Reviews by tjehl

Man, those longer tracks hit hard.
The ambiance, the progressions - it just works.

I’m more reluctant when it comes to some of the shorter tracks, where Underworld don’t get around to fully immerse the listener in their world building.

When this works, it really works though.

Fatboy Slim is nothing if not good times.
Let go, down an entire pitcher and enjoy yourself!

An absolute classic and easily one of the finest prog albums of the 70’s. The shorter songs could have just been fillers, but Anderson’s undeniable talent for songwriting makes them stand out as some of the most emotional experiences of the entire album.

“Locomotive Breath” is possibly one of the greatest blues rock recordings of all time - and if you’re Danish you will most likely recognize that Dizzy Mizz Lizzy must have listened to the guitars of “Wind-Up” when recording their debut album.

Doves hit you with some dreamy shoegaze-infused rock of the kind that could only be produced in the late 90’s/early 00’s.

There are moments of outstanding beauty, claustrophobic introspection and plainly hidden odes to the British nightlife. It’s most of the stuff that works for me in British rock.

Never before or since in the music industry has there been a discrepancy as obvious as the one between one of the coolest album titles and one of the silliest band names.

I’m obviously not listening to nearly enough Skunk Anansie. I don’t care as much for the sound when they go full hard rock, the worst example being “On My Hotel TV”, but the rest of the album works incredibly well.

That Skin is just one of those vocalists you could listen to all day doesn’t hurt either.

At times Winwood reaches the highs of Hendrix. At other times it almost sounds like kids music for adults; the opening track.

It’s really not easy figuring out what Traffic was up to. Overall it’s not bad though - but it’s obvious that the members of the band were in some disagreement over the direction of the group.

Kid A was both the start and peak of the beep boop part of Radiohead’s career. A genre-bending and era changing musical experience from a band, and especially a lead singer, that wasn’t comfortable staying comfortable.

Emmylou Harris was mainly a cover artist for 31 years only for us to discover that she was able to write complete albums of beautiful material. What a shame it would have been, had he stuck to the covers.

I See You is very fine and pretty, but it rarely resonates with me. It feels too sunlit and airy without any sense of consequence - the exception being “A Violent Noise”.

It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong.
But I would probably rather put this on in the background while competing chores.

Whenever an African album appears on this list, you’re in for a treat

I was expecting something similar to his magnificent debut - and the he totally surprises you with synths and pop vibes and… But of course also some wonderful West African rhythms.

To me it’s not quite as good as his debut, but Baaba Maal is still one of those artists whose discography you should definitely dive deeper into.

Madness is often overlooked as a gimmicky one-hit wonder due to “Our House”. In itself an actually terrific song.

The rest of the Rise & Fall is just such great fun.
A combination of witty yet daunting lyrics, playful instrumentals and a Britishness that’s wonderfully charming.

Don’t underestimate the quality of Madness.

Let It Bleed is the pinnacle of The Rolling Stones for me.

If opening with “Gimme Shelter” and ending on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” isn’t enough to prove just that, I don’t know what is.

Engaging from the first to last note.
The sound is one minute taking you through space, the next it’s forcing you back down to Earth.
There’s not much I would chance on this.

The raw atmospheric feeling of the instrumentation combined with Margo Timmins’ ethereal vocals really makes Cowboy Junkies stand out when compared to some of their contemporary genre colleagues. An absolute pleasure.

If you release a shit experimental album, I can hate it but still appreciate what you were trying to accomplish.

If you like Ramblin’ Jack Elliot just release an all round boring album with boring stories and unoriginal guitar playing? Well, then you’re doing nothing but wasting my time.

Is it too much? Obviously!

Is it too American? You bet!

Are we better people because of it? Hell yeah!

Skip recorded this as a demo only for his producer handing it to the record company who released it and was unable to sell it. Wonder why.

There are a few interesting ideas on Oar but as a whole… Well it just isn’t an actual album.

In 2019 I visited the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Every morning I went for a shower in the marina and every morning in the stall next to mine a French gentleman loudly sang what I only now realize was a rendition of “Amsterdam”. What a dramatic way to start the day.

Had Sail Away gone on for a song or two more, I’d have lowered the rating. Clever move by Newman keeping this at just half an hour.

He’s a good songwriter but I’m never fully invested in the album whatsoever. But who can resist the warm fuzzy embrace of Newman’s cozy vocals.