Reviews by ohlessergod

I had no idea Jump, Jive, An' Wail was a cover and honestly the original really is better! I found a lot of the songs humorous and that mixed with the general upbeat intensity of the album made for a fun listen!

What an amazing album. I feel like this album got swept under the rug with Kurt's suicide the year prior basically signaling the death of the grunge movement. And to have a depressed guitarist/songwriter who disappeared in 1995 never to have his body found and only declared legally deceased in 2008 makes for an even interesting backstory to this album. I can't believe I hadn't ever listened to this. Such a precursor to post-grunge and emo in the early 2000's. I enjoyed this album beginning to end. I couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics but the music itself carried my interest. I need to read the rest of the lyrics as they seem to all be pretty depressing.

I had seen posts about this being the album with the shortest length on this list and at just over 15 monutes, I have to say it was maybe the only album I will ever have a chance to listen to front to back all the way to work and then again on my way home. I didn't think I would enjoy such a spastic album and it turns out my only gripe is that the songs are so short because there is some really good stuff here! But in true punk rock fashion brevity is key and it shouldn't take too long to get uour message conveyed. They certainly do that here with some great riffs to back up the humorous and yet semi-serious lyrics. I liked it. It definitely didn't overstay it's welcome.

I had never heard of Ms. Dynamite before but I honestly didn't hate this album. I enjoyed most of the songs. For being 22 years old at this point, this still sounds fresh to me.

I think I groaned when I opened to see this album this day but I give everything a shot. I really only knew Meatloaf's hit I'd Do Anything for Love but I knew his general sound. Very piano based. Strangely semi-romantic but weird lyrics. And this album didn't disappoint there. But I have to say I enjoyed this album overall and some of the songs got stuck in my head. Pleasantly surprised by this one! I'm sure the other album with the hit is also on this list right?!

I guess I always assumed all The Mamas and the Papas songs would be as good as California Dreamin' but I had never really listened to much else. Well unfortunately the rest of this album anyway didn't do much for me. But oddly enough for the first time in my life did I accidentally hear "and I pretend to pray" instead of "and I began to pray" and apparently it was originally supposed to be "pretend" but Mama Cass sang the wrong lyric. I'm not sure how I heard "pretend" but it's strange that I did and then read about the lyric switch.

I was pretty indifferent to the first seconds of each song but then somehow The Go-Betweens either through repetition or lyricism made me appreciate their sound. I found myself generally liking most of the songs on this album. It's hard to describe the vibe of the album other than with the word melancholy and it kind of pushes you into that mood.

Ahhh, my least favorite Pixies album. I still love a good chunk of these songs and others I found a new appreciation for on a fresh listen, but, damn, I can't pinpoint what exactly doesn't work with this album. It feels off.

Damn anti-vaxxer. Only song I like on this album is the one about the Sheriff. Everything else is as trashy as Clapton.

Saccharine lounge drivel vomited out of the daughter of a great sitarist. Only grandmas listen to this while driving very slowly and running red lights in their silver Toyota Camrys. It's listenable, sure, but does it have any substance? I couldn't find a single song I felt I would want to hear again. I know why she didn't come...

Such a beautiful album. I recently became a father to twin girls and Svefn-g-englar touched me very deeply. And who can't relate to having been born?! I find it interesting that the initial theme seems to surround being born and being a child but then evolves into self-referential self-pity regarding the unsuccessful first album of Sigur Rós. While I was hoping the album would be more generalizations about growing up from childhood to adulthood, in a weird way that is exactly what it is albeit more difficult to relate to for every person given very few of us have had an unsuccessful album produced in Iceland. Interestingly, the self-referential nature of this album became celebrated and lead to its success. Musically it deserves everything anyone has ever said. There was a time in my life when I could only fall asleep to Riceboy Sleeps by Jónsi and so I assumed Sigur Rós was also a very sleep inducing band. I found Ágaetis Byrjun to maintain my interest with every note and never induce sleep. It's an album that will stick with me for a long time.

What a bizarre album. Half the songs seem like they're from a subversive kids album and the other half are pretty normal Beatles songs. Definitely seems like the end was nye for the band although some amazing stuff came out of this album.

Ray just doesn't do much for me unfortunately. Or maybe this style from him doesn't, if he has another style. Glad to have checked it out, but it's not for me.

Amazing drumming from Ginger Baker. The music was generally a little too upbeat for me and had a lot of horns, but definitely an interesting live set.

Holy shit. Blown away by this album. I know I've heard of Siouxsie and the Banshees but I am not sure I ever listened to them. Honestly probably judged a band by its name and rightly know I made a mistake because this is one of the coolest albums I've ever heard. So angsty and angry and bleeding influence into the bands that followed them. Pleasantly unpleasant. Never ever judge a band by their name because you never know what you're missing until you actually listen.

One of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. It's hard to explain why I love Pixies so much. Kurt Cobain introduced them to me and this album was my initiation. I've seen them 2 and a half times and Frank Black solo once. At the half concert the woman I was with and was trying to date walked out of the no re-entry doors. I debated staying for the show but I liked her and did not want to make her wait outside without me. I get outside and get the old "I think we should just be friends." At the time, my heart was broken. But in retrospect I'm just mad she made me miss the rest of the concert. Less than a month later, they played another city in my state and I drove 3 hours with my best friend to see that show, which I consider my favorite. Joey Santiago was grinding the guitar while flipping drumsticks off the ground. It was amazing. The last time I saw them was to take my niece to her first concert with my wife. It was just not that great for some reason. I think partially because a new album had come out that they were pushing and that had not set in yet with us. Anyway, I don't know what it is about Pixies that I love, but I do. I miss Kim Deal and believe she was essential to the Pixies vibe. Paz was good, but is obviously canceled after her political views came to light. We will see how the newest "Kim" can do.

Since I had heard this album many times before and know it by heart I decided I would try to listen to as many of the alternate versions and live versions of all the Doolittle songs as possible. I wanted to hear the original song followed by all the other takes so I put them in a Spotify playlist organized as such. The link is here if anyone would like to try to listen this way. I made it through the first three songs and couldn't take it anymore. There are 5 hours of music in this playlist so good luck! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/29j7msVdE0yRlZOtXzfZ7T?si=Md5TdmjeTr2V0A8d57g0ww

I don't think I could fuck to Intro so I do find it very surprising it is the song on most playlists containing the word Sex. I had not paid much attention to The xx before this. It isn't my normal wheelhouse for music. But I have to say the minimal compositions and lyrics hooked me. I enjoyed most of the album with only a few songs leaving me a bit bored or disinterested. This album goes to show that you don't have to complicate your sound in order for it to be relatable or interesting.

Today I learned Creedence Clearwater Revival originated in California and not some Louisiana swamp. They were not Born on a Bayou and they never choogled (which is also made up). Bunch of posers. That being said... I don't care. They made a persona and they pandered to the masses in a way that actually produced some of the greatest hits in rock and roll. Other musicians have done worse for stardom and fame. Everyone has heard Born on a Bayou and Proud Mary. The cover of Good Golly, Miss Molly is interesting and may be more recognizable than Little Richard's original. And then there are the lesser known tracks that I actually enjoyed as well. Creedence may not have been authentic swamp rock, but they can keep on chooglin' in my book.

This did almost nothing for me. First, I had no idea they were Scottish. Second, how did Spin magazine ever rank this higher than Nirvana's Nevermind in 1991? I could see this having a heavy influence (or being heavily influenced?) by some of the Seattle sounds, but this isn't my cup of that Pennyroyal tea. The vocals are too mellow. The rock doesn't rock me. It just didn't do much for me overall.

Jesus Built My Hotrod was one of the first random songs I can remember downloading off of Napster (or Limewire, or Frostwire) back when downloading music was cool. Don't worry, now I pay a company a monthly fee to not pay the artists when I listen to their music. Anyway, I thought I was cool for knowing about Ministry all those years ago, but until now, that was the only song I could reference. I was slightly disappointed listening to this entire album. It is very abrasive but also very droning and repetitive. There seems to be a deep message here but there is also a lack of substance. I felt pretty lukewarm about the album as a whole and was expecting more.