Reviews by syrinx

I really like Elliott Smith but I don't think this is his best record. It's good, but compared to XO and Either/Or which is my favorite of his records, I feel like this one is just not quite there. I'm hoping one or both of those albums is on this list because I think more people need to hear that music.
For this record, it's good but not great. His voice is amazing and the production is good but there's just something about it that is lacking compared to his earlier records. I would imagine that this one is on the list because it was the last one released before his death, but I hope there is another that really shows how brilliant he was. 3.5/5

I can see why so many people would be turned off by this. Kate Bush is not super accessible at the best of times (maybe excepting Running Up That Hill, who doesn't love that song?), so her "least accessible" album is probably gonna be a stretch for a lot of people. That said, I love it. I've always really liked the sort of weirder female performers like Kate Bush and Bjork. They kind of have a 'fuck you I'm doing this how I want' attitude about them that I feel makes their music better.
For this album, is it weird? Yeah, it's weird. It isn't so weird to be off putting or weird for the sake of being weird. But it's not like anything else you'll hear today and I do feel like you'll be better off for having heard it. I don't think it's her best work, but it's a fantastic record for sure and one that I would recommend to people looking to get a little outside of mainstream. 5/5

Great record. I love 70s punk and while I wouldn't really call this punk, it's fantastic. I had heard this album before but it's been ages and I kind of forget about Television in general. Listening to this album today has reminded me how great they were. I will definitely be going back through their catalogue and listening to their other albums. This is a great example of why I like this list - this wasn't really unknown to me, just forgotten, and having it come up for my listening today will make me re-explore. It's almost like finding a new band you really like. 5/5

I enjoyed this one, even if it is a little 'generic British new wave' as others have said. I can see this being a great album to throw on for a Satruday morning while baking or something. It's got some great bass lines, which unfortunately are offset by the cheesy 80s sax that is prominent in a lot of it. I'm not sure I'd actively seek this out, I mean I'd definitely pick Duran Duran or Talking Heads over this, but if I randomly saw the album somewhere I'd probably buy it. 3/5

Dude it's David Bowie, it's gonna be a 5/5. The guy was a genius. I'm glad to see this album on here and I think it's number five of Bowie for me? Keep them coming, I could have every Bowie album on this list and not be upset. 5/5

I thought I'd had this album already, but this makes #3 of Deep Purple for me. That seems like too much. I feel like this list would have been complete with just this album from them.
As iconic as this album is, I've never really connected with it, or with Deep Purple at all for that matter. I mean I have great appreciation for the musicianship on this record but it just kind of seems cheesy after 50 years. Guitars and bass are amazing throughout though, so you can't fault it really at all in that aspect. I mean Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover played so well together it kind of made the band. This lineup of the band anyway. I do get a little tired of the organ in this kind of music, it just doesn't ever seem to fit to me. I think that's where the cheese really sets in.
It's a little hard to rate this one because although it's not something I would really listen to all the time, it is undeniably a good album. I think I'll go with like 3.5/5 and will round up for the guitars and bass.

I thought I was going to like this a lot more than I did. The first song was great, original and had a cool feel to it. It sort of fell off there for me. There are some cool parts throughout, but it never really stuck for me. It's a shame because I think they could have really made something great. I would be curious to listen to some of their other records based on this one. 3/5 Really, the best thing about this album was what Spotify brought up after the album ended.

I do like a good punk album. This one is a good one. The thing I don't like about it is that a lot of the songs are over before they really take hold. I mean with an album that's 21 songs and 35 minutes, there are a lot of sub 2 minute songs on here. A few sub 1 minute songs. That's enough for an idea of what a song might sound like, but it's just not enough. Even given that, I really enjoy this album and would definitely buy it if I saw it at the record shop. 3.75/5

So before starting this album, I looked at reviews. Probably a bad idea but I do it anyway. The first few reviews call this 'pretentious 80s new wave' and it's pretty lowly rated. I was excited because that sounds right up my alley.
It doesn't immediately suck me in. Although I do like the bass a lot, it's unmistakably 80s. And sometimes that 80s bass just kills. I don't get why everyone is calling this pretentious? I dig it. The guy's voice is a little strange and takes some getting used to but it oddly fits the music. It's pretty synth heavy, but that’s to be expected for 80s new wave I guess. I think it gets better as it goes on and it flows really well. Overall I really enjoyed this and it was a little unexpected.
This album is super short, just when I was really getting into it, it was almost over. I'd definitely buy this album if I ever came across it though. It would be a great record to throw on and sit and enjoy with a cocktail on a rainy evening. 4/5

I'm a bit confused by this. I mean it's an album that is made up of electronic drum beats and samples of everyone from Tangerine Dream to Bjork to Metallica. I mean I guess it's kind of cool to get samples from such different artists to fit together in something that could be described as vaguely musical? It's kind of vibey I guess. Interesting I suppose. But as far as something that needed to be heard, I don't know. I mean I don't feel like I really needed to hear an entire album of repetitive samples and fake drums. Like, maybe just a few minutes while reading about how it was produced would be enough? It's ok. I guess. But maybe write your own songs next time? Was definitely ready to move on after about 15 minutes. 2/5

Middle school me loved Song 2. Grown up me still does. I actually don't think I've ever heard this whole album though so it will be interesting. I feel like 'Oasis or Blur' was the 'Beatles or Stones' of the 90s. After listening I think I might be team Oasis here. I like this album but other than Song 2 I don't feel like it really has much to offer. It's fine. 2.5/5 rounding up.

Yeah this isn't really for me. I find it interesting that an album like this could make it on this list. It doesn't have anything unique going for it. I suppose the production was something that would be copied over and over after so maybe that's something. Though some might call it a plague on music production. And I hate the Auto Tune. It's so distracting and terrible sounding. He's got a really nice voice when he's actually singing, why make it sound fake and weird? It doesn't add anything to the music. But this album is also just boring, like I feel like there isn't really much to keep anyone's attention. This is one of those albums that I hate to play on Spotify because now my algorithm will be all messed up and I'm going to get stuff like this suggested for weeks to come. 1.5/5 rounding up because I feel generous today.

Nope, sorry. I can't stand another self-aggrandizing misogynistic album. I appreciate some of the social commentary on this, like most hip hop albums really, but it's just nauseating to listen to. Also 75 minutes is bordering on torture. 1/5

Some days on doing this project really test your resolve, I feel like this is going to be one of them.
12 Songs in and it's already all blending together and sounding the same. The guy's voice just kind of drones on. The songs are fine but I'm not sure I can take 57 more songs...
Song 30, I am soooo bored with this. I would have liked this album had it been 10-13 songs like normal.
God what a slog. I appreciate the ambition but most bands don't even have anywhere close to 69 good songs total. Why the hell would you try to write 69 songs for one album? Really it was more like 5 songs each done 13 different ways. 2/5

I think the most notable thing about this album is that it's 100% Dave Grohl. It really shows what a great musician he is - regardless of what you feel about the music, there weren't a lot of rock stars at that time that could have written and produced an entire album on top of playing all the instruments and singing. I remember when this album came out, or shortly after anyway since I was still pretty little, hearing the songs on the radio and having no clue that this was the drummer for Nirvana. I don't think that was really a secret but at least the kids my age never put two and two together.
I think the music still holds up pretty well. One of the criticisms of Foo Fighters in general is that they are a little 'generic alternative' sounding. I think that's fair, but it doesn't make it bad. I like this music. I saw the Foo Fighters live a few years ago during the Dave Grohl-broken-foot-guitar-throne era, and it was one of the most fun shows I've been too. I was very happy to have seen Taylor Hawkins perform before he died. And they were fantastic performers, Grohl especially.
Personally, I really enjoy this album and I think the fact that it was literally a solo project that evolved into one of the most popular bands of the era goes to show what a great musician Dave Grohl really is. 4/5

I mean how can you argue with this? Yes, the progressions pretty much all sound the same, the vocal structures are all the same, tempos are pretty similar throughout, all in 4/4 time (I think, wasn't exactly counting...). But there's so much history in this album. Without this pretty much none of the rock or popular music that followed would exist. It's such great music. Imagine being in the audience watching this - it would have been amazing to see this performed live. Is it the best music ever created? No, but it was the foundation of almost all popular music to come after. Just the structure of the guitar parts in particular, it's fantastic and any guitar player since has been influenced by this whether they know it or not.
I suppose the downside to this album is that, listening to it 65 years later, it is simple and predicable. I'm not sure you can really fault it for that, and it's not that it didn't age well, but it is dated sounding. I don't think this is something that a lot of people who are not interested in music history would really appreciate. As for a rating, it's certainly a 5/5 for historical value but maybe only 4/5 for me personally as far as how much I enjoyed it and would want to play it multiple times.

A review while listening: A minute and a half in and I'm dreading the next hour and 16 minutes. Moonlight In Vermont isn't bad. But good god I'm ready for this to be over. Twenty minutes left, this is perhaps the worst album I've ever heard. Suddenly it switches up to a cool kind of funky vibe - oh wait no, that's just an ad for Hilton hotels because this is not on Spotify and you have to listen to it on YouTube. Honestly I don't blame Spotify for not wanting this on their platform. Just because you can get into a recording studio doesn't mean you should. Absolutely a waste of an hour and 18 minutes, and that's time in my life I'll never get back. I'm thinking of taking some kind of legal action for damages. By far, the best part of this record is the comment section for it on YouTube. There's some gold in there. 0/5 if it were possible.

Well damn if I didn't love this one. I had heard of Bauhaus obviously but had never listened to a full album, at least to my recollection. This is such a mood of an album. It's maybe a little more pop-friendly than the other stuff I've heard from them, almost like a gothic new wave. And that's definitely something I can get on board with. I don't know that I would want to play this all the time but when the mood strikes, this is perfect. 5/5

I sort of have a soft spot for Wilco and I'm not really sure why. My sister and brother-in-law are big Wilco fans, maybe that's why? But I liked this album well enough. It wasn't something I think I would choose to play again but if it came on, I probably wouldn't change it. At least for a while. It’s the kind of record where if you have to get up and do something while it's playing, you don't feel like you're going to miss anything important. It is a bit long but it's good music, though not exactly my style. 3/5

Third album from Arcade Fire so far, just about 1% of my list. I feel like 3 albums from them is too much out of 1000. I enjoyed all of them, they aren't spectacular but are listenable and each of them have some great parts to them. But I feel like one would have been enough. I liked Neon Bible the best and I would have been content to just leave it at that one. This record is probably my least favorite of the three that I've had. probably about 2.5/5 but will round up.