Reviews by urthstripe321

One of the great "what could have been" stories in hip hop, and pop music at large. This is a great record, a bit bloated and uneven (did we really need all those extended outros/skits?), but so much talent on display, and a deep interest in a wide variety of sounds. Would have loved to see how she evolved as styles, moods, and recording techniques changed. I wish this was more part of a living body of work and less a time capsule, but alas...

Joan Armatrading is a key figure in the singer-songwriter scene that I never got around to, for whatever reason. What a talent. Some great songwriting here, a wide range of styles, a unique a powerful voice. That said, it didn't really dig its hooks into me, and I don't have the time to give it the chance to do so... so that's on me.

The birth of cock rock. So much shit music sprang from this, but the ur text is solid lizard brain music and you can't deny Eddie's playing. I won't say I ever particularly WANT to listen to this, but throw a coors banquet in my hand and I won't hate if any of these tunes came on the jukebox.

I quite enjoyed this very gentle modernization of the old bossa nova sound. Why am I not listening to this while sweating my ass off on a beach somewhere, sipping from an extremely alcoholic fruity cocktail? I'm sitting at my desk doing work like a big dumb idiot.

Don't @ me. In this house, we appreciate Stuart Murdoch and his vast influence on indie pop.

Green Onions... one of the greatest songs ever. Otherwise, some pretty fun instrumental covers. Funky jams, Booker T killing it on the organ at the tender age of 17. We may have not had Stax Records without this, soooo let's give credit where it is due.

It's Sade, you either vibe with it or you don't, but it's basically the pinnacle of this type of music.

The band that launched a thousand hair metal wannabes. It's not Machine Head but it's pretty solid. Love the propulsive chuggers way more than the proggier tracks, but when Child in Time takes off, it's hard to deny. They are one of the all time great bands for driving on the highway. Throw this on and watch that speedometer creep up.

It's solid, but britpop doesn't really move the needle for me in either direction and Oasis was a bigger deal in my household growing up, so this doesn't have the nostalgia factor.

Shame that Singles Going Steady isn't on this list (though makes sense why) as that is definitive proof that the Cocks are the best UK punk band ever. This is a great record though, just doesn't have the banger after banger aspect of Singles Going Steady. I also slightly prefer Love Bites. But The Buzzcocks rule, that is all.

Pretty monumental, about as good as "conscious rap" can get. I slightly prefer Good Kid for its relative focus, but this is still fantastic. Sad to see Kendrick rest on his laurels a bit and retreat to tired hip hop feuds, but he'll always have his first 3 records.

I do prefer Astral Weeks but this is right up there. One of the best voices ever, fantastic arrangements, and I can never listen to Caravan without seeing his failed attempts at high kicks. I find this album to be.... most satisfactory.

Nothing wrong with a piece of art trying to get into the mind of a shitty person and holding up a mirror to the worst parts of ourselves. Depiction does not equal endorsement, people. Anywho, never really listened to the Afghan Whigs for whatever reason, even though they were operating in the scene and sound of so many other bands I've taken the time to dig into. It's a pretty good alt/grunge sound, nothing too revelatory, the appeal of this one is really all about the storytelling. If you bounce off it, fine, but let's not pretend you've never been a piece of shit. This is a good album about being a piece of shit.

Not super memorable but not unpleasant. It sounds good, Dion has a good voice, something something Phil Spector and so on. It's fine!

I think Mother is a real good song, but most of the rest is kinda undercooked. If only John went to a real therapist, he had a lot of shit to work through but this music that came out of it is about has half-baked as primal scream therapy is, lyrically speaking. It sounds good though, he didn't forget to write a tune.

Maybe the first time I've listened to a full Elton John record front to back. It's fun! This is very agreeable music. Strong, straightforward, populist songwriting. Goofy arrangements, nice playing, good mix of styles. Solid!

So far my favorite Neil outside of side 2 of Rust Never Sleeps! Am I coming around? Maybe! Even the downtempo numbers worked for me here, I think cause he works within the confine of his voice instead of trying to do things it wasn't meant to do.

Always respect Kate Bush more than appreciate her. Her artistry can't be denied, a true and rare visionary in the popular music space. But rarely do I actively want to sit down and listen to a Kate Bush record for some reason. However, I am always thankful when I'm given an excuse to and live in her world a little while. Do wish her artistic peak came in an era that was so beholden to the production trends of the time. But what can you do.

Transitional record for Paul Simon, bridging his traditional folk sounds with some of the more global influences he would ply to better effect later on in his career. Some good tunes here, of course Me and Julio being a huge highlight, and no real bum tracks, just some not terribly exciting. A fine record with some great lyrics.

Sits uncomfortably on the edge of post punk and new wave in a good way. Love the noisier bits. Influence on college radio and the alt wave of the late 80s/early 90s is very apparent. This album is a bit one note, but it's a good note.