Lizโs Reviews
Stats
# of Reviews:
33
Average Review:
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Best-Reviewed Album:
Animals - Pink Floyd,
Figure 8 - Elliott Smith
Worst-Reviewed Album:
A Wizard / A True Star - Todd Rungren
Best-Reviewed Decades:
1950โs, 1990โs, 2000โs
Worst-Reviewed Decades:
1970โs, 1960โs, 1980โs
Best-Reviewed Genres:
Chamber Pop, Indie Folk, Acoustic Rock, Baggy, British Rhythm & Blues, Britpop, C86, Dream Pop, Grunge, Heartland Rock, Indie Pop, Jangle Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Noise Pop, Paisley Underground, Rhythm & Blues, Shoegaze, Space Rock Revival, Symphonic Rock
Worst-Reviewed Genres:
Blue-Eyed Soul, Electronic, Experimental Rock, Glam Rock, Space Age Pop, Zolo
Best-Reviewed Scenes:
Madchester,
East Coast Hip Hop,
Greenwich Village Scene
Worst-Reviewed Scenes:
Laurel Canyon Scene,
New Wave of British Heavy Metal,
Mod
Best-Reviewed Tags:
misanthropic, serious, pessimistic, depressive, abstract, angry, apathetic, hedonistic, philosophical, self-hatred
Worst-Reviewed Tags:
avant-garde, chaotic, manic, suite, rain, vocal group
Animals - Pink Floyd
Listen Party: 4/7/25
Released: 1977
Genres: Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock
Tags: political, philosophical, concept, album, pessimistic, sarcastic, progressive, satirical, male vocalist, angry, alienation, atmospheric, complex, passionate, misanthropic, protest, rebellious, conscious, urban, epic, existential, dark, psychedelic, anxious, bittersweet, dense
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album flew pigs into my heart.
Goddamn I love this album. This is, by far, the most familiar I have been with an album in this project to date; I've probably listened to Animals hundreds of times.
It is kind of an underrated/lesser known Pink Floyd album, but folks who like it LOVE it. It's me, I'm one of those folks. That being said, it did take a bit to grown on me when I first heard it in my teens, unlike the more well known "Dark Side", "The Wall", or โWish You Were Here" but having invested the time, there is a lot to love about these sprawling barnyard epics.
It's kind of hard to describe why I like Animals... it just puts me in a mood and gives me brain tinglies. I love the journey each song takes. I love the doubling of the guitar in Dogs that is a little off, or the weird off kilter synth in Pigs that sits in contrast to the straight ahead rhythm guitar. And Sheep! The intro is great and somehow pastoral in spite of the jazzy electric piano, but then once it gets going, I love how the vocals blend into the electric guitar.
It's weird listening again for this project and hearing how... monotone a lot of the vocals are, but the grooves are good, the sounds and textures and space are enveloping and I just sort of sink into this one.
All bookended perfectly with the two part Pigs on the Wing.
And who could forget that iconic album cover?
Figure 8 - Elliott Smith
Listen Party: 4/21/25
Released: 2000
Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Indie Pop, Chamber Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Folk
Tags: melancholic, melodic, bittersweet, male vocalist, lush, introspective, poetic, love, breakup, alienation, lonely, pessimistic, warm, eclectic, longing, self-hatred, sentimental, depressive, sad, urban, abstract, psychedelic, serious
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album made a figure 8 around my heart
I'm a fan of Elliot Smith and this album is fire. I'm much more familiar with his self titled release which is ever in rotation.
Figure 8 is super interesting comparatively. Given that it came out several years after the self titled album, like the trajectory of many discographies, the songs have gotten more produced and almost streamlined. Smith's signature vocals, guitar playing, and impeccable lyrics remain front and center however. Thankfully. I think this could easily be 'too much' and lose the soul at the core of Elliot Smith's work.
And goddamned the songwriting on this album is top tier. It feels like every song you can just keep sinking deeper and deeper into on each listen.
I really don't know why this album kind of passed me by, but I'm glad to have had a chance to dig in. For sure this will be in my rotation from now on.
Listen Party: 3/17/25
Released: 1988
Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Folk Rock, Folk Pop, Acoustic Rock, Heartland Rock
Tags: conscious, female vocalist, political, love, melancholic, sentimental, melodic, acoustic, passionate, androgynous vocals, protest, bittersweet, philosophical
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album self titled its way into my heart
Listening to this near perfect album last night was a straight up gut punch. What a masterpiece of a debut album from Tracy Chapman. From the very first track it was song after song of incredible lyrics with impeccable vocals delivered straight into my soul.
With songs touching on everything from heartbreak to poverty to race relations to policing to wealth inequality to domestic violence this album feels as important now as in 1987. Kicking off with "Talkin' Bout a Revolution", Chapman takes no quarter forcing you to sit up and confront what this album is going to be about. While "Fast Car" is obviously a standout and deserves all the accolades it has gotten, the stark delivery of "Behind the Wall" haunts me. The choice to not only have the song be entirely vocals with no backing, but to be mixed so incredibly dry, with little to no processing and reverb, is incredibly bold and makes the songs story impossible to ignore.
I've always liked Chapman's music, at least the songs I've heard, but this was the first time i listened to one of her albums fully. I've been missing out.
Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space - Spiritualized
Listen Party: 3/25/25
Released: 1997
Genres: Space Rock Revival, Art Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Dream Pop, Symphonic Rock, Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Blues Rock
Tags: drugs, lonely, melancholic, psychedelic, space, dense, romantic, atmospheric, male vocalist, eclectic, breakup, introspective, bittersweet, Wall of Sound, lush, love, sad, existential, hypnotic, longing, sentimental, alienation, epic, spiritual, melodic, ethereal, warm, depressive, soothing, poetic, progressive, mellow, surreal, noisy, cold
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
Ladies and Gentlemen, this album floated its way into the space of my heart.
Oh wow that was a treat! Never heard of this artist before but I'm glad it came up since that was a delightful album. Lots of good songs and the vibe changed up quite a bit. Love how a lot of the songs had a good rolling feel. I got a lot of pink floyd vibes from one of the songs that made me wonder if they were quoting some of David Gilmour's work.
Yeah I'm here for the vibes and the experimentation. Kind of surprised I hadn't heard of this album given my tastes in music.
Listen Party: 3/20/25
Released: 1989
Genres: Baggy, Jangle Pop, Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Britpop, C86, Paisley Underground
Scenes: Madchester
Tags: psychedelic, melodic, uplifting, energetic, male vocalist, playful, lush, summer, rhythmic, optimistic, love, ethereal, hypnotic, dense, anthemic, warm, atmospheric, boastful, bittersweet, drugs, romantic, poetic, sensual
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album rose its way into my heart.
I came in like a fresh spring daisy never having heard of the band let alone the album and was pleasantly surprised!
I put this album on while i was at work and was instantly transported into a land of "oh hell yeah!" While it's admittedly not the best listening experience, I found myself just grooving along with the music and took notice at several points.
After it ended I just came away with "Dangggg how have I never heard this before?!"
Hereโs Little Richard - Little Richard
Listen Party: 4/22/25
Released: 1957
Genres: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, New Orleans R&B
Tags: energetic, playful, passionate, party, male vocalist, happy, uplifting, raw, rhythmic, melodic, rebellious, sexual, hedonistic, love, anthemic, longing
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
Little Richard, here is my heart!
Bop bop a dooaah! this album rocks. I love this kind of music from this time period. It's so full of energy and joy and fun. Even though I only really knew Tutti Frutti, all the songs feel so family and like coming home.
I especially like the part where the keys go "junn jun junnn deedley deedly deee" and the sax goes "bwa bwwaa bwaaaaaaeeeeeee" and Little Richard goes "Whoo!"
MTV Unplugged in New York - Nirvana
Listen Party: 4/3/25
Released: 1994
Genres: Acoustic Rock, Alternative Rock, Grunge, Folk Rock
Tags: acoustic, male vocalist, melodic, melancholic, passionate, introspective, sombre, lonely, pessimistic, alienation, depressive, raw, bittersweet, anxious, lethargic, longing, mellow, death, apathetic, nocturnal
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album unplugged my heart.
I've been on and off again my entire life about whether or not I like Nirvana. When I was a young'n my brother had this album and Nevermind and being the younger sibling who looked up to her brother, I was a fan. Then I was a snobby kid and hated them because it wasn't Pink Floyd or something. Then I only thought they were famous because of Cobain's death. And then I respected them. And then I was kind of whatever. And then i felt pride in them after moving to Seattle.
This made me really want to go in with as open a mind as I could muster. And from the very first chords I was instantly back in my brothers room in our house in Michigan on a cd boombox listening to this album and singing along to Lake of Fire and being amazed at the weirdness of Polly and trying to figure out who Leadbelly was and why Cobain was giving it his all while singing Where Did You Sleep Last Night.
This album kind of rules. I kind of love how much of it is covers and I love just how raw it is for being grunge without (as many) electric guitars. It just cuts it down to that grit and emotion. I feel like it really demonstrates that grunge had a core identity to it that wasn't just loud trashy guitars and raucous drums. Like, yes, it's very much part of the sound, but strip that away and you are left with an amazing emotional album that still feels grunge at its core.
And the mix here is exactly what it needs to be: it balances everything well and lets Cobain's vocal delivery shine thru. It feels intimate but powerful. Great job.
Hot take: this is my favorite Nirvana album.
Listen Party: 3/24/25
Released: 1965
Genres: Pop Rock, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Folk Pop, British Rhythm & Blues
Tags: melodic, love, male vocalist, bittersweet, romantic, autumn, mellow, melancholic, eclectic, sentimental, introspective, longing, happy, warm, spring
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album rubbed its soul into my heart
I have always said this was my favorite Beatles album. I think its a fascinating study into such a transitional time for the band, and I love seeing the experimentation bubbling up and it really surprises me just how early this album is: 1965! Obviously much of their work went on to influence nearly the entire musical landscape and I think for many of my favorite bands, it starts here.
Standout tracks for me are "Norwegian Wood" because its perfection and in a bad way "Run For Your Life" because its pretty fucking creepy. Yikes John, yikes.
Good Old Boys - Randy Newman
Listen Party: 4/24/25
Released: 1974
Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Satire, Piano Rock, New Orleans R&B, Baroque Pop, Traditional Pop
Tags: satirical, concept album, conscious, political, sarcastic, male vocalist, history, love, melodic, self-hatred, hateful, bittersweet, humorous, poetic, longing, alcohol
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album let those good old boys into my heart.
What is surprising is hearing the "Toy Story" guy saying the N word. Whats more surprising is that it's biting satirical comedy about the nature of systemic oppression and hypocrisy of progressive areas and the maintaining of the school to prison pipeline. I'm not sure how to feel about a white man using that language while playing an obvious character, but damn if it isn't effective.
This kind of social commentary wasn't just limited to the one song, but ran throughout the album and I appreciated that. I had no idea that Randy Newman was THAT kind of song writer.
That being said, I don't think it's an album I'll really be revisiting simply because of the style of it. Glad I gave it a listen though.
Randy: you've definitely got a friend in me.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
Listen Party: 4/18/25
Released: 1986
Genres: Political Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Turntablism, Experimental Hip Hop
Scene: East Coast Hip Hop
Tags: political, angry, protest, sampling, raw, male vocalist, urban, conscious, dense, energetic, rebellious, noisy, rhythmic, violence, playful, boastful, passionate, anxious, aggressive, progressive, anthemic, hypnotic
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
It takes a nation of millions to hold onto my heart
I am pretty ignorant about most hiphop but this album felt like the Platonic Ideal of a rap album to me. I liked a lot of this album, especially when Chuck D was rapping. Not so much Flavor Flav's parts. I liked the songs that were more politically motivated and had something to say and I found myself grooving along with the songs. This album certainly feels like a classic. Night Of The Living Baseheads was a standout track to me.
This album does fall into one of my pet peeves and that is when songs just fade out instead of having a more definitive ending. I just kind of hate it almost always.
First Band on the Moon - The Cardigans
Listen Party: 4/16/25
Released: 1996
Genres: Indie Pop, Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Twee Pop, Neo-Acoustic, Lounge, Art Pop, Cocktail Nation
Tags: female vocalist, playful, bittersweet, longing, melodic, sentimental, sarcastic, love, sensual, introspective, sexual, eclectic, dark, energetic, quirky
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This was the first band in my heart
Oh man what a blast from the past! I'd obviously heard "Lovefool" before since it was everywhere at the time, but never a full album. What a delightful pop showing!
I found this album fun and enjoyable. Nina Persson's vocals have a great and wispy quality to it that shines throughout the album. I love her delivery on the cover of "Ironman" that almost sounds flirty and sultry. I would've never imagined I needed a Swedish pop cover of that song, but here we are.
Yeah I'm here for this album.
At Mister Kellyโs - Sarah Vaughan
Listen Party: 4/14/25
Released: 1957
Genres: Vocal Jazz, Standards
Tags: female vocalist, melodic, urban, longing, humorous, mellow, ballad, sensual, improvisation, nocturnal
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album is a mass in my heart
Oh man, this takes me back to living in the goth house, singing in to synths and gloomy vocals and over the topness. I love it. It makes me long for fall, and rainy nights, and candles, OH so many candles. And a little light blasphemy too.
This goth-y gooey new wave-y goodness always feels like it's so thick and lush but what kind of really blew my mind is how clear and transparent this album actually is giving what it feels like. I always expect this style of music to be ultra reverb-y and bass-y and layered such. And it has that character, but the mixing and arrangement are impeccable. You can hear every single instrument and ear candy synth flourish. In spite of the guitar and piano and synths and vocals and kick drum all being in similar frequency band. This is an incredible feat.
It's not solely mixing magic tho; Much is done in the arrangement. Vocals and synths often are in more of a call and response than a strict layering. When new percussive elements come in and built, often other drums will fall out. The sounds fit together in an elaborate sonic jigsaw puzzle.
With that as the foundation, and great mixing on top that doesn't push too far, and you are left with a fantastic sounding album.
Musically, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Ending with Pimpf is a fun choice to just go for a big sendoff. Time to hit repeat on this album and put on some dark eyeliner.
Music for the Masses - Depeche Mode
Listen Party: 4/11/25
Released: 1987
Genres: Synthpop, Darkwave, Electro-Industrial, Neoclassical Darkwave
Tags: male vocalist, atmospheric, cold, passionate, dark, melodic, rhythmic, sensual, romantic, nocturnal, sombre, melancholic, sexual, bittersweet, mechanical, longing, lush
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album is a mass in my heart
Oh man, this takes me back to living in the goth house, singing in to synths and gloomy vocals and over the topness. I love it. It makes me long for fall, and rainy nights, and candles, OH so many candles. And a little light blasphemy too.
This goth-y gooey new wave-y goodness always feels like it's so thick and lush but what kind of really blew my mind is how clear and transparent this album actually is giving what it feels like. I always expect this style of music to be ultra reverb-y and bass-y and layered such. And it has that character, but the mixing and arrangement are impeccable. You can hear every single instrument and ear candy synth flourish. In spite of the guitar and piano and synths and vocals and kick drum all being in similar frequency band. This is an incredible feat.
It's not solely mixing magic tho; Much is done in the arrangement. Vocals and synths often are in more of a call and response than a strict layering. When new percussive elements come in and built, often other drums will fall out. The sounds fit together in an elaborate sonic jigsaw puzzle.
With that as the foundation, and great mixing on top that doesn't push too far, and you are left with a fantastic sounding album.
Musically, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Ending with Pimpf is a fun choice to just go for a big sendoff. Time to hit repeat on this album and put on some dark eyeliner.
tHE sCORE - fUGEES
Listen Party: 4/8/25
Released: 1996
Genres: Conscious Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Neo-Soul, Reggae, Hip Hop Soul
Scene: East Coast Hip Hop
Tags: female vocalist, male vocalist, political, crime, conscious, introspective, boastful, urban, nocturnal, sampling, lush, rhythmic, melodic, passionate, drugs, lethargic
liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album scored my heart
I think this is a great collection of songs but is a bit lacking as an "album"
First off: holyshit the MUSIC on this album is fantastic. Thru and thru. I was familiar with the hits going in, but the rest of the songs are pretty damned great too. The acclaim The Score has garnered is completely warranted.
The themes and lyrics were potent. The music floors me with a lot of the reggae influence. And Lauryn Hill's vocals, oh my god. No wonder Killing Me Softly was the hit it was and still stands up. Another of those rare cases where the cover surpasses the original.
Where the album falls flat to me are the skits. The Chinese restaurant one in particular feels pretty dated and uncomfortable. And then there is the multiple versions of Fu-Gee-La. I not opposed to having multiple versions of a song on an album... many jazz albums do it... heck I've released multiple versions of my own songs, but I always have to ask myself "what is this adding to the work as a whole?" Is it doing something like bookending a la Floyd's pigs on the wing? (tho that is a bit more of a 2 part rather than multiple versions) Is it an indication of indecisiveness where the artist cant pick what the "definitive" version is? Is it a showcase for their friends? Is it marketing so they can jam pack a CD full of extra shit? Is it re-contextualizing a song and showing it in different light? Is it "we just want more of the song we know is a hit?" Is it "Liz doesn't understand hip hop and is an ignorant twat?"
Could be.
Could be.
Getz/Gilberto - Joรฃo Gilberto, Stan Getz
Listen Party: 3/31/25
Released: 1964
Genres: Bossa Nova, Samba-Jazz, Cool Jazz, Samba-Canรงรฃo
Tags: mellow, tropical, warm, soft, summer, romantic, peaceful, calm, soothing, male vocalist, acoustic, love, female vocalist, lush, bittersweet, longing, sentimental, sensual, happy, uplifting
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album getz its songs into my herto
I played in a jazz band in college and bossa was a big part of the repertoire so many of these songs are familiar to me only because I played them. It takes me back to that time of learning so much about music and playing so much.
This is quite a lovely album that just vibes its way thru. Great musicality and playing. The english verses on Girl from Ipanema are a treat. However, its a bit TOO chill for my tastes and it all started to just blend together and fade into the background. Not an album I'm going to reach for.
That being said: if I'm ever at a pool party in the summer sun with a fruity drink in my hand, I want this album in my ears.
Listen Party: 3/18/25
Released: 1990
Genres: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Surf Rock, Post-Punk
Tags: energetic, male vocalist, anxious, noisy, melodic, quirky, science fiction, warm, rhythmic, abstract, summer, love, female vocalist, psychedelic
Liz
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This album bossanova'ed its way into my heart
This is a delightful album packed with short snappy songs. I had a lot of fun listening to this album with it's distinctive "Pixies" sound, and its pretty solid the whole way thru. I was actually pretty surprised that the chorus of "Is She Weird" was in three bar phrases, which is pretty unusual for this style of music and gives it an off kilter and almost rushed feel. Kim Deal's bass lines are always a delight. While I had a good time, this album didn't really grab me or take me places. It's good. But not great.
A perfect album to put on for a road trip.
Listen Party: 3/13/25
Released: 1963
Genres: Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Acoustic Blues, Talking Blues
Scenes: Greenwich Village Scene
Tags: poetic, acoustic, protest, political, male vocalist, conscious, mellow, introspective, autumn, passionate, bittersweet, humorous, philosophical, warm, melodic, melancholic, playful, war, breakup, love, romantic, sarcastic
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album freewheeled its way into my heart.
This album definitely takes me back to high school when I was listening to Dylan on repeat. It's been a few years though, so giving this album a listen as a more singular experience (as opposed to having a bunch of Dylan all on shuffle) was fascinating. There are certainly some great songs on here and overall a good album, but not necessarily a favorite.
3+3 - The Isley Brothers
Listen Party: 4/25/25
Released: 1973
Genres: Funk, Psychedelic Soul, Progressive Soul, Funk Rock, Smooth Soul, Pop Soul
Tags: male vocalist, melodic, romantic, nocturnal, rhythmic, happy, uplifting, ballad, sensual, psychedelic, technical, warm, summer, mellow
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album did some addition into my <3 + <3
I was kind of surprised with how many songs I recognized on this album! I guess that's because a lot were covers, but I kept going "WAIT did THEY do THIS song too?!!!!"
I found it pleasant enough to vibe along with it. A pretty good showing. Lovely voices. It didn't really grab me too much, but I certainly wont complain if someone puts the album on. And Summer Breeze did make a great song to listen to while I was doing my gardening today.
Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson
Listen Party: 4/4/25
Released: 1975
Genres: Outlaw Country, Singer-Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Western, Old-Time
Tags: concept album, calm, mellow, melancholic, male vocalist, crime, acoustic, lonely, death, pastoral, bittersweet, soft, sombre, sad, passionate, love, minimalistic, introspective, sparse, melodic
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album invited a red headed stranger into my heart.
I liked this album quite a bit more than I expected. It was a filled with a lot of good folksy country storytelling-y songs. And low harmonica, which the world clearly needs more of.
I was kind of surprised at how SHORT some of the songs are. Like Denver, for example. It felt like, story wise, we get an intro where we find out that we are in Denver, in an establishment, and folks are dancing, and then... It just ends. I guess this is supposed to be more of a concept album where the story kind of runs throughout, but I didn't really pick up on that. Tho to be fair, I wasn't really listening all that closely, and a lot of the songs just kind of blended together.
All in all, it was enjoyable. Not an album I'll be reaching for on the regular as I don't think it's really my thing but I can see why Willie Nelson is an American legend for sure.
Listen Party: 3/19/25
Released: 2004
Genres: Post-Punk Revival, Pop Rock, New Wave, Synthpop, Big Music
Tags: male vocalist, melodic, energetic, bittersweet, anthemic, anxious, romantic, rhythmic, passionate, introspective, sexual, melancholic, urban, love, longing
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album fussed its way into my heart.
This album certainly came out when I was in my "too cool for current popular music" phase, and while I recognized most of the hits I wouldn't say that these were songs I knew going in. That being said, The Killers certainly know how to make a song that feels familiar. Just about every song felt like I could've heard it before and seemed to be inviting me to sing along the next time the chorus came around.
Missing from this album for me was dynamic range. Every song kind of felt like it was at the same level and even within a song, most choruses were at the same level as the verses with the only difference being: "Oh this is the catchy part." I wish there was just a bit more variance, and consequently my favorite parts were when the synth got more prominent and broke up this sort of homogeneity. I also dug Everything Will Be Alright since it stood out so much and made me take notice.
The album as a whole tho? It fine.
Letโs Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Listen Party: 5/1/25
Released: 1973
Genres: Smooth Soul, Philly Soul, Progressive Soul
Tags: sexual, romantic, sensual, love, passionate, male vocalist, warm, melodic, lush, longing, nocturnal, soft, sentimental, mellow, soothing, urban, peaceful, optimistic, uplifting, orchestral, concept album
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album got it on with my heart.
Look, Marvin Gaye is really good at what he does. Which is apparently 2 things: women, and songs about having sex with said women. And he's managed to make a career out of it.
Discovery - Daft Punk
Listen Party: 4/23/25
Released: 2001
Genres: French House, Electro-Disco, Funky House, Dance-Pop, Synth Funk, Nu-Disco
Tags: party, sampling, futuristic, energetic, rhythmic, repetitive, playful, happy, male vocalist, uplifting, optimistic, melodic, space, love, nocturnal, atmospheric, lush, romantic, androgynous vocals, concept album, eclectic, sentimental, warm, summer, bouncy, bright, progressive
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album discovered my heart
Did you know that robots were making music even as far back as 2001? AI hasn't come THAT far in 24 years.
Jokes aside, this album does bring me back to a time of techno optimism. I first heard this album while I was doing my first internship, surrounded by other software nerds in training. Young and silly and trying to figure out our lives and excited about the possibilities of the future as we geared up towards graduation.
But I really feel like there WAS this optimism that I just don't feel now. Would robots be as well received now? Or are we craving something more human in our art?
I know Daft Punk has stood the test of time and is still going with recent hits like "Get Lucky." That song always struck me as feeling a bit out of place with how disco inspired it is. It really hit me listening to Discovery that there was a LOT of disco inspiration even back on that album. Yeah we know the vocoded voices on the hits, but there is quite a bit more than that.
Ultimately though, Daft Punk is a "sometimes" group for me. Listening to a song or two here and there is fine, but by the end of listening to a full album I was just waiting for it to be over. I got bored.
The Who Sell Out - The Who
Listen Party: 4/1/25
Released: 1967
Genres: Freakbeat, Pop Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Jingles, Satire
Movements: Mod
Tags: concept album, satirical, humorous, playful, jingle, male vocalist, psychedelic, quirky, melodic, energetic, surreal, eclectic, sarcastic, progressive, conscious
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album sold out my heart
The cover art of The Who Sell Out has been burned into my memory from the very first time I saw it back at Peter White Public Library in my hometown as we were scouring the CD rack for anything new they had gotten since our last visit. I remember checking it out and my dad saying he liked The Who but never heard that album before. I don't actually remember the music, but I remember my dad commenting he didn't really like it. Revisiting it felt like an uncovering of a long lost memory.
In this album we can clearly see the beginnings of the band's experimentation with overarching themes and concepts to tie an album together that would later be perfected in Tommy and Quadrophenia, I ultimately feel like it doesn't work here. At best it's just a humorous aside, but at it's worst I think it's ham-fisted detracts from otherwise good songs. I don't feel like the commercial ditties and radio broadcast framing actually add anything to the album aside from a mild bit of humor. They have an entire album contained in a setting, and yet that setting doesn't really elevate any themes or storytelling; it merely exists. And it makes me not want to listen to this work as an album which feels like the opposite of what it should do.
I don't hate this album by any means, and as I mentioned there are certainly some good songs that I enjoyed. I just wish they existed within a more interesting framing device. The Who must have thought so too as much of Rael was grafted wholesale into Tommy.
Crime of the Century - Supertramp
Listen Party: 4/15/25
Released: 1974
Genres: Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Progressive Pop, Pop Rock, Progressive Pop
Tags: melodic, male vocalist, progressive, lush, existential, alienation, bittersweet, introspective, sarcastic, quirky, anxious, complex, playful, lonely, nocturnal, epic, melancholic, passionate, autumn, eclectic, rebellious
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album was the crime of my heart
I'm beginning to feel like the person that put together the album list has a strong bias towards 70's british prog rock.
Don't get me wrong, there is quite a bit in the genre I like, but is Supertramp really where it's at?
I mean, I don't hate it. Its got some fun songs. I even recognized a few. But whenever Supertramp came on the Classic Rock radio station it always felt like "oh yeah... one of those weird bands folks used to listen to." I never really thought of it as having staying power like other bands of the era.
I guess: I'm glad I've heard songs from the band... but is this really an album I need to listen to in full before I die? I don't feel like passes the bar of being "good enough" to make the cut, nor being "interesting/influential/unique" enough either.
Goodbye and Hello - Tim Buckley
Listen Party: 4/2/25
Released: 1967
Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Folk, Chamber Folk, Baroque Pop
Scene: Greenwich Village Scene
Tags: psychedelic, poetic, melancholic, male vocalist, melodic, passionate, cryptic, warm, romantic, spring, mellow, love, bittersweet, mysterious, autumn, political, rhythmic
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album said goodbye and not hello to my heart.
Well, I listened to this album. The music played into my ears. Why do i feel so bland? It's not like it was bad or unskilled or anything. It just kind of... was. I wanted to like this. Or even hate it. I wanted to have SOME reaction. But here we are.
The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
Listen Party: 3/27/25
Released: 1982
Genres: Heavy Metal
Scene: New Wave of British Heavy Metal
Tags: energetic, male vocalist, anthemic, melodic, heavy, passionate, epic, history, war, violence, death, rebellious, technical, rhythmic, triumphant, infernal, nocturnal, dark, apocalyptic, uplifting
lIZ
๐๐๐๐๐
This album did a number on my heart
I went into this dreading having to listen to a full Iron Maiden album. I had heard "Run to the Hills" and "Number of the Beast" before and, while they are fine, it was definitely not music I go for.
While this album was definitely packed full of that 80s metal sound, I didn't hate it as much as I expected. The singing did grate on me after half a song, but I was actually pleasantly surprised at how clean the mixing was.
Much like my comment about Dire Strait's self titled album, this was really well balanced and every instrument and vocal had space in the mix. It was certainly aggressive and metal, but not an overwhelming ear-blasting thing that I have heard in other metal albums. It showed surprising restraint and I think the album was all the better for it and no less ๐ค
Listen Party: 3/14/25
Released: 1974
Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Folk Pop, Jazz Pop, Soft Rock, Progressive Pop
Tags: female vocalist, poetic, lush, introspective, melodic, soft, love, mellow, bittersweet, longing, romantic, passionate, acoustic, warm
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album courted its way into my heart.
There is a lot to like about this album that ultimately I don't get along with. My issues with this album stem almost entirely from its production. The star of the album is clearly Joni's voice, and consequently the album is at its best when it's in the most pared-down, singer-song writer form as it is in the title track. Piano, some light backing, and Joni's vocals are really all it needs.
The production issues for me are two-fold. The first is that the songs feel too crowded. It feels like the producers were trying to make this album sound big, but it ends up feeling very dated and stifling. Orchestral arrangements and saxophone feel out of place.
My second issue with the production is in the mix which has a harshness to it. There are some mid-high frequencies that are extremely prominent across the entire instrumentation that I think are supposed to give the album an energy, but ultimately end up just fatiguing my ear before the second song is over. And given how rich Joni's vocals are, it makes her fatiguing to listen to.
All in all, a good album hidden by poor production decisions.
Dire Straits - Dire Straits
Listen Party: 3/26/25
Released: 1978
Genres: Roots Rock, Blues Rock
Tags: rhythmic, male vocalist, mellow, warm, calm, playful, atmospheric, poetic, bittersweet, urban, soft, technical, melodic, introspective, lush
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album was dire in my heart.
What a slog. Like, I know it's about the guitar and stuff and I've heard Sultans of Swing more times than I can count, but I just cant bring myself to care about this album at all. It's just kind of boring.
Giving some moons just because I do like the mixing on this album. Everything is very clear and has its own space. The drums are nice and crisp, the dialog between vocals and guitar is very well balanced and it just sits very nicely.
If only the music was more enjoyable
So - Peter Gabriel
Listen Party: 4/17/25
Released: 1986
Genres: Art Pop, Pop Rock, New Wave, Ambient Pop, Sophisti-Pop
Tags: male vocalist, passionate, melodic, warm, lush, introspective, eclectic, bittersweet, poetic, sentimental, melancholic, rhythmic, atmospheric, nocturnal, soothing, conscious, longing, progressive, rain, ethereal, urban
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
So... this album sledgehammered its way into my heart
Sledgehammer is the musical equivalent of a dick pic.
No one wants that.
A Date with the Everly Brothers - The Everly Brothers
Listen Party: 4/9/25
Released: 1960
Genres: Close Harmony, Teen Pop, Pop, Rock & Roll, Brill Building
Tags: male vocalist, love, melodic, vocal group, romantic, playful, bittersweet
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album dated my heart.
Jesus this album feels old time-y. I think I recognized 2 songs on it? But the LYRICS oh my god. Apparently women are not people, but merely objects that tease and torment men, but also are just for loving i guess. I know its supposed to be romantic, and that it was a "different time" and stuff but just...๐คฎ
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nรฉrd 'Skin-'Nรฉrd) - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Listen Party: 3/28/25
Released: 1973
Genres: Southern Rock, Blues Rock, Hard Rock
Tags: male vocalist, energetic, sentimental, warm, bittersweet, passionate, melodic, pastoral, love, uplifting, rhythmic, playful
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
This album pronounced ษชts weษช หษชntu maษช hษrt
I actually recognized over half the songs on this album which kind of surprised me. I didn't realize I knew that much Lynyrd Skynyrd. I don't know a lot about the history of music like this, but I just kept feeling like "why is they so big? this isn't anything special" Feels like just mediocre bluesy rock with a southern twist. I feel like I'm missing something here.
Like it's fine. It's competent. Free bird is long and kind of makes sense as to why it's popular; it has that epic quality. But even other hits like Simple Man or especially Gimme Three Steps just feel bland.
Favorite song I think is actually Mississippi Kid as I kind of like how it dug more into the southern sound. And the world needs more slide guitar.
A Wizard, A True Star - Todd Rundgren
Listen Party: 4/10/25
Released: 1973
Genres: Art Pop, Experimental Rock, Progressive Pop, Art Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Glam Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Psychedelic Rock, Electronic, Zolo, Progressive Rock, Space Age Pop
Tags: manic, eclectic, psychedelic, surreal, playful, dense, male vocalist, futuristic, progressive, love, quirky, satirical, melodic, chaotic, complex, suite, avant-garde, anxious, lush, ethereal, Wall of Sound, uplifting, optimistic, introspective, energetic, warm, technical, happy
Liz ๐๐๐๐๐
Like a wizard, this album turned my heart into a star.
Fuck me, It's like the world conspired to engineer an album specifically designed to cause me pain. I mean this literally: I'm exceptionally sensitive to certain frequencies (thanks autism) and this album was basically unlistenable for me. I gave it a shot, but I just couldn't. And I wanted to! it sounds like an album I could really get into. I like weird shit. If only I could run this thru a notch filter.