Reviews by uncle_ducky

All of these one star reviews in a nutshell, “Why does art have to be challenging? Why can’t all art be accessible to everyone?” Some musical artists just want to make art, some artists just want to make money, and some can find that balance between the two. Björk has found a sweet spot where she can make challenging art and be extremely successful. She stays true to her art and she’ll always get five stars from me.

First, I just want to say, Def Leppard is probably the dumbest band name ever. I was 11 when the singles from this came out and I loved them. Got the cd and probably only listened to those singles over and over because I don’t recall ever hearing a lot of these songs. The production is what you’d expect from late 80’s radio friendly “metal”. Not sure I’ll revisit this again but the nostalgia hit me hard when Animal started so four stars it gets.

I bought into the hype when this was released and purchased the cd when it came out here in the US. I was really into the whole ambient meets post-rock thing at the time. If it came out on Kranky Records, I was all over it. So reading about this band from Iceland that mixes the two genres and the guitarist uses a violin bite on his guitar, I ran to get it. I listened to it over and over trying to get into it but there’s something about the vocals that just make it unlistenable for me. It’s like they hit this certain frequency that gives me the ick. Drive my dog up the wall as well. I gotta say, if this was an instrumental album, it would be gorgeous.

I always thought songs like Street Life were created solely for the ending credits of movies made in the eighties. I never imagined someone buying an album’s worth of music like this. So, I just finished my first listen and it was so uneventful. Beige jazz? Wallpaper funk? Other than the first song, I don’t recall a thing. Other than the single charting in the UK, what is the reasoning for having to hear this before I die??

I’ve known about this band and definitely heard songs by then but this is the first time sitting down with the album. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I worried it was another UK blues rock band but this is closer to the Americana sounds like The Band and Grateful Dead which is my preference. I’ll be revisiting this one.

For some reason I listened to their first album Los Angeles a lot but never went further. I think I was afraid the quality would fall off (like many sophomore albums) so I never bothered. Well, I’m now I’m bummed I didn’t spend more time with this one. I know it probably shouldn’t because it’s not punk but the production on this sounds so good. The music is undeniably punk but it also dips into some rockabilly, blues and maybe R’n’B. The classic harmonized singing is here and I love it.

Summerteeth was my intro to Wilco. I was not in the alt country at the time so I was unaware of Uncle Tupelo but I was in love with Summerteeth. Played it nonstop so I was ready when this album came out. It completely exceeded my expectations. It was still catchy songwriting but it had an added experimentalism that I was all about at the time. Absolutely a five star album for me.

My last reviewed album was Afrika Bamdaataa’s Planet Rock released in 1986. This is only three years later. I mentioned in that review how it was cool that they had sampled Kraftwerk in the first song. It’s amazing how fast music evolved in three years because this album is basically back to back samples. It’s a fun part album most people are already aware of. My only issue with the Beastie Boys is that the Run DMC, finish each other’s lines shtick kinda gets old when it’s every song on every album.

I’d heard singles before but this was a blast. Definitely party music. Starting off with a Kraftwerk sample the whole electro hip hop thing is so fun. My 11 year old daughter’s review is the it sounds like the DK Rap. So I guess that’s a positive review from her too. Despite loving it, I doubt I’ll be putting this on often.

Groovin’, the album. Everyone on the album is just nailing it. This is not in my rotation of feel good jazz.

This is another great album from a great artist. Compared to the albums leading up to this one, it’s much more chill. That post-punk energy is now mostly piano driven songs that are dark and pleasant. This is a very enjoyable listen if you already like Nicks music. The problem with this list is there are too many albums represented by a single artist. Like I’ve said in past reviews, find two that represent the different sides of an artist and let us explore more if we enjoy it. We are living in the age of streaming music. It doesn’t cost me any more money to listen to other albums of I like what I hear. This makes room for the bands that should have albums on here.

This is a dirt bags anthem. I was eleven even this come out. For Christmas I got this album and U2 Joshua Tree in CD. I’ve listened to this a bunch but even as a kid I knew this was music for dirt bags and never felt comfortable listening to it. It gave me the same feeling as listening to hip hop as a white guy. I liked it but I wasn’t the guy they were singing to. The music is great, the singing is fine, and the energy puts other hair metal to shame. Choice dirt bag lyric, “Turn around bitch, I got a use for you. Besides, you ain’t got nothin’ better to do. And I’m bored.”

Exquisite rock and roll. I had Raw Power on this list just two days ago. I like Raw Power but this one benefits from having such a powerful, gritty, sleazy production where Raw Power suffers from a poor original recording. I did give Raw Power four stars so obviously this deserves five.
I’m going to bring this up for every repeat artist. It’s lazy writing if you can’t find albums from unrepresentative artists and just list multiple albums from the same artists. Here’s how you do it. If you like Funhouse by The Stooges, listen to more Stooges. There, just freed up a spot for Yo La Tengo who deserves to be on this list.

This was fantastic! I love all types of jazz but, other than Duke Ellington, I rarely listen to big band. This has an energy to it that really works. Put it on when your cooking or playing a frenetic video game.

An amazing album of songs hindered by a rushed recording session. Still a classic. When I hear these songs it makes me wonder just how amazing seeing this live at the time must have been.

There is a craft here that I can appreciate, but this is not for me. For folk music like this, I prefer a more intimate, warm production. There is something about the recording that feels too produced which makes the album feel cold. Earlier in this project I got Suzanne Vega's first album. That is the cozy, warm production that really tip the scales for me enjoying this type of music. It's not bad by a long shot, just something I won't come back to.

Queen is a that I always enjoy when a song comes on but I rarely want to sit through a whole album. Their songs tend to blend together if I try and take it all in at once. Take this album for example. Really digging the first song, second song comes on and I’m really liking it as well. Maybe I’m just a distracted listener but I thinking, wow, this song is long. I check the player and I’m on track 4 now. Their next album, to me, has more stand out tracks but this was fun.

For some reason Neil Young is a divisive artist in this project. Most of the negative reviews are so shallow like, ugh, I hate Neil Young. One star. Well,I’ve always loved him and his voice never bothered me buy even so there is no excuse to have so many albums on this list by him. I this for Leonard Cohen and I’ll say it here, find two distinct eras that represent the artists growth and let the listener find more if they like it. There are too many great albums not represented to have so many drum a single artist. All that to say, I love this album and it absolutely should be here.

I liked this. Some reviewers call it elevator music but there is way more going on than they are giving credit for. I think what’s going on is since Bill found such a perfect match of chill and improv, that formula has been copied to death. The problem is that all those copies pale in comparison to this. This album is now in my rotation of reading on the couch music.

So, I really like Leonard Cohen but I feel like including five albums is just lazy. Pick one from his early acoustic folk albums and one after his shift in sound. Anyway, sometimes I’m not in the mood for gloomy folk but when I am, this is great. If you are looking for more like this, check out Pearls Before Swine which came out a couple years before this. Good stuff!