Reviews by zoobee20

This album is not overrated. It really might be one of the best albums ever made. A political statement that feels as relevant today as it was back then. The transitions between songs especially the one between God Is Love and Mercy Mercy Me are great.

Definitely not my favorite wu-tang solo album, but the production is still good and the flow is there. Method Man just never really seemed like the one to carry a whole album. Favorites were Bring The Pain, Meth Vs. Chef, Release Yo’ Delf, and Mr. Sandman.

This one does a great job conveying that jazz-rock sound with the brass instrumentation. Much like Chicago but a little more Bluesy than I expect from them. The vocalist is entertaining too. The intro and outro are an interesting choice that I quite like. Favorites were More And More, Spinning Wheel, You’ve Made Me So Happy, and Blues, Pt. 2.

Fairly similar to At Folsom Prison. Good banter between songs and I like that he played San Quentin twice in a row. A like country music when it tells a story and Johnny Cash is a great storyteller. Favorites were Wanted Man, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue, and Folsom Prison Blues.

I appreciate this project for making me listen to so much trip-hop that I probably would not have listened to on my own. This one is very interesting. It creates a darker vibe when compared to the likes of Blue Lines. Some of these songs aren’t winners, but I liked listening. His rapping style combined with the vocals create an interesting dynamic. Favorites were Black Steel, Aftermath, and Brand New You’re Retro.

This felt less fully formed as an album than just a live recording of a concert. It sounds like it would be a good time and the jamming was pretty good, but as an album experience it was relatively weak. The Who Do You Love Suite had both good and meh moments. When You Love and Which Do You Love I really liked, but I didn’t care for Where You Love.

This sort of wonky indie rock is fun to me but not much more than that. I think I have maybe heard of this band before but had never given them a listen. The drums consistently sound really good. Favorite songs were Hail Bop, Firewater, Wor, and Life’s A Beach.

Seeing this listed as another sophisti-pop album did not set my hopes very high. I was pleasantly surprised…for the first half. They decided to make one half of a really great album and then made the second half not that. Favorites were Faron Young, Bonny, When Love Breaks Down, and Goodbye Lucille #1.

It’s a perfectly fine country rock album with some synths thrown in. Not something I would be rushing to revisit. Favorites were Boxcars, Jericho, and Fingernails

Nick Drake’s voice and lyrics are about as good here as they were on Five Leaves Left. This one features more instrumentation behind him. I think the simplicity suited him a little better and think I prefer his prior effort. Still very good. Favorites here are Hazey Jane II, One Of These Things First, Hazey Jane I, and Northern Sky.

Another artist and album I was completely unfamiliar with. I think this album starts off really good with the first three songs being highlights. Unfortunately, after that it doesn’t really hold my attention as well. The vocals are good, but the instrumentals are not super adventurous. The intro to Valley reminds me of Telephone Line by ELO. Favorite songs were H>A>K and Modern Kosmology.

Many people consider this the best LCD Soundsystem album. They might be right. I’m not one of those people however. It’s funny that the two albums representing the band on the list are not the two I would choose. This Is Happening and the debut are some of my favorite albums of this century so it’s hard to compete. I also can’t help but think that Us V Them somewhat sounds like the Home Depot theme. The layers here deserve to be listened to.

This rips. I know I really like an album when I am a little over halfway through and have added nearly every song to my playlist. And then they throw a Reggae song in there with Police & Thieves? Just a really fun album.

Love him or hate him Eric Clapton most definitely warrants inclusion on the list. His guitar playing is great and some of these songs are pretty good. The Bob Marley cover is not as good as the original. Favorites were Motherless Children, I Shot The Sheriff, I Can’t Hold Out, and Let It Grow.

I get it now. This is fantastic. The lyrics are less explicitly political and more stream of consciousness and abstract. The usage of more electric instrumentation on the first half with the longer more acoustic songs on the second really works. His vocal performance on It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue is fantastic.

Usually I try to judge an album on its own merits and mostly ignore the story behind them. This one makes that very difficult. After listening to this I went back and listened to Smiley Smile and then went and listened to the Smiley Sessions compilation album before returning to this one again. You can definitely tell that his voice has aged forty years in this one, but it’s still pretty good. It flows as one cohesive piece more than an album with separate songs. This is helped by the callbacks and allusions to future songs in the track list. This album is really great as an idea, but the presence of the other Beach Boys makes the later compilation a better experience overall. Favorite songs were Our Prayer / Gee, Heroes And Villains, Child Is Father Of The Man, Vega-Tables, Wind Chimes, and Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow.

One thing about Beyoncé that you can always count on is her albums always sound very well produced and polished. Probably a side effect of having many of the best producers in the business at her disposal. Her voice is good and the songs are pretty good, but the inclusion of this album over Lemonade baffles me. This one is also just a touch on the long side. Highlights are Pretty Hurts, Drunk In Love, XO, and Superpower.

Dude…… I’ve never heard any Genesis from before their more pop-centric material. What a wild first listen this was. The kind of 70’s prog noodling that appeals to me exactly. The piano on Firth of Fifth and the long solo on The Cinema Show were high points.

Just consistently good chill vibes. Like a soundtrack to a really good movie. Favorite songs were La Femme D’argent, Sexy Boy, You Make It Easy, and Ce Matin-la.

This one is really pleasant to listen to. His voice is great and the simplicity of just him and his guitar really adds to the homemade feel. The instrumental tracks do a good job segmenting the album. Reminded me of Nick Drake. Favorite songs were Smokey River, I Have No Time, Needle Of Death, Running From Home, and Angie.