Reviews by ryzgee

I've never really given Pixies much of a look in as I've always (rightly or wrongly) associated them with a school of grunge that generally just doesn't do a lot for me. I've got Doolittle on vinyl as I found it in a sale box during one of my record shop crawls in London, bought purely on the reputation of the band and incessantly being told I needed to check them out. Think I've played it once and never gone back to it.

Anyway, Surfer Rosa is a bit of a curious case on first listen. Instrumentally it's far more chaotic, angular and neurotic than the type of bands I'd have lumped them in with previously, which I think will afford it a revisit down the line. Vocally, I'm not as enamored with that American shrieking/wailing approach, even if it does serve the music effectively, and the rather thin, buzzy production doesn't leave many pockets of space to clutch onto.

Mostly very inane, and lacking in excitement or memorability. Like a bunch of random jamming put to tape and then stitched together in post-prod. It's surely only in the 1001 to fulfil contractual obligations because it's Damon Albarn and his pals mucking about.

I have previously heard, and very much enjoy the follow up "Hats" so I was rather excited and hopeful going into this one. I'm kicking myself for never having explored The Blue Nile to any further extent.

This is a wonderful synth-pop type album, but far quirkier and a lot more dextrous than your typical fare. The level of care taken to the atmospheric haunts throughout is nothing short of spectacular, supported by frequent bouts of eclectic instrumentation such as the xylophone, flute and unorthodox forms of percussion. The synth work is very In a Silent Way-like in some respects, also reminiscent of some 70s Berlin school electronic. The bass playing, tone and sound ooze class - they culminate in an ethereal, yet rather funky experience all told. The piano arrangements in "Easter Parade" invoke such a sombre, affecting mood, serving as a welcome break within the album akin to something that Mark Hollis would dabble with during his solo career.

Another record that ranks amongst my favourite discoveries along this process so far. A 2.86 overall site rating is fucking criminal.

It's David Bowie, so of course I like it.

Whilst Aladdin Sane perhaps isn't as daring a body of work as the preceding Ziggy Stardust, also not quite scaling the same heights, it still strikes a sumptuous balance between catchiness, hooks, tasty grooves and glitzy energy; and Bowie's trademark sprawling, anxious insanity.

In many ways, this is an effective distillment of his sound into a relatively accessible package, perfect for when I'm looking for something a bit more straightforward from Bowie whilst not compromising on the quirkiness and character of his previous works.

Too long, overblown, a bit pompous, a bit tedious and a bit directionless.

There are some cool instrumental licks interspersed here and there, and the concept surrounding the album is interesting at the very least, but the album never seems to have any idea of where it actually wants to go and I had to research/read into the concept whilst listening to make any sense of it. As soon as the album begins to build up a head of steam following a central idea, it falls into a perpetual loop of wanking itself into a coma - rinse and repeat.

I've never been a megafan of Motörhead; I'm of the opinion that they'd make for a great "best of" compilation, but I never tend to gravitate towards any of their records. They know what they're good at, and they do it well but the lack of deviations in style can become a bit fatiguing after a while.

This, as a live album, delivers on the mission statement in that many of the classics are represented, and it benefits from a gritty, unpolished sound to give the songs an added edge. The standard version is fairly tight at 43 minutes - there is an extended version but I'm quite content to give that a pass for the moment. As for whether I'd revisit? Possibly, but I'm not in any great hurry.

This is the only R.E.M. record that's ever done much for me.

It felt like their songwriting craft took a massive leap forwards at this stage, away from the jangly indie nonsense and middling alt-rock of their earlier works into something much more memorable and engaging. It combines moroseness and self-reflection with energy, vigour and rich, yet relatively simplistic soundscapes.

The opener "Chivalry" houses what is surely one of the worst vocal performances I've ever heard, with absolutely no exaggeration on my part. I'm undecided whether it's a deliberate work of genius or just a load of obnoxious wailing. In fact, that sentiment can be applied to the album as a whole in a sonic regard, although it improves markedly from there on.

This is an utterly bizarre and consistently thrilling punk/alt-country album - I was dreading it based on the brief Wiki description, but alas my fears were misplaced. Imagine The Damned undergoing frontal lobotomies and chucking some steely Americana guitar / harmonica into the mix, and you aren't a million miles off.

Why the fuck do I like this when I generally hate anything vaguely resembling country with a burning passion? Perhaps I'll never be able to understand.

This might be the sliding doors moment where I finally understand what all the fuss is about with Echo and the Bunnymen. Whenever I've tried in the past, including one of their other albums I've had so far during this process, I've always found them competent enough, but the music would wash over me. Turns out I'd just been listening to the wrong Bunnymen for where my tastes are at - this grabbed me from the word go, and never let go.

Nice, rich bass-lines, a great drum sound, it occasionally goes for that angular style of playing akin to Wire, Magazine et al (most notably so on "Happy Death Men") but it also has a gothy, detached coldness to it.

Definitely something of a revelatory listen, it's gone onto the purchase list.

A very strong debut - in many ways, this is a good encapsulation of what a debut should be. A bit raw and rough around the edges, but with enough confidence to come flying out of the blocks.

Dry does a sterling job of combining accessibility and catchiness with attitude, intelligence, some vulnerability and an off-kilter, anxious energy to much of the playing. It's able to remain consistently interesting from track to track due to ample variations in structure, mood and quietness/loudness.

It's been on my purchase list for some time, and I will be addressing that sooner rather than later.

FF(S). Does anyone really give the slightest shit about these in 2025 beyond "Take Me Out"? The streaming numbers paint a picture, but even that track can be attributed as fairly dated, throwaway "lads out on a bender" guff. An album that can't have too many complaints about being removed from newer editions of the book. Soulless shite.

It is an improvement on Odessa, but let's be honest, just about anything that isn't Odessa is an improvement on Odessa.

This felt a bit like a college band attempting their best renditions of The Beatles, David Bowie and Pink Floyd in one fell swoop, whilst remaining blissfully unaware of the fact that their vocalist just cannot fucking sing or pen a decent harmony. It's only 47 minutes long but it felt like double the length, and then some. A load of saccharine, cheesy, pretentious nonsense for the most part.

I wasn't expecting this at all, but I've got to say, it's excellent.

An intriguing fusion of 90s euro-trance, trip hop and downtempo; it's clearly ushering in influences from the likes of Massive Attack, Portishead, Culture Beat, Goldie, Björk, Ace of Base etc. but it somehow manages to blend all of them into something unique and thoroughly engaging. One of my all time favourite bands in The Gathering released "How to Measure a Planet" during the same year, where despite the album's generally more prog rock-oriented leanings, Ray of Light surely must have been on their radar to inspire their shift in direction towards similar forms of electronic which are showcased here.

There is a mystical, even spiritual thread running through a fair portion of the album, most pronounced in a track such as "Shanti / Ashtangi", with drips and drabs of Middle Eastern instrumentation on a track such as "Skin". The album also has a very personal feel to it, with themes ranging from the birth of Madonna's daughter and of struggles such as heartbreak, but delivered in a more sophisticated manner than your typical pop fare.

I can't believe that a Madonna album has been one of my favourite discoveries along this process so far, but here we are. It's going to be purchased.

A rather baffling selection when it comes to Fiona Apple. When the Pawn... is generally viewed as her magnum opus, which I'd be strongly inclined to agree with, but it's nowhere to be found in the 1001 list, with her debut prevailing here instead.

That said, Tidal is still an enjoyable listen, however unlike with When the Pawn... I do find my attention wavering at various points as the album advances. This is nowhere near as dextrous or as confident as its successor, but the strong points are very strong indeed. She has a wonderful voice, acting as the vehicle for some very introspective and sentimental lyricism, and the piano arrangements are often delicate, bordering on melancholic, but the album is at its apex when all of its atmospheric elements combine into something grander, louder and generally more memorable.

A sobering and highly challenging, yet rewarding listening experience. I tend to default to Transformer when I'm looking for my fix of Lou Reed, but this is another fantastic listen and one which has fallen at the perfect time with the changing of the seasons. The depth and breadth of the songwriting and instrumentation here is truly a delight; piano, mellotron, bass trombone, trumpet, sax, acoustics - they all converge into such an enthralling palette.

A rock opera conceptually focused on an array of tragic themes, it expands upon the story of an ailing couple first explored in Lou Reed's track "Berlin" from his self-titled debut. It's perhaps one of the most despondent albums I've ever heard.

My general apathy towards hip hop is well documented (I don't mind some experimental hip hop in the vein of Death Grips, JPEGMAFIA, clipping. etc.) but I've always found this to be far more interesting and dynamic than much of what I've been exposed to in the genre.

There's some actual atmosphere and textural depth to the music - equally, when the album opts for an abrasive approach, it doesn't feel forced or tryhard. The beats are wide-ranging and fresh, and the lyricism is genuinely creative and intelligent. It's been an infrequent revisit for me since my initial discovery, but as a result, it never loses its sheen.

Getting an album called "Younger Than Yesterday" on my birthday :laughing:

Anyway, this was just a bit "eh", although, fortunately, it does come in at a very respectable sub-30 minutes. It's a jubilant folk/country rock album that manages to remain on the right side of my personal threshold, without captivating me to any great extent. It features an alumni from earlier in my challenge in Hugh Masekela, who does contribute a couple of nice tricks to the experience, but it's not one I can see myself wanting to repeat in future.

I'm largely a novice when it comes to Talking Heads - I like, and own Remain in Light on vinyl but have never dived any deeper than that. On my first listen to this one, I think I prefer it over the latter.

A consistently weird and angular, yet strangely inviting album in some respects. The funky, rhythmic bass is to die for, there is a paranoia hanging over it that keeps me intrigued and on edge at all times, and the well-pronounced production allows the songs to come to life.

I've just ordered it on vinyl and can't wait to explore further.

Somewhat against the odds, this was winning me over to begin with. Yes, the first few tracks are a type of warbly indie that in most circumstances I'd turn my nose up at, but there was enough weirdness, detachment and a trippy, psychedelic feel to them, combined with some compelling songwriting to ensure that they weren't just pretentious, aimless rubbish.

The longer the album went on, however, it disappeared further up its own arse in such a frustrating way, largely becoming background music until a brief second wind towards its latter third. There's just about enough going on here for the remote possibility that I'd revisit at some stage, but I'm not entirely sure when I'd take it upon myself to.

OK, it's not on streaming. No problem, I'll dust off the old YouTube.
64 minutes long? Hmmm, pushing it perhaps but let's see what this is all about then...

...what we have is a house album that sounds every bit its age. Apparently these lads were pioneers of pop sampling in the 1980s and one of the earliest EDM acts that gained popularity in the UK, but I've never so much as heard of them. Has anyone?

Well, at least I've found something that my Mum might like...