Reviews by x-minor_miracle-x

Heard Before?
Yes.

Notes:
- ambition, virtuosity, dynamism. what's not to like?
- well, "The Sage" is very dull and kills the momentum. and I've never found him to be a convincing singer.
- the goofy Moog sounds haven't aged well. hard to believe they ever sounded less than silly.
- the live production is fine, but almost too dynamic. I can live without the crowd noise.
- still, I'm happy that for a good two years in the 70s, wanky keyboard players were rockstars before all these albums headed to the dollar bin.

Verdict:
Impressive on first blush but ultimately hollow and rather cheesy. Easily outdone by any orchestral recording of the pieces they are paying tribute to.

Listen Again?
Nope, but I've queued up a Harmonium album to remind me that I still love prog.

Heard Before?
Yup.

Notes:
- one song doth not an album make. especially if it's the first track.
- "Gutter Cats" is perfectly bizarre and over the top. Exactly what I love about Alice Cooper. I sent it to all my cat loving friends.
- lots of unexpected musical flourishes and genre experiments.
- a big, bold, ridiculous closer wraps things up, but fails to fully deliver on the concept album schtick.
- Beatles/Stones mashup "Alma Mater" reminds me that Alice is a more exciting and versatile singer than Mick, John or Paul.

Verdict:
I love this, but why are we listening to the fourth best Alice Cooper album? For one song?

Listen Again?
Maybe, just maybe. But I'm willing to bet "From the Inside" is not on this list, and it's my favorite.

Heard Before?
No. Somehow it's the only one of her albums I've never listened to.

Notes:
- production not as stark as Rid of Me, but still raw and bold.
- with no compression, her dynamic vocals can lurk in the mix and then lunge forward. it's a neat trick.
- strings on "Plants and Rags" a terrific surprise.
- plenty of lyrical zingers.
- arrangements are competent but unremarkable.
- "Water" is an odd closer, forecasting her much more daring moves later.

Verdict:
A victim of context: PJ herself, as well as Liz Phair and Scout Niblett, would take these ideas and sounds to much more interesting places later.

Listen Again?
Maybe not, but I've already queued up Let England Shake.

Heard Before?
Nope. Finally something on this list I've never even heard of.

Notes:
- production is mostly bad - crowded, noisy, sometimes ugly. I get the retro idea, but has this engineer heard of EQ?
- drums sound especially terrible, all cymbals with a muffled snare and inaudible kick.
- similarly, the arrangements are ridiculously busy. the players are all highly technical, but do all of them really need to play the whole time? silence is a virtue.
- vocals are lovely, though often buried.
- bonus points for flute and guiro on "River to Consider", my favorite song.
- I should be careful what I wish for; the more conventional songs are pretty but forgettable.

Verdict:
A mix of highly technical throwback rock and dull ballads.

Listen Again?
I saved a few tracks for later. I didn't love it, but I feel like I can learn from it and I'm always down to give things a fair trial.

Heard Before?
Duh.

Notes:
- dazzling guitar solos sounds pasted in from a better album.
- ham fisted drumming and crawling tempos really help the stupid lyrics and overwrought singing stand out.
- dull, obvious production accomplishes the "let's blend in with the worst of rock radio" goal.
- yet another album on this list entirely bereft of interesting sounds.
- I love metal and hate Metallica, but at least Master Of Puppets meant something to someone, unlike this dreck.

Verdict:
What if Metallica but bland riff rock?

Listen Again?
If only it were avoidable.

Heard Before?
Yes.

Notes:
- well at least this is an improvement over The Idiot.
- backing vocals on the title track make me smile every time.
- it is entirely plausible that the whole history of rock music is a grand conspiracy to normalize pedophilia. (see "Sixteen" and "Fall In Love With Me")
- truly I never thought of Iggy Pop as a total cheeseball until I heard "Success" and "Turn Blue".

Verdict:
"David Bowie helps Iggy Pop cosplay as Lou Reed" sounds like an Onion headline. But here it kind of works, if you like your rock stars embracing their silly and creepy sides simultaneously.

Listen Again?
Besides the title track and "Tonight", I'll be very happy to never hear this again.

Heard Before?
Yes, but not for a while.

Notes:
- like all their 90s albums, the production here is an AM radio sounding trebly mess.
- there are many guitar tones here and not a single one I like.
- so many cool and exciting sounds in dense complex arrangements, except nothing can be heard clearly.
- consistently clever writing with little surprises around every corner.
- wonderful use of backing vocals.
- a remixed version has the potential to be one of my favorite albums of the 90s.

Verdict:
I've never liked an album more that was this poorly produced, except their next album (Radiator).

Listen Again?
I'd rather revisit Mwng or Phantom Power, but I'm glad I heard this again.

Heard Before?
Yes, oh yes. This was EVERYWHERE.

Notes:
- all the critics are right. there is no reason this album should work.
- the hipster posturing, faux lo-fi production, moaning karaoke-megaphone vocals, boneheadedly simple guitar and bass parts all count against it. but that's also the appeal.
- is there a single drum fill on this whole record? perhaps not. but the drums sound fantastic.
- I don't care about the lyrics, but they serve their function of vaguely connecting with twentysomething record-collector dudes.
- the songwriting, however, is hands-down magic. every song is hooky, has just the right amount of distinct parts, and tinkers with the formula just enough. nothing ever goes on too long and there are little surprises everywhere.
- even the worst song ("New York City Cops") is fun as heck.
- I would give "Room on Fire" a slight edge as the better album.

Verdict:
Maybe you had to be there, but this derivative garbage is nearly perfect.

Listen Again?
Oh yeah. When I first heard it I thought I would forget this album by 2002. But I have been coming back to it and "Room on Fire" occasionally since their release.

Heard Before?
Yes but not since it came out.

Notes:
- I'm a sucker for big beat, and this is the perfect expression of that historical moment.
- formulaic as hell, but it's a formula I can dance to.
- every song too long, and there are too many of them. but that's part of the point, I think. plus this is the height of CD era excess.
- a great example of how (for me at least) music is about curation more than virtuosity. so many good choices here.
- dynamic and thrilling mixing here, mashing together different fidelities, and exaggerating different components across songs.

Verdict:
I was never a raver, but this makes for a terrific kitchen dance party.

Listen Again?
Probably not. The Brothers are represented best by the "Brotherhood" compilation, but this did increase my desire to revisit their other albums.

Heard Before?
Yup.

Notes:
- massive, glossy production crammed with overdubs. probably the style that suited Queen best.
- I forgot the inpressive extent to which Freddie tries on different vocal styles here.
- front to back silliness, but so many kinds of absurdity I can't help but admire it.
- all of the performances show absolute conviction, which is key to pulling off something this ridiculous.
- a monument to excess, but still keeps to a 43 minute runtime. musicians of the CD era failed to take note.

Verdict:
Certainly an essential release, with most of the charm in the deep cuts. Too much of everything, mostly in a good way.

Listen Again?
I just might. It's quite the experience.

Heard Before?
Yes yes yes.

Notes:
- over the years I've shifted my allegiance from "make lots of weird noise at once" to "make weird noise with lots of space". this fits the bill perfectly.
- the bass is a little lost, but everything else sounds raw, crisp and direct.
- they wrote better songs later, but never quite matched this feeling of odd metronomic discomfort.
- this album is a gift for people that usually hate rock lyrics.
- the world needs a new wave revival.

Verdict:
Both celebratory and menacing. Will you join my B52s tribute act? I play keyboards. I can lend you an outfit if need be.

Listen Again?
Yes yes yes.

Heard Before?
Yes.

Notes:
- unremarkable production that perfectly suits the material.
- lots of fun percussion parts.
- great piano work - my favorite part.
- someone needs to make a rap song from the outro of "Stray Cat Blues".
- I would watch an animated video for "Street Fighting Man" where the band was played by characters from Street Fighter 2.

Verdict:
An excellent rock and roll album about which I have no feelings.

Listen Again?
Not on purpose.

Heard Before?
Nope.

Notes:
- I'm happy to live in a world where vocals like this get coded as masculine. Oh lord, give me the voice of Curtis Mayfield.
- Was not expecting a full-bore gospel soul number. for me, a pleasant surprise.
- potentially the driest, most spacious production I've ever heard, perfectly fitting with arrangements that thrive on restraint.
- love the hand drums!
- seven patient, drawn out songs that nonetheless take on a wide variety of moods and themes. impressive.

Verdict:
Supremely soulful, yet not a note out of place. Tight but with serious flair, like some sweet 70s bell bottoms.

Listen Again?
Oh yeah. And I've already queued up Super Fly.

Heard Before?
Nope. I thought "Lust For Life" was the debut.

Notes:
- massively front-loaded. side two felt endless.
- rhythm section solid and interesting throughout, guitar work very uneven, synths used almost exclusively and pointlessly as pads.
- seriously, did Bowie just go home after side one?
- also, was side two recorded while Iggy was asleep?

Verdict:
Go directly to "Lust for Life". Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Listen Again?
Yes to the first two tracks, hard no to everything else.

Heard Before?
Yup.

Notes:
- subtle, gorgeous, highly varied production. and I'm always a sucker for the drum sounds of this era.
- these arrangements! even on the third time through there were surprises in structure and instrumentation. "Down to You" is a stunner.
- as far as songwriting, it's a grower, like virtually all her albums. not exactly hooky - every song is like a puzzle inside a maze.
- some odd sequencing - the two most similar songs stuck together on tracks 2&3, then unfortinately finishing with the brief and goofy (almost Andrews Sisters sounding) "Twisted".
- some of my favorite Joni vocals for sure, lots of swoops, and impressive use of her lower range.

Verdict:
Based on my memories, I was not expecting to give this a five. But today I got lost in it and didn't want to be found.

Listen Again?
I didn't think I needed to until I tried it again today. So yes, I will return.

Heard Before?
Yes, indeed.

Notes:
- nice to see a few token jazz albums on this list, although I'm guessing it will all be safe, predictable choices like this.
- that said, it really is a phenomenal album. five highly varied, complex, swinging and emotive compositions.
- the title track sounds labored, and I read that the recording had to be stitched together. makes sense, it's brutally tricky.
- more celesta everywhere! it's a gimmick, but a glorious one.
- the bass is unremarkable, the alto sax sometimes seems lost and Max Roach plays it safe except on the solos, but who cares? this is Monk's set and he nails it.
- even the comping is thrilling - I found myself ignoring a great Sonny Rollins solo just to pay attention.
- this version of "I surrender dear" is my favorite, and one of my top solo piano jazz ballads.

Verdict:
Easy to love. Compositionally innovative, while staying grounded in accessible solos. Put in on in the background at your peril.

Listen Again?
There's a lot of Monk to go through and a whole universe of jazz beyond. It's a rare album that I revisit and I'm not sure this is one, as good as it is.

Heard Before?
When it came out. I didn't really remember it.

Notes:
- tight grooves, classic beats. so many fun production details.
- fantastic array of guests and features.
- common varies his flow just enough to keep things moving and exciting.
- lots of dated, prejudiced lyrics that are best ignored.
- at the same time, a number of poetic moments and plenty of honest exploration of social issues. even occasional humor.
- like virtually every rap album of the time, too much filler, on both the song and album level.

Verdict:
I'm clearly not the target audience for this style of rap lyrics, but I could listen to these instrumentals all day.

Listen Again?
Not the whole thing, but I put some tracks on a rap playlist.

Heard Before?
Unfortunately.

Notes:
- 1990 pretending to be 1970, still listening in 2026? yuck.
- some nifty piano parts lurking behind the bland riffage.
- I love rock organ, but here it's only used to pad the mix. a sin.
- vocals sound much better when propped up by the backing singers.
- guitar solos are as plentiful as they are forgettable.

Verdict:
Elevator muzak for tailgate parties.

Listen Again?
Please no.

Heard Before?
Yup, but never deliberately.

Notes:
- the best thing about any CCR album is the short songs and brief total runtime.
- clear, dry recordings with a fantastic bass sound.
- vocals are as distinctive as ever, powerfully emotive even when the lyrics are awkward or pointless.
- rural sounds for city boys. nostalgia porn set to a jumpin' rhythm section.

Verdict:
Tight, energetic and occasionally fun. I just have a hard time understanding what these overplayed songs have to offer to anyone who's not stuck in 1969.

Listen Again?
I won't run away screaming if I hear it in the background somewhere.

Heard Before?
Nope.

Notes:
- lots of words, not many hooks.
- lovely synths, subtle drum grooves, lots of nifty bonus sounds.
- glassy production is pretty, but covers the album with a sameness that these songs don't deserve.
- vocals that cast a spell; I feel like Bjork was listening to this and taking notes.
- "Deeper Understanding" sounds like our current cultural moment.
- "This Woman's Work" is an ideal album closer. Powerful.

Verdict:
This deserves more time than I'm willing to give it. It lacks immediacy and while I can tell it's a grower, tomorrow I'm moving on to something else.

Listen Again?
Unsure, but I will certainly listen to some of her other albums.