A Tribe Called Quest is an alternative Hip-Hop or Jazz Rap band formed in the mid-80's. I really liked this album. Mostly because I do enjoy rap when it isn't in your face, abrasive, curse-filled, misogynistic rap. I enjoy the beat and music style of most rap and think that rappers have a lot of talent when it comes to their lyrics and creating the flow of the song. For this album it was a lot of what I would look for in a rap album, mellow, laid-back beats with smooth rap and nothing offensive.
"Check The Rhime"
Tomorrow's Album #81 Country Joe & The Fish - Electric Music for the Mind and Body
An album of Salsa music, I'm not really sure what to say about it. The music was really good. It was really upbeat and fun to listen to. All of the singing is in Spanish, so while it was good, not understanding what the songs are about detracts from it for me.
"Plastico"
Tomorrow's Album #687 A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
I never listened to the full album when it came out, cause it just wasn't my style, but you couldn't help but have heard the hits from the album. They were huge and played on the radio all the time. Listening to the album now, it still really isn't my style but I can definitely appreciate why the songs were so popular. In fact if you listen to "Born in the U.S.A" its actually not that good of a song. The music is kind of simple, Bruce kind of screams the lyrics through the whole thing and the chorus is just Born in the USA over and over, but it is a classic stadium anthem. Play that song for 20,000+ people at a concert and it's going to get them going.
BTW the album spawned 7 hit singles and sold over 30 million copies.
"Dancing in the Dark" - video features a young Courtney Cox
"Cover Me"
"Born in the USA"
"I'm on Fire"
"Glory Days" - my favorite on the album. this is a great song
"I'm Going Down"
"My Hometown"
Tomorrow's Album #426 Willie Colon & Ruben Blades - Siembra
Originally a member of Pink Floyd, he recorded this album after leaving the band. I didn't really care for it and it was made worse by being 20 songs long.
"Octopus"
Tomorrow's Album #533 Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA
I remember listening to "Gasoline Alley" awhile back and thinking it was just o.k. but enjoyable to listen to because of Rod's voice. I also remember listening to a Face's album, with Rod as the singer and also really enjoying it due to his voice. It is definitely the best part of his albums. It is so unique sounding that it sets his music apart from other singers. Once again the album itself wasn't amazing, although it did feature probably his most famous song, Maggie May.
"Maggie May"
Tomorrow's Album #196 Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs
I'll admit I know nothing about this band. I have never heard of them or heard any of their music. After listening to the album I don't feel like I was missing much. It was kinda slow and plodding and just boring.
"Fuzzy"
Tomorrow's Album #227 Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story
A hard rock band from Ireland, Thin Lizzy has had some hits. I didn't love the album because it was a live album, and I generally don't like live albums, especially from the 70's, when the sound quality is just not very good. I think I would have enjoyed the songs better if I had heard them as studio recordings.
"The Boys Are Back in Town"
"Whiskey in the Jar" - Not on the album, this is my favorite Thin Lizzy song, as covered by my favorite metal band - Metallica
Elvis Costello's debut album it was recorded in 24 hours. I have listened to one other album so far and wasn't all that impressed but from what I can remember of it this one was slightly better. It was kind of raw, and unpolished and the lyrics were kinda bad, but at least I had heard one of these songs before and it wasn't bad enough that I wanted to turn it off.
"Watching the Detectives"
Tomorrow's Album #423 Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
I could definitely tell these guys are from Ireland. The album had some of that traditional Irish sound to it. In fact it reminded me of the Pogues, who I listened to a few weeks ago, but this album was so much better, if for nothing else other than this guy can actually sing.
"World Party"
Tomorrow's Album #484 Einsturzende Neubauten - Kollaps
An amazing piano player, this album is hit after hit. The funny thing is only 2 of the songs are his, the rest are covers of other peoples songs, and the album would have been much better as a greatest hits album, as a live album the sound quality was pretty poor. Still fun to listen to though.
"Great Balls of Fire"
Tomorrow's Album #636 The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues
The second of only four albums, lyrically it was just average but with Eric Clapton on guitar that is where it really shined. Even at this early point in his career you can tell that he is going to be an amazing guitarist.
"Sunshine of Your Love"
Tomorrow's Album #53 Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club Hamburg
I was not expecting this album to be a electronic hip-hop album. From the name of the artist I was expecting more of a R&B album with African sound to it, but this was much different. Inspired by the likes of Kraftwerk, Afrika is a DJ and one of the originators of old school hip-hop sound. The single from the album, Planet Rock, have been sampled in a ton of hip-hop songs. Overall I thought the album was pretty interesting and really pretty good.
The last of their albums together it had some huge hits for them. Overall it was pretty good and, for the most part, about what I expected. As for the hits, I'm not sure that there are many songs more iconic that Bridge Over Troubled Water. Such a good song.
"The Boxer"
"Cecilia" - I've included a cover version of this song that was a huge dance hit in 1988
"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Tomorrow's Album #565 Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock: The Album
Released in 1985 the two hit songs from this album were HUGE and are deeply ingrained in 80's pop music. I never listened to the full album when it came out and listening to it now I know why the two hit songs were the songs released as singles. They are far and beyond the two best songs on the album. The rest of it was average at best.
"Take On Me" - when this video came out it was way ahead of what anyone else was doing for videos.
One David Bowie album has come up before this one, and in that review I mentioned that I really like his music but he is another example of me just being a fan of the hits. That changed at least, for this album.
In the summer of 2014 Bowie was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, but he never released the diagnosis to the public. Instead he did what he had done his entire career, he got to work on his next album, and what would eventually become Blackstar. Fast forward to January 8th 2016 and his 69th birthday, and the release of the album. It was instantly critically acclaimed and touted as one of the best of his career and still no one knew that he was dying. Two days later he died.
I didn't listen to Blackstar when it came out, even though I knew everyone was saying it was amazing. Again it was because I have never listened to any of his albums, just his hits. As an album it is really, really good and I wish I had listened to it sooner. Listening to it knowing that Bowie knew he was dying and that it would be the last music he created it is gripping. Listen to the lyrics and you can hear that he completely knows it is his last and you can tell that he is at peace with his life.
The song "Blackstar" is the best on the album and might be one of my new all time favorite songs. It is just so well crafted it has to be listened to, I can't explain it. "Something happened on the day he died Spirit rose a metre then stepped aside Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried"
In "Lazarus" you can tell he is grappling with his impeding death, and maybe even hoping that he could come back to life "Look up here, I'm in heaven I've got scars that can't be seen I've got drama, can't be stolen Everybody knows me now"
and finally in "I Can't Give Everything Away" you get the sense that understanding that he is going to die his mind has been opened to everything but he doesn't have the time to share it all. So instead we get this, his last album. "Seeing more and feeling less Saying no but meaning yes This is all I ever meant That's the message that I sent"
Do yourself a favor and give the album a listen, you will not be disappointed. Just a word of warning though the song "Girl Love Me" does drop the F-bomb a number of times.
These guys started the British punk movement and probably the most famous. The album was loud and obnoxious and the singer is terrible but it was still really good if you appreciate it for what it is, a loud, obnoxious album recorded to lash out against the government and the royalty. It still happens today. Just look at how many songs have been recorded protesting Trump since he was elected.
I don't really know what to think about this album. Born in New Orleans I definitely could hear the influence in his sound. I can't say that it was any good, but it was interesting enough to keep listening.
"Croker Courtbullion"
Tomorrow's Album #384 Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
A Tribe Called Quest is an alternative Hip-Hop or Jazz Rap band formed in the mid-80's. I really liked this album. Mostly because I do enjoy rap when it isn't in your face, abrasive, curse-filled, misogynistic rap. I enjoy the beat and music style of most rap and think that rappers have a lot of talent when it comes to their lyrics and creating the flow of the song. For this album it was a lot of what I would look for in a rap album, mellow, laid-back beats with smooth rap and nothing offensive.
