IDM-duo legends Autechre come through with a debut that is primarily awkward despite its hints at the electronic glitch-ambient mastery the duo would soon attain. That said, Bike is classic IDM all the way. Even robots have growing pains it seems
I definitely think TFS' debut is the considerably more forward thinking experimental-psych-art-punk project, though there's still plenty of fun to be had here. Liddiard's drunken ramblings are inherently enjoyable for any bizarro-punk fan
Unkempt like KGLW and reverent like Nick Cave. That opener is something *else*, and though it outshines the rest of the record there’s still a super heady psychedelic haze to everything that makes this a particularly ‘out-there’ debut
The opener and Eyes Without Face are truly some of the best New Wave/80s Pop tracks ever conceived, so it’s unfortunate that the bulk of the remainder here is such bog-standard synth-soaked pop
If we’re talking the best of truly classic Ragtime piano, Art Tatum is *the* guy. Nearly fully blind, the man’s piano skills are without exaggeration some of the sharpest and best in human history. Tiger Rag in particular may take the honor as most impressive piano piece ever recorded. The pinnacle of early Stride + Piano Ragtime
The production here is really pleasant across the board- but the writing and vocals together do *not* mesh well for me, it leaves the whole thing sounding so schlocky
Mob Rules has a lot of the same makings of Sabbath's first Dio-led record, just with significantly less flair (from both Dio vocally and the instrumentation otherwise) despite the general sound here being 'solid'. The title track is solid however
EDIT: 83->90
It's definitely an adjustment to hear a Sabbath classic without Ozzy leading the charge, but Dio quickly quells your fears with his immediately commandeering vocals and presence- not to mention the rest of the gang here is in absolutely top form
EDIT: 80->88
It’s the weakest of Sabbath’s classic six-run (mainly on account of the back half here being the weakest spot of the Sabbath discography to this point), but the highs here are *high*. Hole in the Sky, Symptom of the Universe, and Megalomania all three could go head-to-head with the highlights on any other Sabbath classic
Apart from Sabbath’s big-six run, this is as classic Ozzy as you could ever get. There’s a perfect mix of witty rockers mixed in with genuinely heartfelt balladry. His best solo effort, with many of these songs going toe-to-toe with some of his strongest in-Sabbath work
Definitely a step (several, really) down in quality from Ozzy's first solo ventures, but it's still perfectly enjoyable for any fans of Ozzy-rock. The title track is a bonafide classic
Ozzy's second solo-offering is another raucous, highly enjoyable and immediate venture from the Madman himself. Ozzy's solo records are perhaps most valuable for their unfiltered displays of Ozzy's inherently charming and playful personality, which rarely shines through on most Sabbath recordings
While he’d been exiled from Sabbath heading into the 80s, Ozzy didn’t miss a step in continuing to cement his reign as the Prince of Darkness. With legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads at his side, Ozzy released his solo debut, a record that may not be *all* hits, but is all pure Ozzy. Crazy Train and Mr Crowley steal the show for most here, but I’m also partial to the opener and Goodbye to Romance in particular
A ruminative reflection on where Callahan is at in his titular 58th year, with a peek into the man’s prognosis on himself, his writing, and the shifting landscape around him. Musically it’s far from his best, Smog or no, but there is still a lot to be gleamed here for long-time fans of Callahan and his long-drawl style
It's 'Pop' music certainly, but the 'Soul' part is passing me by... Bruno Mars really does have one of the best voices in modern Pop but seems essentially incapable of using it for genuinely moving/artistically compelling music (unless there's another, far more creative artist at the helm with him ofc)
Likely Mitski’s most subtle record to date. She’s always written in a style that feels cryptically haunting- but here, you really have to dig. I think production wise is where this record slacks just a bit and what holds it back from really standing beside some of her records as an all-time classic, but the highs here (Where’s My Phone, Instead of Here, I’ll Change for You, Lightning) are career highlights no question
Gorillaz manage to miraculously re-gain the child-like spark that made Plastic Beach feel like the perfect childhood with The Mountain. Don’t worry- this isn’t a retread, but instead a maturation doused in whimsy. The Hindustani Classic elements are, in a word- mesmerizing. Right from the genuinely breath-taking opener, it’s clear Albarn was set to release Gorillaz’ most fully-formed and complete release in sixteen years. Lush and rife with creativity (and features, per ... read more
Prodigy’s best record by a country mile. The energy is off the *charts*, in a way that feels both forward thinking and experimental without feeling too untamed a la their prior projects. I could do without the occasional rapping spurts but otherwise that crab can boogie damn it
Definitely prefer this over the debut on account of a lot of these beats sounding more fully formed- still no Fat of the Land though
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On Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine of Love
"@Shayden 100% agree, it’s a throwback record done right"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 yeah I def get what you mean. Pac’s cadence and energy is so infectious for me I was able to look past the production being relatively ‘one-note’, even though like you said it is excellent production. That’s an excellent analogy"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 that's a fair critique, I will say flow is not Pac's strongsuit, though a lot of people would probably disagree with that. The production is pretty much perfect here imo but it is definitely uniform across the record so I could see it growing stale if G-Funk adjacent stuff isn't as much your bag"
On David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity]
"@usur_disc350 I’ll admit I’ve not revisited this much at all in the last couple years, but I’ll definitely stand by it having several great cuts beyond the title track"
On usur_disc350's review of McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
"Honestly, really well put. I still have this rated pretty highly but I'd say I feel similarly, there's a sheen over this style of 'indie rap' that's starting to feel like the sheen that's covered a large bulk of indie rock the past decade (post-Mac if you will), it's a sheen of homogenization. Hadn't really put much thought to it until now but I think this absolutely hits the nail on the head, and is probably why despite there being so much 'good' hip-hop nowadays, the bulk of it feels like one big swirl of sameness. Excellent take"
On susquatch - Water Plant
"@Rileone it is yeah but it’s also definitely math rock too"
On Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. - The King & I
"@TheTrillTrolla that’s actually very informative, thank you!"
On Doofy's review of The The - Infected
"I prefer Soul Mining a shade, but I’ll agree that this record should be considered as far closer in quality than most. Nearly everything that makes Soul Mining so excellent is found here too, excellent production and songwriting especially"
On Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
"@HomeSession3 holy shit what a story! Thank you for sharing, that certainly sounds like one of those life-defining moments, for you and Roach. Live Jazz may be the definitive form of live performing for the reasons you said- it makes the frail jolt to life"
On My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe
"@Trazyn I hate saying ‘annoying’ bc that’s reductive, there are def moments where the lyricism along with the vocal style felt really contrived and grating to me though. Overall it’s certainly not an ‘annoying’ album, just nothing particularly new for Windmill. I would say I’m annoyed with the windmill scene in general nowadays"
On Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
"@Litebill931 thank you much! I have to stop myself from over-writing a lot of the time lol"
On π©πππππππΆππ's review of Slayyyter - WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
"First review of this project that’s really made me want to check it out- seriously excellent write-up"
On XTC - Drums and Wires
"@sher12308 you’re totally right! Major goof on my part, I’ll edit that, appreciate the call-out"
On King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
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On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 yeah for sure! I appreciate the compliment! Jeff Buckley is a perfect example of why 90s rock really shouldn’t be funneled into those two ‘categories’ I listed because he blends so many styles and sounds (a major reason why Grace is one of the most majestic albums of all time). I’m the same as you in that there’s very little I truly dislike that I listen to- it makes it a lot easier to be encouraged to check out more stuff! Let me know when you’ve got those reviews typed out, I’d love to check em out!"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"Sorry for the long winded answer, hope that helps! If you need help finding some specific bands lmk too and I can try and throw you some based on what you currently rock with π€"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"The other main strain in my mind is Slacker Rock (the kind I tend to prefer a bit). This is your Pavements, Built to Spills, Weezers, etc. This style of rock tended to ‘look forward’ whereas grunge took influence from a lot of its contemporaries in many ways.
In terms of what I’d do for a deep dive now- honestly, I’d determine which strain you like more and start with the big bands before digging deeper, maybe even trying out some of the influences/ similar bands. For instance, if you really fw Weezer I’d recommend other Geek/Wacky Rock bands like Cake or Grandaddy. Same goes for, say, AIC- you could check out other alternative metal bands for instance."
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 for sure! I went on a pretty big 90s rock binge a couple years back and it’s definitely a vast canyon. This is a wildly simplified answer, but imo there are two *main* streams of 90s rock. The first is what most people think of , being Grunge. These are your Nirvanas and Pearl Jams and basically what the average person will probably think of when they think of ‘90s rock’- and it’s great! Grunge pulls a lot from heavier influences depending on the band, such as Punk and Noise Rock for Nirvana or even Metal with bands like Alice In Chains."
On The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
"@Zubb autism + long commutes to work goes a long way lmao"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you so much! It’s become something of a passion of mine for sure. The kind words go a long way, I’d love to have my own site or something one day"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne no I’m not, it’s funny you ask because in high school I had plans to maybe become a writer but it never panned out"
On Johnny Blue Skies - Mutiny After Midnight
"Unless you find a rip somewhere or dish out thirty bucks it’s impossible for the time being unfortunately, it is an absolute blast of a record though no doubt, one of his best easily"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you much! I have fun with them lol"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby that does look interesting, I’ll try and get to it later today, thanks again for all the recs! You’re the Zappa guy so it’s been helpful as a total Zappa novice"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby honestly, having sampled a handful of tracks from his studio records to follow from here I think I’m going to bow out for the time being on his discography, I’d prefer to end it on a high note. Someday I’ll eventually go the whole distance but I think I’d honestly just get burned out going through a series of just messy subpar records tbh"
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