Reviews by richardwiggins

This must have been a thrilling show to be at. It being a live album is helpful, giving everything an added oomph as well as some leeway in trying to mesh two oppositional sounds that a clinical studio environment would struggle with.

Given it's over TWO HOURS long and so peculiar it could make or break a fan but I actually fell somewhere in the middle. Being someone who’s recently gotten into Metallica via Master of Puppets and The Black Album, I found myself “interested” in the added context it gave me about the group rather than being lost in the music like I had been with those studio LPs. The material is generally strong but some of the efforts written post-The Black Album are more alternative rock rather than metal and sound less unique as a result. I also don’t need to hear James Hetfield’s vocals doused in auto-tune, I don’t think it suits the sound.

My main critique is that the orchestra should have been used more sparingly. All involved have pushed for the spectacular symphony to be all over S&M but given the material was not written with these instruments in mind the continual flourishes sometimes sound muddled and messy. When Metallica and the orchestra are on the same page, the classical musicians bolstering the band, it's a pretty effective whole (see: The Thing That Should Not Be and For Whom The Bell Tolls). But overall the concept is cooler than the final product.

Despite all this I admire Metallica for choosing to make a high effort “best of” record rather than just pushing out the hits in a more familiar form.

The The don’t exactly have a smooth approach to composition. The eccentric, awkward, stop-start performance and slightly crazed, elaborate vocals is surely the appeal but it could all just as easily turn a listener off. There are plenty of bands that I love which share several of these qualities but for whatever reason the theatricality doesn’t work for me here. My brain can't make sense of it.

Like my annual flu jab, continued exposure to the Rod Stewart pathogen has decreased my sensitivity to his grating yet jubilant approach to cheeseball pop rock. I can even now see the appeal for those who are fans, he is an emotional, kind-hearted singer.

While not having as many hits as the Tubeway Army debut The Pleasure Principle is just as solid a presentation. Numan does not massively change up the formula, rather tweaks and refines it. It still has those herky-jerky keys and vocals which are used to remarkably similar effect, often in unison, but there is an extra level of shine and polish. I’m delighted that Cars gave him enough of an unqualified hit to kick start his whole career.

Bland, inoffensive indie rock. I am struggling to see how these guys had any impact on the culture back in the 90s. The best track is the cover which closes this LP, the original Simon & Garfunkel song with a new desktop theme.

I’m hot and warm on Nick Cave. Henry’s Dream and Skeleton Tree very much sit within the “hot” category and this album is more “warm”.

This collection of piano ballads pitches The Boatman’s Call as one of Cave’s more reflective efforts, which is not to say it’s laid back, it’s too intense for that. Opening track Into My Arms is a song for the ages, one of the very best piano ballads of all time. It sets a high bar which the rest of the album never even gets near. But at the same time, it’s an enjoyable, heartfelt listen throughout.

An enjoyable 40 minutes of smooth, soulful jazz. One which is very pleasing but not so pleasing that it fades into the background. I was surprised by how much I recognised from film and television. Jimmy is clearly one of those artists which is integrated and hidden within the culture.

I continue to be surprised that Love are not a British band given everything about their sound. Da Capo is a particularly elaborate and free, almost crazy sounding album. The vocals are gloriously theatrical without sounding gimmicky. The band are injected with the perfect amount of psychedelia.

The semi-improvisational Side B or ‘Revelation’ puts them into a different mode. Initially it’s a bit like The Velvet Underground but it travels through several sounds across its extended run time. The bass playing gets a bit stiff at points trying to hold things down but the rest of the band get a chance to be very freaky, spinning off into The Doors, Suicide or early Fall-like performances.

It’s not quite as accomplished as the album that follows but it gains a different dimension as a result and is a must listen for anyone interested in the impacts of the British Invasion or 1960s psych rock.

The words “blues tinged hard rock feat. Rod Stewart” seems to have been developed by a crack team of scientists to strike terror within my soul. Everything Jeff Beck does on the guitar here is oppositional to my tastes, and made me feel like I was eating my greens, convinced that a varied music diet is inherently a good thing. And I curse myself, because they are of course highly skilled musicians taking joy in every additional guitar lick, whammy pedal wobble and vocal strain. I hope to enjoy my greens one day.

Having only heard 1986’s EVOL I was struck by how different Sonic Youth sound here. In fact, how different they even sound from track to track. Instrumentally they had previously been more of an experimental Goth group but here things are a lot grungier and much more 90s. I think it's fair to say that some of the experiments work better for me than others but I’m a big fan of them retaining the rotating vocalists which continues to give different flavours across the LP. I like it when they get noisier and lean into something that more resembles post-punk.

London Calling has been with me my whole life. I can remember hearing the CD playing in the kitchen as a small child; then discovering it amongst my dad’s old record collection in the loft as a teenager (“yes!!”), then learning the art of turning a record over in my bedroom (a double album, so double the practice).

It feels like a best of that spans a band’s whole career, seamlessly delivering you from one era to another - not The Clash’s third LP in three years. It’s crazy to think that so shortly before this album they were legitimately punk. While London Calling explores New Wave, Garage, Ska and Reggae, to my ears there is nothing punk on display here!

While there are well recognised hits throughout this beast (and side B has a particularly high concentration) less celebrated track Hateful has always had a special place in my heart due to its peculiar vocal inflections which show a particularly odd and elaborate side to The Clash. I also love the breezy, super slick choruses of I’m Not Down - another underrated classic!

There is something particularly bland and meaningless about Nick of Time. The closer attention I pay Bonnie Raitt’s performance the less it delivers, faring best when I let it fade into the background as a pleasant, unfocused blur. It feels like the quintessential adult contemporary record - a mass market product intended to offend no one and inspire no one. For the right audience it will help pass the time or create the right atmosphere, for me it makes time slow down and bores me to tears.

One of the cool and interesting facts that I often share about myself is that my favourite Paul Simon album is actually his self titled LP. Yes (gasp!) not Gracelands like most people!

You can only imagine my surprise and disappointment this afternoon when I discovered Gracelands is the best thing Paul Simon has ever written. In one day it's gone from being my fourth most played of his albums to being my most played after incessantly spinning on the record player for hours.

It's a totally fluid, carefree record which is full of hilarious one liners delivered with such effortlessness that you could easily miss them, lost in the beauty of his voice, guitar and the integration of South African influences which I until now I apparently didn’t much care for. Well done consensus - you win again.

It's been almost 10 years since Kanye had his meltdown and lost his powers as a rapping and producing hit machine. It's amazing to reflect at just how good he was across this run of LPs. For many this one is the best, while I wouldn’t quite go that far I can see why others do. It has flawless flow from track to track and features his best production work. It's got hit songs, amazing features and consistently strong rapping from Kanye himself. It feels like a pop album in so many ways, but with so much textural and lyrical detail effortlessly embedded within every moment. Few albums are as iconic as this one.

For me, this album passed the time without much thought. It’s a solid piece of work, no obvious flaws, but no obvious USP either that makes Dion particularly remarkable. I do genuinely like his voice and his easy, charming presence, but wish there was some spicier songwriting!

I was surprised at how little the songwriting on this album spoke to me compared to Mellon Collie. I struggled to find a route into the record, whereas with the follow up, several songs immediately peaked my interest. The aesthetic is cool, I love the passion, but this will not be my go to smashing pumpkins record.

Basement Jaxx do “hype” particularly well. I particularly like Jump ‘n’ Shout which gets stuck into a striking, darkly manic groove and of course the iconic Red Alert and Bingo Bango, which are the clear standout singles. Remedy also has its weak spots though, some of the lower energy songs work, but all of the worst moments (e.g. Same Old Show) arrive when they are noodling about in wait of their next big punchy hook. If they had trimmed the fat and turned in a tight 40 minutes I think this would be held up as a classic LP.

I love earnest, traditional folk music. It gives me a buzz hearing it back with some more robust rock instrumentals, which feels like a quiet revelation. I prefer Fairport Convention’s follow up from the same year, Liege & Lief which I think strikes the balance even better.

White Denim do a surprisingly broad range of things on D, at some points sounding inspired by Vampire Weekend and at others sounding like a very toned down version of Yes. I have to admit that I'd probably rather listen either of those acts instead. It had the feel of a classic rock album but without the hits.

Sleater-Kinney are a straight up and down noisy indie rock band with powerful riffs and emotional vocals. Before now I’d only heard 2019’s much less critically acclaimed The Center Won't Hold which in my opinion actually has much better singles than Dig Me Out, though the 1997 effort is far more cohesive and satisfying overall. I wouldn’t say any individual songs particularly stand out for me though. The shouty aesthetic is as cool as hell but I have a block which is stopping me from completely falling in love.