Reviews by uls980

Today's a good day.
Never listened to Surfer Rosa before, but always intended to. Since starting the 1001, was holding off until I got it on the generator.

And damn is this a good record. It's a little more noisy and raw compared to Doolittle, which is nice. Also really appreciating Kim Deal having a more up front and center focus on her vocals on this album compared to Doolittle.

I don't remember having this complaint on Doolittle, but some of the songs could have been a little longer for me, but it's not a huge complaint.

Either way, fantastic album, and getting full marks.

I don't think I've heard anything from this (Except Spinning Wheel - Good song), but this album repeatedly sounds like stuff I've heard.

Feels like Chicago basically owes their entire existence to this album.
And on an early song, I swear I heard a vocal line that was similar to one from Disney's Hercules. Among other little spots.

So yeah, incredibly influential album. Was expecting pysch rock, and happy to say I'm pleasantly surprised it's not psych rock. Some pretty good stuff. Don't know if I'd ever go back to it, but it's good.

I was dreading psychedelic rock, but luckily this generally avoids psych for a more bluesy approach, and even when it delves into psych, it's pretty solid, all things considered.

Definitely the first half of the record is better than the second (The second half is where the more psych stuff starts showing up, but it's not as overt and again, pretty solid).

Overall, a solid record. Probably not something I'd go back to, although there are some good cuts, and I have heard Picture Book before.

While I think I prefer Fantasy Empire, this is a fantastic noise rock album.

Do wish it were a little less repetitive and more catchy, but yeah. Overall, great record.

Honestly better than a lot of the 60s psych its aping, with some solid, catchy cuts.

But unfortunately its just not really doing much for me.

Fantastic album, but as far as Drive-By Truckers albums go, I prefer Decoration Day and The Dirty South. Really wish one of those were the one picked for the list instead of this one.

Definitely a little harder hitting and more country than those two later albums, and the more country stuff does lose me a tad (Such as Cassie's Brother).

But songs like Birmingham are great, and the spoken word track Three Great Alabama Icons is fantastic.

Really good record. I'd say this is a right artist wrong album situation, but I don't know if The Truckers are necessarily a list-worthy band, although I'm not complaining.

This is some late night talk show/dentist's office-ass music.

I've definitely listened to Birdland before, but I don't think this version.

But overall, not really my jam. The productions too clean and sterile and its got that 70s cheesy elevator jazz sound. Really the only thing I can vibe with is some of Jaco's bass playing.

Another album where the first song promises a lot more than the rest of the album delivers.
If the rest of the album were like The Shining Hour, it might have gotten a five from me.

As it stands, the rest of the album is extremely derivative of Bowie, Young, and Mellancamp, along with all the late 80's, early 90's alt bands like R.E.M., Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam.

Hell, the opening few chords and the vocals of Jupiter and Teardrop are a straight rip from Ziggy Stardust.

It's fine. His voice does get irritating by the end of the album though.

I've never been a huge fan of Prince. But even given that, I wasn't expecting to give this album less than a 3 (Which is what I gave Purple Rain).

But my God does this guy not know how to restrain himself. And it's not a situation where there's too much going on in the sense of throwing everything at the wall like prog albums do (Because at least that can be entertaining). It's that this guy is just feeling himself way too much and can't let himself cut these songs down to a reasonable length or a length that justifies the amount of ideas that the songs have.

Every song on this thing is 5-7 minutes of the same drum beat and main riff, just with him doing little different flourishes and random riffs over them through the whole song. Not a single one of these songs can justify their length.

1999 and Little Red Corvette are probably the best on the album, and even those songs could use 2-3 minutes chopped off them. I'd argue most of these songs barely justify two minutes, let alone some that are hitting 8 mins.

So yeah, as good as the musicianship is, this album is just a shitton of filler in the form of songs going on for way, way too long. Chop this album down to like 30-40 minutes, and maybe it'd be a 4.

As it stands, I can't give it anything higher than a 2.

Honestly a lot better than I was expecting.
Got kinda a Mirror's Edge/Persona 3 vibe to it. Really good background music.

But it's not music I'll really go back to. Gonna get my "EDM isn't my thing 3/5".

I did try to listen to this album before, and couldn't really get into it. My longstanding issues with 70's post-punk were rearing their heads again.

However, something clicked with this listen. I will say the second half of the tracklist is better than the first (Starting at Marquee Moon). It's a little less punky, more melodic (I think).

But yeah, good stuff. Definitely improved with the second listen.

Holy ballads Batman.

Pretty solid album, Frank Sinatra is great as always, but I need some variety. It can't all be slow ballads.
And unfortunately this album pretty much is all ballads.

Not the type of punk that I'm all that into, but will give it props for adding in rockabilly and surf. It's slightly verging on a post-punk sound I don't like, but it's punk enough to not bother me.

The vocals are kinda throwing me off though, which is where that post-punk sound is coming from.

Decent album though.

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Just a really good hard rock album. Don't got much more to say. Classic.

Like if Leonard Cohen/Tom Waits were in a Silver Jews-like indie folk band.

Pretty solid. Nothing particularly jumping out at me, but it's pleasant enough. Some weird diversions here and there (The Tom Waits style singing in one song was a surprise).

Assuming I listened to the correct cut of this album... yeah, not feeling this. Really boring, sterile, milquetoast EDM.

It's got a Donkey Kong Country vibe to it sometimes, but whereas David Wise is a goddamn genius, this album is just putting me to sleep. I wouldn't be surprised to hear he was influenced by The KLF, but where they fail for me, David Wise improved on the ideas massively.

Honestly, I get that this is kinda a beloved deep cut album from fans of the band from my understanding, but I'm not getting it. The concept with advertisements inbetween every song isn't doing anything for me, and I'm just not into this style from The Who. Basically the only song that really works is I Can See for Miles, which sounds like a quintessential Who song, whereas the rest of the songs are too light and airy, with Moon's drumming buried too far in the mix.

Additionally, their forays into psychedelic rock aren't great. I know The Who to be a band that ROCKS. Not a band that dicks around with silly Ren Faire horns and whatnot.

They would expand a bit more on Tommy, and finally come into their own with Who's Next.

Perfectly OK album, but yeah. Nothing special. Definitely doesn't belong on the list, should have put Quadrophenia on instead. Definitely hearing a lot of sounds on this that they would reuse on later albums to much better effect (Such as the guitar lick in Sunrise being suspiciously similar to Pinball Wizard). Definitely feels like a "Test shit out" album.

Decent enough live album. Hetfield doesn't sound at his best on this album (Too clean of a voice, making him sound like a 2000's butt rock band singer). Weirdly Lars is pretty solid though.

The orchestra trades back and forth between being a good addition and sometimes being too much.

That said, it's tough to point out a less essential record on the list (Although there are a few. I'm looking at you Electric by Cult). This should not have even sniffed this list when Ride the Lightning exists (Or the myriad other records that are left off the list despite them deserving to be on).

I'll have to listen to Back to Black again, because I don't remember it sounding like this. I remember it having far more of a throwback sound, whereas Frank feels more timeless?

Either way, both are good, but I prefer Frank. Nothing in particular stood out to me, but as a whole it was really enjoyable.