Encore review

Eminem's 5th album. Despite being very commercially successful, this album (His last studio album before his hiatus which lasted several years) isn't regarded as highly as his earlier stuff. Still, there are some good tunes on here.

Tracks:

1. Curtains Up (Skit): 7/10 Eminem's done this before, but it continues to be a good way to start an album.

2. Evil Deeds: 7/10 while the flow is often disjointed and it's short on Eminem's typical crazy imagery, it's powerful in its bluntness and picks up in the last verse.

3. Never Enough: 6/10 this one feels pretty redundant since all it does is tell us stuff we've heard loads of times before, but it's hardly a bad song.

4. Yellow Brick Road: 7/10 this song is one long apology. It's an interesting one, although it's not always clear what's going on.

5. Like Toy Soldiers: 9/10 a thought-provoking, smart and genuinely depressing examination of hip-hop feuds which stands tall as a giant in Eminem's already impressive discography. Plus, it features possibly the best hook of his career and that is seriously saying something.

6. Mosh: 8/10 an interesting indictment of George Bush, although it's not until the end of the second verse that he even mentions Bush. However, since this lacks of the raw, dynamite anger of his other tracks, it feels like Eminem might actually be afraid of the censors for the first time.

7. Puke: 4/10 as if '97 Bonnie and Clyde and Kim, both of which were very intense tracks, weren't enough, we get another Kim song. Unfortunately, this one is just quite lazy and Eminem doesn't even sound that annoyed. He just sounds like half-asleep.

8. My 1st Single: 4/10 with lyrics more confusing than Justin Bieber's popularity, if this was someone's first single they'd have justification to throw a celebratory party if it even made it into the top 100.

9. Paul (Skit): 5/10 there just isn't really any need for this to be here, especially since the more controversial side of Eminem's music seems subdued here.

10. Rain Man: 7/10 alright, I definitely spoke too soon there. A pretty offensive song which isn't really about anything in particular, this is just loads of entertaining randomness.

11. Big Weenie: 5/10 this song, one of Eminem's angry ones, is curiously short on genuine anger but boasts some intelligent bars.

12. Em Calls Paul (Skit): 8/10 this skit is pretty funny, and boasts an interesting robotic voice.

13. Just Lose it: 7/10 gleefully insane, this one really does lose it, albeit not in quite as compelling a fashion as many of Eminem's previous similar (and better) songs.

14. Ass Like That: 4/10 it's kind of funny, but it's just a bit stupid to be brutally honest. It's not hard to see why many see this as one of Eminem's worst songs.

15. Spend Some Time: 6/10 this one is dubious, but it has interesting moments.

16. Mockingbird: 8/10 heavy-handed and sentimental, but it's very powerful and shows a side to Eminem we don't see that often.

17. Crazy in Love: 8/10 smartly written and genuinely entertaining, this is an album highlight.

18. One Shot 2 Shot: 6/10 on one hand as a narrative, it works. On the other hand, it doesn't feel like it means anything.

19. Final Thought (Skit): 4/10 a series of barely audible noises. As you do.

20. Encore: 6/10 apparently intended to possibly be Eminem's final song on his possible final album, this would have made a decent if unspectacular farewell.

Best song: Like Toy Soldiers
Worst song: My 1st Single

Summary: If this had been Eminem's final album, that would have been pretty depressing. It's got a couple of classics on here, but mostly it's full of mediocre albeit rarely bad material with simplistic rhymes, bland beats and rehashed, repetitive and predictable subject matter. Most of the songs on their own are perfectly good to be fair. However, when listening to them in one go on this album you start yearning for Eminem's better stuff. He's not bad here. He just sounds exhausted. He did just create 3 amazing hip hop albums in a row to be fair so who can blame him?



Final rating: 6/10

Houses of the Holy review

The fifth studio album by the rock giants Led Zeppelin. While not their most critically acclaimed work, it still contains some of their most famous songs and has been a massive commercial success.

Tracks:

1. The Song Remains the Same: 7/10 since the lyrics are meaningless babble (Although apparently it's meant to say how music is universal), here one must focus on the instrumental. It's an enjoyable rock song overall, although the instrumentals occasionally feel lifted from Stairway to Heaven and it's a bit overlong.

2. The Rain Song: 10/10 metaphors about the four seasons have rarely been this smashingly powerful. A rare ballad from Led Zeppelin, the deviation from their formula paid off. It's one of their most beautiful songs.

3. Over the Hills and Far Away: 9/10 not one of Led Zeppelin's most well-known or explosive songs, but an unexpectedly punchy tune which packs in a lot of interesting meditations about life and some strong, pleasingly understated guitar riffs.

4. The Crunge: 5/10 bold and experimental in certain ways, but thanks to its meaningless ramblings, disjointed instrumental and complete lack of flow, it stands as one of Led Zeppelin's worst songs.

5. Dancing Days: 8/10 this one is just good fun. It doesn't have a lot of substance or innovation. It succeeds purely as a good time, making it one which should not be overlooked.

6. D'yer Mak'er: 8/10 this reggae tune is one of the most divisive Led Zeppelin songs and certainly the one with the most mispronounced title. I, however, really like it and it's a really fun tune, even if it at times feels like the band just made it for a joke.

7. No Quarter: 10/10 simultaneously dark, mysterious and haunting yet so epic it provokes the same feelings of euphoria the band's more upbeat songs do, this gloomy, gothic masterpiece is one of Led Zeppelin's masterpieces.

8. The Ocean: 9/10 this terrifically entertaining song, a tribute to the sea of fans at Led Zeppelin concerts, is good enough to justify a 20 minute standing ovation.

Best song: No Quarter
Worst song: The Crunge

Summary: This isn't Led Zeppelin's most popular album, but I think it's terrific. It's got some great songs (As well as a couple of weaker ones) and doesn't represent the band losing their way at all. It's not as good as Led Zeppelin I, II and IV but it still boasts great writing and mesmerising, earth-shattering instrumentals. Rock doesn't get much better than Led Zeppelin.



Final rating: 9/10

Squeeze review

The 5th and final album by The Velvet Underground. This was recorded nearly alone by Doug Yule, since everyone else had left the band by this point.

Tracks:

1. Little Jack: 5/10 this one just exists, drifting into one ear and out through the other without evoking so much as a shrug. It's perfectly OK, but it starts the album off with a whimper instead of a bang.

2. Crash: 4/10 well, at least try and put some effort in!

3. Caroline: 5/10 this one is essentially saved by having a decent beat. Otherwise it'd pretty lame.

4. Mean Old Man: 4/10 aside from its catchy moments, this is just bland and utterly vanilla.

5. Dopey Joe: 4/10 it may have its peaks, but it's just lazy.

6. Wordless: 5/10 at least this one has a bit more effort to it.

7. She'll Make You Cry: 5/10 some good instrumental moments don't stop one from thinking longingly of the nihilism of The Velvet Underground's first album or the insane experimentation of their second.

8. Friends: 6/10 uninspired but at least it makes you feel something.

9. Send No Letters: 4/10 woefully weak lyrically, but it does have a beat you can nod along to.

10. Jack and Jane: 5/10 whatever.

11. Louise: 5/10 it can be catchy but it shouldn't be stretched to nearly 6 minutes.

Best song: Friends
Worst song: Crash

Summary: Despite the toxic reputation of this album, it's not actually as awful as all that. Why has it been reviewed so badly? Because they called it a Velvet Underground record, not a Doug Yule one. This has about as much in common with a Velvet Underground record as a Rihanna YouTube playlist, but it's mediocre rather than awful; its songs are too bland and average to hurt one's ears particularly. Generic though pleasant, uninspired though inoffensive, this pleasantly brief album isn't the best but if it was seen as a Doug Yule album, it'd just be regarded as another album, mediocre but hardly awful.



Final rating: 5/10

Shut Down Volume 2 review

The 5th album by The Beach Boys. Hopefully this will be better than the last one and not go on about cars quite so much.

Tracks:

1. Fun, Fun, Fun: 9/10 just look at the title. It sums the song up perfectly.

2. Don't Worry Baby: 8/10 a very effective love song that despite its uninspired concept manages not to feel forced and cheesy.

3. In the Parkin' Lot: 7/10 what could have been pretty mediocre rides on a powerful tidal wave of great harmonies and jolly music to success (Sorry, couldn't resist the surfing metaphor).

4. 'Cassius' Love Vs. 'Sonny' Wilson: 8/10 pretty funny, although it does go on for a bit too long.

5. The Warmth of the Sun: 7/10 perfectly nice, but the harmonies are overdone and it comes across as a bit whiny as a result.

6. This Car of Mine: 5/10 look, if I wanted to see loads of car porn I'd go and watch Fast and Furious!

7. Why Do Fools Fall in Love: 6/10 it sounds nice, but the vocals are hard to hear and it feels a bit slight.

8. Pom Pom Play Girl: 7/10 this sounds like much of what The Beach Boys have done before. It's pretty fun if unmemorable.

9. Keep an Eye on Summer: 8/10 this one is pretty nice to be fair, and boasts some moving harmonies.

10. Shut Down, Part II: 8/10 a speedy, jolly and overall successful instrumental.

11. Louie, Louie: 4/10 I'm not sure about this one. All it really does is say 'Louie, Louie'.

12. Denny's Drums: 8/10 a terrific drum track.

Best song: Fun, Fun, Fun
Worst song: Louie, Louie

Summary: Overall, this album is pretty good. It's better than the first and fourth albums, but weaker than the second and third ones, so this is in the middle. It's got some really good stuff. The instrumentals are unusually strong, the opening track is great and some of the songs are effective. Others are just a bit mediocre and weak however. The album starts well, sags considerably in the middle before hitting a peak again in the second half. Pretty good stuff, although it's not The Beach Boys at their best.




Final rating: 7/10

Ummagumma review

The 4th studio album by Pink Floyd. This is a double album; the first side is a live album and the second side has solo compositions from each band member.

Tracks:

1. Astronomy Domine: 7/10 this starts with an excellent intro before descending into generic rock fare. It's very well-played, but I can get well-executed guitar riffs from at least 50 other bands and so this feels a bit disappointing and safe. It's still decent though.

2. Careful With That Axe, Eugene: 9/10 sometimes understated, sometimes demented, always unpredictable, this epic instrumental truly is beautiful chaos.

3. Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun: 8/10 I wasn't a huge fan of the studio version of this one which was released 2 albums ago. This live version is far better, since it's louder and contains many insane sound effects.

4. A Saucerful of Secrets: 10/10 if anyone asks why Pink Floyd is my favourite band, this would be a perfect explanation. It's even better than the studio version.

5. Sysyphus: 7/10 Richard Wright's 4-part solo composition suffers from being overlong, uneven and overdone at times but has many inspired moments.

6. Grantchester Meadows: 4/10 this one is literally just an aimless 7 minute tune which strands some excellent imagery in a bland acoustic guitar track with less charisma than a mouldy sandwich. No thanks.

7. Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict: 5/10 quite interesting in some ways, but this fails to toe the line between interesting musical experimentation and over-indulgence.

8. The Narrow Way: 7/10 perfectly good but not particularly memorable. You'd expect a solo composition from the man behind some of the greatest guitar solos ever to be a bit better.

9. The Grand Vizier's Garden Party: 5/10 this one is just lots of percussion, and much of it isn't even that great.

Best song: A Saucerful of Secrets
Worst song: Grantchester Meadows

Summary: This is half a good album. The live section is terrific and sees Pink Floyd at the peak of their insane, psychedelic powers. They were obviously brilliant when performing on stage. Unfortunately, the experiment to have several solo compositions on side 2 didn't pay off at all, and thankfully the band never tried that again. Most of the songs are sub-par, the experimentation goes too far and much of the time the instrumentals sound like a load of screeching animals. Probably Pink Floyd's worst album, although not a complete dud.



Final rating: 6/10

Another Side of Bob Dylan review

The 4th studio album by Bob Dylan. This, as the title indicates, shifts away from previous albums thematically and once again Bob Dylan performs the entire album on his own.

Tracks:

1. All I Really Want to Do: 7/10 highly repetitive, but Dylan manages to wring some compelling material out of a thoroughly clichéd central concept.

2. Black Crow Blues: 8/10 a track where Bob Dylan plays the piano, this may not make an awful lot of sense but it's surprisingly engaging.

3. Spanish Harlem Incident: 9/10 an excellent lesson in how to do a fresh, interesting love song.

4. Chimes of Freedom: 10/10 how on earth is a song about someone sitting under an archway watching a thunderstorm so powerful? I don't know either, but this song, which sees Bob Dylan at his poetic best, delivers one freakishly brilliant line after another.

5. I Shall Be Free No. 10: 9/10 you will be wondering what on earth this song is about, but you'll probably also be in stiches. It's very funny for a Dylan song.

6. To Ramona: 9/10 typical Dylan fare to some extent, but it's as unpredictable, complex and human as ever.

7. Motorpsycho Nightmare: 8/10 random but highly amusing.

8. My Back Pages: 8/10 despite being not entirely coherent, this still manages to entertain and move remarkably well.

9. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met): 7/10 this one is perfectly good, but lacks the striking quality of many of the album's other songs.

10. Ballad in Plain D: 5/10 apparently, this is about a break-up. Thanks to the painfully pretentious lyrics spread across an entirely unnecessary 8 minute length, you'll need Wikipedia to work that out. It may have its moments, but it's undeniably something of a Dylan dud.

11. It Ain't Me, Babe: 7/10 a skilled if routine album closer.

Best song: Chimes of Freedom
Worst song: Ballad in Plain D

Summary: I really enjoyed this album. It doesn't seem to be particularly acclaimed, but there's some really great stuff here. I can't give it a higher rating since it does have some weaker material on here. At times Bob Dylan seems to be phoning it in, while at other times he's on top form. After the unflinchingly bleak The Times They Are a-Changing, it's also great to see a genuinely humorous album with a pleasing lightness of touch. An underrated work overall.



Final rating: 8/10

Rainbow Bridge review

The second posthumous album from Jimi Hendrix. This particular album includes a studio version of The Star Spangled Banner, which he famously performed at Woodstock, as well as an 11 minute-long live recording of another song.

Tracks:

1. Dolly Dagger: 7/10 while not one of Hendrix's standouts, it's as musically brilliant as ever.

2. Earth Blues: 7/10 an instrumental slam-dunk, a bit of a lyrical dud.

3. Pali Gap: 8/10 since the song-writing on this album seems to be sub-par so far, perhaps it's a good thing this is just an instrumental. It's also a very good one at that.

4. Room Full of Mirrors: 8/10 highly intense both in lyrics and in guitar riffs, this one is fairly epic.

5. The Star Spangled Banner: 10/10  it's a musical atom bomb. Imagine if this was actually a national anthem. Let's face it: it'd be brilliant.

6. Look Over Yonder: 7/10 a comedown for sure, but it's too well-played to dismiss.

7. Hear My Train a Comin': 7/10 Hendrix is on fine form here, but thanks to the excessive runtime of 11 minutes and lack of substance this outstays its welcome by several minutes.

8. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun): 6/10 not bad exactly, but there just isn't much compelling material here.

Best song: The Star Spangled Banner
Worst song: Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)

Summary: This is a solid album, showing Jimi Hendrix on form with plenty of amazing guitar work and tracks 3-5 are excellent. This is an album which provides a good time and some entertaining rock music, but it does not have the quality of Hendrix's other stuff. It has its moments, but thanks to weak lyrics and a lack of true standouts aside from The Star Spangled Banner, this is the weakest Hendrix album reviewed on this blog so far.



Final rating: 7/10

Arcade Fire other tracks

The Arcade Fire tracks which I haven't listened to reviewed and rated. These are only songs done by Arcade Fire alone, so the Her soundtrack isn't included. Tracks on the albums but not by Arcade Fire aren't included. Additionally, I'm not listing songs which are just earlier versions of Arcade Fire songs discussed in my album reviews, demos and rarities, and the Very Arcade Xmas album isn't included since that was evidently just a bit of a drunken joke.

Abraham's Daughter: 7/10 the end credits song for The Hunger Games. This one is overly restrained and a bit random, but there's something appropriately stirring and melancholy about it.

Apocrypha: 7/10 a bit distant and quiet, but this one has a certain charm and is subtle in an intelligent way.

Brazil: 8/10 a rather sweet cover song, although weaker than most of the main tracks on Funeral.

Broken Window: 7/10 this has some annoying repetition and takes a little while to get going. Once it does, it's full steam ahead to Arcade Fire excellence.

Cold Wind: 7/10 this song from Six Feet Under doesn't always say what it's about, but it's typically well-made and has a terrific hook.

Crucified Again: 8/10 a strong showcase of powerful subtlety and some of Arcade Fire's most interesting lyrics.

Culture War: 8/10 this bonus track on The Suburbs is simplistic in some ways but highly catchy and has the same melancholy, poignant vibe as the rest of the album.

Get Right: 8/10 sparse but surprisingly effective. The instrumental section is terrific.

Headlights Look Like Diamonds: 6/10 a sign of a developing artist: many of the powerful themes featured in later Arcade Fire tracks and one of their unique instrumentals, but done with less skill than their later material. The outro is cool though.

I Give You Power: 5/10 this bizarre recent single is apparently a political song about Donald Trump, but with such repetitive and bland lyrics, as well as an overly samey beat, it's difficult to determine exactly what it's about. Some good organ sections, a solid intro and Arcade Fire's typical power save this from being the disaster many internet commentators say it was though.

I'm Sleeping in a Submarine: 7/10 pretty random and it feels like a nursery rhyme for kids at times, but it's fun and pleasingly light.

Lenin: 7/10 despite confused lyrics, this is more polished than many of the early tracks and Arcade Fire seem to have at least partially discovered their sound by this point.

My Heart is an Apple: 6/10 I really don't know about this one. There are some nice peaks but lyrically it's flat and basically it's just some weird song about apples.

Old Flame: 8/10 a bit disjointed in many ways, but this dreamlike, touching song has many hints of the dazzling heights Arcade Fire would later reach.

Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son: 7/10 it will be very difficult to understand unless you speak French since Regine Chassagne sung this one entirely in French. While only a cover song released in a joint single with LCD Soundsystem (Who contributed a song of their own), this is actually a nice and thoroughly enjoyable tune even if you can't understand the lyrics.      

Soft Power: 8/10 despite being slightly pretentious, this song, which is less experimental than much of Reflektor, is pretty darn awesome.

Speaking in Tongues: 7/10 this one has a good intro and sustains a good beat throughout, but suffers from being too abstract.

Surf City Eastern Bloc: 5/10 this badly recorded early track, which was a B-side to No Cars Go, is somewhat saved by some stirring harmonies and instrumental sections in the latter half of the song. It's still a mystery they used this as the B-side though.  

The Woodlands National Anthem: 8/10 this feels like Neighbourhood #5, and boasting a distinctive, emotionally stirring dreamlike quality this would have been a good addition to Funeral.

This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody): 6/10 these obscure early Arcade Fire songs certainly aren't obscure gems. This one's alright though, and it has a nice baseline.

Vampire/Forest Fire:7/10 while it rambles on about vampires, forests, miners, gasoline and house construction is a somewhat annoying way, it's still interesting and rather nice, and also boasts a terrific outro.

Women of a Certain Age: 8/10 like the rest of Reflektor, it's experimental nature will alienate some but for patient listeners it will be rewarding.

The Best of the Wailers review

Despite the title, this isn't a compilation. This is the last album from The Wailers before they became international stars and achieved wider recognition.

Tracks:

1. Soul Shakedown Party: 8/10 for once, a song about partying which isn't completely shallow and superficial. Delightful stuff.

2. Stop the Train: 8/10 while it sounds restrained in terms of its instrumental at times, it's unexpectedly thought provoking and effective while still making for a catchy tune.

3. Caution: 8/10 a bit confusing, but it's another stirring tune with some very interesting lyrics.

4. Soul Captives: 8/10 enough soul related titles already, but this highly pleasant if slight song gets it point across efficiently.

5. Go Tell it On the Mountain: 7/10 a bit repetitive and a bit too simple, but it's nice to see The Wailers developing their more political song writing which was seen more on their later albums.

6. Can't You See: 7/10 a very competent love song, although it's pure formula.

7. Soon Come: 8/10 this one has plenty of charm and energy despite its repetition.

8. Cheer Up: 9/10 few songs live up to their title in such a good way.

9. Back Out: 6/10 perfectly OK on a technical level, but I just don't get it.    

10. Do it Twice: 8/10 one of those pleasant love songs; nothing definitive but very nice.

Best song: Cheer Up
Worst song: Back Out

Summary: This album doesn't fully live up to its title, since this isn't actually the Wailers at their best. The instrumentals feel a bit restrained at times and there's not a massive amount of variety in the lyrics. Still, this is really good album, possibly their best so far, so it partially lives up to the title. With touching love songs and more mature, political songs, this seems to show The Wailers moving towards their peak. Really good stuff overall, and since by their next album they were more well-known internationally, the albums of The Wailers seem set to only get better.



Final rating: 8/10

Beatles For Sale review

Beatles For Sale is the 4th album by The Beatles. Normally this would be good news, but judging by the somewhat bland title, the weary expressions on the band's faces on the album cover and the number of covers in the album, it looks pretty clear that when they made this album The Beatles were just a bit sick of Beatlemania.

Tracks:

1. No Reply: 9/10 the album starts on a high with this highly energetic love song, which despite its similarity to other Beatles songs still manages to feel fresh and be hugely entertaining and compelling.

2. I'm a Loser: 7/10 this one feels too sorry for itself to truly satisfy, but at least boasts plenty of enthusiasm and a good chorus.  

3. Baby's in Black: 7/10 perfectly competent, but I detect The Beatles phoning it in which is something they never normally do.

4. Rock 'n' Roll Music: 8/10 it still feels a bit phoned-in, but this cover song is delightfully punchy and never lets up.

5. I'll Follow the Sun: 7/10 quite nice, although loads of simplistic weather metaphors aren't a good technique for covering a lack of depth.

6. Mr Moonlight: 7/10 perfectly pleasant and well sung but a bit dreary.     

7. Kansas City: 7/10 even if the lyrics are sub-par, The Beatles inject their usual catchiness into this cover song.

8. Eight Days a Week: 9/10 The Beatles are on top form here in easily the album's most popular track, and it's certainly deserving.

9. Words of Love: 8/10 boasting honesty and emotion, this cover is surprisingly successful.

10. Honey Don't: 4/10 the epitome of lame, disposable cover songs.

11. Every Little Thing: 5/10 it may be a Lennon/McCartney song this time but certainly not one of their best.

12. I Don't Want to Spoil the Party: 8/10 well-constructed, touching and mature, this thankfully shows a lot more energy than many songs on this album. 

13. What You're Doing: 7/10 a perfectly good relationship song with a nice side of cynicism.

14. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby: 5/10 it sounds like The Beatles were half-asleep when they did this one. Still, they managed to produce a mildly catchy song.

Best song: Eight Days a Week
Worst song: Honey Don't

Summary: This is a competent and decent album, but I'd expect much better from The Beatles. This is the rare instance of them phoning it in, and throughout I can almost hear them saying "I can't be bothered." Despite often lacking the energy and intelligence of their other work, this still has plenty of good moments and showcases some of The Beatles' talent, so it'd be hard to justify calling it a bad album.



Final rating: 6/10

The Man Who Sold the World review

The third album by David Bowie. This is generally agreed to be the one where it started to get good and where David Bowie's classic period began.

Tracks:

1. The Width of a Circle: 7/10 a thoroughly competent rock song with plenty of mad imagery and vocal highs although it is overlong and musically generic.

2. All the Madmen: 9/10 mad, surreal, crazy and absolutely terrific. A sorely underrated Bowie track marred only by a slow start.

3. Black Country Rock: 8/10 pretty simple and stripped back, but still a thoroughly enjoyable rock song.

4. After All: 9/10 not only a great song, but also seemingly a farewell to the nauseating kiddy world depicted in Bowie's debut album. Good riddance!

5. Running Gun Blues: 6/10 while not bad on a technical level, Bowie doesn't quite pull off this full-on, brutal and nihilistic track which doesn't fit in with his style particularly.

6. Saviour Machine: 8/10 again, the darkness clashes with the upbeat instrumental, but this one works considerably better and such is the exuberance of the music that despite its dark subject matter it feels strangely uplifting.

7. She Shook Me Cold: 8/10 another good rock song if not one of the album's standouts.

8. The Man Who Sold the World: 10/10 the perfect combo of light and darkness and entertainment and art. Awesome!

9. The Supermen: 8/10 wonderful psychedelic lyrics and an entertaining instrumental make this a strong album closer.

Best song: The Man Who Sold the World
Worst song: Running Gun Blues

Summary: Bowie has come a long way from his weak first album. His next one was much better, but this is just epic. Although it's heavy rock instrumentals still aren't quite Bowie as we know and love him, mostly it's a delightfully unrestrained and hugely enjoyable album. Boasting brilliant lyrics and endlessly euphoric, exuberant music this delightful insanity is a real treat.




Final rating: 9/10