Reviews by simonh

Melodic, harmonic, with well written and well arranged songs. I didn't actually realise that I knew so many Crowded House songs, let alone about 5 songs from this album.

I can't knock the qulity but it's still a bit middle of the road Radio 2 music for old people. But since I'm now 62 I guess I'll have to rate it a 4.

You just don't get it, do you. The clue is in the name. Divine Comedy. So it's not a comic album but it's gloriously satirical and ironic.
There are obviously a lot of people working their way through this list that are totally up their own ass.

I've never been a Queen 'fan', but I can't think of anything I've heard by them that I didn't like.
Even the corporate commerciality blueprint that is "We Will Rock You" has something about it.
But I've never listened to a full Queen album before today. Yeah it's true!

But this is their absolute best. Quintessentially British. Pop, metal, music hall, seaside postcard rock. And Bohemian Rhapsody is just a rite pf passage for anyone who grew up in the 70s. (And 80s. And 90s).

Rip off of the Mussorgsky piano suite of the same name. Write your own stuff!?
It wouldn't be so bad if the piano suite itself wasn't so good, or the later Ravel orchestration even better.
Seems to be a Keith Emerson vanity project, spoiled by the needless earaching spaceship sound effects reminiscent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's work on 1970 episodes of Dr. Who.
Needless to say I didn't think that much of this at all.

Hats off to anyone that can get Pseudoephedrine into a lyric. Nice pop album. Good voice and (it must be said in this day and age) great to (seemingly) not be tainted by autotune.
She appears to be an actual talent.

I was never a massive fan of TFF but three huge hits and a very listenable album pull this easily into 4+ territory.
4½

I swear sometimes, y'know what I'm sayin'?

I swear when i shut my hand in a door, y'know what I'm sayin'? or to make a forceful point, y'know what I'm sayin'?

Sometimes I just swear cos it amuses me, y'know what I'm sayin'?

But I don't particularly like the music I listen to to be a constant stream of swearing, y'know what I'm sayin'?

So fuck you, Mr. fucking wanky-name Ice-T, you cunt.

House, trance, dance, rave, dub, electronica, techno, whatever you want to call it I liked it. The John Lyndon track 'Open Up' I played on repeat. 'Afro Left' I did not.

Held my interest, but the theme never crossed my mind until the long track To The Moon's Contractor so I started again and Yes I liked it.
I prefer the bits where he's not talking though. This sounds pretty current to me.

I'm running about 5 albums behind so I put this on in the car, no idea who or what they are/were, the genre or the date. A totally blind listen.

The first of the double albums is psychedelic, trippy indie Madchester. 'Halleluhwah' which takes up the whole of side 2 is a straight rip off of Stone Roses with a Shaun Ryder impression to boot.
But wait...this was recorded in 1971?! This is YEARS ahead of its time. Tell me neither Shaun or the Roses never heard this and I'll tell you you're a liar.

The second album is totally different. More a random science experiment. Eno-esque (so still ahead of its time - just 5 years rather than 25!) A little less relatable that the first album but I liked it nonetheless.

TLDR; This is 2 albums in one package.
Album 1 : 5*
Album 2 : 3*

Jefferson Airplane or Mamas and Papas? Mamas and Papas or Jefferson Airplane? There's only one way to find out.... FIGHT!!!

This is what I'd call a "show" album. You listen to it for show - not for enjoyment. Though there is something about the monotony and repetiveness of tracks like 2 Towers that burrows into the head.

I won't be listening again. But it's by no means the worst album on this list that I've heard.

It's fair to say I've referenced the monotony of Eno's ambient work in more than one other review, so this is a bit of a turn up.
I liked this album!
There have been plenty of times when an album coundn't end soon enough (not always his), but i was genually disappointed when this one finished. It's glammy and punky and catchy and only slightly weird (but not nearly as weird as his later work).
I'll say I don't particularly care for where he's ended up, but I like where he started from.

Joni + jazz? Just such a chill, mellow relaxing record.

I had Joni come up on the list 2 days running so I left this a couple of days just so as not to over-joni myself. I gave the last one a 4. But this is even better so I have nowhere else to go other than 5.

I totally get why some people don't like Jonis songs. Why some people think she's boring. Just like I totally get why some people don't like Kate Bush.
It's because they're fucking idiots.

Music from Strictly Come Dancing. But foot tappingly great.
I couldn't keep still.
3½

Back in the days when the songwriters wrote the songs and singers just sang them.

She has a lovely voice and they are fine songs. As you would expect when the best singers were given the best songs. A few I recognised but the album is so old (although still 2 months younger than me!) that it's difficult to know if they are covers, done by somebody else later or where I might have heard them.

Pleasant and harmless, but very middle of the road 60s radio fayre.

Good debut by future superstar. American radio staple diet then and still, as proved by some early fade-outs. It follows the 'rock'n'roll radio' formula very well.

I don't know any tracks on here but some do sound vaguely familiar. Perfectly listenable. Particularly on a car radio I guess.

My goodness me...a hip hop album I've liked. He has a lot to say, and it's interesting, political, clever and amusing and I can hear it clearly.

And it's got a kickin beat.

Still hate inter-track skits though.

I had Pink Floyd the day before yesterday. Both 1967. Both classified as 'Psychadelic Rock' on the 'must pigeonhole everything' chart. Absolute fucking chalk and cheese. No - not chalk and cheese, more like shit and gold. 

This album is everything the Pink Floyd offering is not. It's a masterpiece of the genre. Of course the guitar speaks for itself. But a word about the drumming. Fabulous. A guy called Mitch Mitchell. Reminded me a little of Keith Moon. That good. Am I so green that I'd never heard of him? Wow.

As an album It's not perfect (a couple of tracks I found a little lazy and boring You Got Me Floating. If 6 were 9) But it's pretty damn good.