Reviews by oldmancthc

A really interesting turn here for Gabriel, fusing the artsy almost avant-garde work he previously did with the contemporary commercial pop sound of the time. This album made him a household name and an MTV superstar. Not my favorite album he's made, but still a great listen. I respond most to the tracks that could've fit on his older album though; Red Rain, We Do What We're Told, and In Your Eyes. Bonus points for featuring Stewart Copeland on drums for Big Time, and (LOL!) "hi-hat" for Red Rain.

Great album. It's no Fela Kuti, but few are. This is solid jazz with a healthy injection of afrobeat. Really fun to listen to and never gets stale.

I really liked the first (and last) track. Serious headphone jam with the vibrato emulating channel panning on the keys. I really enjoy this musically, especially the more upbeat jams. But too often it slows down, and there I find the vocals a little over the top. The blues tune goes hard though, loved that track.

This goes a little too hard in the pop realm for me to love. Honestly, it gets more irritating the I longer it goes on, and this is a LONG album. There are a lot of moments when it starts to "rock", but there is still some weird polish on it that makes it feel toothless and safe. Great performance, both technically and musically, but aside from a few moments here-and-there (Little Red Lights, solos on Slut) I just couldn't get into it.

Didn't find this QUITE as annoying as other Radiohead albums I've listened to. I even found a few interesting moments here and there. That being said, it's still boring and pretentious.

I liked this. Not usually a piano-focused music guy, but this has some very interesting songwriting/structure and beautiful vocals. This would certainly a be mood-inspired relisten, but I could see it happening.

Right out of the gate this is AWFUL! Bullshit kid's Casio keyboard tones with whiney androgynous vocals. There is minimal improvement as this progresses, but the vocals will 100% destroy my enjoyment of this every time. The jump from style to style is abrupt and jarring. It seems senseless, sometimes happening mid-song. The whole thing just feels SO pretentious, like Thom is under the impression he's writing another Abby Road. Probably doesn't need to be said, but he didn't.

Love the Cure's first album, but after that it's really hit or miss. I don't dislike this, it just doesn't really do much for me. Wouldn't turn it off or leave the room if someone else put it on, but I'd never choose it myself.

Acoustic-focused music is just not my thing at all. This sounds so maudlin to me. I can't even seem to enjoy it as background music.

Honestly I like her voice, but I just can't stand Americana. The intricate storytelling is annoying. I'll read a book if I'm looking for exposition. There are way too many christian references for my comfort level. It has its moments of beauty and melody, but more often than not bounces between boring and feeling like it's pandering to a specific demographic that I'm not part of. There are a few instances where it seems to break out of the Americana mold (hearing some trip-hop inspired drum production), but they are too few and still not super interesting to me.

This is a pretty great album. I've always really liked Nick's voice. I don't think I've ever heard his work with a backing band before. Very impressive how even with a full band they can maintain that very intimate feeling that Drake is known for with his solo acoustic work. Music is all very laid-back but never gets boring for some reason. Definitely the type of stuff I generally do not respond to, but something here is different, really pulls in a listener.

Wow... This stinks. It's almost completely lacking the ONLY thing these guys ever (even remotely) did well, sophomoric punk influenced funk. The few times it shows up, it's a neutered version of its former self. This is a record FULL of the pretentious songs I hated most on their previous albums. Musically this is a guy in clown make-up screaming to be taken seriously. Fuck this trash.

Basic bluesy rock that never really gets cooking. And that’s when it’s at its best. Experimental parts just aren’t good. Vocals and lyrics really kill this for me.

I only remember this band from Don't Bring me Down, and the giant UFO stage show photos that awed every kid in 1979. WAY more Beatles-esque than I remember. Sounds like a lot of Bowie influence in there too. Overall, I don't dislike it, but the whole "let's add orchestral instruments to rock" just doesn't get me going.

SNOOZE FEST! It's not as bad as their second album, but that's not saying much. Nothing here I respond to on any level.

Solid album full of hits I remember from the "oldies" station as a kid. Nostalgia aside, this is still a great album.

It's taken me a long time to admit it, but this is a great album. The success of Nevermind pushed me away from Nirvana pretty quickly and despite knowing the radio hits from this album I never really spent time listening to it as a whole. I totally get why people regard it so highly now.

Love the more rock-oriented tracks. Love Neil's vocals. This is hot and cold for me though, with enough folk mixed in to keep me from really loving it as a whole.

Epitome of '70s soul. This is a perfect album.

Very weird mix of sounds that can't really be pinned down to being part of any genre. Some trip-hop vibes here and there, some R&B influence throughout, but not wholly either of those things. Vocal delivery, is soft, melodic, and echoey; really pushes this almost into ambient territory. Overall production just sounds "'90s" for lack of a better descriptor. Outside of keeping my head nodding, I'm not sure it really does much for me. I do think it's something that might grow on me with repeated listens though.