Neon Bible review

Arcade Fire's commercially successful second album, which was mostly recorded in a church in Quebec. The album cover and title are excellent, but can the album live up to them? More importantly, can it live up to Funeral?

Tracks:

1. Black Mirror: 8/10 pretentious and sometimes dull, this will nevertheless make you think and the instrumentals, specifically the sound mixing, remains as excellent as ever.

2. Keep the Car Running: 8/10 a hard hitting crescendo of a song, this needs some patience but it will certainly be rewarded.

3. Neon Bible: 5/10 you shouldn't need to research so that you know what a song is saying and it's pretty boring, but it's still refreshingly mature and its understated nature is somewhat effective.

4. Intervention: 9/10 this may not be a jolly song at all, but with its swelling crescendo, incredible organ music and mesmerising lyrics, this isn't so much a song as a missile blasting up through the atmosphere.

5. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations: 8/10 intense and unpredictable, the image of a black wave in the middle of the sea sums this song up pretty well.

6. Ocean of Noise: 8/10 a quieter and melancholy piece which still maintains the album's epic feel, although the album's tone is becoming repetitive.

7. The Well and the Lighthouse: 9/10 this skilfully written song is divided intelligently into 2 instrumental parts and both work well.

8. (Antichrist Television Blues): 6/10 this offers little in the way of variety but plenty in the way of thematic depth.

9. Windowsill: 8/10 it fails to distinguish itself from anything else on the album and doesn't hit a peak, but it's still very good.

10. No Cars Go: 8/10 this one is a leap from pretentious lyrics to grating simplicity but this fast paced, catchy and energetic song is one of the best on the album.

11. My Body is a Cage: 9/10 an underrated and rather brilliant conclusion. A moving and intense meditation on anxiety which contains That crescendo which serves as a stunning and haunting ending for a stunning and haunting album.

Best song: My Body is a Cage
Worst song: Neon Bible

Summary: Ever since The Empire Strikes Back was released, sequels have had to be bigger, darker, raise the stakes and explore new thematic ground. That Neon Bible certainly does, but is it The Empire Strikes Back of albums? Not quite, since it's not as good as Funeral and most of the songs are inferior to those on Funeral. It's brilliantly played, moving and complex, yet it's also overdone at times and is pretty depressing at times so you need to be in the right mood for it. It does become repetitive but ultimately this is a successful album that'll provoke thought and win approval from most. It's an 8, but a very high one.

Final rating: 8/10

The Wailing Wailers review

The very first album by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Technically it's not a studio album, more a compilation of the best recordings from a certain period but it's their first release of this type.

Tracks:

1. Put it On: 6/10 it repeats itself again and again and doesn't grab you massively, but it's pretty endearing all the same.

2. I Need You So: 6/10 to say this song takes its time is an understatement but the harmonies are lovely and the song has plenty of charm.

3. Lonesome Feeling: 7/10 it's a bit restrained still but less so thanks to a more enjoyable baseline and more excellent harmonising.

4. What's New Pussycat: 5/10 this one takes a little while to get going and remains flat, but its fast paced instrumental and endearing tone keep it afloat.

5. One Love: 6/10 a dated and somewhat dull version of my favourite Bob Marley song, but some of the magic of the version from Legend can still be found.

6. When the Well Runs Dry: 5/10 it's competent but it sounds like everyone involved was half asleep. Maybe the intro of Pink Floyd's 'Time' which features many ringing alarm clocks would have been appropriate.

7. The Ten Commandments of Love: 8/10 now we're talking! The slow pace works this time with the mesmerising harmonies and soulful instrumental, and it really connects. Cracking stuff.

8. Rude Boy: 7/10 the meaning of this one isn't always clear so just enjoy the music. This is Bob Marley and the Wailers we're talking about, so that's not difficult.

9. It Hurts to Be Alone: 8/10 with its pathos filled lyrics and many vocal peaks, this is one of the album's best songs.

10. Love and Affection: 7/10 Legend's main problem was repetitive lyrics and this has always been a habit of Marley's as this song shows. Still, it's a good track in other departments.

11. I'm Still Waiting: 8/10 with its avoidance of Bob Marley's occasional excessive optimism and relaxing tone, this song is yet another example of this album unusually placing all of its stronger tracks towards the second half instead of the first.

12. Simmer Down: 7/10 it's as well played as ever and it's subject matter allows it to stand out, but the interesting themes of the song aren't obvious enough, while there are only so many times you can hear the words 'Simmer down'.

Best song: The Ten Commandments of Love
Worst song: When the Well Runs Dry

Summary: This certainly doesn't scale the heights of some of Bob Marley's later work. It feels rather dated and many of the songs feel like they're half asleep. The first half is honestly pretty lacklustre with its slow paced and dull tunes, but the album gets going in the second half. Overall, this is well played and perfectly endearing music but Bob Marley and the Wailers haven't hit their stride yet.

Final rating: 6/10

Please Please Me review

Back to where it all began. It's the very first Beatles album, which unlike other first albums thankfully isn't just full of covers. This is before The Beatles became more arty and in many ways even more compelling, but their earlier stuff is wonderful music as well. This dominated the charts for 30 weeks. It's interesting to wonder how many people knew this album would be the beginning of the most legendary music group of all time.

Tracks:

1. I Saw Her Standing There: 9/10 a perfect introduction to The Beatles: it captures all of their energy, exuberance, soul and musical innovation like a perfectly composed still photograph in just 2 minutes and 55 seconds.

2. Misery: 8/10 simple but effective, this earns extra points for being a song called 'Misery' that is still enjoyable to listen to and isn't just depressing.

3. Anna (Go to Him): 9/10 another excellent song which deviates from formula and is unexpectedly moving.

4. Chains: 7/10 less memorable than the opening trio and it feels like a filler, but it's a good filler at that.

5. Boys: 7/10 certain bits are tiresome, such as all those made up words inserted in there for no apparent reason, but otherwise it's hard not to enjoy this lively tune.

6. Ask Me Why: 8/10 a step back up in the form of a lovely song which genuinely feels like poetry.

7. Please Please Me: 9/10 an early reminder that The Beatles always make a song, whatever its lyrical content or theme, hugely entertaining and they always sing like they mean it. Their harmonies are particularly strong here as well.

8. Love Me Do: 6/10 the first Beatles single hasn't aged well and while many times the simplicity of early Beatles songs doesn't matter and also means they don't outstay their welcome, here it becomes grating. Still, it's got a good beat and it's enjoyable enough.

9. P.S. I Love You: 8/10 it may be similar to so many other songs you've heard, but many of those songs don't have so much honesty and don't connect so effortlessly.

10. Baby it's You: 8/10 ditto.

11. Do You Want to Know A Secret: 8/10 as much as the central idea has been done to death, the song approaches it from a different angle and still entertains.

12. A Taste of Honey: 8/10 another impressive cover with plenty of enthusiasm, although it doesn't necessarily stand out loads.

13. There's a Place: 7/10 this song is fine, but it doesn't really go above fine.

14. Twist and Shout: 8/10 energetic, well played and above all fun, The Beatles own this song to the point where it's very easy to forget that it's actually a cover.

Best song: I Saw Her Standing There
Worst song: Love Me Do

Summary: An excellent debut for the most acclaimed group in history. This album drops many hints about the dazzling heights The Beatles were to reach and they cement themselves as intelligent and brilliant musicians from the word 'go'. Even the lesser songs are pretty good. Still, there's a slight bittersweet feeling sometimes when looking back on this era of music. In terms of bands, the people of the 60s got to listen to this poetry. What do the people of today get? One Direction.

Final rating: 9/10

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars review

The fifth studio album of the influential English rock star David Bowie is a true concept album. It tells the story of a rock star who is a messenger for extra-terrestrial beings. It's a weird piece of art rock full of social commentary and science fiction. This one is going to be very interesting.

Tracks:

1. Five Years: 9/10 slowly building up through each powerful verse to a dazzling crescendo, few things capture a pre apocalypse with this much emotional resonance.

2. Soul Love: 8/10 although it's a bit out of place in the album in terms of the concept, it has all the soul its title suggests and manages not to feel like every other love song you've ever heard.

3. Moonage Daydream: 9/10 it feels like it came from outer space, the lyrics are mad, it repeats the chorus 3 times in a row and it really doesn't make much sense at all. And it's brilliant.

4. Starman: 9/10 aside from David Bowie's slightly quiet vocals and some confusion, this is an original, soulful and strangely moving song. The images I get in my head when listening to this are rather wonderful.

5. It Ain't Easy: 7/10 an anticlimactic ending to the first side, yet far from awful.

6. Lady Stardust: 9/10 epic yet touching, this may be in a pretty alien album but it's remarkably human.

7. Star: 8/10 when thinking of this, 'Rockstar' by Nickelback, another song about wanting to be a rock star leaps to mind. This certainly gets the message through with more art and 10 times the subtlety of that song.

8. Hang on to Yourself: 7/10 you can't understand what David Bowie is singing but the fast paced guitar music and sheer attitude make it a highly enjoyable listen still.

9. Ziggy Stardust: 8/10 one of the album's most well known and admired tracks, this fully deserves its status and it makes the character of Ziggy Stardust more developed and even more compelling.

10. Suffragette City: 10/10 this heavy and hugely catchy rock song may get overshadowed by some of the more well known songs on the album but certainly shouldn't be forgotten. All in all it's the most purely enjoyable songs on the album.

11. Rock n Roll Suicide: 10/10 this awe inspiring and powerful song is what all finales should be: Thrilling, epic, emotional and hitting a peak of stratospheric heights, this one ignites the stars.

Best song: Rock n Roll Suicide
Worst song: It Ain't Easy

Summary: This is one unique album. It's pretty weird at times and at times the central storyline of Ziggy Stardust is a bit hard to follow. It feels like it came down to Earth in an escape pod from another planet. Despite this, it's deeply human. It's out of this world though, with its artful rock, general madness and truly epic feel. It's a pleasure to listen to and despite how different it is it remains accessible and vastly entertaining throughout every beautifully sung and beautifully played moment.

Final rating: 9/10

The Clash review

The Clash is the debut album of the punk rock band from England, The Clash. Known for their mix of musical genres and angry, political lyrics, these guys were active during the 70s and 80s. This is the UK version of their debut.
Tracks:

1. Janie Jones: 8/10 considered by Martin Scorsese to be the greatest British Rock and Roll song, this opening track overflows with glee, anger, rebellion and attitude.

2. Remote Control: 9/10 this song is thoroughly entertaining, but what makes it work is the meaningful, politicised lyrics and that cracking Doctor Who reference at the end.

3. I'm So Bored With the USA: 9/10 this kinetic tune gives the USA the finger with art, substance, style and skill.

4. White Riot: 9/10 this heavy song kicks off at full speed without any kind of build up and doesn't lose momentum from there. Short but electric.

5. Hate and War: 8/10 this one's message is delivered only in its basic form compared to the more intelligent and unpredictable lyrics of the others, but it's still great fun to listen to.

6. What's My Name?: 8/10 not to be confused with the Rihanna song, this one will have you thinking 'What?' just as much as the song's narrator thanks to the confused lyrics but since it's technically excellent and boasts more of The Clash's manic energy, it's still a banger.

7. Deny: 7/10 it's as well played as usual and very fun, even if it's about as sophisticated as an angry Smiley and it's not even clear what it is that's being lied about.

8. London's Burning: 8/10 despite being a song about boredom, this is never boring although it's overshadowed by a certain other London centred Clash song.

9. Career Opportunities: 9/10 successfully insulting both boring jobs and the state of unemployment at the time in under 2 minutes, this is the definition of killing two birds with one stone.

10. Cheat: 8/10 brutal, fast paced and full of anger although the samey rebellious tones throughout the album are starting to become less compelling.

11. Protex Blue: 7/10 this one's entertaining but thanks to the short length and lack of standout material it's likely to go unnoticed.

12. Police and Thieves: 5/10 there is no reason whatsoever for this one to last 6 minutes especially when it just repeats itself and isn't even as catchy as the other songs on the album.

13. 48 Hours: 7/10 another one of the less memorable ones on what is a very strong album, but this manages to get plenty of entertaining material out with attitude within the shortest runtime of the album.

14. Garageland: 8/10 the debut album of The Clash closes on a high. Awesome stuff.

Best song: I'm So Bored With the USA
Worst song: Police and Thieves

Summary: A great start for The Clash. While the songs are all similar, you wouldn't want to skip most of them. It's heavy, ferocious, relentless and rather excellent music which is grabs you by the throat and never lets go. The thing which makes The Clash truly special are the gripping baselines and politicised lyrics, which make this album a skilled balance of style and substance.

Final rating: 9/10

The Rolling Stones review

If any band can be linked to the 1960s counterculture, it's definitely the Rolling Stones. This is the UK version of the debut album of the rebellious, influential and brilliantly named band. It consists mainly of cover versions of other songs, but still, a debut by a famous band is always interesting.

Tracks:

1. Route 66: 7/10 it's fairly repetitive and simple, but there's enough energy and enthusiasm here to grab the attention and hint how big The Rolling Stones will eventually become.

2. I Just Want To Make Love To You: 8/10 a speedy instrumental which isn't just all rock guitar chords and nothing else and the band's infectious energy will grab anyone who wasn't paying attention.

3. Honest I Do: 5/10 an aggressively forgettable love song although there's still something here which sounds different. Also, you've got to love the harmonica.

4. Mona (I Need You Baby): 8/10 again, it may only be a cover but it's still genuinely a solid song with a catchy baseline and lyrics that offer a new take on a formula (The love song) that's as old as music itself.

5. Now I've Got A Witness: 8/10 an enjoyable instrumental that partially thanks to its variety is more successful than Black Mountain Side from Led Zeppelin I and Moon Dawg from Surfin' Safari.

6. Little By Little: 7/10 solid if not stand out, this one provides another entertaining instrumental backed up by lyrics which vary from the other songs thematically.

7. I'm a King Bee: 5/10 this song offers little more than Mick Jagger's consistently strong vocals and some mildly interesting bee related metaphors.

8. Carol: 8/10 this fast and ferocious song is pretty awesome, and it's filled with an irresistible manic energy that gives the song a gloriously unrestrained tone.

9. Tell Me (You're Coming Back): 8/10 a less memorable one, but it's a very good listen thanks to its tone of urgency and pathos.

10. Can I Get A Witness: 8/10 another solid rock song and it's refreshing to see that in terms of love songs the album doesn't just go for clichéd, two dimensional declarations of love and actually explores failed relationships too.

11. You Can Make It If You Try: 6/10 it may be perfectly enjoyable to listen to but all this one really does is hammer its message in again and again with little diversity.

12. Walking the Dog: 4/10 what is this song even about?!

Best song: Carol
Worst song: Walking the Dog

Summary: Consider my expectations exceeded. I haven't been the biggest fan of the Rolling Stones music I've previously heard but this is a pretty strong debut. There are some bad songs here, I won't lie, but many of the songs are solid four star tracks even if it's unlikely they'll end up on many Best Rolling Stones Songs lists. What sets the album apart is its energy and passion, and overall it's a good way to spend 30 minutes.

Final Rating: 8/10

The Doors review

The Doors are another psychedelic band from the 60s and another act associated with the 1960s counterculture. This is their popular and acclaimed debut album.

Tracks:

1. Break On Through to the Other Side: 8/10 an enjoyable and pleasingly rebellious opening track which repeats itself a bit but has plenty of energy like all of the best music doesn't just feel like a copy of something else.

2. Soul Kitchen: 8/10 the tune occasionally loses energy, but with its solid title, chorus, intro and lyrics it encourages you to visit a restaurant better than any restaurant advert.

3. The Crystal Ship: 9/10 with its peaceful yet captivating tune and excellent abstract lyrics this magnetic song manages to pull off a very effective hypnosis.

4. Twentieth Century Fox: 8/10 this song is engaging and catchy enough to make you forget it's actually more formulaic than most of the album.

5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar): 7/10 it's a bit random but who cares? It's never boring and it never loses momentum.

6. Light My Fire: 8/10 the most acclaimed song on the album, this is a bit too long but it's something of a technical masterwork and shows the band firing (sorry) on all cylinders.

7. Back Door Man: 6/10 OK, OK you're a back door man. And we care because? Also, it sounds the same as many of the other songs on the album and fails to stands out. It still manages to hit some peaks though.

8. I Looked At You: 7/10 ever noticed how often in an album the band tucks away the less memorable tracks in the latter parts so they won't get noticed? This one's good but it doesn't stick in the memory.

9. End of the Night: 8/10 this one's actually pretty awesome. Lyrically it's more interesting and it's a very enjoyable listen that stands out among an impressive field.

10. Take It As It Comes: 8/10 it sounds suspiciously similar to Break On Through to the Other Side at times but it's another hugely entertaining song which is lifted even higher by Jim Morrison's excellent vocals.

11. The End: 9/10 whatever anyone thinks of the album no-one would accuse it of having an unmemorable conclusion. A nearly 12 minute long showcase of bleak poetry that would make Eminem green with envy.

Best song: The Crystal Ship
Worst song: Back Door Man

Summary: The Doors is a very strong debut and even if The Doors had gone downhill in their later years (By the sound of it they didn't) it wouldn't matter all that much since they'd always have had this. Consistently involving, entertaining and unique, this shows the band at the top of their game. It's unlikely they've ever topped this. With it's repetition and a few less memorable songs, this isn't a great album but it's a very good one which deserves the acclaim.

Final rating: 8/10

OK Computer review

OK Computer is the third album by Radiohead, a widely admired English Alternative Rock band. Best summed up as the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band of the 90s, this diverse and technically complex album features a wide range of sounds and plenty of depressing but relevant social commentary. This is an album I always look forward to talking about so I'll just get started immediately.

Tracks:

1. Airbag: 9/10 an autobiographical song with excellent lyrics and an awesome instrumental. The title is very misleading. This is a full-on, high speed burst of goosebump inducing musical genius with not an airbag or safety net in sight.

2. Paranoid Android: 10/10 Radiohead's Stairway to Heaven/Bohemian Rhapsody/A Day in the Life moment. This song criticizes society in the most beautiful way imaginable while the 'Rain on Me' section is a stroke of genius and possibly the best moment of the album.

3. Subterranean Homesick Alien: 8/10 this excellent third track is a song of contradictions. It's 18 years old but it sounds futuristic and ahead of our time. It's quite depressing but it's so brilliantly played and beautiful it's accompanied by a sense of euphoria, although sometimes the lyrics are a bit difficult to understand (A problem which applies to the whole album).

4. Exit Music (For A Film): 10/10 written for Romeo + Juliet (1996) this is another song which shows that no matter what instrument Radiohead plays and even if they're singing about stale sandwiches or a trip to the bathroom they'll still manage to fill it to the brim with emotion and innovation.

5. Let Down: 10/10 haunting, brilliantly composed, dense and extremely intense, this near perfect track is the equivalent of an exhilarating bungee jump (without the chord) into the abyss. Incredible.

6. Karma Police: 7/10 a well done and interesting song but it's a bit boring. The 'This is what you get' bit stands out, while the 'For a minute there I lost myself' bit seems to be from the point of view of the album briefly losing its way.

7. Fitter Happier: 8/10 it might take a couple of listens to fully understand, but it's very creative and few bands could make a robotic voice reading out phrases so thought provoking.

8. Electioneering: 8/10 the heaviest and most conventional song on the track, this may not be as innovative as the rest of it but it's still a fine rock song with more abstract lyrics to decipher.

9. Climbing Up the Walls: 9/10 Thom Yorke's eerie vocals, the haunting base-line and creepy lyrics make this the scariest song on the album. Listen to this with the lights on.

10. No Surprises: 10/10 boasting maybe my favourite intro of the album, this is a quieter but still highly meaningful song which gets under your skin despite its covering of the same themes of the other songs on the album.

11. Lucky: 9/10 parts of the song are overdone but overall this is another powerful song which if on the album of a lesser band it'd be one of the album's highlights.

12. The Tourist: 8/10 the way it repeats itself several times is pretty lazy but the song is still beautiful.

Best song: Let Down
Worst song: Karma Police

Summary: An album I always look forward to talking about, OK Computer is many things. It's haunting, powerful, scary, hypnotic, experimental, innovative, thrilling, entertaining and overall completely and utterly brilliant. One of the best albums of all time, this boasts complex, inventive and unbelievably catchy sounds, beautiful abstract lyrics, themes which remain relevant and a true sense of artistry. It's a masterpiece. OK?

Final rating: 10/10

Led Zeppelin I review

The first album of the influential heavy metal band Led Zeppelin. Pretty much The Beatles of the 1970s, they're yet another massive British band which changed music forever. My review of the first album follows.

Tracks:

1. Good Times Bad Times: 9/10 a short but sweet opener, giving listeners the first glimpse of Led Zeppelin's incredible ability to mix heavy, epic rock music with genuine art and soul.

2. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You: 10/10 a brilliantly intense and emotive track. The various moments of heavy guitar playing are more epic than a Lord of the Rings battle sequence and both Robert Plant's amazing vocals and the breathless instrumentals are unleashed on the senses like a volcanic eruption.

3. You Shook Me: 8/10 a bit overlong and overdone but who cares? It sounds like nothing else, it's brilliantly played and it represents genuine art.

4. Dazed and Confused: 8/10 it loses my attention a little in the overlong instrumentals and the lyrics aren't as striking as other Led Zeppelin songs but aside from that this power, haunting and ferocious track is a masterpiece of sound and bursts through the speakers like an onslaught of ballistic missiles.

5. Your Time is Gonna Come: 9/10 another brilliant track, this shows the variety in the album as all of the songs are easy to tell apart. Artfully made and very well performed it's a joy to listen to.

6. Black Mountain Side: 6/10 a forgettable instrumental, although Jimmy Page's imitation of a sitar is impressive and it's a nice change of pace.

7. Communication Breakdown: 8/10 although it feels slightly like an inferior version of Good Times Bad Times it's a very enjoyable song played with great enthusiasm, speed and energy.

8. I Can't Quit You Baby: 7/10 one of the slightly less successful tracks on the album, but still pretty successful overall and it's another track which feels innovative.

9. How Many More Times: 8/10 pretty much a summary of the themes and good points of the rest of the album. It didn't need to last 8 and half minutes but overall it's an entertaining conclusion.

Best song: Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Worst song: Black Mountain Side

Summary: Innovative, thrilling and artistic, this has to be one of the best debuts ever. Each song feels different and new, all of them pack emotion and energy into every note and all of it has an unbeatable swagger. A great album even if most of the songs aren't necessarily the most memorable out of Led Zeppelin's discography compared to all their other albums and it never ceases to hold your attention.

Final rating: 9/10

The Velvet Underground & Nico review

The debut album of the critically acclaimed experimental rock band The Velvet Underground, featuring vocal collaborator Nico and produced by Andy Warhol. Notable for its stubborn refusal to conform to any expectations and its controversial subject matter.

Tracks:

1. Sunday Morning: 8/10 simultaneously the kind of song you can just close your eyes and relax to and pretty haunting, this is a great start. It's very well sung and it's got a peaceful yet hypnotic instrumental although since this is a song about waking up and feeling low it's surprising this wasn't titled 'Monday Morning'.

2. I'm Waiting For the Man: 8/10 a well played song with a terrific baseline, even if the lyrics, which are basically just about a drug deal, aren't particularly compelling.

3. Femme Fatale: 7/10 great vocals from Nico, strong lyrics and has an alluring quality just like its subject matter yet it feels overly restrained.

4. Venus in Furs: 7/10 the instrumental is terrific and completely unique but if they didn't do it to death slowly over 5 minutes by just using the same notes again and again that would be appreciated. Still, it's more enjoyable than 50 Shades of Grey, that's for sure.

5. Run Run Run: 5/10 some interesting lyrics here but it's repetitive and dull. Even the baseline isn't all that. Pretty much like watching people run in circles for an hour.

6. All Tomorrow's Parties: 8/10 a haunting and downbeat track which is an enjoyable song to interpret.

7. Heroin: 8/10 the lyrics are brilliant and it's bold in its subject matter, while its variations in intensity and speed are a nice artistic touch. Still, you can't help but feel like the band is restraining itself from hitting a genuine peak throughout much of the song until that fantastic outro.

8. There She Goes Again: 8/10 another admirably objective piece of commentary on dark subject matter backed by an instrumental which is completely unique.

9. I'll Be Your Mirror: 7/10 slightly bland, but it connects thanks to Nico's excellent vocals and strong lyrics.

10. The Black Angel's Death Song: 6/10 this goes for dark, haunting and deep but winds up as being blandly downbeat and a whole lot of gothic imagery with little personality. Lou Reed talks his way through this one, but it's still unconventional, interesting and the violin screeching instrumental is pretty cool.

11. European Son: 7/10 I just don't get the brief lyrical bit at the start. As for the 6 minutes of instrumental improvisation that follows, occasionally it's a bit overwhelming and sounds like rock guitar static but mostly it's very impressive.

Best song: Sunday Morning
Worst song: Run Run Run

Summary: A good album overall. It was a commercial flop and only sold 30 000 copies. Brian Eno famously stated that everyone who bought a copy started a band, which I can sort of see. It's a different, experimental and rebellious album which are always good qualities but with its restraint and lack of peaks within the songs, occasionally it feels like the music is being played from underneath a thick paving slab. Perhaps more art than entertainment, but good art nonetheless with some excellent contributions from Nico.

Final rating: 7/10

Infinite review

Eminem's little heard first album which most simply will not be aware of. I, however, am and in his debut, it's interesting to pick out all of the hints of the masterful stuff Eminem would achieve later.

Tracks:

1. Infinite: 8/10 sort of the first Eminem song and the first introduction. It's a good introduction at that, showcasing his lyrical wizardry without some of the occasional mean spiritedness which has made some of his songs unlikable in the past.

2. W.E.G.O.: 6/10 I'm not sure if it's even fair to review this one since it's only an interlude. It's fine. It defies expectations by not having a song as the second track.

3. It's OK: 8/10 an optimistic Eminem song?! Showing Eminem in a better mood than usual, the instrumental isn't the best but the lyrics are pretty great and it's refreshing to see Eminem doing something completely different. He should do another song like this some time.

4. Tonite: 7/10 the meaning isn't automatically clear and it's not one you'll remember when thinking about the album, but it's really not bad at all and has plenty of great rhymes.

5. 313: 7/10 once again: poor beat, excellent lyrics.

6. Maxine: 5/10 the weakest one yet in terms of lyrics and the music production still isn't great but despite this there are some good lyrics in here.

7. Open Mic: 7/10 it makes up for what it lacks in memorability with an amusing chorus and its verses showing Eminem warning people not to mess with him like only he can.

8. Never 2 Far: 7/10 a song with a surprising amount of pathos, although it doesn't donate enough time to Eminem's excellent verses and the rap beat is particularly unmemorable in this one.

9. Searchin': 8/10 an love song with no curses. This really is pretty different from the Eminem we know. It's pretty nice and shows a different side to him.

10. Backstabber: 5/10 a less attractive track which tells a story that doesn't actually go anywhere, but Eminem always manages to make his songs interesting in one way or another.

11. Jealousy Woes II: 6/10 pretty average overall but it does connect on an emotional level.

Best song: It's OK
Worst song: Maxine

Summary: This isn't the Eminem we all know and love. Rather it's Eminem finding his voice and identity, and unleashing his incredible lyrics and rapping skills on the world. The music production is awful and you'll need Wikipedia to remember most of the songs, but it's really not too bad. There are 3 really good songs here and there aren't any flat out bad ones. Overall, an acceptable debut for Eminem.

Final rating: 6/10

The Dark Side of the Moon review

The Dark Side of the Moon is the most famous and acclaimed album by the popular English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Well, whatever the album's like it's certainly a contender for the best album cover of all time. The album resembles a 2 long continuous tracks rather than 10 different songs and is a concept album. It's all thematically deep and complex and it can be interpreted in multiple different ways. Personally I see it as a journey through the many problems and corruptions of modern society.

Tracks:

1. Speak To Me/Breathe: 8/10 these were separate songs on the original release but they're joined together and it's fairer on Speak To Me just to review them together. Mundane yet affecting and brilliantly played, this is a strong opening with plenty of the jaw dropping and beautiful electronic sounds the band is known for. The fact that it starts with silence before a series of sound effects let's you know in advance this album will be a special one.

2. On the Run: 9/10 a brilliant, fast paced and futuristic sounding instrumental that could have come straight out of a science fiction movie chase scene.

3. Time: 10/10 that clock opening. That emotive guitar solo. Those brilliant lyrics. All that soul. All that power. This song is about how many things can make time waste away but one cannot realize until it is too late. This song is certainly not one of those things. A masterpiece.

4. The Great Gig in the Sky: 9/10 this has the best title on the album. The rest of the song, with its brilliant vocalising and soaring instrumental, isn't bad either.

5. Money: 6/10 every album has its weak links. While the other songs have more mature and subtle commentary on their issues, this shoves its message down your throat and some of those instrumentals go overboard and screech like a toddler. Still, it's Pink Floyd so it's certainly not bad and is still an entertaining listen.

6. Us and Them: 10/10 with the marvellous saxophone solos, the quiet yet hugely powerful verses and the utterly overwhelmingly brilliant choruses, this haunting war song has more power than an armoured machine gun helicopter shooting up an explosives factory. Just brilliant.

7. Any Colour You Like: 8/10 another excellent instrumental, although I'd say On the Run is better.

8. Brain Damage: 9/10 a song of insanity with slightly random but still excellent lyrics which takes off to stratospheric heights during the chorus.

9. Eclipse: 9/10 an enigmatic finale but an incredibly enjoyable enigma at that. The final line is a particular highlight.

Best song: Us and Them
Worst song: Money

Summary: Truly one of the best albums ever recorded. It's emotionally powerful, philosophical, soaring, hypnotic, thrilling and genuinely breath taking. The music is so weird yet it's always great to listen to and the songs all resemble true musical art. It's meaning is obscure so I get something else out of the album every time I hear it. Not so much an album as a colossal spaceship hurtling through a kaleidoscopic galaxy at full speed, this is a trip across the stars you'll never forget. The moon has never been cooler.

Final rating: 10/10

Surfin' Safari review

The first studio album of one of America's most iconic bands, The Beach Boys. Currently my main memory of this band is the way a song by them was stupidly played during a James Bond chase sequence. Let's try and change that.

Tracks:

1. Surfin' Safari: 7/10 it's fairly basic and unsophisticated but it's so full of glee and enthusiasm that it's hard to resist.

2. County Fair: 8/10 a slightly less one note song, with its catchy baseline and nice atmosphere. It tells a fairly straightforward story but it tells it decently enough.

3. Ten Little Indians: 7/10 it covers the same themes and the song doesn't always make sense but its speed and those strong harmonies more than keep it afloat.

4. Chug-A-Lug: 6/10 a good catchy tune but you can't help wishing for some variety.

5. Little Girl (You're My Miss America): 5/10 a pretty mediocre song lifted by the enthusiasm of the band who breathe life into uninspired lyrics.

6. 409: 5/10 a fairly artificial car advert. I think we get enough of those in the pre movie ads at the cinema.

7. Surfin': 6/10 this one's pretty catchy although the opening surfing track is the one people will remember more.

8. Heads You Win Tails I Lose: 6/10 this song is well written but unfortunately it has an exceptionally lazy chorus.

9. Summertime Blues: 8/10 surprisingly intelligent and well written, this is undoubtedly an album highlight.

10. Cuckoo Clock: 7/10 a slightly annoying song where you may need Wikipedia to work out the meaning, but it is catchy and it does make you smile.

11. Moon Dawg: 5/10 an instrumental which is catchy but then exits your mind immediately.

12. The Shift: 5/10 the album finishes with a mundane song about a dress although with the bands instrumentals, which are full of energy, enthusiasm and optimism none of their songs are ever truly boring.

Best song: Summertime Blues
Worst song: 409

Summary: I'm not sure this is particularly compelling stuff. Centring on the same themes again and again and failing to vary its sounds enough, this is overly simplistic and in general isn't very striking. Still, it's light hearted fun and it's only 25 minutes long so if you've got nothing to do this is a perfectly passable album. For The Beach Boys, the better stuff evidently came later.

Final rating: 5/10

Unknown Pleasures review

Despite their career only lasting 4 years, Joy Division are regarded as one of the 70s most influential bands. The post-punk rock band only did 2 studio albums, Unknown Pleasures being the first. Here are my thoughts.

Tracks:

1. Disorder: 7/10 while it's downbeat and has an odd restrained feel to it, it's doesn't really sound like anything else you've heard before and it's catchy in a different sort of way.

2. Day of the Lords: 8/10 another offputtingly depressing track which is lifted up by Ian Curtis' strong vocals and a more energetic tune that that of Disorder, particularly in the chorus.

3. Candidate: 6/10 more of the same. Impressive lyrics and a haunting tune but it just makes you feel depressed. It's like having to re-watch 12 Years a Slave.

4. Insight: 5/10 this song has a good baseline. If it had changed at all throughout the song except for at the end that would have been appreciated. As a result, despite the good lyrics the song descends into monotony.

5. New Dawn Fades: 710 it's still a distant and cold tune but its lyrics are interesting and its rise in intensity throughout allows you to distinguish it from the other tracks on the album.

6. She's Lost Control: 7/10 it's got more energy than some of the others and it's an interesting one to interpret, making it one of the album's highlights.

7. Shadowplay: 8/10 a stronger one here, with its deft instrumental and powerful imagery this is one of the louder songs on the album and works well overall.

8. Wilderness: 6/10 one of the least memorable songs on the album but with its thankfully short length, well written lyrics and enjoyable outro it's not too bad.

9. Interzone: 6/10 a fast paced and well played instrumental is brought down by meaningless lyrics which go by far too quickly.

10. I Remember Nothing: 6/10 a musically accomplished but forgettable album closer. A couple of hours after listening to this, I remember nothing.

Best song: Day of the Lords
Worst song: Insight

Summary: Having listened to this album twice, it's official: I just don't like it. It's good in many ways with its haunting sounds, deep lyrics and unique instrumentals and it's different from most other artists, but unfortunately it seems to be drowning in its own gloominess. The songs sound the same, they're not particularly enjoyable to listen to and they always feel restrained and downbeat. Technically accomplished yet self indulgent and cold, this album just doesn't do it for me. It's still important and worth a listen though, and many others like it much more than I do.

Final rating: 6/10

Highway 61 Revisited review

Highway 61 Revisited is Bob Dylan's most critically acclaimed album (or certainly up there anyway). Here are my thoughts on both the album and the legendary singer-songwriter.

Tracks:

1. Like a Rolling Stone: 10/10 brilliant. Just brilliant. The tune is fantastic, the lyrics are deep and intelligent without showing off, the chorus is great and Bob Dylan's singing completely nails it. This certainly wasn't named the greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone just because it has 'Rolling stone' in the title.

2. Tombstone Blues: 9/10 intense, thought provoking and ingenious (if slightly confusing) lyrics which diss society like only Bob Dylan can combined with a brilliant, fast moving instrumental make this a near masterpiece.

3. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry: 8/10 a more enigmatic song of frustration, which isn't as good as the first 2 songs but has plenty of mystery and benefits from Dylan's delightfully cynical singing voice and his downright brilliant song writing.

4. From a Buick 6: 8/10 a shorter song that's even more surreal and pretty weird but even though all the junkyard angel stuff is pretty confusing it still connects and it's another excellent song.

5. Ballad of a Thin Man: 9/10 now this one is pretty intense. The angriest song on the album, this brutal but ingenious barrage of insults is a real gut punch. Whoever Mr Jones is, I wouldn't want to switch places with him.

6. Queen Jane Approximately: 9/10 it may be similar to the album's other songs in many ways but Dylan always finds an interesting way to convey his message and always ensures his music is never boring.

7. Highway 61 Revisited: 8/10 more of the same in a good way.

8. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues: 6/10 the themes of misery aren't as well realized here and it's not as enjoyable as the other songs on the album although it's still a meaningful and enjoyable song.

9. Desolation Row: 10/10 an 11 minute masterpiece which creates a fictional universe to rival that of Star Wars and sees Bob Dylan hitting the peak of his lyrical wizardry. Even though Desolation Row seems like a pretty depressing place, you won't want to leave.

Best song: Desolation Row
Worst song: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues

Summary: Bob Dylan is pretty much the Shakespeare of the music world. His lyrics are pure genius and he always finds innovative ways to tell his many stories of dissatisfaction and protest. Even though the songs are all in the same genre you can tell them apart thanks to his superb and innovative guitar instrumentals. It's better to listen to these when you can hear the lyrics properly though.Overall, a great album and a showcase of some of the best song writing of all time.

Final Rating: 10/10

Are You Experienced album review

Jimi Hendrix is widely regarded as the greatest guitarist of all time. This is his first studio album. I'm reviewing the updated version which combines the UK and USA versions, so there are in total 17 tracks reviewed here.

Tracks:

1. Foxy Lady: 8/10 only one track in and it's already evident Jimi Hendrix is something of an instrumental genius. The stuff he does with a rock guitar! Sure, the lyrics are nothing to write home about but the music itself is smashing.

2. Manic Depression: 9/10 listening to this is like having an avalanche coming down on your head. Despite some repetition this song overwhelms and enthrals.

3. Red House: 8/10 a slower track here which showcases some excellent Blues playing and puts a humorous twist on a well worn song formula of the singer's lover not wanting him anymore.

4. Can You See Me: 7/10 the guitar playing is as accomplished as ever but like the other songs it often fails to affect one on an emotional level

5. Love or Confusion: 9/10 this one will have nodding along to it within 30 seconds. It's very catchy and has great lyrics which can be compared to those of many other genius song writers of the era.

6. I Don't Live Today: 8/10 more boundary breaking innovation with an outro which justifies comparisons with the incredible finale of A Day in the Life.

7. May This Be Love: 9/10 one of the strongest lyrically on the album, this is a hugely enjoyable song. It uses a waterfall as a metaphor for love, which is a very interesting and unique choice of imagery.

8. Fire: 8/10 it's a song which I feel like I've heard before a few times, most notably from The Doors. Still, it's another exuberant and hard hitting smash hit.

9. Third Stone From the Sun: 8/10 an overlong but technically accomplished instrumental with 2 enigmatic spoken verses slotted in.

10. Remember: 6/10 a forgettable and overly familiar track, but certainly not bad and still a cut above much of the rubbish you hear nowadays.

11. Are You Experienced?: 9/10 despite being largely constructed from one chord, this one doesn't lose momentum, energy or your attention and it's a strong title track overall.

12. Purple Haze: 9/10 another 60s psychedelic track and a very good one. Hard hitting, heavy and brilliantly played, this stands out in the crowd of the many 60s psychedelic songs.

13. Hey Joe: 9/10 actually a cover, this is the most well known version of Hey Joe and deserves to be. It stands out from the rest of the album thanks to the excellent harmonies and emotion and is a great example of telling a story with music. One of the album's highlights.

14. The Wind Cries Mary: 8/10 musically it's perhaps one of the less striking ones but it's an excellent ballad with the best lyrics on the album. This one slightly feels like if Bob Dylan did a hard rock song.

15. Stone Free: 8/10 yet another 60s counter culture song, this one's pretty good. With its universal message, kinetic guitar playing and unpretentious lyrics the song will be accessible for all.

16.51st Anniversary: 7/10 this one's still good but it fails to stand out and is one of the less memorable ones on the album.

17. Highway Chile: 8/10 both as an entertaining and well written rock song and proof that 60s musicians were obsessed with rolling stones, it works.

Best song: Hey Joe
Worst song: Remember

Summary: A very strong debut album and completely worth listening to. For me, the album can't quite escape the feeling of an instrumental showcase since the songs occasionally feel a bit distant and unaffecting, but what an instrumental showcase it is. It sounds great now; it's unimaginable how it must have sounded to listeners back in the 60s who hadn't heard anything like this before. Pushing the boundaries, experimenting and innovating again and again Jimi Hendrix, with his versatility and multiple tricks basically turns the electric guitar into the instrumental equivalent of a Swiss army knife.

Final rating: 8/10

Funeral review

Modern music hasn't grabbed me much. Much of it is just artificial and repetitive, sometimes catchy but never truly attention grabbing. The only modern artists who have truly grabbed me are Eminem and Lady Gaga which is an odd combination. Arcade Fire are one of the few genuinely well regarded modern music artists. This is the Canadian Indie Rock band's first album, Funeral.

Tracks:

1. Neighbourhood #1 Tunnels: 10/10 widely regarded as one of Arcade Fire's best and with good reason. The lyrics are ambiguous yet hugely powerful and every brilliantly played instrument blends together perfectly. Since it's a melancholy tune you need to be in the right mood to listen to it but it's truly, genuinely and devastatingly beautiful.

2. Neighbourhood #2 Laika: 7/10 I don't know about this one. What sets this album apart is how different it sounds, but this just feels like many other things I've heard before. It's pleasingly obscure and gains momentum in the chorus but this one doesn't always connect.

3. Une Annee Sans Lumiere: 8/10 a quieter but equally as compelling song which really speaks to you... even though some of it is in French. Subdued for much of its runtime it then subverts expectations and builds to a kinetic outro.  

4. Neighbourhood #3 Powers Out: 10/10 despite the title the power is definitely not out. With its fantastic intro, hauntingly powerful lyrics, overwhelming speed and incredible amount of emotion surging through every beautifully played chord this in fact has enough energy to power a large city. Stunning.

5. Neighbourhood #4 7 Kettles: 8/10 not jolly in any way, shape or form and another haunting and obscure song, this one boasts more intelligent lyrics and instrumental magic, as well as some great violin playing underlining it. The neighbourhood referred to in these 4 songs seems to be a pretty depressing place but it's been brought to life in the best way possible.

6. Crown of Love: 9/10 this one is pretty intense. Full of emotion, striking lyrics and pathos this one ruthlessly forces its way into your consciousness and stays there.

7. Wake Up: 8/10 despite treading similar thematic ground as the rest of the album, this track is full of brilliant vocalising and as it's always building towards a crescendo it never runs out of gas.

8. Haiti: 8/10 a very moving song and one that should not be forgotten when discussing the album although that is made a little difficult by the fact that it just sounds fairly similar to other tracks on the album in some ways.

9. Rebellion Lies: 10/10 one of the bands signature songs, this is a true classic. Hugely catchy and once again filled with emotion, this is one I can listen to again and again with its power still intact. The chorus is the best moment on the album.

10. In the Backseat: 8/10 a strong closer for the album. While the way it just finishes its lyrics before repeating them is a little annoying, it's a first relaxing, then powerful but always riveting song even though it's a little too long.

Best song: Neighbourhood #3 Powers Out
Worst Song: Neighbourhood #2 Laika

Summary: A brilliant debut album overall. Since the songs feel thematically linked it really feels like an album, and it's a true song writing showcase. However, what really sets it apart is the beautiful, unique and brilliantly composed music which uses so many different instruments yet blends them together with ease. The album on the whole is melancholy as hinted at by the title, so you do need to be in the right mood for it. Otherwise it's a treat.

Final rating: 10/10