Reviews by thelastbaron

Just about as basic as you can get. Very much lowest common denominator rock.

1.5/5.0: Bad

I know it's innovative and influential, but at the end of the day it's just samples and I don't care for that.

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

Pretty fantastic album. There's so much variety on this record - you can definitely see that Gabriel provided the artistic vision for much of Genesis' more outlandish tendencies. It's also hard to fathom that this came out in 1977. So many eighties albums tried to sound just like this (for better or worse). Based on influence and enjoyment, I think this has to be five stars.

5.0/5.0: Iconic

Overwrought late oughts rock.

1.5/5.0: Bad

Yet another early eighties new wave album. Didn't care for this. The music was just silly, and as a human I can definitively say I don't claim these guys.

1.5/5.0: Bad

It's OK

2.5/5.0: Mixed

Some of the music is OK, but the endless loops of the same sample over and over is just not my cup of tea. I know it's the genre, but I don't care for it. Additionally, the vocal delivery is hilariously dated and the lyrics range from not good to very sketchy.

1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

Some of the instrumental parts are great, and the lyrics are still poignant to this day. However, there are two knocks against this album. First, the 80s saxophone is terribly grating and should have been left entirely off the album. Second, the extended jam sessions on some of the songs don't really develop the way good jams do (see almost any prog band) but instead drone on interminably. Nevertheless this is mostly an enjoyable album.

3.0/5.0: Good

It always amazes just how influential and ahead of their time these early 70s krautrock albums are. I love the atmospherics on this album, but it also uses progressive song structures and does nothing but take chance after chance - which I love.

4.0/5.0: Great

Very pleasant and well-put together album (except the Help cover. Didn't need that). She has an amazing voice, and the music isn't hateful, but it's also incredibly simple.

3.0/5.0: Good

Fun band and fun album. One of the better examples of 80s hard rock, and the emphasis on funk is cool. Great performances all around. Only knock is that the hard rock/glam metal sound is tired and I'm bored of it. However, like I noted, the funkiness helps.

3.0/5.0: Good

I had to listen to this on YouTube and the best music I heard was in the advertisements in between songs. Sad boy basic chord folk is just not interesting at all.

1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

She has a great voice, and it's a fun album/easy listening, but it's also a 60s covers album and kind of run-of-the-mill.

3.0/5.0: Good

Not as bad as the other Ryan Adams album I had on this list but still kind of meh. All of this had been done before and been done much better.

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

One of those albums that completely missed the fact that the music needs some effort too. It can't just be melancholic poetry. We have an artistic medium for that. It's called poetry.

He has a nice voice though.

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

Really enjoyed this one. Very soothing and the lo-fi production reminded me of some blackgaze bands (no doubt influenced by MBV) that I enjoy.

3.5/5.0: Very Good

This was disappointing. His voice is great and the instrumentals are good, but almost every song is just one 5 to 7 second idea repeated ad nauseam, and the album is too long.

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

I had the perfect review lined up for this:

Blandwagonesque

Unfortunately, this is actually pretty decent stuff.

3.5/5.0: Very Good

There are a couple of outstanding tracks but the rest is an astonishing amount of filler.

2.0/5.0: Disappointing

This started slow but as the music got progressively more unusual I enjoyed it more. There's a lot going on musically even if most of it is really simple.

3.0/5.0: Good