Not as consistent as The Times, but definitely follows in the evolution of Bob Dylan's songwriting. I think his sense of humor is way sharper here than it was on Freewheelin', especially on Motorpsycho Nightmare which I think about way too often. Not every song on here is a classic, but it's still a very well-written and performed Dylan record with some amazing acoustic songs on it.

This album is sort of in a weird limbo where it's definitely avant-garde, but feels as if it has the rigid structuring of a traditional hard bop album. That's not a complaint by any means, it just makes this album all the more interesting. It's a consistent, fairly short jazz album that has the instrumental proficiency and rhythms of more traditional jazz, but a constant off-kilter dissonance that keeps you engaged.

This entire album is so buttery smooth from the singing to the instrumental performances. If Pulse Demon is on one end of the axis, this is on the opposite end.

God this is honestly so close to being a 100. Bob Dylan basically just refined everything that was good about Freewheelin' and discarded everything that didn't work. You have the beautiful melodies and soft finger-picked guitars of songs like One Too Many Mornings, and the hard-hitting political commentary of others like With God on Our Side. Almost every song on here is a classic, and it might be the peak of Dylan's acoustic era.

Sure it isn't reinventing the wheel as far as 50s Hard Bop goes, but it's a very no-bullshit album. So much fun to listen to and such a carefree tone that you'd have a hard time not enjoying it at least a little bit

I love the shit out of Pannonica and I Surrender, Dear, but the other songs on here just didn't connect with me personally. Idk, I definitely see the appeal, but I just don't see myself revisiting this a lot outside of those two songs. Still a pretty nice listen, just not extremely memorable for me.

I refuse to believe that one rumor that all the lyrics on this album were written an hour before recording, because the stories on here are what fucking make it. Obviously the instrumentals are fantastic too, but it's the whole package really of these hypnotic, off-kilter instrumentals with the deadpan spoken word poetry that never fails to get to me in some way or another. I don't think I'm freaked out by this album in the way it maybe intended for me to be, I more just feel immersed in this ... read more

Okay, it is technically "a jazz album structured as a ballet with big band influences," but just saying that barely scratches the surface of what this sounds like and why it's so special. This album sounds evil. It's loud and visceral like a lot of Mingus's earlier stuff, but it has a much heavier emphasis on buildup and payoff. The refrains sound slow and menacing, and the crescendos have all the satisfying cacophony of a great post-rock album. Yes there's an innate beauty that runs ... read more

I guess my controversial take is that there's a small handful of tracks on here I'm not a massive fan of, specifically the more comedic ones since I don't think Dylan's sense of humor was all that developed yet. Still, the songs on here that are good are great, and by far some of the best material not just of Bob Dylan's career, but in the folk genre in general.

Remember when that one rantsona youtuber made a whole video about how negative xp is the face of modern counterculture

While I'm not in love with every song on here, the energy radiating off this album is undeniable. It's an incredibly tight and fun performance that exemplifies James Brown's legendary stage presence.

In A Sentimental Mood is one of the greatest songs of all time, and My Little Brown Book is stunningly beautiful. Besides that, there's plenty of lovely little jazz tracks that play around with Duke Ellington's other-worldly piano style and John Coltrane's wild improvisations. I don't think it's one of Coltrane's best album's though, considering it's only 7 tracks and 2 or 3 of them are just pretty good. Still, a good album if you're trying to get into either artist.

My Favorite Things and Everytime We Say Goodbye are, without exaggeration, two of the most beautiful jazz recordings I've ever heard. In my opinion, the two other songs don't fully live up to that incredibly high standard, but both of them are still solid Bop-era Coltrane songs.

Nothing all that different from the other Miles Davis albums from this era, but another solid one nonetheless. If you're ever looking for some well-played and upbeat hard bop and cool jazz, you really can't go wrong with any late 50s Miles album.

Okay, let me explain. There are songs on here that I'd call perfect. All I Could Do Was Cry has quickly become one of my favorite songs of the 60s, and you can't deny how good of a singer Etta James is.

I just have the exact same issue with this album that I've already said about some other albums in this era of pop music. The songs that are good are great, but it's only 10 tracks, and 4 of them just aren't all that interesting to me.

For me, this is the first Miles Davis album that I reeaally connected with. Round About Midnight and Kind of Blue are both great albums, but they were more acquired tastes for me.
This though, with its intense performances, colorful arrangements, and emotive solos, is out of those three albums the one I think I'll be returning to the most.

It might not be as diverse or groundbreaking as some of Charles Mingus's most iconic albums, but holy shit this thing is banger city. I can't think of many jazz albums I'd say that about. The blues and gospel influences keep this feeling heavy and energetic throughout. Really the only track where the energy lacks a little for me is My Jelly Roll Soul, but then it gets picked up with the hardest song on the album to close out.

I feel like if you're a rock fan trying to get into jazz, this would ... read more

Apart from Syeeda's Song Flute, which is cool for a bit but I think overstays its welcome by the end, this is yet another great John Coltrane album. It may not have the same cohesion of a Blue Train, but it does have some of his best songs. The title track, Countdown, Naima, and Mr. P.C. are all fantastic, diverse pieces of music that prove on their own why John Coltrane was such a legendary artist.

That England line is overrated, we all know "let me educate ya, and I ain't talkin book" is the best line in this song

Definitely has some slightly rough spots, but you cannot tell me that Spend Your $$$ isn't an absolute banger. Also Portugal is one of the best indie pop songs of the 2010s and I will not debate you on it