Reviews by penthousedawg

Snarling, iconic, culture defining, raw. And the songs are really good!

Weird trend in the comments for refering to the band as a 'manufactured boy band' - these were Rotten, Jones and Matlock songs. The record was just marketed by an evil genius, which only adds to it's legacy.

And poor, stupid Sid. He never stood a chance.

Polly did a cracker.

You know what they call pop music in France?
Le Pop with cheese.

The best thing about Badly Drawn Boy - and I remember thinking this back in the early 2000's too - is that he literally looks like some bloke on the high street, maybe sitting in a bus stop smoking a roll-up cigarette in the rain, wearing scruffy Adidas sambas, a soggy knitted beanie hat on his hat, plastic carrier bag from Iceland at his feet.

Pretty inoffensive folk-pop. The music and vocals are warm and pleasant. It's good, very good at times. But not groundbreaking or life-changing. The most 2.5 album imaginable.

Stunning voice, of course. But I'm not sure this music was even designed to be marathoned across 3+hours so it seemed a bit of a challenge to get through.

What a voice this Mercury guy has! I bet he has the pick of all the ladies.

Da Crapo.

So they weren't commercially successful in their day and they are largely forgetton about now? As far as 60's psychedelic rock goes this is pretty standard and I'm not overly surprised.

At times I could have given this a 5, at other times a lowly 1. It Is creative. It Is infectious. And it certainly is a 'time capsule' of the late 90s. But it's also repetitive, sometimes grating and designed solely for late night dancing, not for a wet Friday morning on the way to work. Big, Obnoxious Brighton Beats. I found it interesting that upon release in North America, they changed the cover to avoid any issues around fat-shaming and links between obesity and tobacco. I suppose if it had been a gun he was holding it would have been fine.

I've stopped thinking of this project as "Albums to hear before I die" and more "Here are some random albums; do you personally like them?". It makes it so much easier to score.

This is weirdly fresh in a way that only 90s house and electronica can achieve. Nothing life changing, but it sure makes doing the housework on a sunny Saturday afternoon more enjoyable. 3

On paper, I should probably love this; I like a lot of Riot Grrl era bands and artists and have always enjoyed female-fronted punk and indie bands (although my favourite era for these groups is the 70s and 80s). This record however I didn't particularly enjoy. The vocals (particularly the backing/supporting vocals) started irrating me and the music was pretty basic and uncreative for large parts. Reminded me of Beat Happening. like bratty, snotty bands with attitude but this one just did not land at all. Baffled by it's inclusion on the list.
Edit: just looked at the critical reception of when this was released and clearly I'm in the minority here.

Of course I know this band, but it's the first time listening to an album in it's entirety. I can confirm all their songs sound the same but they seem to take pride in this fact. The production is great, the guitar tones are indeed rocking - if you want sweaty, 80s hard rock then you'll love this. I don't particularly want sweaty, 80s hard rock though and couldn't get past the screeching, unpleasant vocals. Another record that deserves 5 if you're scoring it based on the bands intentions with the album - and with 37 million monthly listeners on Spotify clearly people love it. But I'm scoring on personal taste though and its getting a light 3.

This record pushed me to the floor and spat in my eye.
4

Ah I was this close to giving it full marks - it's so much fun and that bass guitar bouncing all over the place is so infectious. Trouble is, I just don't particularly enjoy ska music. Crazy, right? 4.5

Not a new album to me, I've listened to The Modern Lovers a few times over the years. Always enjoyed their proto-punk, proto-slacker rock. There is a lazy, swagger to the delivery that I really enjoy. And seeing some of the aggressively low scores and reviews makes me like it just that little bit more.

Best line: "I go to bakeries all day long/ Theres a lack of sweetness in my life."
4

Far from their best work but still an enjoyable record. 3.5

I always try to think of something positive, so ... um, let me think...they referenced Kurt Cobain twice... and I quite like Nirvana.

First time I haven't seen the word 'boring' in the keywords from reviews. Groovy, soulful, deep and with real cinematic flair. The vocals are so smooth and the instrumentation is constantly engaging and interesting. Love the percussion on Pusherman and the orchestral layers draped over the record. Short, punchy, great.

Much like the first Bee Gees album that popped up on here, I was surprised to hear the boys do more than disco. Obviously less of a suprise this time. And obviously I still didn't actually enjoy it that much. If I keep saying obviously will it appear on the keywords? Obviously obviously obviously.

I am never in any particular rush to go back to any Led Zep album; I imagine like a lot of teenagers, I devoured their catalogue of records when I first discovered them. They had a mythical aura surrounding them - like a relic, hidden in a overgrown tomb deep, within a rainforest. Well, that mythos has long since evaporated for me. However there's no denying what a far-out, stonking great rock and roll record this is. I'll hold off giving it a 5, but I can understand why you would. It Is too long though.