Reviews by simonh

I was 18 in 1980 and bought 'Sounds' (a music paper) every week, yet I've not heard of them or this album. Maybe it's the naff name? (certainly not up there with Joy Division or Echo and the Bunnymen) or the
unmemorable tunes ( after 3 listens yesterday, I can't remember one track this morning). Still at least I gave it 3 listens so it can't have been that bad.

Rocky, hard,, tuneful, good

Hated it after the opener. But it improves. Then it doesn't. Paul Simon writes some good songs. And then he writes some shite. A lot of the lyrics sound like he got them from a Christmas cracker. No Bob Dylan there. Better tunes though. Overall a "nice" album.

50 seconds into the first track I started laughing. Which isn't a good sign. The vocal performance takes a bit of getting used to - a cross between the Buzzcocks and They Might Be Giants.

But then the second track. hey I know that!? 'Another Girl, Another Planet`. Great song. Never knew it was them. Album grows on you. Excellent for a first album. Shame they never pushed on.

Entertaining record of historical concert, but I wouldn't listen to it again as a complete package, except for "San Quentin" and "Boy Named Sue". Generally too much chatter and audience noise. Loses a star for bleeping out "rude" words.

I tried SO hard to like this.
The guitar is great. The lyrics are thoughtful and interesting. Why spoil things by singing and playing that fucking mouth organ?
As the album went on I got more used to his voice and by the end it was ok. Almost like a pastiche of himself. The mouth organ was a bit more difficult to love. You got lulled into a false sense of security and then... oh shit here it comes again! But a bit like a screeching child a you do kinda get numbed to it in the end. How old was he when he made this? 22? He sounds sounds like an old man.
I tried so hard to like this and I think in the end I did.

Pleasant chilled funky sounds spoiled by whiney voice

It grew on me. First listen a 2, second listen a 3

A pleasant set of tunes.
'Superstition' a classic (which I tire of). 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' another classic (though ruined by 'Rhodes abuse'). 'Maybe Your Baby' drags on 3 minutes too long, 'You and I' is sweet and 'Blame It On The Sun' is a gem.

The production is horrible. Has the boy Wonder just discovered stereo? He keeps oscilating the Rhodes piano between left and right channels like a kid. It's the equivalent of a strobe on the ear'oles and is unlistenable on headphones. 'You Got It Bad Girl', 'Lookin For A Pure Love' and unfortunately 'You Are The Sunshine' are all ruined by this fiddling. And then he goes and plays the mouth organ on Big Brother. An affront.

I used to quite like Stevie Worder. Until he wrote two of the worst songs in the history of popular music, 'Happy Birthday' and 'I Just Called To Say I Love You', banal dross, the latter which could have been written by a 2 year old, and the only song that actually makes me angry when it comes on the radio. Did he suddenly lose his talent in 1980 or did he just become lazy ?

But I'm reviewing this album. 4 stars for the toons. But loses a star for pissing around with the channels and use of the mouth organ. And another because I can never forgive him for IJCTSILY.

A few good 3 bar tunes, on each occasion repeated over and over 50+ times over 4 minutes and swamped by mysogenistic and racist (yes, I understand the word has apparently been rebranded but I still find it uncomfortable). Times have moved on and this outdated offensive shit should be consigned to landfill along with tunes like this https://open.spotify.com/track/61NcooPUwSPSwSyzF8UfYv?si=f141a54383c54e23 once loved by the similarly misguided.

Good album. So much better that the Slayer album I had last week - more melodic, rhythm section kept in time together more accomplished playing. But just another (good) thrash metal album, nothing "special" so I wonder why it's on the list. Was it groundbreaking? I'd rather see some of the NWOBHM albums on here (Diamond Head/Lightening to the Nations or Girl/Sheer Greed) that really WERE groundbreaking.

Listened to this twice. It's "ok". But there's no wow factor. Nothing toe tapping or singalong. Not that 'relaxing' either for so-called ambient music.I did recognise the theme tune to BBC2's Arena in there which I liked probably more from familiarity. The album seems to have been made primarily for the artist rather than for an audience. And 'experiment' as others have commented. Lucky he didn't need the money

TLDR : Ok. But it won't be going on my playlist

Cool, Daddyo. Virtuoso musicianship. Spoiled a bit by all the chatter. I don't need to hear the long intros, and I'm definitely not interested in some priest talking about the rain, and where every member of the band lives.
I can understand that this is a historical record of the complete concert that day, and that's great if you were actually there - but for the casual listener there's too much padding and not enough music. I didn't really like the sung songs either. So, in summary:- Instruments outstanding. Voices no thanks.

I've rated a few albums 5* in the last week so I've started to think maybe I'm setting my bar too low? This is an album that passed me by back in the day. But such great songs, really good lyrics (and I'm definitely no poet) and no filler. I'm still listening to it the next day. Cocker you're such a perv.

Who the fuck is Shuggie Otis? Never heard of 'im. This album is what I might expect to hear if I was tied up in a hotel lobby for 55 mins and 54 seconds. Background music. Kinda mello jazzy funk fusion. Some tracks too long. Some tracks ironically too short! Some tracks fade out in weird places. Some tracks just a fucking mess. I really needed to be doing something else when this is on because it struggled to hold my attention. Not awful but I can live without it. I know now why I’ve never heard of Shuggie Otis. Not quite bad enough for a 1 though.
1½

I'll say now that I'm not into hip hop. A lot of shouting about guns and "da hood" and "n**gaz this and hoes that. I've obviously heard 'Fight for your Right' before (a banger) but that's about it. So is this album Hip hop?

The first 4 tracks are awesome. Then it drops in quality a tad for the next 2 until Fight for your Right and No Sleep pick up the quality until the end. In places it sounds like it's the cast of South Park. So its a novelty record? just with great lyrics and great tunes?

After 2 listens I still dont know if this is Hip Hop or Rock What I do know is its a great big piss take and I love it.

The haters gonna hate. But I don't give a fuck because this was and remains one of my favourite albums of all time. So I'll have a day's break from objective listening to stuff I've mostly never heard before and fill my boots with this absolute joy.
Best track The Cinema Show. No, wait, Firth of Fifth. No... Battle of Epping Forest. Fuckit the whole damn lot.
6/5

Good album. Monitor & Head Cut great. Voodoo Dolly poor. Definitely more good than bad.
Solid 3½. Wife hated it so 4.

The crowd seemed to love it. So something good must have been happening on stage during the long tedious tracks. Good tight solos, though the "wind box' effect sounds like he's cleaning his teeth. Should have been a single album. Jumping Jack Flash is awful.

Meh. Not bad. Not great. Roadhouse Blues sucks. Ship of Fools saves.
Middling 2½