neat while its on but thats about it. neat soundscapes here and there however that make it worth at least ONE curiosity listen

not enough to keep a listener engaged past surface level angst, glimpse of us is the only song worth remembering.

lost a lot of the grittiness and angst the debut album had in favor of a more melodic sound that tends to make for a homogenized assortment of overall passable tunes.

52->64
i've actually grown to enjoy a lot of the songs individually (animal i have become, never too late, get out alive, over and over, time of dying, & gone forever) to where the overall album listening experience has developed into a bit of a guilty pleasure. one that i unabashedly revel in.

the middle chunk of the album drags the rest of the experience down significantly but when it comes to delivering catchy and tuneful angst, this shit HITS. the lyrics tend to be incredibly basic at times but the vocal delivery and performances from the band more than make up for it.

guilty pleasure?...nah...maybe...

FAAAAAAAAAAME
supremely entertaining but lyrically, i find myself just kinda tuning what he's saying out to focus more on the musicality of it all. despite that, its still a record that has some standout moments and the PRODUCTION, that shit is stellar. really cool to hear bowie with backup vocalists too, gives the songs a unique flavor in his catalogue (aside from the obvious soul on display here lol). likely a record i wont return to often, nor will i cite it as one of his best, but for what ... read more

while it's not nearly as concise and finely crafted as Ziggy Stardust, this album jams hella hard! i love the atmosphere the record has, it immediately sets itself apart from his former projects (with the obvious dissipation of the Spiders from Mars being a large reason of course). some really dynamic instrumentation paired with Bowie's most ominous vocal delivery since TMWSTW. one of my personal favorite bowie releases!

lacks the reasoning i listen to a bowie record; just a bland covers record

not as big of the sonic palette on this project as i was with Pixel Bath but the maximalist take on radio pop/ballads makes for some really solid jams at times...and some odd choices.

the moment bowie became the icon we know him to be today; and the album is fully aware of that. Hunky Dory is an album about artistry and the ever evolving nature of imagination in the face of self-doubt. fully embracing the influences that form his creativity, Bowie once again shifted; shifting from the dark guitars of TMWSTW to bright shimmering pianos and orchestra! Because of this, the album exudes a warmth throughout that proves instantly captivating. Each song taking you through different ... read more

what LMAO

just kinda generic in comparison to the former Mars Volta releases. each listen proves to feel the same as the last and i find myself only gravitating toward the instrumentation, as the vocals from Cedric here are often times grating or just lack the charm he once provided.

damn, what the hell!

68 -> 78
the first listen of this album was definitely a shock coming from Frances the Mute. initially it felt as though it was severely lacking; songs abruptly shift/end into the next at times, some of the longer tracks would fail to keep me engaged throughout their runtime, and a far more subdued sound left me feeling a bit hollow by the end of my listening experience.
however, despite these flaws/inconsistencies, what i did not expect from this album was the replay value! the full ... read more

mind-numbing and tiresome, The Bedlam in Goliath severely lacks in many of the interesting song ideas that were littered across their prior records and instead showcases a band's loss of identity and charm in favor of a muddy, unrelenting mess.

also whoever mixed this album is a menace.

took what i loved about De-Loused in the Comatorium and pushed it even further. the experimentation with different soundscapes and sonic progressions, as well as tying it back to their latin roots with the stellar array of instrumentation that leads to one of the most cinematic albums of all time; detailing the tragic story of identity, and the simultaneous loss and discovery of it through the events that make up your life.

stunning tribute to/and interpretation of Jeremy Ward's mind, through it's immense overflowing creativity and dedication to the music. the amount of skill being displayed here is magic to behold, whether it's Flea's bass playing, Cedric's vocals, or even Rick Rubin's ability to maintain a lush soundscape while maintaining a focus on the music.

what a brilliantly dark artistic statement! to see how self aware he was at this point in his career, and the way he communicates that through the music; whether it be the title track that is so brilliantly constructed head to toe or the opener The Width of a Circle, immediately setting the almost otherworldliness present throughout the album. the downfall of this album ultimately comes down to some of the songs falling to the wayside in the presence of some of the more ambitious cuts.

much MUCH better than his debut, yet still falls a bit short; this album does a great job of showcasing bowie's ambitions going forward.

david bowie elevator music.

seriously though, this album is severely lacking in the creativity he would go on to showcase with the rest of his career. honestly worth not even listening to, it's THAT nonessential.

transcends the game it derives from and stands alone as a lush, melancholic soundscape; exploring the pathos of a woman who has lost her voice in a city that has both it's citizens and identity gradually deteriorate away.

so good, it was the soundtrack was what got me to play the game to begin with.