Very much first impressions, I liked this. There are some really well written tracks, that I'm sure will grow on me even more. Although the singles are all good, and I like them all I think some of the other tracks are better (with the exception of Venus in the Zinnia which is one the strongest on the record.
Sparks - Kimono House
Album Rating (8.35)
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us (8.7)
2. Equator (8.4)
3. Here In Heaven (8.4)
Thoughts.
As expected, this is definitely the strongest Sparks so far. I think it reaches the highest so far, and is the most consistent. That being said, I do think I rated some tracks off A Woofer In Tweeters Clothing too low (Moon Over Kentucky and Nothing Is Sacred should probably be around a 9).
This Town Ain’t ... read more
Sparks - A Woofer In Tweeters Clothing
Album Rating (8.17)
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
Moon Over Kentucky (8.4)
Nothing Is Sacred (8.3)
Whippings And Apologies (8.3)
Thoughts.
After listening all the way through twice and hearing some of the songs on my playlist, I have to say this is a strong sophomore album. I'd probably say it's better than their debut, as it's quite a bit more consistent. The highs are slightly higher and more frequent. That being said, the difference ... read more
Superorganism - Superorganism (8.6)
Top 3 Favourite Tracks.
1. Something For Your M.I.N.D. (9.1)
2. Night Time (9.0)
3. Everybody Wants To Be Famous (8.8)
I really like this album. It’s fun, catchy, quirky yet in places that can feel rather emotional. The use of sound effects is really unique and helps the group stand out amongst the indie sound of the 2010s. On the topic of the sound effects, I feel they tread a fine line between complementing the songs and ruining them, fortunately ... read more
Sparks/Halfnelson - Sparks/Halfnelson (1971)
Album Rating (8.01)
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. Big Bands (8.2)
2. Fletcher Honorama (8.2)
3. Slowboat (8.1)
Thoughts.
So about a month ago I started getting into This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Us (the only Sparks song I knew), and had the idea to listen to the band’s discography one album a month, and review, rate and rank the albums on here (having never heard any of their albums before and only knowing one song). So here ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 85
Cat Stevens - Teaser and the Firecat (8.50)
Favourite Tracks
1. Morning Has Broken (8.8)
2. Moonshadow (8.8)
3. The Wind (8.8)
Teaser and the Firecat is an incredibly strong record from Yusuf/Cat Stevens and definitely competes for his best album with Tea For The Tillerman. His songwriting is as good as ever as are the beautiful instrumentations. However, I think what might give Tea For The Tillerman a slight edge is that the lows are higher. That being said, even ... read more
Every Album I’ve Listened To In 2025 (First Half) Ranked
No. 49
Sisters Of Mercy - First And Last And Always (8.18)
Favourite Tracks
1. Possession (8.5)
2. Marian (8.5)
3. Black Planet (8.3)
Thoughts.
This is an excellent goth rock album. It has a dramatic, dark atmosphere. You can definitely see an influence from Joy Division on said atmosphere. I really like the production on this album, spacious vocals, ominous guitars, and generally reverb heavy soundscapes.
Black Planet is a ... read more
Every Album I’ve Listened To In 2025 (First Half)
No. 50
Jackson Browne - For Everyman (8.13)
Favourite Tracks
1. These Days (8.4)
2. Colours Of The Sun (8.4)
3. Sing My Songs To Me (8.3)
Thoughts.
This is a really nice, relaxing album. The instrumentals are soft and delicate, the song writing is of a very good standard, as are Jackson Browne’s vocals. It’s what you want from a folk-rock, country, easy listening album.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the ... read more
Every Album I’ve Listened To In 2025 Part 1 Ranked
No. 123
Simple Minds - Reel To Real Cacophony (7.3)
Favourite Tracks
1. Calling Your Name (8.1)
2. Premonition (7.5)
3. Scar (7.5)
This was a tale of the two sides. The first side (the first 7 tracks) isn’t bad by any means, but is rather forgettable and can be somewhat ‘’I am in loco parentis. I am the last remaining contestant on the apprentice’’. The second side is a lot more enjoyable, and pretty ... read more
Every Album Listened To In 2025 Part 1 Ranked
No. 124
Tommy James and the Shondells - Hanky Panky (6.95)
Favourite Tracks
1. I’ll Go Crazy (7.7)
2. I’m So Proud (7.7)
3. Cleo’s Mood (7.5)
After a re-listen I have to say, this should have absolutely been below the Pretty Things debut. This album is a pretty bizarre listen. At some points it’s incredibly corny with tracks like Hanky Panky and Lots Of Pretty Girls, at others it sounds cool with tracks like ... read more
Every Album Listened To In 2025 Part 1 Ranked
No. 125
The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things (7.09)
Favourite Tracks
1. Roadrunner (7.7)
2. Judgement Day (7.6)
3. Honey I Need (7.1)
This is the first album in a new series. I have recently ranked every album I listened to in the first 6 months of 2025 and will now relisten and review each one. The first is the self-titled debut album from British garage/psychedelic rock band The Pretty Things, and of the two genres I listed, this record ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 86
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds 8.80
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. Wouldn’t It Be Nice (9.4)
2. God Only Knows (9.1)
3. Caroline No (9.0)
So two things have happened since I made this list. One, this album has grown on me a lot. I’ve always really liked this record but in the last month or two this has become one of my favourites. Two, Brian Wilson sadly passed away at the age of 82. It’s hard to say something unique about this album, and hard to talk ... read more
The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday (7.81)
After a first listen, this is a solid effort from the folk rock band. I feel like the song writing and psychedelic elements were better on their previous album Fifth Dimension from the year before. With that being said it might grown on me after further listens
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 87
T.Rex - Electric Warrior
Top 3 Favourite Tracks 8.45
1. Get It On (8.8)
2. Jeepster (8.6)
3. Cosmic Dancer (8.6)
T.Rex as a band, and this album takes many of the same influences as their contemporaries like Led Zeppelin and The Who. All three bands have roots in blues, rock ‘n’ roll and (although not as much with The Who) folk. However each of them produce entirely different sounds. T.Rex, who recently had great success with singles ‘Ride A White ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 88
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter 8.50
Top 3 Favourite Track
1. Northern Sky (8.7)
2. One Of These Things First (8.6)
3. At A Chime Of A City Clock (8.6)
Thoughts.
Bryter Layter is a standout album from Nick Drake. This was a very interesting change in direction from Nick Drake’s debut, the way it blends folk with jazz, rock and soul sounds seamless and incredibly sophisticated. I love the instrumentations of this album, each track sounds fantastic. The ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 89
Paul Simon - Paul Simon 8.37
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. Duncan (8.7)
2. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (8.7)
3. Mother and Child Reunion (8.4)
Following up an album as momentous as Bridge Over Troubled Water was never going to be easy. Often bands/artists will take sonic a left turn and explore a new style. The Beatles followed up Peppers with The White Album, Arctic Monkeys followed up AM with Tranquillity Based Hotel & Casino, even Led Zeppelin went in a ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 90
Kate Bush - Lionheart 8.49
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. Hammer Horror (8.7)
2. Coffee Homeground (8.7)
3. Full House (8.6)
If you ask me, which admittedly no one has, this is a very underrated album. Although I have to say I do prefer the Kick Inside, this still has some incredibly strong songwriting from Kate Bush. This is effectively her equivalent of The Doors’ Strange Days with many of the tracks written before her debut had come out. Kate's use of ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
Honourable Mention.
(For every 10th album that I review while I go through my top 100 albums I shall review 2 albums that didn’t quite make my top 100 starting with 120 and 119)
No. 119
Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality 8.43
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. Solitude (8.7)
2. Sweet Leaf (8.5)
3. Children Of The Grave (8.5)
Master Of Reality is a great album, and one of Black Sabbath’s best. It gives you everything you want with a Black Sabbath album, amazing catchy ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
Honourable Mentions.
(For every 10th album that I review while going through my top 100 albums I shall review 2 albums that didn’t quite make my top 100 starting with 120 and 119)
No. 120
Paul McCartney - McCartney 8.29
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. Maybe I’m Amazed (8.9)
2. Every Night (8.6)
3. Junk (8.6)
Similarly to my initial problem with Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band when I first heard that, my issue with McCartney after my first ever listen was that it ... read more
TOP 100 ALBUMS
No. 91
The La’s - The La’s 8.35
Top 3 Favourite Tracks
1. There She Goes (8.9)
2. Looking Glass (8.6)
3. Doledrum (8.6)
For me The La’s debut album is so much more than just There She Goes, it’s a record full of catchy, well written, skiffle style indie rock songs that sounds like the early Beatles with some influence from The Smiths perhaps. Sadly it was an album that was never followed up, in fact lead vocalist and songwriter Lee Mavers has never ... read more
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