Reviews by scribeben

Tepid 90s radio rock 10 years early. Not really my thing. “Black Diamond” is okay.

Janelle Monae is one the great pop artists of the past 20 years and this record demonstrates her mastery of myriad styles, but I don’t think she had really yet coalesced her own distinctive aesthetic voice at this point, as she did later with Dirty Computer and The Age of Pleasure.

The album that first made me pay attention to pop music after seeing her play “Hand in My Pocket” on SNL when I was 10 years old. Still hits. Even deep cuts like “Not The Doctor”, “Forgiven” and “Right Through You” are great. I went to the belated 25th anniversary tour and she was still amazing.

Ugh, they had to include every shitty hipster band from this era, didn’t they. It’s ironic, see, because they’re actually one of my least favorite bands ever.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. The opening more frenetic tracks kinda reminded me of something Mike Patton might do. Some of the more Pixiesh tracks such as “…Abstract Plain” felt as though Kim Deal was missing. The whole thing was a bit long and some tracks in the middle lost me a bit, but overall it’s a cool record.

It’s always found it bizarre how many of my favorite musicians love KISS when they’re so wretchedly mediocre. I guess you had to be there. “Do You Love Me?” Is a pretty good song, though. I can see why Nirvana covered it.

This one’s tough because a bunch of it is really cool and a bunch is insufferably cheesy broadway shit.

Surprised to find this one here but not at all displeased. Bowie’s last four records stand up to any series of four in his catalog. Listened to this on a plane once and it made me cry. The only weak spot on the record is “Dancing Out In Space” but even that’s not really bad. Would hope Reality is on the list too, but maybe that’s asking too much.

Another one from Mr. Newman. Not my favorite thing to listen to, but he’s definitely got something there. Kind of like Tom Waits for normies.

This is good but not quite as mind-blowing as his other records on here.

Quite possibly Cash’s best work just for the title track and “Hurt” alone. If it weren’t for the few originals it would likely be the greatest covers album ever. “Hurt” still gives me chills every time.

Unparalleled game. Probably his best work. The opening track has been kinda ruined by commercials. Good thing there’s the whole gorgeous rest of the album to make up for it.

Like if The Beatles were as boring as people who don’t like them think they are.

This is alright but I don’t love it. Definitely not anywhere near the level of mbv.

“High School Confidential” Damn bro told us who he is right from jump.

I don’t hate the title track as much as some people do but most of this is pretty awful. That last track is pretty based though.

Probably the definitive counter-culture album given both its politics and parody of the earlier youth culture.

Pretty cool proto-Depeche Mode. Didn’t need the VU cover though.

About as good as the other Pogues record on here. The second half is better than the first.

Why must every track start with this chicka-chicka bullshit indicative of these optimistic white boy’s privileged beach-side upbringing complete with too-deep tan and bleached surfer hair? Because otherwise there are some fun rhythms, bass lines, and guitar licks as the tracks go on.