Reviews by zmzamarripa

There is absolutely no reason why you need to listen to this before you die.
This isnt bad but it isnt particularly good as a complete work either, couple of decent songs sprinkled in.
I wish a 2.5 was possible.

I honestly believe this is a perfect album. Even the one complaint someone could through at it (Octopus's Garden) brings needed levity. The singles are classics for a reason and the 2nd half suite flows like the coming and going of the tides, storms, clear skies and all.

If I could only have 10 albums to listen to for the rest of my life this makes the list without hesitation.

Easiest 5 stars I have encountered on this journey.

Music reviews are a wierd thing. How does one gauge someone elses art? I see a lot of reviews on here talking about how something being influential is incredibly important or how it is critically admired and using those metrics to influence their own review. Often times I see people write a review of something they clearly did not like but 4 or 5 star it based on other peoples opinions....
Poppycock, these reviews are MY opinions based on what I just listened to and what it made me feel/think and in this case this shits boring. I hope whomever this influenced they made something better. This isnt bad by any measure, its just boring.

This isnt bad it just isnt for me.
I listen to plenty of "shitty" vocalists but this one doesnt do anything for me. Some interesting beats and guitar parts scattered about, eh.

The best track is an instrumental, which says a lot about the vocals on this. Interesting ideas in some of the songs could have really used another member with vision to hone these in or at least a producer that was... nevermind, self produced. Explains quite a bit about this.

This is exactly the kind of mid tier crap music critics will try to convince you is whatever buzzwords might convince some reader they should try harder to "get it".

I dont care that Kurt Cobain loved them so Im not going to pretend its better than what it is.

I gave this an honest listen, 3 times.

I am convinced that a young Bob Dylan witnessed a record executive murder a child in an alley and his music career was manufactured by powerful people to keep it quiet.

Hopefully this is the last Dylan record on this list as it feels like I have heard 18 of these piles of shit already.

I understand this will be an unpopular take but here we go.

Greatest hits compilations were made for groups like Queen and this album as well as their entire discography is proof of that. Wildly uneven songs that range from absolute brilliance to WTF with so so songs that usually have a brief section teasing the above brilliance sprinkled in between.

To each their own.... three quarters of the album drag the 4 star songs down to a 2.75.

I get why people are into this, genres like this would exist if there werent an audience for it.

I am not that audience.

This is simultaneously too much and not enough.
Nothing about this makes me want to listen to it more than the 3 spins I gave it and yet.... nothing about it makes me dislike it either.

This is the epitome of "welp, this exists."

Look, I am going to be upfront and honest about this review.......
I HATE Blood, Sweat & Tears. I hate that guys voice.
Is this a fair rating? Maybe not but they are my reviews based on how I feel about them. 2 stars and thats being generous. This is one of the few popular bands I will actually get up instantly to turn off.

Hard, intricate, progressive, abrasive.....
I 100% see why this would be on a list like this. Perhaps it clicks with you or opens a new door musically you didn't know existed. I can see how this was a precursor to a scene that would develop and become something almost entirely different and way more popular.
I SHOULD love this. I don't. This has the same problem a lot of the hardcore, post hardcore, emocore, etc have: horrible vocals.

This is a prime example of why there should be half stars or be a 10 point system. This isn't bad yet I don't think its good either. 2 would imply its bad and 3 would mean its good.
2.5

OOOOHHHHH, I'm always happy to listen to something I'm not familiar with. Lets take notes
Genesis Hall: If this had damn near any other vocalist this would be incredible. LOVE the guitar and drum work in this. Ugh, that voice.
Si tu dois partir: Thats an abrupt turn and I don't like it. 2:18 is way too long for this to go on.
Autopsy: Another abrupt turn, for the the better this time. I like the time changes and how clean this recording sounds. Lyrically weak and the recurring theme of I don't care for Sandy Denny's warbling nor her tone.
A Sailor's Life: As a fan of long songs with large instrumental passages it pains me to say this is about 6 minutes too long. The good news is I would cut out the parts that have vocals and just keep this a fun jam instrumental.
Cajun Woman: Lets stick to the possitives for this song. This drummer is pretty damn good. Ol Sandy isn't warbling in this, I wish she would use this singing style for the previous songs. This song it thankfully short.
Who Knows Where The Time Goes?: Nice little song, I wish almost anyone else other than Sandy Denny was singing this.
Percy's Song: This sounds like a Bob Dylan song. Looked it up, it is. I mean, its not bad.
Million Dollar Bash: The good news is there is at least a small bit of escaping Sandy Denny warbling throughout all the verses. The bad news is shes painted all over the chorus and one of the verses, oh and the male vocalist blows. This may actually be the worst song so far.
Dear Landlord: I lied, its this one. I am honestly shocked to find that people truly enjoy her voice.
The Ballad Of Easy Rider: UGH.

Apparently I listened to the Bonus Track Edition. I really wish I hadn't.

Suffice it to say I didn't care for this. There is clearly tallent within this band. This almost feels like a parody of someone going for the crazy warble style female lead singer in a bad comedy movie just with a fantastic backing band.

That being said other than the vocals this isn't bad at all. Even for the time frame its recorded quite well.
3 stars.

This is really nice, I dont know that I needed to hear it before I die but its really nice.

underwhelming as all get out.

Here in the US there is a specific age range (45-55) that more than likely owns this on some CD somewhere, either the real deal or ripped from an MP3. Most of these people don't know where this CD is and forgot they owned it about 20 years ago. People on either side of that specific age range have never heard this and somehow that encapsulates this.

This is nice, at the time it reintroduced the soul baring acoustic guitar guy that had gone extinct for a bit.

3 almost 4 star album (and yes, I own my original copy still).

TO ME this sounds like an unfinished demo that desperately needs more layers and to be handed to an accomplished lead singer. I understand that for a lot of people the vocal style is what they are drawn to.
I would like to have a sit down with the person that thought this needs to be on a list of albums you need to hear before you die so they can explain exactly what about this I needed to hear. Melancholy synth/pop/folk? I've heard 20 artists on this list that do it better and 100 others that didn't make this list.
2.5, this exists and I am no better or worse from having heard it and never need to hear it again.

This is perhaps the most compelling work I have hear by Mr. Springsteen. That being said after a while it becomes quite repetitive. Guitar, mandolin, somber lyrics harmonica in between verses.
I honestly feel this works better as one off songs rather than sitting through what feels like a suite of closely related songs. Don't get me wrong, its good just.... after a while it feels like watching an actor trudge through the mud playing a role of the downtrodden. I don't feel like I ever want to purposely sit through its entirety ever again but I wouldn't be mad if the title track popped up in some random playlist every once in a great while.
4 stars

I LOVE Radiohead. Everything I love about music they do or have done and usually they find a way to mix it all together in some crazy way. The thoughtful arrangements that aren't quite standard in popular music but also aren't so far out in the field that it isn't accessible is something that always draws me back.
That being said... you don't need damn near their entire discography on a list like this. There is no reason to have 6 albums by Radiohead, 9 by David Bowie and for damn sure there is no reason to have 126 albums by Nick fucking Cave.
Solid 4 star album, btw.

I would really like to know what it is about this that warrants being on a list of 1001 albums you MUST listen to before you DIE.

I'm sure someone working with samples has sampled these samples, yay.

This is about as 2.5 as 2.5 can get.

Aside from some nice lyrics here and there I think the flat tire vocal delivery actually detracts from decent arrangements. It's not often I get to listen to what I would guess will be the most boring thing I have heard in months. If not for giving it an honest listen for this project I would have turned this off midway through the second song.