Reviews by shenanigan

These synth sounds are so shitty. The lead singer's voice so weak. The songwriting bores the hell out of me. Even the great hit at the end is awful.
Can't imagine why anybody in their right mind would choose to listen to this.
0.5/5 - nearly unlistenable

I really dig the Krautrock vibes in the first half of this double album. "Paperhouse" and "Oh Yeah" are cool and "Halleluwah" is that kind of epic jam that is already very long but you wish it would go on forever (must have been killer live).
The second half was much less for me - I'm not fond of sound collage experimental stuff.
Will definitely return to this album, but only to the funky proggy rock jams.
3/5 - good

So simple, so effective. Jack White's guitar style is legendary. Meg White's drumming is boldly simple, yet exactly what the songs need.
The first four tracks are so good, and the quality stays decent throughout, with standouts like "Ball and Biscuit" and "The Air Near My Fingers".
If I could, I would delete a handful of songs from this 50 minute album and make a 5/5 40 minute album from it.
But as it is, it's still a consistent album that I would recommend to every fan of guitar based music.
4/5 - excellent

I just can't see the appeal in this kind of music. And this album in particular just doesn't engage me at all. The vocals are annoying, the songwriting as boring as the instrument parts.
The idea with the sample interludes didn't work either as the samples were shit.
To say something positive... "Lost" was okay I guess.
1/5 - very weak

Started off much better than expected with the driving opener "Synchronicity I". Part II of that and the radio classic "Every Breath You Take" was decent too.
Unfortunately these were the only highlights as the rest of the tracks were either pretty forgettable or even hard to listen to (lowlight "Mother"... why?)
All in all, didn't get me interested in The Police's other work.
2.5/5 - okay

A HipHop album which is musically decent, interesting even in some places and doesn't rely solely on its rapped lyrics.
The strange ambient elements woven into the songs make this the best album I know in a genre that doesn't really click for me.
2.5/5 - okay

Solid enough rock album. Great vocals. "Sympathy For the Devil" is an awesome track, as is "Street Fighting Man".
I don't care as much for the rest of the album, but enjoyed listening to it.
3/5 - good

Crazyness: 3/5
(all earned by "Sexy-Interlude", ugh, what in the name was that!?)

Sexiness: 1/5
(tried very hard, achieved barely anything)

Coolness: 0.5/5
(just no, sorry)

This album really isn't for me. I found it to be forced and very artificial. It was't unlistenable, but I won't ever put it on again.

Album rating: 1/5 - very weak

A good blues rock album with nice jams and lengthy songs, elevated greatly by Janis Joplin's stellar vocals.
I love that they can go full on rocking as well as psychedelic and soulful.
Unfortunately, the B-side pales in comparison to the A-side, keeping it from being a real gem.

3.5/5 - strong

Epic album cover.
I liked "Bargain" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" ok, but the rest was mostly boring radio rock.
They certainly put much effort into the production and they're good at their respective instruments, but most of the songs didn't pique my interest at all.
The 60s The Who stuff that I know is much cooler.
2/5 - below average

Chameleon and Watermelon Man are the definition of "cool".
Jazz is a pretty uncharted territory for me, so this Herbie Hancock album was a pleasant surprise.
The B-side is a little less memorable and a little less accessible for me.
All in all I must say, I will be back.
3.5/5 - strong

Wasn't my cup of tea. Can't really pinpoint why, apart from the fact that I didn't like the voice and the guitar sound.
"Enola/Alone" and "No Surface All Feeling" were standouts though.
2/5 - below average

Not bad per se, but generic and boring as hell...
"Ready For Love" is a good song. Other than that, no reason for me to revisit.
2/5 - below average

FIFA 98, anybody? I think big part of why I loved that game was "Song 2" playing as menu music.
Still, it took me 28 years to give the whole album a listen! My loss, because it turns out the album is pretty good.

The band incorporating influences from alternative/indie rock was a good move, as I like "Blur" much better than the pure britpop of "Parklife", which we listened to some weeks ago.
It's really raw at times, with screeching guitars and feedback, which is great. At other times we get Trip-Hop beats or lo-fi / Slacker Rock vibes. Every track has its individual identity, and still it comes together nicely for a listen from front to back.
Bonus points for writing a QOTSA guitar riff in "Movin' On" before QOTSA ever existed.

4/5 - excellent

Long live the rock flute!
I dig the style employed here - much acoustic guitar, the occasional electric riff, the awesome flute solos.
It's really good, but also I quickly get the feeling of listening to the same two or three tracks over and over again, because there's little variety here.
Recommended, but in my eyes no classic.
3.5/5 - strong

I like the general musical direction of the album and feel I would be able to get into this if it wasn't executed so badly. It sounds amateurish but not in a charming way.
The tracks go all kinds of places but those are neither nice nor interesting. And some of the shout-singing is so annoying.
"Slideshow at Free University" was okay I guess.
1.5/5 - weak

It's really good!
That was a surprise, I didn't reckon to like anything labeled with "Country" that much. To be fair, this isn't the usual country stuff, but something more elaborate and even a little psychedelic (yay!).
I loved the maximalist production of this album, layer upon layer upon layer, rich instrumentation and the almost gospel-like background choirs.
"No Other" and "Strength of Strings" were phenomenally good songs, incidentally the ones that stray away from country the most. The rest of the album is good too, but I wish there were fewer moments where I get the "country cringe".
Dear Gene, it's a pity you chose that genre as your main one, because I bet you would have had a superb cosmic psychedelic folk rock album in you!
3.5/5 - strong

Mixed Bag. I liked it most when the simole punk song structures were spiced up with jam or experimental parts like in "Anti-Pope".
This was the first album where I consciously thought "wow, production is really shit". Too much reverb on everything and muddy mix.
All in all, not bad, but not really good either.
2.5/5 - okay

I enjoyed listening. Great musicians, mellow summer vibes.
Because this isn't a genre I'm familiar with, it started to sound samey very soon and didn't really captivate me.
3/5 - good

Another album that was on heavy rotation in my room when it came out. Still think it's brilliant!

We get cleverly constructed tracks with great riffs at the center, really cool drumming, and a sloppy vocal delivery that I just love. These jazzy chords in "Riot Van" and in the intro of "When the Sun Goes Down"? The thick ending of "Fake Tales"? That finale in "A Certain Romance"? *chef's kiss*
Not a bad track to be seen. Only two tracks that keep this from being a 5/5 because they're "just" good.

Unconditionally recommended, landmark of modern rock music.
4.5/5 - near perfect