being disappointed in this album. Green Day had grown up, but I hadn't.

I have heard some of the singles a number of times as they had significant radio play, and maybe listened to the entire album once when it came out. It wasn't ever something I purposely went back to, let alone listened to with intention.

Listening today, in the first days of 2025, I regret all the time that went by that I wasn't listening to this album. I am glad I have been able to mature enough to appreciate this album for what it is: a fucking masterpiece of pop punk, and opera, perfect commentary on the time it was released, and an unfortunately accurate prediction on the time I'm listening in 2025.

I listen to music a lot, and have always had a feeling that I couldn't name about certain songs or bands. Sometimes, a song just feels...BIG. An epic. Led Zeppelin and My Chemical Romance are two bands that stick out to me as making songs like this that I couldn't describe well. Reading the Wikipedia article, Green Day said they wanted to abandon the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge structure and go big. That's it. That's the thing I haven't ever been able to put my finger.

Also, Tré's toms sound so big on this album. The bass and guitars sound huge and so good together. This was masterfully produced and recorded.

5 stars

Everyone has heard The Day the Music Died, and probably too many times to still enjoy it. I know for a while, I couldn't listen to it because of its ubiquity. Serendipitously, last weekend my wife and I were in the kitchen, preparing for the coming week, and listening to music. Vincent came on, and though I'd heard it before, suddenly I realized who it was about. What a sweet tribute.

Listening to this album today, The Day the Music Died seemed to me as fresh as it had ever been. Vincent was a punch in the gut, and I felt a true sense a loss for an artist, a tortured soul, a misunderstood man...a person who felt unappreciated, despite trying so hard.

The Grave - supremely impactful to me. As a veteran, this reminds me of who I was as a very young man, and makes me grateful this was not my story

Babylon - wonderful

The sparse arrangements, McLean's simple playing and guitar tone, and all of the feelings this album evoked in me earn this album a 5 star rating.

LL: I have so many rhymes. My rhymes are amazing. You found yours in a garbage can

Also LL: Down rhymes with down!

In fairness, there's only one example of this that I found on this album, but I feel like if you're writing about your attention to detail, misspellings pretty much make your argument moot.

I absolutely could do without the chorus of Milky Cereal. Otherwise, great song. Great beat

There were a couple of clever lines in To Da Break of Dawn that made me laugh out loud.

3.5

Much like the radio stations, I also thought the song 5D was a reference to psychedelics. After reading the Wikipedia article, I think I need to make another pass through that song and listen for the theory of relativity..?

2-4-2 Foxtrot is so very annoying. The high pitched engine noises behind the chanting of the same 7 words is almost equivalent to torture

Overall, this wasn't bad. It was neat, experimental, transitional, and influential on a lot of other stuff I like.

3 stars

Taxman is almost unlistenable on headphones due to the weird stereo mix

Eleanor Rigby is perhaps the best song ever written

For No One: if someone asks you what the Beatles sound like, this is the song you should point them to

3.75

I'm not really sure what this is, but I do think I like it. This is the first album I have listened to by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Previously, I have had very limited exposure to the band, having heard just a couple of singles (Red Right Hand, notably).

Let the Bells Ring is the standout track for me on the first volume of this double album.

Volume II of this set is by far far my favorite. I'm definitely coming back to all this

3.75

Two tracks in, and I can say I am fairly uninspired, but definitely transported back to the 80s. For some reason, I am reminded of the Cold War Coca Cola and Levi's situation in the USSR.

I can definitely acknowledge this album's influence on other synth/new wave artists, but to me, this lacks soul. I can imagine these guys in the studio looking really bored and withdrawn from what they're doing. Or maybe almost robotically disinterested..?

2.99

I have an intense hatred for Christmas music. I can't decide if Velvet Underground or Christmas music is worse

This was quite good

3.99

Little Wing stops me dead in my tracks every time I hear it, whether it's Jimi's version or SRV's. Such a beautiful song, which really should be at least 50% longer.

There is a lot on this album I like, but there is just enough "filler" and weird shit (Exp) for me to not be able to rate this album four stars. 3.99

This isn't objectionable in any way. In fact, this was a pleasant listen. Really, I did quite enjoy this. However, I do find its placement on this list a bit confusing. There isn't anything here The Clash didn't do better and earlier

I'm not sure what specific factors of this album merit inclusion on the list, especially considering how thin the Wikipedia article is. However, I really liked this album. Really easy to listen to, and I enjoyed the African take on American blues in Amandrai

My wife says Nirvana is my favorite band, and I argue with her every time and tell her that's not true. "Remember when you asked me what my 'one album for a deserted island' was, and I said "Alice in Chains Unplugged?!?" After intentionally listening to this album in its entirety, I might have some apologizing to do to my wife.

I haven't listened to this front to back in probably 20 years, and I won't be making that mistake again. This album came out right when I started to find my own musical sense; something different from my what my parents listened to. I think this album DEFINED my musical tastes for a very long time. Now that my preferences have a lot more diversity, I listen to fewer of the seminal albums of my life, and I think that needs to change.

Fuck, this is a good album! Every track is special to me. 5/5