Reviews by wotanmjolnir

The first time I’ve ever listened to The Fall, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I think the legend of Mark E. Smith casts a long shadow, and it’s fully deserved - I don’t think there would be The Fall without him, but I also think that in some ways the band is good in spite of him. A bit like Shane MacGowan, the vocal delivery is somewhat questionable, but the lyrical content is outstanding, and you don’t get one without the other. Musically this is right up my alley, and the only thing stopping it getting a full house is there are too many experimental noise tracks that I didn’t enjoy, but it’s a good four, and definitely listening to more of them.

A surprising amount of female screaming here. Not dissimilar to Mr Brown’s house, or so I’ve heard.

In the 80s there were two certainties at the Brit Awards - firstly, the Best International Band would be Bongo and The Hedge and their two chums, and secondly that Best Female Vocalist would be Annie Lennox.

There is no denying she’s a great vocalist, and this is very well produced, slick synth-pop … but I don’t find synth-pop, however well it is crafted, very exciting. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but I also couldn’t say I did. Meh.

It’s a bit spiky, and raw, and a bit punky, and that would normally get me in a good mood but this is just largely unmemorable. It’s not bad, and I wouldn’t turn it off, but I’m unlikely to seek it out again.

They may not be the most authentic of Irish/Celtic Folk bands, but they are probably the most well known, and had a major role in popularising the genre. This isn’t quite as good as If I Should Fall From Grace With God which came after, but it’s still good with some outstanding stuff - And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda in particular.

As far as Irish bands go, U2 aren’t fit to sniff the shit on The Pogues boots, and Shane MacGowan had a thousand times more integrity and poetry in one of his rotted teeth than Bluto and The Fridge have in their entire bodies combined.

I don’t dislike Kraftwerk, or this album in particular, but it is a little too repetitive and samey to be an enjoyable listen. I get the fact that it’s a concept album, but it didn’t land anywhere near as well as The Man-Machine.

For someone with such an enormous ego, Van Morrison really is very mid-talent. Forgettable pap from an insurmountable cunt.

When theatre kids do nu metal.

I really have no knowledge of this type of music, so don’t know if it’s good or bad. I didn’t dislike it, but every song sounded the same, and nothing really seemed to go anywhere. It’s … fine, I guess?

I like both Traffic and Steve Winwood, in fact the first concert I ever went to was on his solo Roll With It tour, but there is no denying that this album is a little dated. I have never heard fartier sounding keyboards, and some of the songs hang around a bit too long, but I quite liked this. The first two tracks are great, and whilst it does drift away towards the end it’s still a strong collection.

It seems not many people agree with me …

It’s another hip-hop album that sounds exactly the same as all the other hip-hop albums. And it’s over an hour long.

I listened, but no impression was left. Very mid, dull pop

Eeehhhhh - it’s perfectly ok grunge / alt / indie rock, but it’s a bit paint-by-numbers. It passed the time, but it wasn’t very exciting.

“Oh, ‘Saving All My Love For You’! I only know the Whitney Houston Version”

<several minutes later>

“Well, that was quite different! Ah, ‘Down Town’! Now, I really like Petula Clark’s take on this - how will this go I wonder?”

<several more minutes pass>

“Pass me the cheap women and the expensive whiskey, this is going to be a night to remember but I don’t think I will!”

Incredible album - lost nights in the gutter gazing at the stars out of 10.

This was a bit of a grind. It’s ok, but every time I enjoyed a track, I wouldn’t enjoy the next one. Never listening to this again.

God damn, but I love me some Johnny Cash!

Wow, the reviews for this are so harsh and seem to focus on a couple of lyrics as being weird for an album of live songs. Maybe it’s a culture thing, with Americans not quite getting the very British sense of humour here - in the UK, the Divine Conedy are probably best known for the theme music to Father Ted and a song about the general cranes of travelling by coach.

Anyway, this album is really good, gentle, thoughtful pop, and deserves your time.

This is so unneccessary. Buffalo Stance is head and shoulders the best track here, and that is really dated. I remember it being really exciting when it came out, and it’s still a good tune, but it hasn’t aged brilliantly, and I’ve never understood the weird Dick van Dyke mockney bollocks in the middle of it - “Wot is ee loike!? D’ja no worrae meen!”. Weird.

The rest of the album apparently exists, but I doubt anyone pays any attention past track 1 - and an hour and a quarter for a debut album (for the CD version)? Nobody needed that. Boring album that should be over after five and three-quarter minutes.

This is … not good. It feels like they are trying really hard to be all artsy and mysterious and ends up feeling contrived.

I cannot in any way say that this is bad, but it’s not my bag and I don’t know anything about the genre. Never listening to this again.