Reviews by scribeben

There’s a lot going on here. Likely more than I can appreciate in a single listen. Musically it’s jazzy post punk with a palpable Talking Heads and Joy Division influence.

This is not my favorite style of jazz but it is certainly executed exceptionally.

The instrumentation is interesting though occasionally irritating such as the percussion in “Help Me Rhonda”. This isn’t my favorite Beach Boys record but is okay.

This is not unpleasant but also makes me feel like I’m in Kmart.

Somehow more insipid than their other album on here. And longer.

I had somehow never heard any of the songs on this album before, but I love it. It’s them as a badass rock band before their more artistic operatic excesses and anthemic exclamations. I dig the fantasy elements on the black side too.

Beautiful poetic imagery and a hell of a mood, but rather musically limited at this point in his career.

Meh. Not for me. I am impressed he made it as far as he did with his level of rasp. It’s like the more rock n’ rolly Bowie tunes which are my least favorite to begin with , but without any of the stuff that makes those songs kinda interesting. Like Bowie’s Dylan impression but not as good.

Much of this is middling tripe. Some of the more psychedelic songs are kinda cool, but why do I feel like they never even really took acid?

This npr rock is a bit too weak sauce for me.

Johnny Cash FTW. 4 stars for the tunes + 1 for the banter!

Very much a one song album. I enjoyed some of the guitar and organ playing on the other tracks but the singer kinda sucks.

I found track 3 kinda charming and track 4 a bit clever. Otherwise not my bag.

I gotta say I’ve kinda taken a 180 on this since it came out when I was in high school. A lot about it is certainly dumb, but it’s also kinda awesome. Much of the song composition and arrangement is really tight and some of Chester’s vocal performances are absolutely gripping. Still not something I’d reach for on the reg, but I appreciate it way more than I did back in the day.

Nothing about this strikes me as radically original, but I enjoy it. Good songwriting and sense of harmony. I got bored though.

Had never heard of this band before. They’ve got a fun, unique, kinda carnivalesque punk rock sound. Haven’t heard much punk with an organ player before!

Distasteful though occasionally tuneful. It seems cliche at this point to hate The Eagles so I tried not to instantly write this off. Still not great though.

Top review says it all.

I was somewhat intrigued by the minimalist trip hop of the first track but didn’t like the vocals on the second and was soon bored. Some of the sounds are inventive but there was not enough here to carry my interest throughout the album.

Bitch juice