Reviews by simonh

"THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL RADIO.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE ROCK AND ROLL!"

That's the radio announcement that rings in my head whenever I hear an Eagles song.

A few weeks ago I went to an Adam And The Ants gig. The support band were a 3 piece, two girls and a lad, all still teenagers, playing raw punk (F.Y.I. they were called Yee Loi). I have no doubt they formed because they just wanted to be in a band. And chose Punk because they loved it. Maybe their songs have a message. I couldn't tell over the shouting. They certainly looked like they loved what they were doing. And I loved watching them.

I imagine the Eagles band meetings were rather different. "How can we make piles of cash? I know, we'll write songs that appeal to housewives and get a lot of radio play. Then we'll sell a heap of records. kerching". In that they were hugely successful.
The Hotel California title track is, no doubting, a true classic. But having listened to the rest of the album I'm now doubting myself. Is it just because I've heard it so often? No. I do think they stumbed on a gem. But they bloody milked it well. In fact they sold a gazillion albums on the back of one track.
Other tracks I had heard before.. Life In The Fast Lane - a soft turd trying to harden up. New Kid In Town - boring nothing ballad. And the rest of the album is just middle of the road, souless and sterile. Radio pap to sell soap suds with.

For a "classic album" I was hugely disappointed.

We are DEVO. D-E-V-O.

That was an earworm that burrowed into my head sometime during my school 4th or 5th form years. And has resurfaced on multiple occasions throughout my 60 years. I obviously knew it was Devo, but thank you 1001 for finally rediscovering Jocko Home for me. 


This album is everything that the Eagles is not.

4½

I didn't think I'd ever be writing a 5 star review for a Pet Shop Boys album but this is faultless.
Beautifully immersive synth pop, lovely production and a great sound.
The only possible criticisms might be the slightly whiny vocals but it's kinda them isn't it. And the shitty "brass section" synth on the closing track.
But overall I really enjoyed this.

I think I’ve fallen for Astrud Gilberto. Girl from Ipanema and Corcovado are a class apart because of her, but the whole album is beautiful.

Some great tracks on this album that I'd almost forgotten. Brass In Pocket of course, but also Stop Your Sobbing, Kid and Private Life, the Grace Jones version of which I loved and didn't even know this was a CH song.. and her version is as good if not better.

Extra star for Chrissie Hynde's drive, determination and desire to shag, snog, (nearly) marry and avoid her way to the top when it wasn't particularly easy for a female in rock.

A hell of a debut.
4½

Actually some of the lyrics on here aren't that bad. Ok so there’s a lot of whining, but I think that generally comes with the hiphop territory. ‘Letter to the New York Post’ was a particularly memorable whine. 



But where this let me down was the sonics. With a lot of hiphop I hate the lyrics but can dig the beats; the lyrics on here were ok, but the music was just monotonously repetitive. Pity.

Piano, violin (possibly viola), accordion and vibraphone. Not really a combination that inspires any excitement in me.
And so it came to pass.
I found this neither interesting nor relaxing.
I can only imagine being taken to this gig and having to sit through it.
Just not my vibraphone.

I wasn’t bowled over by Morrison Hotel. This is so much better. Gets a 4 just for L.A. Woman and Riders. But the rest is pretty cool too. Clearly their zenith. I guess it had to be as 3 months later Morrison was dead.

Liked the music. Very French. Dodgy subject matter but since I couldn’t understand most of it I’m just going by the vibe which I liked.

But the most disturbing aspect of this album is that he fancied a girl from Sunderland!

A good listen and one I hope to come back to again. Kept my interest throughout (although I am on a 12 hour flight so it's not too difficult).

There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

I’m writing this review in the form of a nursery rhyme since Bob seems to like them so much.

Horrid : The Duchess, Was A Friend, Sunday In Madrid
Very, very good : Heaps of Sheeps, Maryann, Blues In Bob Minor, Free Will And Testament
(Pretty good - the rest)

And for the record... I love Robert Wyatt's voice. Give me his voice above the sanitised autotuned voices of today.
3½

Funky, yes. But ultimately just a bit too boring

Clubby but super chilled. Great tunes. Great voice.

The other Wilco album I had I gave a 4 because it grew on me.
I've not had time to listen to this more than once.

Sonically ok, but I couldnt understand a word they were singing.
I thought I would like it more on second listen but I didn't. It's not bad enough for a 2 though

A weird one this.
I’ve listened to this 3 times over the last 4 days. Never a complete runthrough as I always get disturbed. I’ll be driving and reach my destination. I’ll be heading for bed and fall asleep. I’ll be listening whilst working and then work concentration takes over. 
And then I can never tell how far into the album I’ve got and I either start again or guess. I know I’ve listened to these songs more than once as I can vaguely recall each one.
Vaguely.
But I can’t tell you anything about the songs except that they were ok and if this was the only album available I’d happily listen. Not the most ringing endorsement. I'd sooner chose something else. But I'd listen again.
Kinda beige then.
And the band name sucks.

One of the worst 60s cover bands you're ever likely to hear.
What these guys ARE from the 60s?!?

I like music I can move about to. But some of the tracks overstayed their welcome. Lyrics were ok but represented a time clearly in the infancy of hiphop. The “rhyme” and “MC” lyric count was huge and some of the playful ‘gags’, like the announcement to radio DJs in Doowutchyalike sound very dated.
Overall ok as a museum piece.

Listening with no background knowledge whatsoever. Let's see how I do.

Folky start. 60s Steeleye Span feel. To start with at least. Production seems too clear and even to be 60s though. 60s band loved to overuse Stereo didn't they?

Ok so how wrong am I! For a start they are American. And it's 2008!
Quite mellow. Nothing I want to 'move about' to or that makes me want to listen to again more deeply. Could be any folk band of the last 50 years. Not bad though.

I'm happy to borrow from another review because it reflects my feeling entirely...

Sonically awesome. But I'm happy just to listen the once.