Reviews by uls980

See, this is what I was hoping for when I got The Idiot early on. Unfortunately I couldn't stand that album. It had no hooks, was really off putting to listen to, Iggy's vocals felt phoned in.

But this album feels like the complete opposite. Still feels very Bowie (apparently also collab'd with Bowie on this, but Pop had more control on this album, which honestly was the right choice after The Idiot), but in the best way possible.

Always liked The Passenger (coulda sworn I heard it in an episode of Breaking Bad, but apparently its not in the show), but the rest of the album has the hooks and fun that The Idiot was missing.

Great album. It's got a drive and heat to it that feel pretty singular.

Weird journey I went on with this record recently. I loved it when I first listened to it back in like 2012. Relistened to it last month, and wasn't as enamored with it. But I listened again today, and its back to being fantastic. Highlights have always been Fight Test, Yoshimi Pt. 1, and In the Morning of the Magicians. Love the acoustic guitar and the unique synths they got going on in this record.

Will say, though, only thing keeping it from a 5 is Yoshimi Pt. 2. They went too much with the synths in that track, and it just doesn't mesh with the rest of the tracklist. Had that song not been included, I'd seriously be considering giving this a 5*.

Don't got a ton to say other than this is damn good soul/blues. Couple classic tracks like Chain of Fools and (You Make Me Feel) Like A Woman. Groovin' and Ain't No Way are fantastic closers as well. Aretha was just the best at what she did, and that's just how it is.

Not for me/5

Honestly though, good singing, good country. Just doesn't do anything for me.

Don't got a ton to say other than I'm confused why this is getting lower reviews compared to Soul Mining. It's been a while since I've listened to that one, but this one doesn't sound too different, albeit maybe a little more experimental/post-punky?

Anyways, yeah, solid album. For a non-goth post-punk record, for once I'm enjoying it because it sounds like the band is actually having fun and not trying to specifically create "art" (trademarked). I especially liked the song Heartland.

Start off to say, I do really enjoy Randy's style. Clear that the Toy Story song is his general style, and that song was great, so hearing a full album of tunes like that was a good time.

But I think (and it's the general elephant in the room) starting off the record with Rednecks was certainly an introduction and choice. And while I get the point of the song, I can't help but think the song lost the plot by the extremely liberal use of slurs. For comparison, the Dead Kennedy's song Holiday in Cambodia is also one where that slur is sung by a white man, but its used once as an extremely jarring and cutting point. And that song is fantastic. So I do feel Redneck's point could have been made more tactfully.

That said, I generally enjoyed this album, it's a little repetitive in sound and probably isn't one I'd go back to, but yeah. Newman gets points for the superior Rollin' (Sorry Fred Durst).

Just an album that is undeniably filled, front to back, with absolute classics. Every song on this thing is a track I've had drilled into my brain since I was born, with More Than A Feeling, Peace of Mind, and Foreplay/Longtime being the standouts.

I will say though, aside from Let Me Take You Home Tonight, which manages to standout from the rest of the tracklist in its sound, every track on this record basically sounds like the same song. Same vocal inflections and melodies, same guitar progressions, etc. But like I said, every song is a winner despite that.

And while I'm grading this album based on what I said above, I do have to admit, I've really got no interest in listening to Boston anymore. I've just heard them way too much, despite enjoying the music, to the point that I wouldn't be sad if I never hear them again. Great album that's just been overplayed for me.

Honestly, surprised I'm not giving this full marks as I thought going into it, it'd be one of the easiest 5s I would have ever given. Totally get why this album is being reappraised down while Abbey Road is going up.

That said, still a fantastic album, just kinda hits a lull through the middle (She's Leaving Home -> With Or Without You).

But when I think of The Beatles, the quirky, silly stuff is what I think of. Stuff like With A Little Help From My Friends, When I'm Sixty Four, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, etc. Just has that super unique sound no one else has been able to come close to (despite trying). And not that it's a quirky silly song, but A Day in the Life is top 10 Beatles songs, easy.

Basically the same as Big Brother and the Holding Company for me. Some good blues/soul, I just can't do Joplin's voice. I will say I think she has a little more range on this one, so when she's not going high/screeching, it's pretty good.

And I do like this more than Big Brother, but not enough to get it to four stars.

Absolutely hauntingly beautiful album. Every song knows exactly how much it needs. Its neither overproduced or too stripped down.

Definitely hear the influence on bands like Radiohead (particularly on OK Computer) and Muse. As well as maybe some of the alt rock stuff from the early 2000s. Matchbox Twenty and whatnot.

Was debating between a four and a five, but think I'm gonna land on a four. Too many songs follow the pattern of soft, light opening -> crescendo to an amazing finish. Which isn't necessarily bad, but I tended to prefer the music in the crescendo part as opposed to the openings. If there was a little more variety, it'd easily be a five.

Will say, wasn't expecting the heaviness of Eternal Life to hit.

If a 2010s indie artist was influenced by M83 and MGMT, while also having instrumentals that are inspired by the original Tron movie (or at least what I remember/think it was).

Good stuff though, generally enjoying it.

Was expecting country when I got this, honestly, but happy that's not what it was.

Pretty much this whole album is beautiful and perfect, just not a ton is jumping out at me. Every so often though, a song catches my attention and its fantastic, particularly The Windmills of Your Mind. I've definitely heard Son of a Preacher Man before.
I might listen to it again, but right now feeling a very high 3 right now.

Never was a big Aerosmith fan, with this kind of proto-hair metal, arena rock generally being hit and miss for me (Along with hair metal in general, but for example, I like Def Leppard, but Van Halen I wasn't big on either).

That said, listening to this, it's pretty solid, but mostly it doesn't change my opinion of Aerosmith. The hits are generally good (Back in the Saddle, which is on this record, Dream On, Train Kept A' Rollin, Sweet Emotion, etc.), but I'm not really enamored with this record.

Some goddamn great, classic heavy metal. Got the classics here like Smoke On the Water, Space Truckin', and Highway Star. And great deep cuts to back it up.

Not much else to say. If you don't like this, you're just wrong, lol.

After getting Bee Gees yesterday, getting another 60's folk album wasn't really what I was hoping for. But overall, this is a pretty solid listen.

Definitely feeling the Joni Mitchell influence on this album, especially with a song like The Deserter. I do tend to prefer the rockier cuts on this record, although as mentioned, The Deserter is really good.

Today I learned the Bee Gees weren't always a disco/R&B band, and in fact had eleven (!!!) albums before making one with R&B influences.

Definitely feeling this album though is at the intersection of stuff like Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead??? Folk rock, baroque pop, country influences.

But honestly, almost immediately this is boring me. It's fine, but not really what I am looking for and at over an hour long, its a lot to ask. Very much "grandma" music to my ears. I'd definitely rank the best of their disco output as better than this.

I remember listening to this like 10-15 years ago and disliking it quite a bit aside from Blister in the Sun. This go around, now that I have a better appreciation for folk punk (AJJ, Harley Poe, and Stick and Poke), I'm enjoying this quite a bit more.

Definitely seeing this band's influence on Harley Poe, just without the misanthropic murder folk vibes. So yeah, if you like Violent Femmes, you'll enjoy Harley Poe. Singer sounds similar too.

I will say though, this album sounds shockingly ahead of time. It blew my mind this was released in 83. Production is great, clear, and this album could have easily released in the 2010s with no one thinking it was dated.

Kinda feeling this the same as The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Went into it not expecting to be that into it, but coming out of it liking it quite a bit.

That said, with how much he already has on the list, do we really need a live album? I'd probably cut this one and probably another of his albums off the list to make room for underrepresented artists/genres.

This is one of those albums that I can respect and appreciate, but I don't think I can like it.
It sounds like the unholy spawn of Nirvana, Black Sabbath, and The Residents.

Black Sabbath right off the bat with Sweat Loaf, basically just turning Sabbath's Sweet Leaf into a noise rock song. Graveyard sounds like the noise bridge or breakdown to a weird Nirvana song like Milk It (My favorite Nirvana song by the way).

Pretty sure U.S.S.A samples or recreates the looping machinery sound from Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine? At least, it sounded like that.

Kuntz kinda sounds like a Middle Eastern/Indian tune fed through the context of a 60's psychedelic track.

But mostly there's not an entire song I can sink my teeth into on this. I think it's really just Pittsburgh to Lebanon and Human Cannonball that are the only tracks resembling a fully formed song, not that they were trying with the other ones. Whereas the other ones run the gamut from a looping musical phrase or just noise rock jamming.

But yeah. It's a fantastic album, definitely one to be respected for it's creativity, influence (On grunge and sludge), and boundary breaking; but in the context of this project, I can't really give it anything higher than a 2. It's not one I have much interest in going back to.

Don't really got much to say, but this is some decent classic country/bluegrass.

Unfortunately, it's just not for me. It's a little too oldschool for me, and the higher singer is a bit piercing. In the Pines is a pretty solid track though. Reminds me a lot of the Nirvana cover of Leadbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night?