Reviews by pops

Based on the opening track, I thought this would be my first one-star review, but I did quite like a couple of the other songs. That's kind of disappointing, as I feel like this album was meant to be something you either love or hate, not something you give two stars out of five.

Say what you like about Van Morrison, but at his peak he made some truly beautiful music. My least favourite song on this is actually the title track, which I find grating, but there are some real moments of loveliness on here. Also, why didn’t he sing in his Crazy Love voice more often? (Probably because he thought people might like it, the awkward bastard.)

I like the concept of Kiss - I’m all for embracing the dumb, fun, theatrical side of rock - but I find their music oddly underpowered. Great Expectations in particular sounds like watered-down Meat Loaf. Was the image covering for a lack of chops, or did they need a Jim Steinman to push them over the top into the gloriously ridiculous?

I liked the soul/hip-hop sound but I am not sure that any of the tracks really stood out to me apart from My Kind of People and that’s because I was trying to work out where I’d heard the melody before . (Eventually realised it was Pass the Dutchie.)

I've been meaning to listen to more Depeche Mode since they were unexpectedly one of my highlights at a festival a couple of years ago - it made me realise how many of their singles I like. Over a whole album it gets a little same-y, but I did enjoy it.

I really like Lana Del Rey but was initially surprised this album made the cut over Norman Fucking Rockwell. However, it was better than I remembered - I like the slight country twist she puts on her usual schtick - so now I just think they both should have been included.

I have such a soft spot for this album, but (maybe) I’m amazed that it made the cut above Ram. I think Ram takes the same charmingly lo-fi, playful approach but applies it to a more consistent set of songs. Still the best songs here (Junk, Every Night, Maybe I’m Amazed) are gorgeous.

Do people genuinely love this album
or have they just romanticised the idea of the troubled genius? I’m not convinced that anyone hearing this without knowing who Syd Barrett was would understand what the fuss was about.

What an incredible debut. I considered giving it four stars because I know there are even better albums by them to come, but it seems unfair to grade them on a curve.

Were the Sex Pistols anti-abortion? For me, that was the biggest shocker on the album. The rest of it was fun, although I don’t think it can ever have the impact it evidently had in 1977.

Well, this transported me back to being a teenager in the summer of 1996. I could practically taste the cider. I think it could stand to lose a couple of tracks but I don’t think it’s just the nostalgia talking when I say I enjoyed this.

Another jazz album I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. Maybe I just like jazz. If in 50 albums time, I decide I actually like prog too then this project will have been truly life-changing.

“It’s good for asthma… goats love to play with it.” You can’t argue with that. You also can’t argue with the tunes.

I liked this spindly, ramshackle mix of punk and reggae a lot more than I thought I would. I’m not sure the Slits would take this as a compliment, but I found it oddly charming.

Fifty-seven albums in, and what I'm learning from this project is that I have limited patience when it comes to solos. Deep Purple were clearly amazing musicians, but I don't think it's a coincidence that the two tracks I found the most enjoyable (Highway Star and Smoke On the Water) are also the shortest. At one point, I checked to see if Space Truckin' was nearly over, and there were still 14 minutes left.

I’ve always been lukewarm on RHCP’s singles, and the album tracks all sounded like worse versions of those singles, so this was never going to be a winner for me. The last third was a real slog.

A reminder that the Bee Gees were a much weirder band than their Saturday Night Fever-era bangers suggest. I’m glad I heard this overlong, sometimes beautiful and deeply odd album.

Listening to this gave me a new appreciation for Flavor Flav. It’s Public Enemy without the fun.

People who say the Beatles are overrated are obviously the most annoying, but people who say they didn’t really get good until Rubber Soul/Revolver aren’t far behind. Five stars.

When I saw one of the tracks was a 16-minute drum solo, my heart sank. That did test my patience, but it turns out it's a bonus track and therefore, under my personal project rules, it doesn't have to taint the rest of this joyous, groove-filled album.