Reviews by richardwiggins

Even now, with everything that came after this LP in the form of Madchester, Britpop and a belated reunion, The Stone Roses debut still sounds totally distinct from anything else. There is magic happening on this record. Save for a couple of tracks it’s wall to wall hits and songs that are developed and robust enough that they still surprise after countless listens. Despite being influential, band’s that have drawn from them never quite recaptured their magic.

This has aged not nearly as bad as it could have due to the chilled out funky vibes of the majority of the record. The more hyped up moments are a bit more cringe inducing for me because they are aiming to get me amped and at excited but instead make me feel like an uncool uncle at a kid’s birthday party. None of it’s particularly good, but it’s not in your face enough to offend too heavily. If you ignore the mediocre rapping there’s enough here to pass the time.

I loved this album as a child. I was a big Oasis fan at one time, after many years away my memories of it is better then actually sticking it on.

Rock n Roll star is a great opener - lots of energy and personality. I also loved closing tracks Slide Away and Married with Children, which really caught me. But then there’s songs like Shakermaker which have aged very badly. This song has the especially unforgiving placement of track 2.

The most impressive thing about this debut is that despite them being heavily inspired by The Stone Roses (note how Noel sings “SHINNNNEEE”) they have a very clear identity of its own. This identity is lost on later records.

I’m not a proggy guy but even I can see this album would act as a great introduction to prog rock, it’s an awful lot of fun and an accessible example of the genre. If you loved this it could point you to some tricksier, harder stuff. There are gorgeous performances from people who have a strong enough understanding of how to write music to be able to turn it into a full theatrical production. You don’t need to closely follow the plot of the opening 20 minute track to admire Rush’s confidence in turning half of their album into a sci-fi epic. If I was to critique this track, I think the different parts could have more directly transitioned into each other.

To my ears the Undertones are on the more sugary, poppier end of pop punk than Ramones - perhaps being a better indication of the future direction of the genre. It has an adolescent charm, like time travelling back in time to a school disco. It would be difficult for me to totally get what it would have sounded like as a teenager in 1970s Northern Ireland. There are some nostalgic qualities that almost sound like their harking back to traditional rocknroll.

Teenage Kicks is the clear stand out track, but I was also quite struck by the quite strange True Confessions which sounds like a Joy Division bassline with Gary Newman meets XTC vocals. The 48 second closer Casbah Rock mission statement “you won't get pop at the casbah rock” is a genuine headscratcher that's a silly way to finish the record. Others passed me by leaving a smile on my face but without much incident.

Amy Winehouse was a powerful singer and a soulful writer with an intuitive grasp of what makes a captivating song. She made writing iconic songs sound easy. The way she sings about the mundane, or even disappointing aspects of her own life is fascinating, not because her life was fascinating but because she was a highly skilled storyteller. You don’t need to spend any time watching tragic documentaries or biopics about her because Amy tells you her entire story in her music, and she tells it better than any of the ghouls who have fed off of her legacy. Two albums, 92 minutes, tells you everything you need to know.

The collaboration between the two producers are critical to the quality of her final album. Salaam Remi draws from the jazz standards, providing a more traditional, nostalgic backbone to the record, linking Amy to the past. Mark Ronson takes things in a much poppier, crisper direction which, despite being clearly inspired by 60s girl groups, points Amy towards the future. The two sounds are the opposites in almost every way but sat side by side they lead to a perfectly balanced half hour record. Together with Amy they were able to create an album which was both a critical success and a chart sensation. Mark Ronson is the person who helped her unlock her potential as a household name. The first album has the same level of skill, but lacks the pop sensibilities to go stratospheric. 

The two albums compliment each other beautifully, even if they are a little tough to listen to at times, due to the intensely personal nature of the lyrics (see the deeply poetic Some Unholy War) which reveal more with each listen. There are deep rushes of energy balanced out with steadier, thoughtful moments where Amy Winehouse gives you a complete picture of her at a moment in time.

There’s enough hits on this Strokes album to sustain 4 albums by regular indie bands - and not bad bands either. It could sound like a greatest hits, if it didn’t have such a singular vision. The guitars have an addictive quality. Every song has a strong theme / concept but without sounding gimmicky. A perfect album.

Pet Sounds is such a sincere and meaningful record. The Beach Boys hit you with excellent song after excellent song. A relentless onslaught of harmonies, neat song concepts and above all - pep! They are in peerless unison as continually one up themselves to deliver another peak of emotion.

Milli Vanili meets New Order meets The KLF. But nowhere as good as that sounds. I wasn’t here for this first time round, so it feels like there is a bit of a nostalgia factor at play in people’s enjoyment of this which I won’t pooh-pooh but it just sounds boring and annoying to me. Multiple songs sound like parody music. I hope this isn’t what they were playing at the Hacienda!

It’s rare that a record can both sum up a moment in time, a movement, in the way this one can but also be so utterly timeless. An album perfect for any context with songs that still feel as fresh as when they were conceived over 60 years ago. It’s amazing that in Bob Dylan’s career he bettered this album several times, but there’s a chance he never made anything quite as iconic.

Big beat indeed. Across the iconic hits on this record Norman Cook brings his very biggest beats, clever manipulation of samples and pop sensibilities from his time in a band to deliver a brash record with popular appeal. At its best these are dramatic, panoramic songs with a real sense of energy and fun to them.

The bravery of the man also. To let some of these songs run on for as long as they do. When you’re in the groove with Cook and onboard with the song then this is a definite enhancer. Away from the singles there are several songs that could have done with either a trim, or removing entirely. The track names that you do not recognise in the middle of the album could all go. There is a significant uptick in quality at the end, songs which could have happily sat in the middle.

The album as a whole is feast and famine with big singles followed by filler, and at 61 minutes in length that didn’t need to be the case.

There is always a tension in Morrissey’s music between his ability to write great pop songs and his narcissistic personality. At his best the latter enhances the former. The World is Full of Crashing Bores (a great pop song) acts as a breakdown of Morrissey’s personality. He sees himself as a victim who is much more interesting than others around him, yet he is also insecure and just wants to be loved by others. He is a self obsessed, vulnerable reactionary with a unique voice and a natural ability to playfully write about his feelings of isolation, and how difficult he finds the world. The way he writes resonates with me despite (or maybe because of) his flawed way of processing the world. 

He goes further on How Can Anybody Know How I Feel. He hates himself, but not nearly as much as he hates everyone else. It’s fascinating, for as long as the music is good. On later albums we can be less forgiving. I have a less complicated relationship with The First of the Gang To Die, a cathartic anthem with a big heart which just cuts straight through every level. The effortless, bright guitar chords match beautifully with his melancholy.

Morrissey fans have been peeking through their figures watching him slowly come out as a racist over the course of four decades, culminating in him proudly declaring himself in alignment with the English Defence League in 2018. The whole “judging the art, not the artist” conversation seems specifically designed for his fans. It unfortunately puts Irish Blood, English Heart in an unpleasant light. He yearns for people to see the good in England, take pride in its accomplishments and rejects the idea that flag waving is racist. But then it's difficult to get swept up in his yearning, given that he is a racist. It's a well written, passionate burst of energy with a compromised message. A perfect encapsulation of Morrissey.

This album has some very impressive, cheerful singles where Christine is able to get across his incredible force of personality. When it settles into more of a groove it becomes pleasant but less exceptional.

Spotify put the English version of the record first for me, I wish it hadn’t because it’s not as good. I can see the ambitious commercial rational of releasing two versions, but I’d rather he selected the version that resonates best with him.

A buoyant, passionate, energetic debut which had me, someone who struggles to connect with blues tinged rock, nodding my head enthusiastically. I predict big things for Led Zeppelin.

There’s a real sense of journey to this record and I love its warm and open heart, but I can’t pretend I love everywhere that it takes me. It’s certainly interesting, and I can appreciate the freaky qualities which have garnered it a cult audience.

With the exception of Take Me to the River, the Al Green cover, this is only one of Talking Head’s first 6 albums which doesn’t have what are widely regarded as “one of the big hits”, but it’s no worse for it. The band have sanded off what few rough edges they had on 1977 and have arrived in their most iconic form, in part due to much plusher production than on the debut. David Byrne is in a particularly hyperactive mood contrasting nicely with a smoother performance from the band. Throughout the record there are seamless transitions between wildly different sections. Everything is made to sound effortless.

Since getting into hip hop I’ve always been partial to hip house - it blew my mind to find out that this existed as far back as the 80s. Queen Latifah brings a good number of hits to this record, they make up about half of the tracklist and would be a fantastic soundtrack to a party.

She’s got a variety of flows which match a strong mix of production and instrumentation - groovy basslines, saxaphones, surprising samples. She’s a good lyricist but I’m most impressed at her ability to land both serious points and humour, the result is fun but not insubstantial.

The Pros made me really laugh - I love the idea of members of the public trying to match up to the Queen’s level of rap skill. The only awkward moment across the whole LP for me is the roll call of her children on Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children - I didn’t need that!

A handful of hits are mixed in with what sounds like b-sides. It’s quite exciting if this is the worst The White Stripes record because it’s really not that bad. Makes me want to get more familiar with their discography. I especially like how skittish and ridiculous My Doorbell is.

I have a lot of time for old English, poetry led folk music and also anything where people are trying to do something different. There were glimpses I enjoyed, but Wyatt did not win my trust over the course of the album. There’s a playful leap you need to make to be brought onside. I couldn’t get there because I’m not sure that he had fully figured the record out himself. It made me want to listen to early Pink Floyd!

The production is amazing. The lyrics are conscious and refined. Gang Starr are a very smart package. I do start to flag though after 30 minutes of such a similar rap flow. Similar to how I felt on the backend of Moment of Truth - I either want this to be a shorter record or have the introduction of a new flow somewhere along the way. The Meaning of the Name stands out positively because it does just that with Guru on more of an offensive.

There’s ideas introduced though that I’m sure artists I love have benefited greatly from. A solid listen.